The outreach change that got me more replies from brands
When I first started reaching out to brands, I made the same mistake most beginners make: I sent the exact same message to everyone.
Almost nobody replied.
Then I changed a few things:
I mentioned one specific product or recent post I liked.
I included only 2–3 of my best UGC examples instead of my entire portfolio.
I suggested one video idea that fit their brand instead of just saying “I’d love to work together.”
I kept the email under 150 words with one clear CTA.
Even without paid collaborations, I found that brands cared more about whether my videos looked authentic than whether I’d already worked with big companies.
One thing that also helped was organizing my portfolio into categories (testimonial, product demo, unboxing, lifestyle, problem/solution) so brands could immediately find the style they wanted.
I’m still learning, but this simple change noticeably improved my response rate.
For those already landing UGC deals: what’s one outreach tip or portfolio change that made the biggest difference for you?
