Direct brand outreach is one of three ways Nigerian UGC creators find paid work — alongside marketplace briefs and agency rosters. It has a lower response rate than marketplace applications (where the brand is actively seeking creators) but can access brands who aren't yet posting briefs on platforms.
This guide covers how to find contacts, what to say, how to structure the pitch, and what to do when you don't hear back.
When Direct Outreach Makes Sense
After your first 5–10 paid briefs. Cold pitching without a track record is hard. Brands respond better to portfolios with real brief work in them.
For brands in your specific niche. A skincare creator pitching skincare brands has a story to tell. A creator with mixed-niche content pitching a specific brand has a weaker case.
For brands you actually use. The most authentic pitches come from genuine product experience. "I've been using [Product] for 6 months and I have a perspective on how it works that I think would resonate with your audience" is more compelling than a generic pitch.
As a supplement to marketplace work. Direct outreach is time-intensive with low response rates (5–15% is realistic for cold email). Use it to access brands who aren't on marketplaces, not as your primary source of briefs.
Finding the Right Contact
Instagram DMs. For small-to-medium DTC Nigerian brands (fashion, skincare, food), Instagram DMs sent to the brand account often reach the founder or a small marketing team directly. These have higher response rates than email for independent brands.
LinkedIn. For larger brands or corporate marketing teams, LinkedIn lets you identify and message the marketing manager or head of digital directly. Effective for fintech, FMCG, and established consumer brands.
Email via brand website. Contact or press emails on websites. Less likely to reach the decision-maker directly, but professional.
LinkedIn company pages. Find the brand's marketing team. Filter by "Marketing" in the staff list. The "Head of Digital," "Social Media Manager," or "Brand Manager" is your target.
What to Include in a Cold Pitch
Keep it short. A pitch under 150 words is more likely to be read than a pitch over 300 words.
The structure:
- One sentence on what you do and your niche
- One observation specific to their brand's current content (shows you've looked at their account)
- Two or three specific deliverable ideas
- Portfolio link
- Soft CTA (not "hire me" — "happy to send a rate card if you're interested")
Example email:
Subject: UGC content for [Brand Name] — quick question
Hi [Name],
I'm a UGC creator based in Lagos focused on [skincare / food / fintech]. I've been following [Brand Name] for a while — your content is strong, but I noticed you're not yet running authentic-feeling UGC-style content in your ads.
I create short-form video content Nigerian brands use for Instagram ads and organic social. Portfolio: [Link]
Content types I'd be well-suited to create for you: — 30-second product review for paid ads — 60-second tutorial showing [key product use case]
Happy to send a rate card if this is something you'd want to explore.
[Name]
Instagram DM Pitch
Shorter than email. Three sentences maximum.
Hi! I'm a UGC creator focused on [niche]. I've been a fan of [Brand Name] for a while and I create short-form content for Nigerian brands to use in their ads and social feeds. Would it be okay to send over a few portfolio samples?
If they say yes to samples: send 3 relevant portfolio pieces and a one-line description of what you'd create for their brand specifically. Then let the conversation develop naturally.
Following Up
Send one follow-up if you don't hear back after 5–7 days:
Hi [Name] — following up on my message last week. Understood if the timing isn't right. I'll leave my portfolio link here [link] in case it's useful in future.
After two unanswered messages: move on. Persistence beyond two messages crosses into annoying territory and won't convert a disinterested brand.
What Happens After a Brand Responds
If a brand responds positively, the next step is not to immediately send rates. It's to ask a brief question to understand their actual need:
Thanks for getting back to me. To give you an accurate quote, a couple of quick questions: what deliverable type are you looking for (video length, quantity), and is this for paid ads, organic, or both?
This signals professionalism and gives you the information to propose the right scope.
Why Marketplace Briefs Beat Cold Outreach
Cold outreach has a realistic response rate of 5–15%. For every 20 brands you pitch, 1–3 respond. Of those, maybe 1 converts to a paid brief.
Marketplace brief applications have much higher conversion rates because the brand is actively seeking creators at the point of application. The brief is already written. The budget is confirmed. You're not convincing anyone to commission UGC — you're just demonstrating you're the right creator for a brief that already exists.
Direct outreach is worth doing as a supplement — particularly to access brands in your niche who haven't discovered marketplaces yet. But if you're spending more time cold-pitching than applying for active briefs, the ratio is wrong.
Start with active briefs on ugc.ng. Use direct outreach for specific brands in your niche who aren't yet posting briefs.
For the full brief application strategy, read brands looking for UGC creators: how to get found.
For the pitch email templates in a copy-paste format, read the UGC pitch template resource.