LOOK PROFESSIONAL
You don’t need a huge following to make a professional impression. Learn how to create a strong media kit and portfolio, organize your creator business, showcase your results, and make it easy for brands and PR professionals to understand your value and want to work with you.
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Think of your media kit as your creator résumé.
When a brand, PR agency, restaurant, hotel, or potential partner asks:
“Can you send over your media kit?”
you want to have something ready to send.
A strong media kit quickly answers:
Who are you?
What do you create?
Who is your audience?
How does your content perform?
Why should someone work with you?
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A HUGE CREATOR TO HAVE ONE
Don't wait until you have 50,000 followers or your first paid partnership.
If you're actively pitching yourself, you should have a media kit.
Even a smaller creator can show:
A clearly defined niche
A relevant audience
Strong content
Good engagement
Local influence
Impressive views or reach
A professional approach
Your job is to highlight what makes your account valuable.
KEEP IT SHORT
Your media kit does not need to be a 15-page presentation.
For most creators, 1–3 pages is plenty.
Someone looking at creator submissions may be reviewing many accounts.
Make yours easy to scan.
Think:
Clean. Visual. Current. Easy to understand.
WHAT SHOULD YOUR MEDIA KIT INCLUDE?
YOUR NAME + CREATOR BRAND
Make it immediately clear who you are.
Include:
Your name
Creator/business name
Social handles
Website, if applicable
Professional email
A good photo of yourself can also help brands put a face to the creator.
A SHORT BIO
Keep this brief.
You don't need your entire life story.
For example:
“NYC-based lifestyle creator sharing the best events, restaurants, pop-ups, travel experiences, and things to do with an audience that loves discovering what's new.”
A brand should understand your content within seconds.
YOUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS
Include the platforms that actually matter to your creator business.
For example:
Instagram — 32K followers
TikTok — 18K followers
YouTube — 4K subscribers
Newsletter — 6K subscribers
Website — 40K monthly visitors
You don't need to include every account you've ever created.
Highlight your strongest and most relevant channels.
YOUR AUDIENCE
Brands don't only care about how many people follow you.
They care about who those people are.
Depending on the analytics available to you, useful information might include:
Top age ranges
Gender breakdown
Top cities
Top countries
Geographic concentration
For a local creator, location can be especially powerful.
If a large percentage of your audience is in NYC and you're pitching a NYC restaurant, that's worth highlighting.
YOUR PERFORMANCE
Include analytics that help show the actual reach and engagement of your content.
Depending on your platforms, that could include:
Average Reel views
Average Story views
Monthly reach
Monthly impressions
Engagement
Video views
Link clicks
Website traffic
Newsletter subscribers or open rates
You don't need all of these.
Choose the metrics that make the strongest, most accurate case for your account.
DON'T CHERRY-PICK SO MUCH THAT IT BECOMES MISLEADING
There's nothing wrong with highlighting a Reel that reached 1 million views.
That's an accomplishment.
But don't label:
“Average Reel Views: 1M”
if your typical Reel receives 8,000 views.
You can instead say:
TOP-PERFORMING REEL — 1.2M VIEWS
and separately show your typical performance.
You want your media kit to sell you without creating expectations you can't support.
SHOW YOUR CONTENT
A media kit should be visual.
Include a few examples that represent the kind of content you create.
This could include screenshots or images from:
Reels
Sponsored campaigns
Restaurants
Travel
Beauty
Fashion
Events
UGC
Choose examples that make someone think:
“I can picture my brand in this creator's content.”
INCLUDE PAST BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
If you've worked with recognizable brands, include them.
You might have a section:
SELECT BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
and show several brand names or logos.
You don't need to include every company that has ever sent you a free product.
Choose partnerships that strengthen your positioning.
WHAT IF YOU HAVEN'T WORKED WITH BRANDS YET?
That's okay.
Don't create fake partnerships.
Instead, showcase your strongest organic content.
Remember what we discussed earlier:
Act like a brand partner before you have brand partners.
