How to Get Brand Deals on YouTube (Even Under 100K Subscribers)

Brand deals are the fastest way to meaningfully increase creator income — but most creators either wait too long to start pitching, undercharge when they do, or pitch in a way that guarantees a no. This guide covers the entire process from knowing your floor rate, to building a media kit, to finding brands, to what to actually say.

Most creators undercharge because they don't know industry rates. The standard benchmark for a dedicated integration is $15–$35 per 1,000 average views. If your last 30 videos averaged 25,000 views, your floor rate is roughly $375–$875. Most creators should pitch at the midpoint ($25/1,000 views) and negotiate from there.

A media kit is a PDF or web page that gives a brand everything they need to decide in 60 seconds. It should be one page (two maximum) and include six things:

• 1Channel name, niche description, and a one-sentence audience summary.
• 2Key metrics: subscribers, average views per video, engagement rate, monthly total views.
• 3Audience demographics: top countries, age range (screenshot from YouTube Studio).
• 4Past brand collaborations with logos (even if unpaid/gifted, show them).
• 5Rate card: what you charge for dedicated videos, integrations, and mentions.
• 6Contact information and a direct booking link or email.

There are three channels for finding brand deal opportunities, and the best approach uses all three simultaneously.

• 1Creator marketplaces: Grapevine, AspireIQ, Creator.co, and YouTube's own BrandConnect connect creators with brands actively looking. Apply to campaigns that match your niche.
• 2Inbound from your channel: put your business email in your About section and YouTube banner. Brands actively search for creators — make it easy to find you.
• 3Cold outreach: identify brands that sponsor similar channels in your niche (watch competitor videos, note who sponsors them), then reach out to their marketing team directly via LinkedIn or their website contact form.
• 4Agencies: influencer marketing agencies like Viral Nation, obviously.com, and Whalar manage campaigns for large brands. Getting onto their rosters means inbound work.

A cold pitch email should be under 150 words. Brands receive dozens per week — anything longer gets skimmed and ignored. Use this structure: one sentence on who you are and your niche, one sentence on your audience (size + key demographics), one sentence on why their product fits your audience specifically, and a clear call to action. Do not attach a 10-page PDF on first contact. Send a link to your media kit instead.

• 1Get a written brief: script talking points, key claims, call to action, any restricted messaging.
• 2Set a revision limit: one round of revisions is standard. Unlimited revisions destroys your time.
• 3Define the usage rights: if a brand wants to run your content as a paid ad, charge 2–3× your standard rate.
• 4Set a payment schedule: 50% upfront, 50% on delivery is the standard for new relationships.
• 5Include exclusivity terms: if they want category exclusivity (no competitor brands for 30/60/90 days), charge a premium — typically 20–30% more.

Brands care about engagement rate more than subscriber count at the micro level. If you have 5,000 subscribers and 15% engagement (750+ views per video), you're a more attractive partner than a 50,000 subscriber channel with 0.5% engagement (250 views per video). Lead with your engagement rate and niche specificity in your pitch — not your subscriber count.