How to Reach Out to Brands for UGC (User-Generated Content)

Landing your first paid brand deal for user-generated content feels incredible, but getting there starts with a single step: your pitch. Knowing how to reach out to brands properly can be the difference between getting ignored and getting paid. This guide will walk you through exactly how to prepare, find the right brands, craft a pitch that gets noticed, and land the UGC collaborations you want.

Before You Pitch: Build Your Foundation

A great pitch starts long before you hit “send.” If you show up empty-handed, even the world's best email will fall flat. You need to prove your value first. Here’s how to set yourself up for success.

Define Your Niche and Personal Brand

Brands aren't just looking for a pair of hands to hold a product, they are looking for creators who align with their audience and values. Before pitching, get crystal clear on who you are as a creator.

• Who is your audience? (e.g., millennial moms interested in non-toxic living, Gen Z gamers obsessed with indie titles, an aspiring home chef on a budget).
• What is your visual style? (e.g., bright and airy, moody and cinematic, raw and authentic).
• What are your core values? (e.g., sustainability, body positivity, affordable luxury).

Your goal is to become the go-to person in a specific niche. A brand selling sustainable cleaning products is far more likely to hire a creator known for their eco-friendly lifestyle content than a generic lifestyle creator. When your personal brand is strong, the right brands will immediately see the fit.

Curate a High-Value UGC Portfolio

Your social media feed is your living resume, and your portfolio is your highlight reel. Brands need to see what you can do. It’s not enough to say you create high-quality UGC, you must show it. A strong portfolio should include:

• A Variety of Content: Showcase your range. Include high-resolution photos, unboxing videos, testimonials, aesthetic short-form videos (Reels/TikToks), tutorials, and anything else you do well.
• Clear Examples Without Branding: Include some examples of you showcasing a product type (e.g., a skincare texture shot, an aesthetically pleasing coffee pour) without a prominent logo so a brand can easily imagine their product in its place.
• Easy Accessibility: Don’t just send a link to your Instagram. Create a dedicated portfolio using a simple platform like Canva, a personal website, or even a neatly organized Google Drive folder. Make it frictionless for a busy brand manager to see your work.

Create Proactive "Spec" Content

Speculative (or "spec") content is material you create for a brand before they’ve hired you. It’s the ultimate way to show your initiative and talent. Pick a product you already own and love from a brand you want to work with. Then, create a piece of UGC for it exactly as you would if they were paying you.

Post it on your social media channels and tag the brand. This does two things:

1. It might get you noticed organically by their social media manager.
2. You now have a perfect, hyper-relevant piece of content to include in your pitch email to that exact brand. You're no longer just telling them you can create good content for them, you're showing them you already have.

This single step can dramatically increase your response rate because it removes all guesswork for the brand manager. They see your style, your quality, and your genuine interest in their product all at once.

Finding the Right Brands to Work With

Pitching a hundred random brands is a waste of your time. Strategic, targeted outreach is much more effective. Your goal isn't just to work with any brand, it's to work with brands that are a perfect fit for you, and vice-versa.

Start with Brands You Genuinely Use and Love

Authenticity is the foundation of great UGC. The easiest way to be authentic is to work with brands whose products are already a part of your life. Make a list of 10-15 products you use every single day or week. Your favorite coffee, your go-to skincare, the app you use for productivity, the headphones you wear at the gym. These are your ideal first pitches. Your natural enthusiasm will come through in your communication and in the content you create, making the collaboration feel genuine to your audience and the brand's customers.

Look for Brands That Already Feature UGC

Scroll through a brand's social media feeds (their main feed, Reels, and tagged photos). Are they reposting content from other customers and creators? If so, that's a massive green light. It shows they not only value user-generated content but have a system in place for it. These brands are often much more receptive to pitches from creators because they're actively looking for fresh content. Check their bio, website footer, or Stories for hashtags they encourage customers to use, like #BrandNameInTheWild. This is your cue.

Scan For Official Creator or Ambassador Programs

Before sending a cold email, do a quick search on the brand's website. Look for pages titled "Collaborate," "Partnerships," "Affiliates," or "Brand Ambassadors." Many companies, especially in the e-commerce space, have formal programs for creators. Applying through their official portal is often the best first step. Even if you don't get accepted immediately, it puts you on their radar for future opportunities.

The Art of the Pitch: How to Craft The Perfect Outreach Email

You’ve done the prep work and found the right brand. Now it’s time to send your pitch. Your email needs to be professional, personal, and straight to the point.

