From Seen to Signed: How We Got Brand Deals as Micro-Influencers

Let’s be honest: when you have under 5,000 followers, landing brand deals can feel like trying to get invited to a private party without knowing the host. But we’re here to tell you - you don’t need a VIP pass to get in. You just need confidence, clarity, and a good email.

We’ve landed paid collaborations, long-term gifting relationships, and even got reposted by brands with millions of followers — and no, we didn’t wait until we had a “K” next to our name. Here’s how we did it (and how you can too).

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Step 1: Make Yourself Discoverable (aka “Would you work with you?”)

Your feed is your portfolio — and it should tell your story in 3 seconds. When a brand lands on your page, they should know:

• Who you are

• What kind of content you post

• What vibe you’re giving

We cleaned up our grid. Picked our color tones. Created highlights. Made our captions ✨human✨. You don’t need to be perfect — but you do need to be intentional.

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Step 2: Shoot Like You’re Already Sponsored

Before any brand paid us, we created content as if they had.

We styled outfits from our own wardrobes and tagged brands. We shot skincare in natural light like a campaign. We wrote captions like copywriters.

When you act like a brand partner, brands start seeing you that way too.

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Step 3: Start Pitching (Yes, Even at 500 Followers)

One of our first emails was literally:

“Hi, I’m just starting out as a content creator, and I’d love to collaborate. I really believe in your brand and have ideas for how I could feature it in my content.”

And you know what? It worked.

Smaller brands love partnering with new creators. They need content. They want visibility. And if you make it easy for them — with a clean pitch, a clear idea, and good vibes — they’ll probably say yes.

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Step 4: Deliver Like You’re Being Watched (Because You Are)

When you get a yes? Don’t just post. Over-deliver.

• Send extra photos

• Tag correctly

• Send the brand the content in advance

• Follow up when the post is live

You’re not just doing one collab. You’re building a relationship.

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Step 5: Build Your Collab Archive

Every time you get a repost, a tag, a story reshare — screenshot it. Save it. These become your evidence — not just for future pitches, but for your press kits, visa applications, or blog flex moments (hi).

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So, what’s the secret?

There’s no follower count that magically unlocks your creator career.

You just need to:

• Be clear on your style

• Treat yourself like a brand

• Shoot content like it matters

• And ask for the opportunity

Because here’s the truth: people don’t get signed because they’re seen.

They get signed because they showed up — again and again and again.

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Coming next: Want our actual pitch template? We’ll post it soon.

Until then — keep tagging, keep posting, and keep being undeniable.

– Alina & Anna

Seen & Posted