A lawyer shares the email templates she uses to get sponsorships as a content creator and red flags to watch in brand deals

She represents around 150 small businesses, 85% of which are Hispanic or Latinx-owned, and 30 creators, almost all of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

With nearly 30,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and LinkedIn, Tieman also regularly creates user-generated content, or UGC, and sponsored Instagram stories and reels for brands like Good American, GSTQ Fashion, and Versed Skin.

“My own experience as a creator helps inform how I advise others,” she said.

The lawyer shared her advice on the most important sections of contracts to pay attention to when negotiating with brands and two email templates she uses to pitch companies she’s interested in working with.

Red flags to watch in brand deals

Tieman reviews hundreds of contracts for creator clients, as well as those that brands send for her own agreements.

Her very first brand deal was with Bank of America, who wanted her to post on her Instagram feed for $250. At the time, she had no idea how to negotiate terms as a creator. Since then, she’s learned a lot about the dos and don’ts of paid, sponsored content.

1. Read the fine print on usage rights.

She said usage rights are one of the most tricky and important elements to look out for.

“A lot of creators ask me if they can just post something and then take it down the next day, but usually the agreement isn’t outlined that way,” she said. “The longer [the brand has} rights over your material, the more money you should ask for.”

Tieman said many creators she knows don’t even read the usage rights in their contracts because some brands purposely make them difficult to understand and use confusing jargon. In fact, she sometimes asks creators to send her that particular section if they’re on a quick timeline to respond to a brand. 

2. Travel stipends may not cover the full costs

It’s also a red flag if a brand contacts a creator offering to pay for their travel for a commercial shoot, campaign, or speaking opportunity. Many companies give a creator a stipend and do not break down specific amounts for transportation, food, accommodation, and other miscellaneous expenses; usually, this doesn’t cover the full cost of the trip, Tieman said.

Tieman said creators should outline the individual estimated costs for the trip when negotiating sums with brands. 

“Most creators get so hooked at the idea that people are paying them to speak or to travel that they just say, ‘yes,’ and don’t think about what it will actually cost,” she said. “A lot of them end up paying out of pocket and don’t ever get that money back because it just wasn’t in the contract.” 

3. Make sure you’re getting paid for recording rights

Recording rights are another big red flag in contracts; if a creator is on a panel, at an event, or traveling with a brand, they’ll most likely show up in photos or videos by the organizer. Some companies don’t ask permission to record, so even if it isn’t covered in a contract, creators should ask to put in language and payment terms. 

“If they’re putting your image on their platform, they need to pay you,” Tieman said. “I usually ask them what they’re recording for and where it’s going.”

Tieman uses detailed email templates to pitch brands

When Tieman first started pitching herself to brands, she went back and forth on how much to share about herself. Her husband, who works for a gaming company and is frequently pitched on influencer collaborations, advised her to put in as much information as possible.

She briefly introduces herself as a lawyer, shares her personal experience using the brand’s products or services, and makes her pitch. The following “Why You Should Work With Me” section goes into more detail about her social-media presence, engagement analytics, previous collaborations, and why her content is a unique fit for the brand. 

“I try to throw in as much stuff as I can because you never know what point I’ll make that they might resonate with,” she said.

Here are the two email templates she uses to reach out to brands to sponsor events she organizes with her law firm and paid content. One is for cold emailing, and the other is for brands she’s worked with before.

Sample Event Sponsor Pitch

Hi there! 

My name is Taylor and I am the founder of Legalmiga Law, P.C. We are a law firm based in Los Angeles that provides legal services to mostly Latina, BIPOC and femme-owned businesses.

Our firm is partnering with RAGGEDYTIFF, an LA-based Latina fashion designer to host a Galentine’s Self-Love Soiree on 2/17 at my brand new​ creative studio (Suite 202 Studio) – we are planning to provide drinks/snacks/and goodie bags to celebrate our attendees. We’re interested in partnering with Delola to make this event even more special. Specifically, I am reaching out to Delola because I enjoy your beverages on a regular basis (the L’Orange is my favorite!), and if we work together, I’d love to gush about your cocktails in the announcement post as well as follow up social media posts from the event. 🙂 

We believe that Delola cocktails would be a great fit for our event (a room full of Latinas that love JLo and her cocktail brand, hello!) and we would love to discuss this potential partnership opportunity with you!

