How to Find the Right Brands to Pitch as a Creator (6 Methods)

Finding the right brands is one of the most common places creators get stuck. Here are six methods that work, plus the mistake to avoid.

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Quick answer: 6 ways to find brands to pitch

1. Check the ads in your own social feeds
2. Look at the brands similar creators tag as paid partnerships
3. Ask AI for lookalike brands
4. Filter by niche, location, and Instagram following
5. Search by idea, not just brand name
6. Pitch local brands

Method 1: Find brands that are serving you ads

If a brand keeps showing up in your feed, you’re the demographic it’s trying to sell to. That’s a head start. Pitch the brand and tell them why you can create more engaging content that helps them convert.

Method 2: Find brands that creators like you are working with

Look at creators with a similar following size, a similar niche, or a similar skill to yours. Check which brands they tag as paid partnerships, and pitch those brands.

Bento can do this for you: add the Instagram creators you want to keep tabs on, and Bento automatically pulls in the brands they’re working with so you can add them to your pitch list.

Method 3: Use AI to find similar brands

Take a brand you’ve already worked with. Say it’s an organic skincare brand: ask an AI assistant for 20 brands similar to that specific brand, and you’ll get a list you can pitch directly.

Prompt to copy: “List 20 brands similar to [brand name] that are likely to work with [type of creator, e.g. micro-influencers or UGC creators]. Include what they sell and who their typical customer is.”

Always verify AI-suggested brands before pitching: confirm they exist, are active, and have a way to contact them. Once your list is ready, you can upload it to Bento and start pitching right away.

Don’t only pitch the famous brands

A common mistake is pitching only super well-known brands. There’s no harm in pitching the most popular ones, but set your expectations: every creator is pitching them, so you’ll have to go the extra mile to close one. Make sure you’re also pitching small and medium-sized brands. (Pitching brands that fit is also how you stop feeling like you’re charging too much.)

Methods 4–6: Find brands on Bento

Method 4: Filter by niche, location, and Instagram following

On Bento’s Brands page, the sidebar filters are the most common way to build a list:

• Niche. Pick a broad niche like fashion, or a sub-niche within it.
• Location. Pick your city or country.
• Instagram following. A range like 500,000 to 1 million followers can be a sweet spot: brands that aren’t household names yet but are up and coming.

Method 5: Search by idea

Use the search bar the way you’d use Pinterest or Google. Search a specific brand name, or general terms like “organic skincare,” “bed sheets,” or “hotels in Hawaii,” to find brands that fit.

Method 6: Pitch local

Open Pitch Local in Bento. Enter your zip code on the map and search a term like spas, restaurants, or cafes to find businesses in your area.

Why local pitching works: there’s less competition. Pitching yourself as a local creator who can come in person, shoot B-roll, and talk about your own experience in that city gives you a leg up over creators who aren’t in your city. For a deeper dive, read the local pitching playbook for content creators.

Once you have your list, pitch well

Finding the brand is half the work. Next, write a pitch that gets a reply: how to write a brand pitch email.

Already have a solid pitch template? Start finding brands on Bento →

Frequently asked questions

How do I find brands that want to work with creators?

Start with brands that are already advertising to you, then look at the brands similar creators tag as paid partnerships. Use AI to find lookalikes of brands you've worked with, and use filters, search, and local pitching in a brand database like Bento to fill out your list. Pitch a mix of well-known and small to mid-sized brands.

Should I pitch big brands or small brands?

Both, but set your expectations for big brands: every creator is pitching them, so you'll need to go the extra mile to land one. Small and medium-sized brands are less crowded, so include them in every pitch list.

How can I use AI to find brands to pitch?

Give an AI assistant the name of a brand you've already worked with and ask for around 20 similar brands. Then check that each one exists, is active, and has a way to contact them before you pitch.

What is local pitching?

Pitching businesses in your own area, such as spas, restaurants, and cafes. You can offer to visit in person, shoot B-roll, and share your own experience in the city, and you face far less competition than when pitching national brands.

What Instagram follower range should I target when looking for brands?

There's no single right answer, but filtering to brands with roughly 500,000 to 1 million Instagram followers is one way to find brands that are active on social media and up and coming, without being household names.