Learnings from Our Reddit AMA: Tips to Actually Land Brand Deals

Hey there 👋 Jaclyn here. Recently I hopped into r/UGCcreators for a live AMA, answering questions on pitching, getting responses, and scaling your income as a creator.

Here’s a distilled version of the most-requested advice that I thought you might find helpful!

1. Fix these three before you pitch 💡

One user asked why her outreach emails were frequently opened but not responded to. I explained that there’s three components to get right before landing a consistent amount of deals: your portfolio, your pitch email, and finding ‘creator-niche-fit’.

If one is off, response rates tank. So audit yours:

• Portfolio → niche-specific and aligned with your target brands
• Email → unique, value-led, and end with a call to action (make sure there’s a clear question!)
• Fit → pitching to brands who resonate with what you offer

2. Experiment like a pro 🔁

Many creators are pitching the same template to every brand, and watching nothing change. I recommend a mix:

• Create multiple email templates based on brand category, and maybe even multiple portfolios
• Track results by template and tweak
• A/B test subject lines, email length, tone

This is how you discover what resonates with brands.

3. Stop getting ghosted - you MUST follow up 🔄

Many creators shared frustrations:

Pitch 50 per day, under 2% reply rate, mostly ghosted… even with template tweaks.

Don’t let follow-ups feel annoying. Use a light structure:

1. Wait 3–5 business days
2. Send a short reminder with a new idea or proof of value - perhaps stats from content you did for a similar brand
3. If no reply after 2–3 attempts, move on but store that brand for seasonal outreach later

That extra nudge usually moves the needle.

4. Specific, niche-driven examples perform best 🎯

If your portfolio is broad, your pitch feels generic. But when you tailor it:

• It shows you understand the brand
• Makes your pitch easier to respond to

For example: I showed only skincare-related UGC in my portfolio and my pitches to skincare brands got much higher opens and replies.

5. Turn one-off wins into repeat revenue 💵

One question came up: “How do you land retainer clients?”

There are two strategies:

• Overdeliver on your first collab and follow up with fresh ideas regularly (I check in every 3–4 weeks)
• Pitch retainers from the start: propose recurring content (e.g. 5 pieces/month for 6 months) to newer brands

And don’t forget local businesses! They often don’t have in-house content teams and can pay for content creation + editing services.

TL;DR: What creators asked and what works

Problem	Fix or Strategy
Not getting replies	Audit portfolio, pitch, fit. Customize per niche
Pitch burnout & low response	Create multiple templates. Track openings vs replies
Ghosted by brands	Follow-up sequence with added value
Broad portfolio = weak pitch	Niche-specific portfolio boosts clarity & trust
One-off gigs, no retention	Overdeliver & re-pitch, or propose retainer upfront

✅ Use this to level up today:

1. Audit your current templates, portfolio, and pitch flow.
2. Choose one niche (e.g. wellness, tech, skincare) and create a tailored email + portfolio page just for that.
3. Pitch 200 brands in that niche with your refreshed approach.
4. Follow up twice over two weeks with added value
5. Then analyze your reply rate to see if you need further iteration

Want to see more of the AMA? You can find the the full conversation here.