What to actually send when a brand asks for your portfolio
Send one link that opens straight to three to six of your best, most relevant clips, plus a line on who you are and how to reach you. That's it. No attachment, no scavenger hunt.
When a brand asks "do you have a portfolio?", they're not asking for a document. They're asking one quiet question: can this person shoot the kind of content we need? Your job is to answer that in the first few seconds.
Here's what belongs in the send:
- Three to six short clips — your strongest work, weighted toward whatever they sell. Skincare brand? Lead with a skincare demo.
- One or two lines on what you make: "9:16 product demos, GRWM, and unboxings."
- Any brands you've made content for — or spec work if you're just starting.
- A clear way to talk rates or book you.
Match the send to the brand every time. A rep who opens a link on the exact format they need feels like they've already found their person.
What format should you send it in?
A link that opens and plays on a phone, with no download and no login. That's the whole test. Everything else is a detail.
Think about who's on the other end. A brand rep is usually checking DMs on their phone between meetings, and your format decides what they experience:
- A PDF can't play video, so your best hook lands as a blurry screenshot.
- A shared Drive folder often asks them to request access — now you're waiting on a permission email while they move on.
- Big files don't reliably download on mobile.
- A link just opens and plays, in one tap.
You don't need anything fancy. A simple page, a public Notion, a personal site — any of them work, as long as it opens and starts playing without a download or a login. That's the bar most creators trip over, and clearing it puts you ahead.
What to send if you have zero brand deals yet
Send spec work — content you filmed for real products you already own, made to look exactly like a paid ad. You do not need a single deal to have a portfolio worth sending.
This is the part beginners get wrong. Brands hire on the quality of the footage, not the length of your client list. A polished demo of a cheap drugstore serum will out-pitch a shaky "real" collab every time.
To build a portfolio from nothing:
- Pick two or three products you genuinely use.
- Film each one as if a brand hired you — a real demo, GRWM, or unboxing.
- Cut it to the length brands actually run: 15 to 30 seconds.
- Show a hook in the first second, the product in use, and a reason to buy.
Content that already performed on your own account counts too — a video that hit well, a clean before-and-after, a testimonial-style piece. The goal isn't proof you've been paid. It's proof you can make something that sells.
How fast you need to reply to stay in the running
Reply within a few hours — same day at the absolute latest. Brands almost never message one creator. They DM a batch and shortlist from whoever answers first with something usable.
Sourcing works in waves. A rep fires off ten or twenty messages, and the people who come back fast, warm, and with a link ready get pulled onto the shortlist before the rep has even finished the outreach list. Being first often beats being slightly better.
If your portfolio isn't polished the moment they message, still reply fast. Send a short note and two links now, then follow up with the full thing within the day:
Thanks so much — sending my full portfolio over shortly. In the meantime, here are two recent clips: [link], [link].
The one thing that quietly kills deals is going quiet for three days. By then the rep has usually booked someone else and moved on.
A reply message you can copy and adapt
Keep it short: thank them, drop the link, name a rate range or ask their budget, and offer one clear next step. A wall of text reads as amateur; a tight, confident reply reads as someone who's done this before.
Start from this and make it yours:
Hi [name] — thanks for reaching out, I love what [brand] is doing. Here's my portfolio: [link]. I shoot 9:16 product demos, GRWM, and unboxings. My rate for a single video with organic usage starts around [range] — happy to tailor once I know the deliverables and usage rights you need. Want me to sketch a quick concept for [product]?
A few notes on adapting it:
- Swap the format line to match what they sell.
- If you're unsure on price, ask their budget instead of guessing low — you can't un-say a number.
- End on one next step, not three. A concept, a call, or a quote — pick the one that moves it forward.
Warm, specific, and done in five sentences. That's the whole game.
FAQ
Should I include my rates before they ask? A range is fine and usually helps — it filters out brands who can't pay and signals you've done this before. Give a starting figure and note it depends on deliverables and usage rights, so you keep room to quote properly.
What if all I have is TikToks, not a real "portfolio"? Send three to six of your best posts as links, or pull the raw videos onto one simple page. A brand cares about the footage, not what you call the container it lives in.
How many videos should I show? Three to six. Enough to prove range, few enough that every clip is strong. One weak video drags down five good ones, so cut ruthlessly.
Do I need a website to have a portfolio? No. Any link that opens and plays your videos on a phone will do the job. Picking your strongest, most relevant work matters far more than where it lives.