Creator Success Club

Creator Success Club

The Complete Guide to Content and Partnerships. Part 1: Brand outreach

Kicking off my free inbox content creator course on landing partnerships, building systems, and scaling your creator business. Reaching out to brands- exact steps, what to say, and how to say it.

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Tolani AV
Oct 13, 2025
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Hey creators,

Today I am kicking off a new Creator Success Club email series that runs through the end of the year. Think of it like a course in your inbox. Every week, I will teach one or two must-know topics across content creation, online presence/building your personal brand, and influencer marketing so you can grow faster, land partnerships, and build a real, sustainable business as a creator.

Instead of buying another course, get these free lessons by email every week. You can reply with questions, drop them in the comments, or join the chat anytime and I will answer.

Creator Success Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here’s where we’re kicking off the series: how to reach out to brands for partnerships. This is the number one question I get. You want exact steps, what to say, and how to say it. Let’s get into a simple system you can use this week!

Before you pitch, tighten three things:

  • Positioning that makes sense to a stranger. A brand manager should understand who you are in five seconds. Clear bio, clear content categories, and pinned content that shows your best work.

  • Proof over promises. Have 3 to 5 posts that demonstrate your strengths. If you want paid UGC, pin strong UGC. If you want sponsored in-feed Reels, pin your best, most engaging Reels.

  • A measurable hook. Share audience stats that match their customer. Example: “72% women, 25 to 34, top interests beauty and home.”

Your pitch can be short and powerful. Lead with value, not a life story. Open with one sentence on who you are and the problem you help solve for their customer, then one sentence of proof. A clear result always beats a long bio.

What to include:

  • Value first: 2 to 3 tailored concepts, one line each

  • Tie to outcomes: “Drives saves for later,” “Explains sizing in under 20 seconds,” “Increases add-to-cart”

  • Credibility: 1 to 2 receipts

    • Example: “Drove 300 link clicks for Walmart Home in 48 hours”

    • Light social proof: “Repeat partners: X brand, X brand, or Worked with over XX brands”

  • CTA:

    • “If helpful, I can send a one-page media kit with some content examples today.”

    • “Happy to hop on a call to discuss further.”

If you cannot find an email(apollo/Linkedin), jump in their DMs. First react to a recent post to get on their radar(engaging with their stories is an underrated hack to getting noticed fyi). Then send a short message like, “Would love to partner with the brand. Can you please share the best email I can reach out to?” Move the chat to email within 24 hours so you can share details cleanly.

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Follow-up rhythm- Follow up several times. Here is an example:

  • Week 1: Send pitch

  • Week 2: Bump with one fresh concept

  • Week 3 -5: Bump with a new stat or quick result

  • Week 6: Final closeout

Keep a simple tracker

  • Brand, contact, date sent, offer type, outcome, next step

  • Update after every message so you always know what to do next

Most creators lose deals by asking for budget before showing value, sending generic decks that do not match the brand’s goals, or piling on too many asks at once. Keep it simple, specific, and tied to outcomes.

When they say “yes, share more”

  • One-page media kit only

  • Your typical rates

  • Availability window and your timeline to deliver

That’s the whole flow. Short, clear, and outcome-focused.

Sample pitches, follow-up email samples, and more DM scripts/strategy for CSC Members below!!

See yall next week!

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