Most UGC deals start with a cold email. The good news: brands that buy UGC want to hear from creators. The bad news: they get a lot of emails. Here's how to write one that gets read.
Skip the support inbox. Look for a marketing, social, partnerships, influencer or creator email on the brand's website, in its press page, or on LinkedIn. At small brands the founder is often the right person.
Subject: Busy-mom morning routine videos for your toddler snacks
Hi Sarah! Your new veggie puffs are the only snack my two-year-old asks for by name. I'm a UGC creator who makes honest, real-life videos for family brands. I'd love to film a quick "what my toddler eats before daycare" routine featuring the puffs, with a few hooks you can test in ads. Can I send over a couple of samples?
Include one link to your portfolio or media kit. Don't attach big files. If they want more, they'll ask.
Many brands reply to the second or third email, not the first. Follow-ups aren't pushy; they're how busy people remember you.
Keep a list of who you pitched, when, and when to follow up. It's the difference between pitching 10 brands and pitching 100. Moli's pitch tracker does it for you and moves each brand along as they reply.
Still setting up? Read the full guide on how to start UGC.
Early on, aim for 10 to 20 new brands a week, with follow-ups. Consistent pitching is what gets your first deals.
Email is usually better for UGC because it reaches the people who buy content. A DM can work for small brands, but follow it with an email.
Moli has brands to pitch, pitch templates in your voice, and sends your follow-ups on schedule from your Gmail, stopping when the brand replies.
Start pitching with Moli, freeBefore any brand gets a pitch, it has to survive one question: why this brand, why this creator, why now? Here's what that filter actually catches — and what a pitch looks like on either side of it.
Not every brand that could theoretically work is worth pitching. Here's how to tell a real lead from a qualified one before you spend an hour researching a dead end.
Good brand research isn't a Google search and a hunch. Here's a repeatable system for finding brands that are actually likely to say yes.