DM templates · Instagram

Pitch a collab by DM without sounding like spam

To DM a brand for a collab, send one short message you wrote yourself: who you are, why this brand, one idea and an easy question. Make that first message count, because it may be your only one. No automation tool can start a conversation, and if the brand doesn't follow you, Instagram lets you send a single text-only request until they accept.

Updated 6 October 2026 · 12 templates

12 messages to copy

Tap a card to copy the message. Swap anything in braces, like {name}, for your own words before you send it.

  • First pitch to a brand you already use

    Hi {brand} team, I'm {name} and I post {topic} for {audience}. Your {product} has been part of my routine for months, and I have an idea for a Reel built around it. Would you like to hear it?

    A yes-or-no question is easy to answer. Keep the idea for the second message, once they've said yes and the chat is open.

  • Pitch with the idea up front

    Hi {brand}, quick idea: a short Reel showing {idea}, filmed in {setting}. My audience is mostly {audience}, and this is the format they save most. Shall I send a one-page outline?

    One idea they can picture beats a list of services. Offer the outline rather than attaching it: a request to someone who doesn't follow you can't carry photos or videos.

  • Small account, honest about it

    Hi {brand}, I'm a smaller creator ({followers} followers), but my comments are full of people asking where my {category} picks come from. I'd love to feature {product} properly. Would a gifted trial be a good first step?

    Lead with what your audience does, not how big it is. Offering a trial lowers the risk for a brand that hasn't worked with you before.

  • Asking where to send a pitch

    Hi, I'm {name}, a creator who posts about {topic}. I'd like to send a partnership idea to whoever handles creator work at {brand}. Is there an email you'd prefer, or is this chat the right place?

    The person reading a brand's DMs may not handle partnerships. Asking where to send it is polite and takes them seconds to answer.

  • After the brand engaged with your post

    Hi {brand}, thank you for the comment on my {topic} post, that was a lovely surprise. Since you're here: I have an idea for a piece featuring {product}. Can I share it?

    A brand that commented on or shared your post has already noticed you. That makes this the warmest pitch you'll ever send them.

  • One follow-up, if the chat is open

    Hi again, just bumping this in case it got buried. Happy to send the idea by email instead if that's easier: {email}. Either way, thanks for reading.

    Only possible once they follow you or accept your request. While your first message is still pending, Instagram won't let you send another, so follow up by email.

  • When they ask for your media kit

    Thanks for getting back to me! Here's my media kit: {link} It covers my audience, recent results and a few past partnerships. Once I know your dates and budget, I'll suggest a package for {product}.

    Once they've replied, links and images are fine. Hold back the rates until you know what they want made.

  • Pitching a local business

    Hi {brand}! I'm {name}, I live nearby and post about where to eat in {city}. I'd love to include you in my weekend roundup. Could I come by one afternoon this month to film?

    Local pitches can be more relaxed. A small, specific ask, such as one visit, is easier to agree to than a package.

  • Taking a no well

    Totally understand, thanks for letting me know. If a campaign comes up that suits my audience, I'd love to hear about it.

    Short and gracious keeps the door open. Don't argue with the decision or ask why in the same message.

  • Brand to creator: a paid offer

    Hi {name}, I'm {your name} from {brand}. Your Reel on {topic} stuck with us, especially {detail}. We're planning a paid campaign for {month} and think you'd be a great fit. Could I send you the brief?

    Name the post you liked and say it's paid in the first message. A vague “collab?” is easy to ignore.

  • Brand to creator: a gifted product

    Hi {name}, {brand} here. We'd love to send you our new {product}, with no obligation to post. If you enjoy it and want to share it, wonderful; if not, that's fine too. Would you like one?

    Mean the “no obligation”. If you expect a post, say so, because that's a deal. Either way, a creator who posts about a free product should disclose it.

  • Creator to creator: a joint Reel

    Hey {name}, love your {topic} posts. Would you be up for a joint Reel? I'm thinking {idea}. We could post it as a Collab so it shows on both our profiles. Interested?

    Instagram's Collab feature puts one post on both accounts with both names on it, and the views, likes and comments are shared.

Set it up in DMFast

Creators comment APPLY on your call for creators

Someone comments on your post

APPLY

Public reply under their comment

Thanks for your interest! We've sent you a DM 📩

First DM (plain text)

Hi, thanks for commenting APPLY! This is an automatic message from our partnerships team. The brief for this campaign covers dates, deliverables and pay. Shall I send it over? Reply YES.Yes pleaseCreator brief and how to applyRead the brief

It turns outreach around. Rather than cold-pitching creators who never asked, the brand posts a call and only messages people who raise their hand. A comment allows one private reply, so the DM ends on a yes-or-no question and the brief follows the answer.

