If you want to work with brands, you’re in luck! This entire week of Creator 101 is for you.
Over the next five days, we’re talking about everything brand deals—from attracting brands to pitching them, pricing, negotiating, communicating professionally, and building a creator business.
Today let’s start with the question almost every creator asks: How do I get brands to notice me?
Here’s the thing… getting noticed isn’t always the hardest part. Sometimes a brand has noticed you, landed on your page... and left unconvinced. Because in those first few minutes, they’re looking for something specific.
So the real question we need to be asking is “How do brands actually choose creators?” The simple answer is “based on their goals.”
Stop thinking like a creator for a moment and think like the brand.
Ask “What is a brand manager actually trying to accomplish?”
Everything flows better once you answer that. And you realise that they’re not trying to “find influencers.” They’re trying to spend their marketing budget wisely. You need to come across as a good investment.
Here’s what they’re normally looking out for:
Clarity.
As a brand manager, can I immediately tell what you create? Or at least who you create for? Can I easily imagine my product fitting naturally into your content?
If I scroll through your page and still can’t figure out what you’re about, how do I justify the expense to my boss? You’ve made my job difficult, and I haven’t even reached out to you yet.
Consistency.
Brands are normally looking for patterns, not just your one lucky viral video. They’re asking:
Can this person consistently create quality content?
Can they keep showing up?
Consistency reduces risk, and brands love creators who feel reliable. The stakes are high, so they like knowing “I know what I’m going to get from this person.”
Storytelling
A brand manager is often paying attention to how you tell stories, how you shoot, your content style, how you communicate, how you interact with your community. They’re asking “Can this person make ordinary products feel interesting?”
They’re not only thinking “Is this creator good?” There are a thousand good creators. They’re thinking “Can I already picture my product in this creator’s world?” They shouldn’t have to work too hard to imagine the partnership.
So here’s your assignment after reading this:
Make a list of brands you’d genuinely love to work with. You can start with the ones you already use.
Study their previous campaigns and the creators they’ve partnered with before. Not to copy them, but to understand. Study the patterns. What kind of creator does this brand seem to enjoy working with? What kinds of stories do they tell? How do they naturally introduce products? Patterns leave clues. Better than guessing.
Create portfolio content before anyone asks. Don’t wait till they email you. If you want travel partnerships, tell travel stories. If you want tech partnerships, make tech content. Show them what working with you already looks like.
And finally: Be ready. Have an email or phone number in your bio. There needs to be a way for people to contact you. Decide on your prices and design a media kit and rate card. Prepare for the opportunities you’re praying for.
Getting chosen by brands starts long before they reach out. It starts with becoming the kind of creator they don’t have to guess about.
But here’s the good news... You don’t have to sit around and wait to be chosen. You can pitch. And that’s what we’re gonna talk about tomorrow.
This is Creator 101, your daily dose of creative momentum.
Found this helpful? Subscribe, and I’ll see you tomorrow.
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