You don't need a massive following to land your first brand deal. Brands increasingly look for engaged, niche audiences over sheer numbers, which is good news if you're still building yours. Whether you're focused on how to get brand deals on Instagram or how to get brand deals on TikTok, the process is more approachable than it looks.
Here's how to land your first partnership, even as a small or micro influencer.
Nail Down Your Niche First
Brands don't just partner with "creators," they partner with creators who reach a specific, engaged audience. Before you start reaching out, be clear on what you talk about and who's actually listening.
A tightly defined niche, whether that's budget skincare, home cooking, or fitness for beginners, makes it easier for a brand to see exactly why you'd be a good fit, even with a smaller following.
Build a Simple Media Kit
You don't need a fancy PDF to look professional. A media kit just needs to cover the basics: who you are, your audience size and engagement, past collaborations (if any), and your rates.
This one asset answers most of a brand's questions upfront and saves you from getting stuck figuring out how to pitch yourself as an influencer from scratch every time.
Make Your Link in Bio Brand-Ready
Before a brand agrees to work with you, they'll check your profile, and your link in bio is often part of that check.
A dedicated section for brand collaborations, a visible business email, and links to your best content all signal that you're ready to be taken seriously, not just casually posting.
Pitch Brands You Already Use and Love
Some of the easiest brand deals for small influencers come from products you already talk about organically. If you're already mentioning a brand in your content, that's a natural opening to reach out directly.
Keep the pitch short: who you are, your audience, why you like their product, and what a collaboration could look like.
Start with Gifted Collaborations to Build Proof
Your very first brand deal doesn't have to be paid. A gifted collaboration gives you a real example to point to next time, and turns "I've never worked with a brand before" into "here's a partnership I've already done."
Just be clear internally on how many gifted collaborations you'll do before shifting to paid deals only, so you don't get stuck working for free indefinitely.
Follow Up, Then Follow Up Again
Brands get a lot of pitches, and it's common for a good one to get lost in an inbox. A polite follow-up a week or two later can be the difference between silence and a response, especially for smaller brands without a dedicated influencer team.
Show Up Ready with hoo.be
hoo.be gives you a link in bio built for brand partnerships: current collabs, contact info, and analytics that show brands exactly why you're worth working with.