How to Get Brand Deals on TikTok

Complete playbook to land your first (and next) sponsorship — from 1K to 100K followers.

Last updated: July 2026 · 8 min read · For all creator tiers

Landing your first brand deal on TikTok can feel overwhelming, but with the right preparation, creators of all sizes can secure paid partnerships. Whether you are a nano creator with 1,000 followers or a mid-tier creator with 50,000+, brands are actively looking for authentic voices to promote their products. The key is understanding what brands look for, where to find opportunities, how to pitch yourself professionally, and what to charge. Influencer marketing budgets have continued to grow in 2026, and TikTok remains one of the fastest-growing channels for brand collaborations — so there is real opportunity if you approach it like a business.

What You Need Before Pitching Brands

Before reaching out, make sure you have these fundamentals in place:

A clear niche. Brands buy audiences, not follower counts. A defined niche (fitness, beauty, finance, food) makes you an easy fit for the right sponsors.
Engagement above 4%. Brands generally want at least a 4% engagement rate, and premium brands look for 6%+. That matters more than raw followers — check yours with the engagement rate calculator.
A consistent posting cadence. Three to five posts a week for at least 30 days signals reliability.
A professional media kit. A one-page PDF with your stats, audience demographics, and best content.
A business or creator email in your bio so brands can actually reach you.

4 Methods to Get Brand Deals

Use all four at once to maximize your opportunities.

Method 1: TikTok Creator Marketplace

TikTok's official platform for brand-creator partnerships. Brands browse creators and send collaboration invites.

Eligibility thresholds are set by TikTok and can change, so treat any specific number as a guideline and confirm the current criteria in the in-app application. Historically, TikTok has looked for established accounts — commonly cited signals include roughly 10,000 followers, consistent recent views, being 18 or older, and an account in good standing with no policy violations.

How to apply: Open the TikTok app → Profile → the menu (☰) → Creator Tools → Creator Marketplace → Apply. Complete your creator profile with your portfolio, niche, and demographics, then wait for review. Once approved, brands can discover and message you directly.

Pros: Vetted brands, built-in contracts, TikTok mediates disputes, steadier deal flow. Cons: high competition, and you need an established account to qualify.

Method 2: Influencer Marketing Platforms

Third-party marketplaces that connect creators with brands — useful for finding several opportunities at once. Well-known options for TikTok creators include platforms like Aspire, CreatorIQ, Grin, and Insense, plus smaller networks that focus on gifting-plus-cash deals for newer creators.

Pros: lower follower requirements, multiple brands in one place, some deals bundle free product with a fee. Cons: platforms take a 15–25% cut, brand quality varies, and some require exclusivity.

Method 3: Direct Outreach (Cold Pitching)

The highest-paying method: pitch brands directly with no middleman. It takes hustle but you keep 100% of the fee.

Build a target list. A spreadsheet of 20–50 brands in your niche with marketing contacts.
Research each brand. Are they already working with creators? What content style do they favor?
Write a custom pitch. No templates. Explain why your audience fits their customer, and include one or two specific content ideas.
Find the decision-maker. Skip info@brand.com — find the marketing or social lead on LinkedIn.
Send a short pitch. Five to seven sentences, a clear subject line, and your media kit attached.
Follow up once or twice, then move on.

Email template example:

Subject: Partnership idea: Fitness content for [Brand]

Hi [Name],

I'm [Your Name], a fitness creator on TikTok with 35K engaged followers (4.5% engagement rate). My audience is primarily 18–34 year old women interested in at-home workouts and healthy eating.

I love [Brand's specific product] and think it would resonate with them. Two content ideas: (1) a "5-minute morning routine using [product]" in a trending format, and (2) a before/after results video.

I've attached my media kit with stats and past partnerships. Would you be open to a collaboration?

[Your Name] · [TikTok handle] · [Email]

Pros: no platform fees, higher rates, direct relationships, creative freedom. Cons: time-consuming, low response rate (2–5%), and you handle the contract.

Method 4: Let Brands Come to You (Inbound)

The goal every creator wants: brands reaching out to you. This happens when you optimize for discoverability.

Add a business email to your bio ("Collabs: yourname@gmail.com").
Switch to a Business or Creator account to add a Contact button.
Occasionally review products (even unpaid) so brands find you already talking about their category.
Tag brands you love and use their hashtags — many monitor these for partners.
Pin a "Work with me" video showcasing your stats.

Pros: passive, and inbound brands often have bigger budgets. Cons: unpredictable, and it usually takes a larger following to kick in.

How to Create a Media Kit

Your media kit is your professional resume for brands — a one-page PDF with these sections:

Header: name, handle, niche, and a professional photo.
Top-line stats: follower count, average views per video, and engagement rate.
Audience demographics: age, gender, and top locations pulled from your TikTok analytics.
Content samples: two or three of your best-performing videos.
Past results: any brand collaborations with views, engagement, or sales figures.
Rate card and contact: your base rate, package options, and business email.

Pro tip: Build it free in Canva — search "influencer media kit," customize with your info, and export as a PDF. Update your stats on the first of every month.

5 Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Pitching before you're ready. Fix your niche, cadence, and engagement first — a 4%+ rate is the bar most brands set.
Accepting product as full payment. Gifting is not a fee. Negotiate a hybrid of cash plus product instead.
Skipping FTC disclosure. Every paid post must be disclosed. Turning on TikTok's branded content disclosure is required, and TikTok confirms it does not reduce your reach.
Not charging for usage rights or whitelisting. If a brand runs your post as a Spark Ad or reuses it on its channels, that is paid media — price it separately (15–40% on top of your base).
Having no media kit ready. When a brand asks for your rates and you stall, it signals inexperience. Send it within hours.

FAQ

How many followers do I need to get brand deals on TikTok?

You can land deals with as few as 1,000 followers if your engagement is strong. Nano and micro creators are attractive to brands precisely because their audiences trust them and interact more. Focus on a clear niche and a 4%+ engagement rate over chasing a follower milestone.

How do I get my first brand deal?

Build a consistent portfolio, create a one-page media kit, then pitch brands directly by email or apply to TikTok Creator Marketplace and influencer platforms. Direct outreach to brands that fit your niche is the fastest route for smaller creators.

Do I have to disclose sponsored posts?

Yes. FTC rules and TikTok policy both require disclosure of any paid partnership. Turn on TikTok's content disclosure setting so the post carries a "Paid partnership" label — TikTok states this does not affect your distribution.

How much should I charge once a brand says yes?

Start from tier benchmarks — the per-follower baseline runs about $0.05–$0.25 per follower ($50–$250 per 1,000) as a raw figure capped by your follower-tier range, adjusted up for high engagement and premium niches — then price usage rights and exclusivity separately. See the brand deal rates by follower count reference and the negotiation guide.

Calculate Your Brand Deal Rate

Use our free calculator to see what you should charge brands based on your followers, engagement, and niche.

Calculate Your Rate →

How to negotiate brand deals — scripts and counteroffer strategy
How much to charge for a sponsorship — set your base rate
TikTok brand deals complete guide — benchmarks, negotiation, and contracts

How to Get Brand Deals on TikTok: Complete Guide for Creators