If you've organically created a beautiful Reel about a restaurant, skincare product, hotel, outfit, or experience, that can still demonstrate what you're capable of creating.
Your portfolio doesn't need to begin with paid work.
INCLUDE RESULTS WHEN YOU HAVE THEM
As you complete campaigns, start adding proof.
For example:
85K Reel views
4,200 saves
1,800 shares
2,500 link clicks
Sold-out event
Top-performing campaign content
Only claim results you can actually support, and be careful about attributing an outcome like sales or a sold-out event to your content unless you have evidence that your work drove it.
Strong results can turn your media kit from:
“Here's my account.”
into:
“Here's what my content can accomplish.”
SHOULD YOU INCLUDE YOUR RATES?
You can, but you don't have to.
There are advantages to leaving rates off.
Campaigns vary based on:
Deliverables
Usage
Exclusivity
Timeline
Production
Platform
Campaign length
If you publish one fixed number, you may accidentally anchor yourself too low for a larger campaign.
You can simply say:
RATES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
or leave rates out entirely and quote each campaign individually.
KEEP YOUR MEDIA KIT CURRENT
An outdated media kit can hurt you.
If it says:
18K Instagram followers
and your profile now has:
42K
you're underselling yourself.
Update it periodically, especially when:
Your audience grows significantly
Your analytics change
You complete a strong campaign
You add a platform
Your niche evolves
You have new brand partnerships
Your contact information changes
You don't necessarily need to update it every week.
MAKE IT EASY TO SEND
Save your media kit somewhere you can access quickly.
A PDF is useful for emailing, and a shareable web version can also be convenient.
Give the file a professional name.
Instead of:
finalFINALmediakitNEW2.pdf
try:
Jane-Smith-Media-Kit-2026.pdf
Small details make a difference.
YOUR MEDIA KIT SHOULD ANSWER ONE QUESTION
Imagine you're the brand.
You've never heard of this creator.
You open the media kit.
Within 30 seconds, can you understand:
Who they are?
What they create?
Who they reach?
How their content performs?
What working with them might look like?
If yes, your media kit is doing its job.
NEED A MEDIA KIT?
Don't start with a blank page.
We've found a sample media kit so you can see exactly how one can be structured, plus an editable template you can customize with your own photos, analytics, audience information, and brand partnerships.
Your media kit doesn't need to make you look like the biggest creator.
It needs to make the value of working with you easy to understand.
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Your media kit tells brands who you are.
Your portfolio shows them what you can do.
Think of the difference this way:
MEDIA KIT = Your creator résumé
PORTFOLIO = Your best work
When a brand is deciding whether to hire you, seeing examples of your content can be far more convincing than simply reading that you're a “creative storyteller.”
Show them.
DO YOU NEED BOTH A MEDIA KIT AND A PORTFOLIO?
Ideally, yes, especially as your creator business grows.
Your media kit focuses on:
Your audience
Analytics
Platforms
Background
Past partnerships
Your portfolio focuses on:
Your actual content
Your creative style
Your ability to feature products and experiences
Campaign examples
UGC
Results
They can also work together. Your media kit might include a few examples of your work and then link to your larger portfolio.
WHAT SHOULD GO IN YOUR PORTFOLIO?
Don't include everything you've ever created.
Your portfolio should be a curated collection of your strongest and most relevant work.
Depending on your niche, that might include:
Sponsored Reels
Organic brand content
UGC
Restaurant videos
Hotel or travel content
Product demonstrations
Beauty tutorials
Fashion content
Event coverage
Voiceover videos
Talking-to-camera content
Photography
Choose work that represents what you'd like to get hired to create again.
If you hate creating unboxing videos and never want to be hired for them, don't make them the centerpiece of your portfolio just because one performed well.
ORGANIZE IT BY CATEGORY
If you create several types of content, make your portfolio easy to navigate.
For example:
BEAUTY
FOOD & RESTAURANTS
TRAVEL
EVENTS
FASHION
UGC
Or organize it by content type:
REELS
UGC
PHOTOGRAPHY
CAMPAIGNS
EVENT COVERAGE
Someone shouldn't have to scroll through 50 unrelated examples to find the work that's relevant to them.
