Pitching brands directly is the fastest way for a photographer or videographer to win better-paid work, and the most discouraging. Most pitches get no reply. Almost always that is not because the work is weak. The pitch went to the wrong person, at the wrong time, and was about the creative rather than the brand.
Here is a step-by-step process that fixes all three.
Step 1: Pick brands with a reason to buy now
The single biggest improvement you can make is to pitch brands at the moment they need what you do. Look for:
- A product launch or new range announced in the press or on social media.
- A recent funding round.
- A new Head of Brand, Creative Director or Content Lead.
- A visible increase in paid social ads, which you can check in the Meta Ad Library.
- Signs of a rebrand: a new logo, website or social handle.
A brand with one of these going on has a live need. A brand without one is being asked to invent a project for you, which rarely happens.
Step 2: Find the right person
Who commissions photography and video depends on the size of the brand:
- Small brands and start-ups: the founder or the first marketing hire.
- Growing brands: Marketing Manager, Brand Manager, Content Lead or Social Media Manager.
- Larger brands: Head of Brand, Creative Director or Head of Content, and often their agency's producer.
LinkedIn is the easiest place to find names. If a larger brand works with a creative or social agency, pitching the agency's producer can be more effective than pitching the brand itself.
Step 3: Do 15 minutes of research
Look at their website, Instagram, TikTok and current ads. Note what their imagery or video looks like now, what is missing, and what the launch or change you spotted will need. You are looking for one specific, credible observation to open with.
Step 4: Write a short, specific pitch
A good pitch fits on a phone screen without scrolling. Use this structure:
- The trigger: what you noticed and why you are writing now.
- The idea: one sentence on how you could help with it.
- The proof: one or two relevant pieces of work, ideally in their sector.
- The ask: something small, like a 15-minute call or permission to send a few ideas.
Ready-to-adapt examples for each common trigger are in our pitch email templates.
Step 5: Show the right work
Send two or three pieces that match the brand's sector and style, not your entire site. For video, link directly to a short cut rather than a long showreel. For photography, a single link to a small, tailored gallery works better than attachments, which can be blocked or ignored.
Step 6: Follow up, twice
Silence usually means busy, not no. Follow up after four or five working days, and again about two weeks later. Each follow-up should add something: a new idea, a relevant piece of work, or a note about their launch. After that, move on and put them back on your watch list for the next signal. More in how to follow up on a pitch.
Step 7: When they say yes
Before quoting, ask about deliverables, deadline, budget range and, crucially, usage. Where the images or video will run, for how long and in which territories changes what the work is worth. Many creatives under-charge because they price the shoot day and give away usage for free. Put usage in writing in your quote and terms.
Quick checklist
- Is there a clear reason this brand needs you now?
- Are you writing to a named person who commissions this work?
- Does the first line mention something specific to them?
- Are you showing two or three relevant pieces, not everything?
- Is the ask small and easy to say yes to?
- Is your follow-up in the diary?