How to Get Brand Deals on TikTok

Landing your first brand deal on TikTok can feel like a game-changer, but it’s far more achievable than you might think. Growing your audience is just one part of the puzzle, understanding how to package your content, pitch your value, and professionally manage partnerships is what separates hobbyists from profitable creators. This guide provides a complete roadmap to help you secure paid brand deals on TikTok, no matter the size of your following.

Laying the Foundation: Create a Brand-Ready TikTok Profile

Before you ever send a pitch email, your TikTok profile needs to look like a business brands want to partner with. Think of it as your digital storefront. A messy, confusing profile signals that you aren't serious, while a polished, clear presence tells brands you’re professional and ready for collaborations.

Define Your Niche and Stick to It

Brands don't pay for followers, they pay for access to a specific, engaged audience. A creator who posts random dance videos one day, video game clips the next, and cooking tutorials the day after is seen as a generalist. Their audience is fragmented, and a brand has no idea who they're actually reaching.

In contrast, a creator who focuses exclusively on "beginner-friendly vegan recipes" or "mid-century modern furniture finds" has a clearly defined community. A vegan snack brand knows exactly who they’ll reach by partnering with that creator. Your niche is your superpower. Choose a topic you're passionate about and create content consistently around that theme. This builds trust with your audience and makes your value proposition crystal clear to potential sponsors.

• Good Niche Examples: Sustainable fashion for petite women, gluten-free baking hacks, productivity tools for college students, dog training tips for apartment dwellers.
• Bad Niche Examples: Lifestyle, comedy, my daily life (these are too broad to attract targeted brands initially).

Optimize Every Part of Your Bio

Your bio is your business card. In just a few seconds, a brand manager should understand who you are, what you do, and how to contact you. Here's a quick checklist:

• Profile Picture: Use a clear, high-quality headshot or a clean logo that represents your brand. It should look professional and easily recognizable.
• Username (@handle): Make it simple, memorable, and easy to spell. If possible, keep it consistent across all your social media platforms. Avoid excessive numbers or underscores.
• Bio Statement: Clearly state your value. Instead of "Just a girl who loves XYZ," try "Helping you create healthy meals in under 20 mins." Pinpoint the solution you provide for your followers.
• Add Your Email for Business Inquiries: Don't make brands hunt for your contact info. Putting a professional email address directly in your bio is the most common and effective way for them to reach out. Avoid using your personal email if possible.
• The Link in Bio: This is prime real estate. Use a service like Linktree, Beacons, or a personal website to direct traffic to your other platforms, your portfolio, or specific affiliate links. It signals that you run your page like a business.

Switch to a TikTok Business or Creator Account

If you're still on a personal account, switch immediately. A Business or Creator Account unlocks essential tools that are non-negotiable for anyone serious about landing brand deals. The main advantages are:

• Access to Analytics: You get detailed data on your follower demographics (age, gender, location), video views, profile views, and engagement rates. Brands will always ask for this information before working with you. You need it to prove your value.
• The Creator Marketplace: This is TikTok’s official platform for connecting creators and brands. Once you meet the eligibility criteria, you can join and get discovered by brands looking for partnerships in your niche.

Create a Content Strategy That Attracts Brands

Once your profile is set up for business, your content needs to do the selling for you. Brands will scroll through your feed to evaluate your performance, quality, and how you communicate with your audience. Your recent nine to twelve videos are your portfolio.

Prioritize High-Quality Production

"High-quality" doesn't mean you need a thousand-dollar camera. Today's smartphones shoot incredible video. What it really means is paying attention to the fundamentals:

• Good Lighting: Film facing a window to get natural light, or invest in a simple ring light. Avoid backlighting (where the light source is behind you), as it creates silhouettes.
• Clear Audio: Built-in phone microphones can work in quiet rooms, but an inexpensive lavalier mic can make a huge difference in sound quality. Muffled or noisy audio is an instant turn-off.
• Stable Video: Rest your phone on a tripod or lean it against a stack of books. Shaky, handheld footage can look unprofessional unless it's an intentional stylistic choice.

Build a Portfolio by Reviewing Products for Free

How can a brand trust you to promote their product if they've never seen you do it before? You need to give them examples. Start creating content that looks like a brand deal, even before you have one.

Pick products you already own and genuinely love. Create TikToks showing how you use them, what you like about them, and why your audience would benefit from them. For example:

• A fashion creator can make a "Top 3 sneakers I wear every day."
• A home cook can share a recipe featuring their favorite brand of olive oil.
• A tech creator can review their go-to productivity mouse.

This approach achieves two things: it shows brands exactly how you would creatively integrate a product, and it provides authentic, valuable content for your audience. Tag the brands in your videos, you'd be surprised how many are actively looking for user-generated content and might discover you this way.

From Follower to Partner: How to Proactively Find and Pitch Brands

While some creators get discovered, the most successful ones don't wait for opportunities to fall into their laps. They are proactive. Getting comfortable with pitching is the single most important skill for securing brand deals.

Step 1: Create Your Pitching Hit List

Start by making a list of 15-20 brands that are a perfect fit for your niche and that you are genuinely excited about. Smaller or direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands are often a great place to start, as they may have more flexible budgets and are actively seeking micro-influencers to build buzz.