SHOW RANGE, BUT DON'T SHOW EVERYTHING
A brand may want to see that you can create:
Voiceover
Talking to camera
Product-focused video
Lifestyle content
Event coverage
Photography
Showing some range can help.
But five excellent examples are usually more convincing than 30 mediocre ones.
Quality over quantity.
WHAT IF YOU'VE NEVER HAD A PAID BRAND DEAL?
You can still build a portfolio.
This is exactly why we talked earlier about creating brand-friendly content before you have brand partners.
Choose products, restaurants, hotels, experiences, or businesses you genuinely like and create content as if you had been hired to feature them.
For example:
Create a Reel showing your favorite skincare product.
Film a restaurant experience.
Make a hotel tour on a trip you're already taking.
Style an outfit around a brand you already own.
Create a UGC-style product demonstration.
You don't need permission to create normal organic content about products you legitimately use, though you should never imply that the brand hired or sponsored you when it didn't.
CREATE SPEC UGC
If you want UGC work but haven't been hired for it yet, create a few sample/spec pieces using products you already own.
You might create:
A product demonstration
An unboxing
A testimonial-style video
A problem/solution video
A voiceover
A talking-to-camera video
Label sample/spec work appropriately so you aren't suggesting it was a paid campaign.
Now when you pitch UGC, you can actually show the brand what you're capable of creating.
SHOW THE CONTENT IN CONTEXT
Don't just include a tiny screenshot.
Whenever possible, make it easy to watch the actual video.
Your portfolio could include:
A thumbnail.
The brand or project name.
A short description.
A link to watch the content.
For example:
NYC RESTAURANT OPENING
Instagram Reel | Event Coverage
92K views • 3.4K saves • 1.1K shares
→ WATCH REEL
Now the example tells a story.
TURN YOUR BEST CAMPAIGNS INTO MINI CASE STUDIES
Once you have strong brand results, go beyond simply showing the post.
For example:
THE CAMPAIGN
Created an Instagram Reel and Story series promoting a new NYC experience.
THE CONTENT
1 Reel + 3 Story Frames
THE RESULTS
127K Reel views
5,200 saves
2,100 shares
3,800 Story link clicks→ VIEW CAMPAIGN
A case study shows a potential client:
Here's what I created AND here's what happened.
That's powerful.
DON'T INVENT RESULTS
If you don't have sales data, don't say:
“Generated thousands of sales.”
If you don't know how many tickets your content sold, don't claim you sold out the event.
Use the information you can actually verify:
Views
Reach
Shares
Saves
Clicks
Comments
Conversions when tracked
Brand feedback
Credibility matters more than making your numbers sound impressive.
INCLUDE TESTIMONIALS
If a brand or client sends you positive feedback such as:
“We loved the content and would absolutely work with you again.”
ask whether you can use it as a testimonial.
A few short testimonials can provide valuable social proof.
They show that you're not only good at creating content.
You're also good to work with.
MAKE YOUR PORTFOLIO EASY TO ACCESS
Your portfolio could live on:
Your website
A dedicated portfolio page
A shareable presentation
A portfolio platform
A well-designed PDF
If you already have a website, a simple:
can work beautifully.
You can then put the link in your:
Media kit
Email signature
Pitch emails
Link in bio
The fewer steps someone has to take to see your work, the better.
KEEP YOUR BEST WORK AT THE TOP
Don't organize your portfolio chronologically just because that's easiest.
Lead with the content that makes you look strongest today.
If something you created three years ago no longer represents your quality or style, remove it.
Your portfolio isn't an archive.
It's a sales tool.
UPDATE IT AS YOU GROW
Your portfolio should evolve with your creator business.
When you complete a great campaign:
Save it.
When you receive great analytics:
Record them.
When a client gives you a testimonial:
Ask to use it.
When you create something much better than an older example:
Replace it.
Over time, your portfolio becomes proof of everything you've learned and accomplished.