Ask:

We’re looking to supply 13-15 attendees with Delola spritz beverages. 

Why You Should Work With Us:

Our combined platforms have a strong social media presence, with over 85,000+ followers across all platforms. We plan to promote the event heavily on our social media channels and via email. Speaking of our audiences, they consist of mainly the Latinx community, which is the largest and fastest growing sector of the US economy at 3.2 trillion and growing. The buying power of Latinas is immeasurable, and Delola has been a crowd favorite for a while – we’d love to share you with our platforms. 

Instagram: @raggedytiff @legalmiga

TikTok: @raggedytiff  @legalmiga

Threads: @raggedytiff @legalmiga

In return, we would love to work with you to promote Delola to our combined audience(s). We’re open to discussing different ways to showcase your brand, such as featuring Delola on dedicated social media posts, or through email marketing campaigns.

We believe that partnering with you would be a great way to give back to our community of female business owners, while also providing them with access to high-quality + great-tasting spritz drinks. We’re excited about the opportunity to work with you and hope to hear back from you soon.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Sample Brand Product Pitch/Past Collaborator

Hi Kristhle!

Checking back in as a past successful collaborator with GSTQ with some great news! 

We recently found out that I’m expecting! Ahh. So as a refresher, our firm specializes in providing legal services to predominantly female-owned businesses. I also have a highly engaged lifestyle blog attorneyatleisure.com, which allows my audience to see/learn more about the BTS of what I do, my favorite hobbies, mid-size fashion picks, etc.

I’ve always been a fan of GSTQ (obviously 🙂) and recently collaborated with y’all with a fire fit (thank you again!!) at the Fierce by Mitú event last summer (the comment section went crazy). Plus, I’ve worn GSTQ looks for recent holidays and past photo shoots that my audience LOVED. I’ve been perusing the GSTQ site and adding some pieces to my “mom to be” fits list – a once-in-a-lifetime experience since this is our first child! The gorgeous fits and comfortable styles from GSTQ keep it a top contender for me when I’m grabbing looks for anything…and suggesting to friends always.

As I navigate the exciting journey into motherhood for the first time, I’m so excited to continue to incorporate maternity-friendly brands into my portfolio. GSTQ’s comfortable attire means that I’ll obviously continue shopping with you during my pregnancy – so I am curious if GSTQ is open to continue collaborating? 🙂

I’m already planning a Robin-inspired maternity shoot with blazers and jewelry (I think I may have the perfect GSTQ pieces in mind). This being my initial pregnancy, I’m genuinely thrilled about the prospect of sharing my experiences with my highly engaged audience. Beyond being an attorney, I am an active blogger and content creator with a loyal following. My audience values and trusts my opinions, and I only endorse the best products + picks with them. I’m reaching out to express my continued obsession with with GSTQ and explore potential collaboration opportunities in the coming year. I’d love to feature GSTQ pieces in our upcoming announcements and photos, tentatively planned for February and throughout the year should all go well. 🙂

Why You Should Work With Me:

We have a strong social media presence, with over 23,000+ followers across all platforms. Our engagement rates are through the roof – with email open rates averaging between 40-70%, and 15% of our social media followers regularly engaging with our account. I’m happy to send over stats for any/all posts we’ve already featured GSTQ in (definitely more than 15+ posts!) 

Here’s our Media Kit (I have attached it to this email as well).

Speaking of my audience, as a reminder a significant portion comprises the Latinx community, representing the largest and fastest-growing sector of the US economy, currently valued at 3.2 trillion and continuously expanding. The purchasing influence of Latinas is immense, and based on my prior collaborations with y’all, I am confident that they will continue to resonate deeply with GSTQ, embracing its message and everything you offer!

In short, we would love to work with you to continue to promote GSTQ to our audience. As always, I’m open to discussing different ways to showcase GSTQ, such as featuring GSTQ on more social media posts, content creation, or through other potential marketing campaigns. We’re excited about the opportunity to continue work with you and hope to hear back from you soon.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Oh, and P.S. – if y’all ever need a space to shoot in L.A., I just opened up an office/photo studio and I would die of happiness if GSTQ popped by (on the house!!) 

Talk soon, ❤️