  1. Pick a post

    Connect your Instagram account, then choose the post or Reel it runs on, or every post.

  2. Set the word: APPLY

    Anyone who comments APPLY gets a reply under their comment and a DM. Capitals don't matter.

  3. Paste the message

    Add the public reply and the first DM shown here. Once they answer, your link follows as a card.

Set it up free

Free plan, no card. Instagram professional accounts and Facebook Pages.

Rules to know

  1. Meta's messaging API, which every automation tool uses, can only answer people who messaged you, commented or responded to your Story. No official tool can send a first pitch.
  2. If the account you write to doesn't follow you, your DM arrives as a message request. You can send only one, text only, and nothing more until they accept.
  3. A comment can get one private reply, sent within 7 days of the comment, and nothing else can follow until the person answers.
  4. Once someone answers, automated messages can follow for 24 hours after their last message, and Meta allows promotions inside that window.
  5. In the US, the FTC's guide for influencers treats free products as a connection that must be disclosed, so gifted collabs need a clear label too.

Sources

Why a pitch has to come from a person

Every official automation tool, DMFast included, sends through Meta's messaging API, and that API only lets an account respond: to a DM, a comment, a Story reply or a mention. There's no approved way to message a brand or creator who hasn't been in touch, so pitches are typed and sent by hand from the app.

Apps that promise automated cold DMs work outside the official API, usually by signing in as you. Instagram's terms of use don't allow accessing or collecting information in automated ways without its permission, and Instagram can temporarily limit accounts that send lots of similar messages in a short time. It doesn't publish the thresholds, so the safe pace is a person's pace.

Tip: Automation fits the other half of outreach: answering people who respond to a public call, as in the set-up above, and brands that message you first.

What a pitch needs, in order

  1. Who you are, in a line: your name, your niche and who watches you.
  2. Why this brand: a product you actually use, a post of theirs you liked, or a gap in their content you could fill.
  3. One idea they can picture: the format, the setting and the angle. Not a menu of services.
  4. One piece of proof they can check, such as a recent Reel's views. Screenshots from Insights can follow once they reply.
  5. One question that's easy to answer, such as “Would you like to hear it?”

That fits in four or five lines, which matters on a phone. In the requests folder a brand sees only your opening words before deciding whether to open the message, so the first sentence should say who you are and why you're writing.

Mistakes that sink a pitch

  • Opening with “Hi dear” or “Dear sir/madam”. It reads like a message sent to two hundred accounts.
  • Sending just “collab?”. It leaves all the work to the brand and is easy to skip.
  • Leading with your rate card. Price comes once they're interested and you know the brief.
  • Following up in DMs while your request is still pending. Instagram won't let a second message through, so the follow-up belongs in an email.
  • Praising a product you've never used. The FTC's guide is blunt: you can't talk about your experience with a product you haven't tried.
  • Pitching the same idea to two rival brands at once. If both say yes, you'll have to let one of them down.

If you're the brand reaching out

A creator deciding whether to answer wants three things from the first message: whether it's paid or gifted, roughly what you'd like made, and when. Mention the post that made you write; it shows you've watched their work, not just their follower count.

If you send products for free, be clear about whether you expect a post. If you do, it's an advertising deal, and the creator will need to label it, for example with Instagram's paid partnership label and, for US audiences, a disclosure that meets the FTC's guide.

Tip: A public call for creators, with a comment word like APPLY, brings applications from people who already want to work with you. Shortlist from those, then write to each one personally.

Questions people ask

Is it okay to DM a brand about a collaboration?

Yes. Plenty of brands find creators on Instagram, and a short, specific DM is a normal way to start. Check their bio and website first: if they list a partnerships email, use it, and keep the DM to a line pointing to your email.

Why can't I send a second message to a brand?

Because your first one is still a message request. When an account doesn't follow you, Instagram lets you send one text-only request and holds back anything more until they accept. Follow up by email instead.

Can I automate collab outreach?

Not through any official tool. Meta's messaging API only lets an account reply to people who contacted it first, so automated cold DMs aren't possible within Meta's rules. Automation suits the inbound side: a call for creators with a comment word, or an auto-reply for brands that write to you.

Should I put my rates in the first pitch?

No. Your price depends on the deliverables, how long the brand wants to use the content, any exclusivity and the deadline, and you don't know those yet. Wait until they're interested, ask for the brief, then quote.

Can I attach my media kit to the first DM?

Not if the brand doesn't follow you: a message request is text only, with no photos or videos. Mention the kit in your pitch and send it once they reply, as a link or a few screenshots.

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