MEDIA KIT + PORTFOLIO = A STRONG COMBINATION
Your media kit says:
“Here's why my audience is valuable.”
Your portfolio says:
“Here's what I can create for you.”
Together, they make it much easier for a potential partner to imagine hiring you.
And remember:
You don't need to wait for brands to give you portfolio-worthy opportunities. Start creating portfolio-worthy work now.
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You don't need a huge team, fancy office, or expensive equipment to look professional.
Often, professionalism comes down to something much simpler:
Make it easy for people to find you, contact you, understand what you do, and work with you.
A brand or PR contact may form an impression of you before they've ever spoken to you.
Make that impression count.
USE A PROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESS
Create an email specifically for your creator business.
For example:
hello@janesmith.com
jane@janesmith.com
partnerships@janesmith.com
or even:
janesmithcreator@gmail.com
is better than an old personal email such as:
soccergirl2007@gmail.com
Most importantly, use an email you actually check.
Missing a great opportunity because you didn't see the email for two weeks is avoidable.
MAKE YOUR EMAIL EASY TO FIND
Don't make brands hunt for your contact information.
Include your business email in your social profile or contact button when appropriate.
If you have a website, include a clear Contact page.
Your media kit and portfolio should also include it.
Someone who discovers your Reel today should be able to figure out how to contact you within seconds.
CREATE A SIMPLE EMAIL SIGNATURE
You don't need anything elaborate.
For example:
Jane Smith
NYC Lifestyle Creator
Instagram: @janesmith
TikTok: @janesmith
janesmith.comYou can also link your media kit or portfolio.
Keep it clean and easy to read.
KEEP YOUR CREATOR NAME CONSISTENT
Whenever possible, use a consistent name across:
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Website
Email
Media kit
Portfolio
If you're:
@JaneExploresNYC
on Instagram but:
@JaneSmithTravel123
on TikTok and your website is:
JaneLovesFood.com
a potential partner may not immediately realize these are all the same creator.
Perfect consistency isn't always possible because handles get taken.
Just make the connection clear.
CONSIDER HAVING A WEBSITE
We covered this earlier, but it becomes especially useful once you're working professionally
Your website can become one central place for:
About
Portfolio
Media kit
Contact information
Blog or evergreen content
Newsletter
Affiliate content
Products or services
You don't need a complicated website.
Even a simple professional page can make it much easier for someone to learn about you.
ORGANIZE YOUR FILES
Your creator business can get messy surprisingly quickly.
Create folders for things like:
Brand Campaigns
Contracts
Invoices
Media Kit
Portfolio
Analytics
Raw Content
Edited Content
Receipts
Inside Brand Campaigns, create a folder for each campaign.
For example:
Brand Campaigns → Sephora → Fall 2026 Campaign
Now your contract, brief, drafts, final content, invoice, and analytics can all live together.
Six months later, you'll be very happy you did this.
USE PROFESSIONAL FILE NAMES
Don't send:
FINALreelversion7NEWFINAL.mp4
or:
mediakit123.pdf
Try:
Jane-Smith-Sephora-Reel-Draft-1.mp4
Jane-Smith-Media-Kit-2026.pdf
Jane-Smith-Invoice-014.pdf
Small details make you look organized.
They also make your own files much easier to find.
RESPOND PROFESSIONALLY
You don't need to write overly formal emails.
You can still sound like yourself.
But when you're discussing business:
Respond within a reasonable timeframe
Answer the questions they asked
Be clear
Be polite
Proofread
Don't send five separate emails when one will do
Don't disappear when there's a problem
You want people to think:
“Working with this creator is easy.”
DON'T LEAVE BRANDS ON READ
You won't want every opportunity.
That's okay.
But if someone sends you a legitimate offer and you're not interested, a quick response is usually better than ignoring them.
For example:
“Thank you so much for thinking of me! I'm going to pass on this opportunity, but I'd love to stay in touch for future campaigns.”
You never know what they might offer you next time.
KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CONTACTS
Your creator network becomes increasingly valuable over time.