Step 1: Find the Right Contact Person

Sending your email to a general `info@brand.com` address is a recipe for landing in the void. You want to reach a real person. Your best bets are titles like:

• Social Media Manager
• Influencer Marketing Coordinator
• Brand Partnerships Manager
• Head of Community

Use LinkedIn to find people with these titles at your target company. You can sometimes guess their email format (e.g., `firstname@brand.com` or `first.last@brand.com`). Tools like Hunter.io can also help find publicly available email addresses for a specific company.

Step 2: Write a Clear and Compelling Subject Line

Brand managers get dozens, if not hundreds, of emails a day. Your subject line needs to stand out and clearly state your purpose. Avoid generic subjects like "Collab" or "Collaboration." Instead, be specific.

Good Subject Line Examples:

• UGC Content Idea for [Brand Name]
• [Your Name] x [Brand Name] Content Partnership
• Question about Brand Collaborations
• Huge fan of your [Product Name]!

Step 3: Structure Your Pitch Email

Your email should be personal, valuable, and easy to act on. Think short, digestible paragraphs.

Here’s a structure that works:

• The Personalized Hook: Start with a genuine compliment. Mention a specific product you love, a recent campaign you admired, or how their brand mission resonates with you. This shows you've done your homework.
• The Brief Introduction: In one sentence, introduce yourself as a UGC creator in a specific niche. "My name is Sarah, and I'm a UGC creator specializing in content for sustainable home brands."
• The Proposition & Value: Clearly state what you do and link to your portfolio. This is where you include your spec content if you made some. "I create engaging, organic-style short-form videos and I believe my style aligns perfectly with [Brand Name]'s aesthetic. You can see my portfolio here: [Link]. I recently created this video using your All-Purpose Cleaner: [Link to Video]."
• The Idea & Vision: Pitch one or two specific content ideas. This shows you're proactive and have put thought into how you can help them. "I have an idea for a series of three short videos showing how your product simplifies my weekly Sunday reset routine."
• The Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): End with a simple, direct question that makes it easy for them to reply. "Are you the right person to discuss this with, or could you point me to the correct contact? I'd be happy to send over my rates and packages."

Here's what that might look like all together:


Subject: UGC Content Idea for CleanHome Co.

Hi [Brand Manager’s Name],

My name's Alex, and I wanted to reach out because I am a huge fan of CleanHome Co! Your commitment to non-toxic ingredients is what made me a customer, and I use your All-Purpose Cleaner religiously every week.

I'm a UGC creator focused on helping sustainable home and lifestyle brands connect with eco-conscious millennials. Seeing your recent #CleanHomeHappyHome campaign inspired me, and I believe my authentic, bright video style would fit right in.

You can see my full portfolio of photo and video work here: [Link to Your Portfolio]

I actually shot a short video last week showing how I use the cleaner for my Sunday reset routine, and you can see it right here: [Link to Your Spec Video]

I have a few more ideas for a series of short vertical videos, including a "3 Ways to Use..." concept.

Are you the right person to chat with about UGC collaborations? If not, could you please forward this to the appropriate colleague? I'd be happy to send over my rate card.

Thanks so much for your time,
Alex
[Link to your social media or primary contact]


The Follow-Up: Staying on the Radar (Politely)

People are busy. Emails get buried. If you don’t hear back, it does not always mean it’s a “no.” A polite follow-up can often bring a conversation to life.

Wait about 5-7 business days before following up. Simply reply to your original email and keep it very short and sweet.

A simple, polite follow-up could be:

"Hi [Brand Manager’s Name], just wanted to gently bring this back to the top of your inbox. Let me know if you had any thoughts! Thanks!"

If you still don’t hear back after one follow-up, it’s best to move on. Persistently emailing will do more harm than good. Add the brand to a list to pitch again in 3-6 months, and focus your energy on new opportunities.

Final Thoughts

Reaching out to brands for UGC collaborations is a skill. It involves thoughtful preparation, strategic targeting, and personalized pitching. By building a strong portfolio, finding the right brands, crafting a message that provides immediate value, and following up professionally, you set yourself apart from the crowd and open the door to exciting, paid partnerships.

Once you start landing those deals, managing all of that approved content manually becomes its own challenge. We've seen firsthand how creators and social media managers struggle with clunky scheduling tools that are unreliable or don't support modern content like Reels and Shorts. That's why we built Postbase - a clean, modern tool that helps you manage everything in one visual calendar. Once content gets approved, you can easily plan your posts for a brand, so everyone can get a high-level overview whenever they need it!