How to get brand deals as a small creator

01You don’t need a huge following

Many small beauty brands would rather work with a creator whose followers trust them than with a big account. What they look for is fit (you already talk about products like theirs), consistency (you post regularly) and real engagement (people comment and ask questions).

So the goal isn’t more followers first. It’s making it easy for the right brands to see what you do.

02Get your profile brand-ready

• Say your niche in your bio. “Drugstore makeup for hooded eyes” is easier to match than “beauty lover”.
• Add a contact email that you check, so brands don’t have to DM.
• Pin your best posts, ideally ones that show a product clearly: a tutorial, a review or a before-and-after.
• Post on a schedule you can keep. Brands look at your last few weeks.

03Make a simple media kit

One page is enough. Include:

• Who you are and what you post about, in two sentences.
• Your platforms and real follower counts.
• Typical views or reach on recent posts, from your own insights.
• Audience basics, like their main countries and age range, from your insights.
• Three to five example posts.
• The kinds of collabs you do: gifted, affiliate or paid.
• How to contact you.

Never round up or borrow numbers. Brands can check, and honest numbers build trust.

04Find brands that suit you

• Start with products you already use and like. Your content about them is already proof.
• Look at small and indie beauty brands that repost or tag creators your size.
• Check brand websites for a “collab”, “ambassador” or “creators” page.
• Notice which brands sponsor creators similar to you, and pitch their competitors too.

05Pitch well

Keep it short and personal: who you are, why that brand, one specific idea (“a 30-second routine using your tinted balm for school mornings”), a link to a similar post, and what you’d like in return. Send it to the brand’s email if they list one.

Not sure what to write? Try the free pitch builder. No sign-up needed.

06Gifted, affiliate or paid: know what you’re saying yes to

• Gifted: you get the product, usually with no promise to post. It’s not payment.
• Affiliate: you earn a commission on sales from your code or link.
• Paid: an agreed fee for specific content. Get the details in writing: what you’ll post, when, whether the brand can reuse it, and when you’re paid.

It’s fine to say no, or to say “gifted only, no promised post”. Whatever you accept, tell your followers, for example with #gifted or #ad. In the US the FTC expects that for gifts as well as payments.

07Watch out for collab scams

• “Ambassador” offers where you have to buy product or pay a fee to join.
• Accounts pretending to be a brand. Check that the email domain matches the brand’s real website.
• Anyone asking for your password, login codes or bank details up front.
• Payment that’s “too much” followed by a request to send some back.

08Where SponsorMatch fits

SponsorMatch matches makeup, skincare and beauty creators with small beauty brands. You make a profile, brands that have signed up can find you, and you can apply to open collabs. Your contact email is shared only after you accept an introduction, and you pick which collabs you take.

To keep it honest: SponsorMatch is new. We can’t promise you a match, a gift or paid work. Everything above works whether or not you use us.