Keep track of:
PR contacts
Brand contacts
Agency contacts
Past clients
Creator platform contacts
People you've met at events
Include useful notes about how you know them and when you last worked together.
Remember:
People move between companies.
A PR contact you meet through one campaign may eventually bring you opportunities with completely different brands.
KEEP YOUR CAMPAIGNS ORGANIZED
Once you have several collaborations happening at once, create a simple campaign tracker.
Track:
Brand
Contact
Campaign
Deliverables
Rate
Contract status
Draft deadline
Posting date
Usage period
Invoice status
Payment due
Paynent received
This doesn't need to be complicated.
A spreadsheet works.
We'll include a Brand Campaign Tracker in Templates & Tools.
CREATE SYSTEMS BEFORE YOU THINK YOU NEED THEM
It's easy to manage one brand deal from your inbox.
It's much harder when you suddenly have:
Three campaigns.
Two events.
A gifting opportunity.
Four pitches waiting for responses.
An unpaid invoice.
Three deadlines.
And a brand asking where its analytics are.
Build simple systems now so your business can grow without becoming chaotic.
PROTECT YOUR ACCOUNTS
Your social accounts are business assets.
Use:
Strong, unique passwords
Two-factor authentication
Secure recovery information
A reputable password manager if helpful
Be suspicious of emails or DMs asking you to:
Click unusual login links
Send verification codes
Share passwords
Download unknown files
“Verify” your account through an unfamiliar website
Creator accounts can be attractive targets because they have audiences, established identities, and potential financial value.
PROFESSIONAL DOESN'T MEAN PERFECT
You don't need:
A fancy office.
A manager.
A $10,000 camera.
A custom-designed website.
A huge following.
You need to show that you take your work seriously.
Start with:
A clear profile.
A professional email.
A strong media kit.
A portfolio.
Organized files.
Good communication.
Reliable follow-through.
Those things cost very little, but they can make a major difference in how people perceive your creator business.
Your goal is to remove friction. Make it incredibly easy for someone to discover you, understand you, hire you, and want to work with you again.
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Follower count gets attention.
Results prove value.
As you work with brands, start treating your analytics as part of your professional portfolio. Strong results can help you land future partnerships, negotiate higher rates, and show brands what your content can actually accomplish.
DON'T JUST LOOK AT LIKES
Likes are useful, but they tell only part of the story.
Depending on the platform and campaign, pay attention to metrics such as:
Views
Reach
Watch time
Shares
Saves
Comments
Profile visits
Story views
Link clicks
Conversions or sales, when available
Follower growth
Different campaigns have different goals.
A restaurant may care about local reach and saves.
A ticketed event may care about link clicks.
A beauty brand may care about views, engagement, or conversions.
The best metric is the one connected to what the campaign was trying to accomplish.
SAVE YOUR ANALYTICS
Don't assume you'll always be able to find the numbers later.
After a campaign, save screenshots of important analytics and record the results somewhere you control.
Create a folder such as:
Brand Campaigns → Brand Name → Analytics
You can also record key results in your Brand Campaign Tracker.
Over time, you're creating a record of your performance.
KNOW YOUR TYPICAL PERFORMANCE
Brands may ask:
“What are your average Reel views?”
“What is your average Story reach?”
Don't guess.
Periodically review your recent content and calculate realistic averages or medians.
And don't build your entire pitch around one viral post.
If one Reel received 2 million views but most receive 20,000, don't claim:
“Average Reel views: 2M.”
Instead, you can highlight the viral post separately:
TOP-PERFORMING REEL: 2M+ VIEWS
Accuracy builds credibility.
TURN STRONG RESULTS INTO SELLING POINTS
Suppose a restaurant Reel receives:
175K views
8,200 saves
4,100 shares
That's valuable information.
You can use it in:
Your media kit
Portfolio
Pitch emails
Rate negotiations
Case studies
For example:
“My recent NYC restaurant content generated 175K views, 8.2K saves, and 4.1K shares.”
Now you're not simply saying:
“My audience loves restaurant content.”
