JoinBrands’ Creator Masterclass Live #7: How to Get More Brand Deals

Getting applications out is one thing. Getting chosen is another. That gap is exactly what Creator Masterclass Live #7 was built to close.

Kayla Ybanez, a top UGC creator on JoinBrands and creative strategist, hosted the session alongside two of the platform’s most successful creators: Carrie Veracchio, a bestselling author and certified public speaker who has earned nearly $30,000 on JoinBrands, and Donna Sandoval, a TikTok advocate who quadrupled her income in a single quarter by making one mindset shift. Together, they broke down exactly what separates creators who get hired consistently from those who wonder why nothing is moving.

One thing every creator on this call made clear: you do not need a big following to make real money as a UGC creator. Brands on JoinBrands are not hiring based on follower count. They are hiring based on profile quality, communication, and fit. If you want to learn how to get more brand deals, this session delivers the most actionable answers on the platform.

You do not need a big following to make real money as a UGC creator.

Start getting brand deals on JoinBrands →

Your Profile Is Not a Portfolio

This was Kayla’s opening point, and it reframes how most creators think about their JoinBrands profile. A portfolio is just one piece of it. The profile as a whole is the tool brands use to make decisions. Brands aren’t asking whether your content looks impressive. They’re asking: can I trust this person to deliver what we need? Everything on your profile either builds that trust or breaks it. A profile that isn’t fully filled out, doesn’t show the real you, or leaves key fields blank is costing you brand deals before brands even watch a single video.

This distinction matters for anyone serious about UGC creator jobs. The profile isn’t a showcase. It’s a pitch.

Profile Picture: First Impressions Happen Fast

Your profile photo needs to look like you look right now. Not your best photo from two years ago. Not a black-and-white editorial shot. A clear, well-lit image in front of a simple background that shows who you actually are today.

If your hair color changes, update it. If your makeup style shifts seasonally, reflect that. Kayla recommends the photo show you at your most average, not your most polished. Brands want to see the real person, not a character. If you want to get back on a brand’s radar after not being selected, updating your photo is one of the simplest ways to stand out in the next round of selections.

Fill Out Every Single Field

Kayla hears it constantly: creators applying for brand deals and not hearing back, only to discover half their profile is blank. No pitch video. No text blurb. Socials not linked. Keywords section empty.

Some brands filter out creators who don’t have certain platforms linked. Fill everything out. The keyword section matters more than most people realize. If you’re a dog mom, a homesteader, post-menopausal, or specialize in a particular lifestyle niche, say so. Carrie credits “menopause” and “postmenopause” as keywords that have landed her a significant volume of work, because brands selling to that demographic actively search for creators who live it.

The rule is simple: represent who you actually are, not who you think brands want. Performing a version of yourself that isn’t real reads as disingenuous, and brands notice. This connects directly to what makes UGC content work in the first place: authenticity.

Brands on JoinBrands are not looking for influencers. They are looking for real people. You do not need a big following to make real money as a UGC creator.

Create your free creator profile →

Your Pitch Video: Stop Auditioning for Reality TV

The biggest mistake in pitch videos is leading with yourself. “Hi, I’m [name], I’m a mom who loves beauty and content creation.” Brands don’t care what you like. They care what you can deliver.

Kayla’s guidance: think about what your life, location, experience, and skills actually translate to for a brand. If you’re a dog mom in Florida, don’t just say that. Say that you have beach access for bright, colorful content and a dog who can demonstrate lifestyle products in real environments. That shift from “here’s who I am” to “here’s what I can do for you” is what makes a pitch video actually work.

Keep it short. Start with value, not with your name. Update it at least every nine months, or sooner if your look changes significantly. Donna’s tip: don’t film it when you’re dreading it. Good energy comes through on camera. If you want to see what UGC video done right looks like, study your own best-performing deliverables and reverse-engineer that energy.

Portfolio Content: Aim for 75% Face to Camera

Brands aren’t just watching what you do. They’re listening to how you talk. Your pace, cadence, and natural speech patterns tell them whether you can deliver their brief authentically. B-roll with music doesn’t show any of that.

Kayla recommends aiming for at least 75% face-to-camera content in your portfolio. The remaining 25% can show variety: POV shots, demos, skits, photos. Use the photo section to highlight people, pets, and locations that appear in your content. If you have pool access, show it. If your dog makes appearances, put that in.

Carrie’s advice: leave some of your older work alongside your newer content. Brands like to see growth. For inspiration on formats that actually convert, UGC content ideas is a useful reference for filling your portfolio with variety brands respond to. You can also browse UGC portfolio examples to see what top creators are including.

If you are ready to start getting in front of brands who are actively looking for creators like you, join JoinBrands and start applying to brand deals today →

Apply Like It’s a Numbers Game — Because It Is

At the time of the class, Kayla had 1,500 active applications. Donna had around 300. Both apply multiple times a day.

