Do I need to address a specific person?

Yes, a real name or a specific role beats a generic greeting every time. "Hi there" or "To whom it may concern" reads as a mass blast, even if the rest of the pitch is well written.

Cold Pitching

A real UGC cold pitch example (and how to pitch brands)

Q: What should a UGC cold pitch say in the first line?

It should reference one specific, concrete detail about the brand, like a product, a positioning claim, or the actual content style they already post. A good test: if you could swap in a competitor's name and the line still makes sense, it is too generic and needs to be more specific.

Q: How long should a UGC cold pitch be?

Under 150 words for an email, under 80 words for a DM. Brand marketers get pitched constantly, and a pitch that takes more than 20 seconds to read is asking for too much attention before it has earned any.

Short version: your first message has one job, getting a reply. Not a deal, not a rate discussion, just a reply. Most cold pitches fail because they try to close in message one. Here's a real example and the method behind it.

A guide from Hookline on the cold pitch method I actually use, plus a worked example. Want the step-by-step writing process? That's in how to write a UGC pitch to brands.

The quick answer

A cold pitch that gets replies does four things, in this order:

Opens with one specific, real detail about the brand, not a compliment
Leads with a real result or rate proof, not a portfolio link
Offers one concrete idea, not a menu of services
Asks for a reply, nothing more

Why most cold pitches get deleted in two seconds

I cold pitched over a hundred different brands early on. The only responses I got were out of office autoreplies. Over a hundred emails, zero deals. What actually got me my first real deal later was one inbound message from a brand that liked how normal I seemed, not a mass cold blast. I'm not saying cold pitching never works. I'm saying the version most creators send doesn't, and the reason is almost always the same: it reads like a template with the brand name swapped in.

Here's the test I use now. Read your opening line and imagine swapping in a competitor's name. If the line still makes sense, it's generic filler and it will get deleted. "I love what you're doing in the skincare space!" works for every skincare brand alive, which means it works for none of them.

A real example, broken down

The version that gets deleted:

Subject: Collab Opportunity! 🐾☀️

Hi there!

I'm a passionate UGC creator who loves your brand and would be a perfect fit for your team! I'd love to create some vibrant content that really showcases your products!

Check out my portfolio here: [link]

Let me know your rates and next steps!

Why it fails: clickbait subject line with emoji, an opener that names no actual product or detail, a portfolio link before any value is shown, and it asks about rates before establishing any interest at all. A brand marketer has seen this exact email a hundred times this month.

The version that gets a reply:

Subject: UGC for [Brand]'s shot guide format, from Adam Duke

Hi [Name],

I noticed [Brand] runs a lot of the quick before and after shot guide style content rather than straight talking head reviews. That's the exact format I built out for a pet supplement brand, and it's held up as some of my highest converting work.

I'm a UGC creator in the pet and supplement space. Most of my deals come from brands reaching out after seeing that prior work, so I don't have a huge generic reel. I have a specific, proven format.

If it's useful, I'd put together one sample concept for [Brand] in that same style, no cost to look at the idea. Worth a quick look?

Adam

Why it works: the opener names the brand's actual content format, something that would not make sense if you swapped in a different brand. It leads with a real, specific result instead of a portfolio link. It offers one concrete idea, a single sample concept, instead of a list of services. The ask is small, "worth a quick look," not a close. No rate mentioned, no hype language, no urgency.

What message one is not for

Pricing, contract terms, exclusivity asks, and "let's hop on a call" all belong later, after a brand has already shown interest. Pushing any of that into the first message is the single fastest way to make a pitch feel like a sales call instead of an idea worth a reply.

The checklist before you hit send

The opening line names something specific about this brand, not a compliment that would fit any brand in the category
You lead with a real result, rate, or relevant work, not a portfolio link as the opener
You're offering one idea, not a list of what you can do
You're not asking for anything but a reply
The subject line is plain and specific, no emoji, no fake urgency
You're addressing a real name or a specific role, not "Hi there"
Every claim in the message is something you can actually back up

I built a tool for this part

Sketching a specific, non-generic angle for a brand you've never worked with before is the hardest part of a cold pitch to get right on your own. Pitch Angle Preview sketches four different angles for any brand in seconds, free, so you can gut check your direction before writing the full email.

Try Pitch Angle Preview, free → Or write the full pitch →

Common questions

What should a UGC cold pitch say in the first line?

Reference one specific, concrete detail about the brand: a product, a positioning claim, or the actual content style they already post. If you could swap in a competitor's name and the line still makes sense, it's too generic.

Should I mention my rate in a cold pitch?

No. The first message should only ask for a reply, not push a price, a contract, or a call. Pricing and terms come after a brand shows real interest.

How long should a UGC cold pitch be?

Under 150 words for an email, under 80 words for a DM. A pitch that takes more than 20 seconds to read is asking for too much attention before it's earned any.

The failed cold-pitch numbers above are Adam's own reported experience. The rest of this guide describes a repeatable method, not a guarantee. Some brands won't reply no matter how good the pitch is, and that's normal. Sketch your next angle with Pitch Angle Preview.