You're showing evidence.
CREATE MINI CASE STUDIES
Your strongest campaigns can become simple case studies.
For example:
THE CAMPAIGN
Promote a new NYC attraction to a local audience.
THE CONTENT
1 Instagram Reel + 3 Story Frames
THE RESULTS
210K Reel views
7,800 saves
3,600 shares
2,100 link clicksTHE TAKEAWAY
Strong interest from a locally relevant audience, particularly through saves, shares, and clicks.
You don't need a five-page report.
A few strong numbers can tell the story.
CONNECT THE RESULTS TO THE GOAL
Numbers become more useful when you explain what they mean.
For example:
120K views
is impressive.
But:
120K views with 68% of the audience located in the NYC metro area
could be especially compelling when pitching another NYC business.
Or:
3,500 saves
may indicate that people wanted to return to the information later.
Think beyond:
“Is this number big?”
Ask:
“Why would this number matter to the next brand I pitch?”
USE TESTIMONIALS AS PROOF TOO
Analytics aren't your only evidence.
Positive feedback from brands can demonstrate that you're professional and easy to work with.
For example:
“The content was exactly what we were looking for, and the team loved working with you.”
With permission, you could feature that quote in your portfolio.
Now you're demonstrating two things:
My content performs.
I'm good to work with.
Both matter.
ASK FOR RESULTS YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO
Sometimes the brand has information you can't see.
For example, they may know:
Affiliate sales
Conversions
Promo code usage
Ticket purchases
Website traffic
Ad performance
If appropriate, ask whether they're able to share campaign results with you.
You might say:
“I'd love to include the campaign in my portfolio. If you're able to share any performance or conversion results from your side, I'd really appreciate it.”
They may say no, and that's fine.
But sometimes you'll get valuable information you otherwise wouldn't have known.
DON'T CLAIM CREDIT YOU CAN'T PROVE
Be careful with statements such as:
“My Reel sold out the event.”
Maybe your Reel helped.
But unless you have evidence connecting your content to the sales, you can't know that.
Instead, stick with what you can verify:
“The Reel generated 325K views and 4,800 link clicks.”
Let the numbers speak for themselves.
USE RESULTS TO NEGOTIATE HIGHER RATES
Imagine you charged a brand $500 for your first campaign.
The campaign performed extremely well.
The brand comes back six months later and asks for another Reel.
Now you have evidence.
You can say:
“I'd love to work together again. Since our last campaign, my audience and average reach have grown significantly, and our previous Reel generated [results]. My current rate for this deliverable is $750.”
That's a much stronger position than simply saying:
“I decided I want more money.”
TRACK YOUR WINS
Create a running document or folder of your strongest creator accomplishments.
Save things like:
Highest-performing content
Strong campaign results
Great testimonials
Major brand partnerships
Successful affiliate campaigns
High-performing event coverage
Notable audience growth
Press mentions
When it's time to update your media kit or pitch a dream brand, you won't have to search through years of content trying to remember your best results.
YOUR ANALYTICS TELL A STORY
Don't think of analytics as numbers you check once and forget.
They can help you show:
Who you reach
What your audience cares about
What kind of content performs
What you've accomplished for previous partners
Why you're worth your rate
Your follower count tells a brand how many people clicked Follow.
Your results show what happens when you create something worth paying attention to.
TURN YOUR RESULTS INTO PROOFTracking analytics isn't just about figuring out which posts perform best. Your results can also help you show brands what you can deliver.
Use the Content Performance tab in your Creator Academy Workbook to keep a record of your strongest content and results over time.
When you're updating your media kit, building your portfolio, pitching a brand, or negotiating your rates, return to your tracker to find examples that demonstrate your value.
Look for results such as:
Strong views or reach
High saves or shares
Strong engagement
Follower growth
Successful content within a specific niche
Consistently strong performanceYou don't need every post to go viral. You're looking for evidence that helps tell the story of what you create well and how your audience responds.
