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Why Brands Might Be Ghosting You (And What A Custom Domain Has to Do With It)

Your brand pitches aren’t being ignored—they’re landing in spam. 😭 If you’re emailing brands from a personal Gmail or Yahoo, filters are likely blocking you. The fix? Get a custom domain email that proves you’re legit and lands you in inboxes, not spam folders. With Bento’s email setup, you get SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protection, spam monitoring, and a pro Gmail inbox—so your pitches actually get seen (and answered). Stop getting ghosted and start getting replies. 📩

How To Turn a One-Off Collab Into a Long-Term Partnership

Tired of brands ghosting you after a collab? Here’s why staying in touch pays off. Most creators stop too soon—treating a brand deal like a one-time thing instead of the start of a partnership. The truth? Long-term collabs bring bigger checks and more peace of mind. Follow up after delivery, add value before you ask, and re-pitch before they forget you. Tools like Bento help you manage reminders and follow-ups so you can build lasting brand relationships that actually grow your income. 💌

You’re Not Charging Too Much - You’re Just Talking to the Wrong Brands.

Struggling with brands saying “no budget”? It’s not your rates—it’s the fit. Many creators think they’re charging too much, but the truth is, not every brand has the right budget for UGC. The key is finding brands that value your work and pay fairly. That’s why Bento built the Fair Pay Report — a data-backed way to compare your past deals, see what brands typically pay, and discover who truly aligns with you. Stop doubting your worth. Hold your rates high and pitch smarter, not cheaper. 💸

Are Brands paying you fairly? Here’s how to find out

Find Out If You’re Getting Paid Fairly as a Creator The creator pay gap is real — and we’re here to fix it. Get your free Creator Fair Pay Report to see how your rates compare, your Fair Pay Score, and which brands match your value. 100% private, data-driven, and built to help you negotiate with confidence. → Run your free Fair Pay Audit on Bento.

Whitelisting: the brand deal cheat code you didn’t know you needed

What Is Whitelisting in Brand Deals (and Why Creators Should Use It) Whitelisting lets brands run ads through your account — using your face, name, and content, but their ad spend. It boosts reach, builds trust, and brings in extra income without chasing the algorithm. Learn how to protect yourself with contracts, charge correctly for usage rights (+20–50%), and pitch whitelisting naturally in your brand emails. Perfect for UGC creators and influencers ready to level up their partnerships and earn more from every deal.

UGC vs Influencer - what’s the difference (and which one should you be)?

UGC vs Influencer Marketing: What’s the Difference (and Why It Matters for Creators + Brands) Learn the key differences between UGC creators and influencers — and why brands use both. UGC (User-Generated Content) creators make relatable, ad-ready videos for brands to post on their channels, while influencers share sponsored content with their own audience. Discover the pros and cons of each, how to price your work, and how to pitch yourself effectively (“I create UGC that performs in ads and share influencer-style content with my followers”). Perfect for new creators wanting to break into paid brand collaborations without needing a big following.

Why your pitches get ignored (and how to fix in 8 seconds)

Most brand pitches get just 8 seconds before they’re ignored, which means one wrong line can send you straight to the archive. In this post, you’ll learn the 3 biggest cold pitch mistakes creators make—and how to fix them. From leading with results (not your middle school brand obsession), to showing off what makes you unique, to using stronger CTAs that actually get replies, these tips will help your emails stand out and land more collaborations.

5 UGC Pitch Templates to Land Brand Deals (Even with Under 10k Followers)

Want to land more paid brand deals as a micro-influencer or UGC creator? These proven pitch templates make it easy to reach out to brands, share your value, and follow up without the guesswork. From showcasing past work to highlighting viral content, you’ll have ready-to-use scripts that help you stand out and book more collaborations.

3 negotiation tips every creator needs (so you actually get paid what you’re worth)

Struggling to price your UGC? This guide shows creators and influencers how to set fair UGC rates and negotiate brand deals with confidence. You’ll learn why you should never accept the first offer, how a simple 10–20% counter can add up fast, and the exact wording to keep talks professional instead of defensive. Instead of “I feel like I should get $500,” use data: point to industry benchmarks and your engagement to back up $X–$Y. We include easy email lines you can copy, so you can ask for more without sounding pushy. Plus, meet Bento’s Negotiations + Pay Data Helper (for VA subscribers): get tailored pay insights for your deal and a ready-to-send reply—so you stop guessing and start charging what you’re worth. If you’ve been Googling “UGC rates,” “how much to charge for brand deals,” or “how to negotiate UGC pricing,” this walkthrough gives you the steps, scripts, and data to land higher rates.

UGC Pitching: The 3 Tweaks That Get Brand Replies

If your brand pitch emails aren’t getting replies, this guide shows you how to fix them with three small changes: say what’s in it for the brand, highlight what makes you different, and end with an easy question they can answer. You’ll see quick examples that turn “I love your brand” into clear results like “I can help you raise TikTok watch time by 20%,” plus ideas for showing your personality—humor, storytelling, your on-camera energy, even your dog—so your message stands out in a crowded inbox. You’ll also learn why a short question at the end (“Want me to send 3 video concepts for your next launch?”) gets more replies than a vague sign-off. These tips work for UGC creators and influencers pitching Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts collaborations, and they’re easy to copy into your next cold email. Bonus: Bento’s template tool helps you plug in your benefits, your unique angle, and your call to action so you can book more paid brand deals faster.

📬 Learnings from Our Reddit AMA: Tips To Actually Land Brand Deals

Jaclyn, the CEO of Bento, recently hopped into r/UGCcreators for a live AMA, where she answered questions on pitching, getting responses, and scaling your income as a creator. This post is a distilled version of the most-requested advice that we thought you might find helpful!

6 creators share their Bento wins

We asked a few creators using Bento to tell us about their content journey: what they do, what’s changed for them since using the platform, and why it’s been helpful.

The Local Pitching Playbook for Content Creators

Learn how the CEO of Bento pitched to 200 local businesses (think medspas, dental offices, pilates studios, and dermatologists) and landed brand deals. And guess what? Local pitching might just be the most underrated strategy for creators, as this appears to be a promising untapped market.

What I learned from Pitching to 1K Brands

How to pitch to brands as a content creator. As a new UGC Content creator, I spent the last 4 months pitching to just under 1000 brands. I've made thousands of dollars doing it part-time. Here are all the tips and tricks I used to help you do the same.

Sales & Partnerships Manual Part 4: Building a Process That is Sustainable Long-Term

Part 4 concludes the Sales & Partnerships Manual for Content Creators by discussing how to grow and maintain your sales process over time in a sustainable fashion.

Sales & Partnerships Manual Part 3: Pricing and Contracts

Part 3 of the Sales & Partnerships Manual for Content Creators covers in the ins and outs of pricing and contracts.

Sales & Partnerships Manual Part 2: Start Selling

Part 2 of the Sales & Partnerships Manual, covering how to get started on selling.

Sales & Partnerships Manual for Content Creators

This 4 part blog series will contain detailed advice on setting up yourself for success with outbound emails, including (1) how to qualify brands; (2) how to find the right person to reach out to; (3) where to reach out to them; (4) how to write email; (5) how to get your first 5 customers; and (6) how to grow and sustain from there.