Look for brands that align with your values and audience. If you promote a sustainable lifestyle, pitching a fast-fashion brand will seem inauthentic and could alienate your followers. Authenticity is everything in creator marketing.

Step 2: Build Your Media Kit

A media kit is a one or two-page digital resume for your creator business. It quickly provides brands with all the information they need to decide if you're a good fit for their campaign. You can create one for free using tools like Canva. It must include:

• A Bio & Headshot: A short introduction to you and your brand identity.
• Key Analytics: Screenshots from your TikTok analytics showing follower count, engagement rate (likes + comments + shares / views), and audience demographics (age range, gender, top locations).
• Content Examples: Links to 3-5 of your best-performing TikToks that showcase your style and connection with your audience.
• Services Offered: List what you can provide, such as "1 TikTok Video," "3-Frame TikTok Story," or "Content Bundle (1 Video + 1 Story)."
• Contact Information: Your email and links to your other social profiles.

Some creators include their rates in their media kit, while others prefer to discuss pricing after showing their value. As a beginner, it can be helpful to keep rates off your kit so you can remain flexible.

Step 3: Find the Right Contact and Send Your Pitch

Sending your email to a generic ‘info@brand.com’ address is a shot in the dark. Your goal is to find someone on the marketing or partnerships team. The best places to look are:

• LinkedIn: Search for "[Brand Name] + Marketing Manager," "Influencer Coordinator," or "Brand Partnerships.”
• The Brand's Website: Sometimes they'll have a dedicated press or collaborations page.

Once you have a name and email, draft a personalized, professional email. A great pitch email has three parts:

1. The Introduction: Introduce yourself and establish a genuine connection. Mention why you love their brand or a specific product you use. Be specific. "I’ve been using your SPF 50 daily moisturizer for over a year and it’s the only one that doesn’t flare up my sensitive skin" is 100x better than "I love your products."
2. The Value Proposition: Briefly present your value. Refer to your media kit. For example, "My TikTok content focuses on eco-friendly skincare for millennials, and my audience of over 25,000 highly-engaged followers trusts my recommendations." Come with creative ideas. Offer one or two potential video concepts that would highlight their product authentically.
3. The Call to Action: Keep it simple and direct. Attach your media kit and end with a clear next step. "Are you currently accepting new creator partnerships for the season? I'd love to explore how we could work together."

The Business Side: Nailing Down Rates and Contracts

Congratulations, a brand is interested! Now comes the phase where you need to treat yourself like a business. Discussing money and contracts can be intimidating, but it is necessary to protect yourself and ensure a fair partnership.

How to Price Your TikTok Content

Pricing is notoriously tricky, as it depends on your follower count, average views, engagement rate, usage rights, and a brand’s budget. While there's no magic formula, a few guidelines can help:

• Don't Work for Free Products (Unless It's High-Value): Your time, creativity, and audience access are valuable. Getting a $15 product in exchange for a video that takes hours to produce is not a fair exchange. An exception might be a very high-value item, like a mattress or laptop, where the product's value is sufficient for payment. This is often called "in-kind" compensation.
• Your Engagement Rate Matters More Than Follower Count: A creator with 10,000 highly engaged followers is often more valuable than one with 100,000 passive followers. Use your high engagement rate as leverage.
• Research Rates: Look at creator rate calculators online and join creator communities on Facebook or Discord to see what others in your niche and size are charging. These are just estimates, but they provide a baseline.

Start with a base rate you're comfortable with and be prepared to negotiate. Never give a number immediately, always ask, "What is your budget for this campaign?" first. Let them provide the first number.

Look Over the Contract Carefully

Always, always, always ask for a formal agreement or contract before starting any work. Read it carefully and watch for these key terms:

• Deliverables: Exactly what are you making? A single 60-second video? Use of a specific song? A certain hashtag? Make sure the scope of work is precisely defined.
• Usage Rights: How and where can the brand use your content? Can they only repost it on their TikTok, or can they use it in paid ads on Facebook for six months? Broader usage rights should command a higher fee.
• Exclusivity: The contract might state that you cannot work with any competing brands for a specific period (e.g., 30 days). Ensure this is reasonable and that you're compensated for it.
• Payment Terms: How much are you being paid, by what method (e.g., direct deposit, PayPal), and when? "Net 30" (payment within 30 days of invoice) is standard, but "Net 60" or "Net 90" also happens.

If you don't understand something, ask for clarification. It is far better to ask questions upfront than to deal with a misunderstanding later.

Final Thoughts

Getting brand deals on TikTok moves from a distant dream to a realistic goal when you approach it with a clear strategy. Building a focused brand, creating content that serves an audience, and learning how to articulate your value professionally are the building blocks of a sustainable creator business. Stay consistent and authentic, and you'll find brands that are excited to invest in your unique connection with your community.

As your creator business grows and you start juggling both organic videos and sponsored deadlines, having a reliable content calendar is fundamental for staying organized. That’s why we built Postbase to prioritize powerful, video-first scheduling and planning. Our visual calendar lets you map out your entire TikTok strategy - sponsored posts included - weeks in advance, ensuring you hit every deadline and maintain a consistent presence. A well-organized creator is a reliable partner, and that's exactly what top brands are looking for.