If you’ve updated your profile and you’re still not landing brand deals consistently, the next question is how many jobs you’re actually applying to. Ten or twenty applications won’t move the needle. Kayla applies for everything she can fulfill, including categories that aren’t glamorous, because those are often the least competitive and the most reliable.

Donna’s mindset shift: she stopped shopping JoinBrands for products she personally wanted and started treating it like an actor taking any role that fits. UGC creators are there to fulfill the brief, not to curate a personal wishlist. The creators landing the most content creator jobs apply broadly and filter by fit, not by preference.

Don’t Skip Express Jobs

Express jobs are how you move from level two to level three faster. They grow your completed job count. They get you in front of brands who then invite you to higher-paying projects.

Kayla shared that one of her clients did a $5 express job for a mop. The Amazon commission from that single video has since grown to nearly $1,000. Carrie had the same experience with packing cubes: a $5 express job that generated over $1,000 in affiliate commission through her Amazon storefront and Creator Connections. Understanding TikTok GMV and commission stacking is part of what makes express jobs worth taking consistently.

The hesitation around buying a product upfront before reimbursement holds a lot of creators back. Donna’s solution: open a separate credit card and checking account just for UGC work. Pay for the product, get reimbursed, pay it off. Your finances stay clean and that friction stops blocking you from applying.

Express jobs, free products, and commission income — none of it requires a following. You do not need a big following to make real money as a UGC creator.

Start applying on JoinBrands →

Creator Pro Gives You a Head Start

Creator Pro gives subscribers access to new jobs one hour before the general pool. On competitive listings, that hour is the difference between being in the first wave of applicants and getting buried. If you’re serious about growing your brand deals on JoinBrands, it’s worth understanding what the subscription unlocks.

Communication Is a Trust Signal

Donna touches base with brands when she starts a job and again when she finishes. A short message in the JoinBrands chat. Nothing elaborate. Just consistent, professional communication that signals she’s taking the work seriously.

Carrie always thanks brands for hiring her and asks if there’s anything beyond the brief they’d like her to address. When feedback comes back requesting a revision, she takes full responsibility quickly and makes it right. Brands are people trying to grow something. Creators who treat the work like a real professional partnership get rehired. This is the same principle that drives influencer relationship management at the brand level: show up consistently, communicate clearly, and the relationship compounds.

Mindset Is the Real Bottleneck

Every creator on the call pointed to mindset as the actual barrier to growth. Imposter syndrome in the early days. Fear of what people will think. Perfectionism that keeps the pitch video sitting in drafts for months. Comparison to creators with better lighting or more aesthetic content.

Donna was so afraid of posting on Instagram that she avoided it entirely until January of this year. The month she stopped caring what people thought and started applying for Instagram and Meta jobs, her income quadrupled.

Carrie had braces for a year and a half. She still got hired every single week. Because brands don’t want perfect. They want real. The shift from “I need to be impressive” to “I have something real to offer” is the one that actually changes outcomes. This is the foundation of why authenticity beats perfection in modern marketing — and it applies just as much to creator profiles as it does to ad content.

If you are ready to start getting in front of brands who are actively looking for creators like you, join JoinBrands and start applying to brand deals today →

What to Do in Your First 48 Hours on JoinBrands

All three creators agreed on the priorities. Fill out your profile completely. Use videos from your camera roll or TikTok if you don’t have brand jobs yet. Link every social platform, even if the numbers aren’t impressive. Film a pitch video, even if it’s imperfect. Then apply for everything you can fulfill, with a heavy focus on express jobs to grow your levels fast.

Higher levels unlock access to more jobs and let you take on more simultaneously. Both of those things mean more income. Completing more certifications also expands your job eligibility. For a full breakdown of getting started, how to become a UGC creator covers the foundational steps in detail.

Refresh Your Profile Every Quarter

Donna has noticed a consistent pattern: when her incoming jobs slow down, she goes into her portfolio and makes updates. After updating, jobs pick up again. She now uses it deliberately.

The recommendation across all three creators: set a calendar reminder once a quarter to refresh your profile. Add any new jobs you’re proud of. Update your photo if your look has changed. Adjust your keywords based on what’s actually getting you hired.

The creators getting consistent brand deals on JoinBrands aren’t the most talented or the most polished. They’re the ones showing up, applying consistently, treating the platform like a business, and staying honest about who they are. For more on how leading creators are approaching UGC content creation and platform growth, the previous sessions in this series cover complementary ground.

Continue the Masterclass Series

Missed Masterclass #6 on growing on Instagram? Read the recap here →

Missed Masterclass #5 on speaking fluently in your niche? Read the recap here →

Want to catch Masterclass #8 live? Subscribe and save your free spot →

You do not need a big following to make real money as a UGC creator. Brands on JoinBrands are actively looking for real people right now.

Join JoinBrands and start applying to brand deals today →