Finding YouTube creators for brand deals is a two-step problem. Step one is discovery. Step two is outreach. Most brands are decent at step one and terrible at step two. This guide covers both.
Where to find YouTube creators
YouTube search (underrated)
Type your product category + “review” or “routine” into YouTube. Sort by “Upload date” to see who's actively creating. Browse the channels that appear on pages 2–5 — they're often mid-tier (50K–500K) creators who are responsive to outreach and have engaged audiences.
Subscriber count as a starting filter
For most DTC brands, the sweet spot is 50K–300K subscribers:
- Accessible via direct outreach (no agent required)
- Audience is specific enough to target a real niche
- Rates are in the $500–$5,000 range rather than $50K+
Don't ignore channels below 50K — nano influencers (<10K) often have 5–10x the engagement rate of macro influencers, and conversion rates follow.
Checking for contact info
Most creators who want brand partnerships list contact info in their YouTube “About” tab. Look for “Business inquiries: [email protected]” — this is the channel to use, not the comments.
If there's no email: send a YouTube channel message, or find them on other platforms where they list contact info (TikTok bio, Instagram bio, Linktree).
Evaluating creator fit before outreach
Before you write a single word, answer these three questions:
1. Does their audience match your buyer?
Check their video comments — do they discuss purchase decisions, price sensitivity, or specific problems your product solves? A creator with 200K subscribers but an audience that never buys is less valuable than 20K subscribers who actively shop in your category.
2. Have they done brand deals before?
Search their channel for “sponsored” or “ad”. If they've done deals before, they know the process and are open to it. Note the categories — someone who's done tech deals is more likely to do another tech deal than to pivot to a beauty collab.
3. How recent is their content?
A channel with 200K subscribers but no uploads in 6 months is effectively inactive. Their audience has moved on and their outreach response rate will be low. Target creators posting at minimum twice a month.
Writing the outreach email
Once you've identified the right creator, the email needs three things:
- A specific reference to a recent video (proves you watched it, not copy-paste)
- A one-sentence explanation of why their audience fits your brand
- A single low-friction ask (usually: try the product, not: commit to a post)
See our full cold email guide for examples and templates.
Reply rates: what to expect
Realistic benchmarks for well-targeted, personalized outreach:
- Generic template: 2–5% reply rate
- Personalized email with video reference: 10–20% reply rate
- Warm intro from a mutual: 30–50% reply rate
Volume matters: at 15% reply rate, you need to contact 20 creators to get 3 conversations. Budget your outreach time accordingly.
Managing the workflow
Once you're doing more than 10 outreach emails per week, a simple CRM or tracking system becomes important. At minimum, track:
- Creator name + channel URL
- Date of first outreach
- Status (sent / replied / in negotiation / declined)
- Follow-up date
KOL-Craft's history tab tracks all generated outreach with status updates, so you have a built-in record of every email you've sent.