FIND IT IN YOUR CREATOR ACADEMY WORKBOOK → CONTENT PERFORMANCE TAB
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You don't need to look like a huge company to be taken seriously.
You need to make it easy for brands, PR agencies, and potential partners to understand who you are, what you create, how to contact you, and why they should work with you.
Use this checklist to audit your creator business.
YOUR PROFILE
☐ My profile clearly explains what I create
☐ My profile photo is recognizable and appropriate for my brand
☐ My bio includes useful keywords about my niche
☐ My location is clear if it's relevant to my content
☐ My business email is easy to find
☐ My important links work
☐ My recent content represents the type of opportunities I want
☐ My creator name and branding are reasonably consistent across platforms
YOUR BUSINESS EMAIL
☐ I have a dedicated creator/business email
☐ The email address looks professional
☐ I check it regularly
☐ I have a simple email signature
☐ My social handles and/or website are included in my signature
☐ I respond to legitimate business inquiries within a reasonable timeframe
YOUR MEDIA KIT
☐ My media kit clearly explains who I am
☐ My niche is immediately obvious
☐ My current social platforms and audience sizes are included
☐ I've included relevant audience demographics
☐ My analytics are accurate and current
☐ I've highlighted strong content or campaign results
☐ I've included relevant past partnerships, if applicable
☐ My contact information is easy to find
☐ My media kit is clean and easy to scan
☐ I update it as my creator business grows
☐ The file has a professional name
YOUR PORTFOLIO
☐ I've selected my strongest work
☐ My portfolio reflects the work I want to be hired for
☐ I've removed old content that no longer represents me
☐ My work is organized by category or content type when helpful
☐ Videos are easy to watch
☐ I've included sponsored work when applicable
☐ I've included strong organic or sample/spec work if I'm newer
☐ I've added campaign results when available
☐ I've included testimonials when I have permission to use them
☐ My portfolio is easy to share
YOUR ANALYTICS
☐ I know my typical content performance
☐ I know which metrics matter most for my niche
☐ I save campaign analytics
☐ I save screenshots before they become difficult to access
☐ I track my strongest-performing content
☐ I don't misrepresent viral posts as typical performance
☐ I save useful campaign results brands share with me
☐ I can quickly find strong statistics when I'm pitching
YOUR CREATOR BUSINESS
☐ My contracts are organized
☐ My invoices are organized
☐ My campaign files are organized
☐ My receipts and business records are organized
☐ I have a system for tracking brand campaigns
☐ I track outstanding invoices and payments
☐ I track important usage-rights expiration dates
☐ I keep useful PR and brand contacts organized
☐ My accounts use strong security and two-factor authentication where available
YOUR COMMUNICATION
Before you hit send, ask:
Is this clear?
Did I answer their questions?
Did I proofread it?
Are the correct files or links attached?
Does the person know what I need from them next?
Professional communication doesn't need to sound corporate.
You can be warm, casual, and yourself while still being organized and reliable.
DO THE 30-SECOND BRAND TEST
Pretend you've never seen your account before.
Imagine you're a PR person or brand manager who just discovered one of your Reels.
Give yourself 30 seconds.
Can you figure out:
Who is this creator?
What do they create?
Who is their audience?
Where are they located, if relevant?
How do I contact them?
Where can I see more of their work?
Would I trust them with a campaign?
If any answer isn't clear, you've found something to improve.
REMEMBER: PROFESSIONAL ≠ PERFECT
You don't need everything on this checklist before you start pitching.
You can begin with:
A clear profile
A professional email
Strong content
A simple media kit
Then build your portfolio, systems, case studies, and business processes as you grow.
The goal isn't to look bigger than you are.
The goal is to show that no matter the size of your audience, you take your work seriously and you're someone people will want to work with again.
READY FOR THE FINAL STEP?
You've learned how to present yourself professionally with a strong media kit, portfolio, analytics, and creator presence that brands and PR teams can easily understand.
Now it's time to put everything into action with ready-to-use templates, examples, checklists, and resources designed to make your creator journey easier.
NEXT MODULE → TEMPLATES & TOOLS