A creator coach who’s landed over 500 brand deals shares his 4-step pitch method, and why he doesn’t advise using outreach templates

• Justin Moore has been a content creator for 14 years.
• After landing over 500 brand deals, he’s now coaching other influencers on how to get them.
• Here’s his four-step pitching method, and why he’s against using templates for cold outreach.

Justin Moore and his wife April have been creating content on YouTube since its inception.

They began posting videos on the platform in 2009 and have been involved in the space in various capacities ever since. Moore spent seven years running an influencer marketing agency while also creating his own content.

He’s secured over 500 brand partnerships for his own content and earned over $4 million since 2013 (Insider confirmed this information with documentation he provided).

Moore has also started coaching others; he refers to himself as the “creator wizard,” and he runs a popular course that teaches influencers how to get sponsorships. He stated that his goal is to assist other creators in landing one million brand collaborations by 2032.

He described the pitch method he teaches as part of his course to Insider.

Moore’s R.O.P.E. method for pitching

Moore claims that the most common mistake creators make when pitching brands is making it all about themselves.

“‘Hello, my name is Justin,’ they say. I have 100,000 followers on Twitter. These are my demographics. I have this type of average viewership on my YouTube channel and would love to work with you.’ “I tell them, ‘Congratulations, you just got your pitch deleted,’ because the brand doesn’t care,” he explained.

Instead, a pitch to a brand should focus on what the creator can offer the brand and how they can assist the brand in meeting its marketing objectives.

This is where the R.O.P.E. method comes into play.

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According to Moore’s method, the creator’s pitch should be “relevant” to a campaign that the brand is currently working on or has previously run. This is fairly simple to determine by looking at social media or previous press releases.

“Organic” means that the creator can tie their pitch back to previously published content, demonstrating that their audience has an affinity for the brand’s product and can become prospective customers.

“Proof” aims to demonstrate successful past collaborations or content created by the creator for other brands. And “easy to execute” implies that the creator should pitch a content idea to the brand rather than simply saying, “I’d love to figure out a way to collaborate.” In addition, creators should strive to be responsive and professional.

“When I first started pitching 10 years ago, it was the shotgun approach,” Moore recalled. “It was the copy and paste template that I sent to everyone, and I basically changed the name.” From a hundred outreaches, I would get two or three responses.”

Moore claims that the R.O.P.E. method takes more time, but it also increases the likelihood of receiving a response when compared to a template email.

Moore advised always requesting the goal of a marketing campaign.

When pitching a brand, creators should always ask what the brand’s goal is right away, according to Moore. Different types of campaigns necessitate distinct approaches, and the fee a creator can charge varies greatly. As a result, Moore advises against using rate cards and blanket rates for content, which he compares to a doctor prescribing medication to a patient before even asking about their symptoms.

According to Moore, influencer marketing campaigns have three main goals. He refers to this as the A.R.C. framework (awareness, repurposing, conversion):

• Brand awareness: The spread of information about a product or service. The metrics that companies use for these campaigns are typically looser (such as engagement and impressions), making it easier to obtain a higher payout.
• Content repurposing: Reusing content on the brand’s social channels or for paid advertisements. This can be a way for creators with fewer followers or less experience to pitch their content-creation skills to a brand.
• Conversion: A conversion campaign seeks to achieve a specific sales result, such as app downloads, trials, or product sales. Higher prices are typically more difficult to negotiate for these types of campaigns because brands have specific metrics for how much they can spend to acquire one customer.

Content diversification is essential for better brand deals.

Moore stated that in order to increase the chances of collaboration with companies, creators must be able to offer different types of content, appeal to the needs of a brand, and provide a customized approach.

Some brands may prefer longer conversations with their customers, such as in a podcast or YouTube video; others may prefer shorter videos, such as on TikTok or Instagram reels; and still others may prefer written content, such as a newsletter.

“It’s very difficult to create packages and upsell different types of offers if you’re a one-trick pony,” he said.