How to Respond to a Brand Inquiry

Respond to a brand inquiry in one of four ways: accept the stated terms, ask one specific clarifying question, counter with workable alternatives, or decline briefly and politely. Before replying, confirm the deliverable, deadline, budget, usage rights, exclusivity, and disclosure requirements; then put the agreed scope, price, and next step in writing.

What are the four ways to respond to a brand inquiry?

Every brand inquiry fits one of four replies: accept the stated terms, ask one specific clarifying question, counter with different terms, or decline politely. Pick the lane before you start writing, then name the deliverable, deadline, budget, usage rights, exclusivity window, and disclosure requirement so the brand can act on your answer immediately.

Read the inquiry once, identify which lane it fits, and reply in plain language. Avoid a vague response such as “sounds fun, let’s chat,” which postpones the decisions both sides need to make.

Treat the reply as a regulated commercial document, not a casual DM. The Federal Trade Commission finalized revised Endorsement Guides on June 29, 2023 — the first revision since 2009, approved on a 3-0 Commission vote — and they took effect on July 26, 2023 (FTC press release, June 29, 2023). The revised guides are codified at 16 CFR Part 255 and apply Section 5 of the FTC Act to endorsements, including social posts, tags, and reviews.

How fast should you reply to a brand inquiry?

No law or platform policy sets a deadline for replying to a brand inquiry, so the only binding clock is the one the brand states in its own message. As a FanBell workflow recommendation rather than a documented industry benchmark, answer within one or two business days, or send a holding reply.

Thanks for reaching out. I’m reviewing the scope and schedule, and I’ll send you a complete answer by [day].

A holding reply confirms that the message arrived without forcing you to accept, decline, or name a rate before you are ready. Leaving an inquiry unanswered can cause an otherwise workable conversation to lose momentum, especially when a campaign has a fixed schedule.

The deadlines that are fixed by law run the other direction — on the brand’s payment, not your reply. California’s Freelance Worker Protection Act requires a hiring party to pay a freelance worker on or before the date named in the contract, or no later than 30 days after the work is completed when the contract names no date (California SB 988, Business and Professions Code §18102, in effect January 1, 2025). Illinois sets the same 30-day backstop for freelance work worth $500 or more in a 120-day period (Illinois Department of Labor, Freelance Worker Protection Act).

How should you accept a brand inquiry?

Accept only when the deliverable, deadline, budget, usage rights, exclusivity, and disclosure terms already work as written. Restate all six in your reply so the email itself becomes a dated record of the agreement, then ask for the contract or purchase order before you begin production on anything.

Thanks for reaching out—this sounds like a good fit. To confirm, I’ll deliver [one Instagram Reel] by [date] for [budget], with [agreed usage rights]. Please send over [the contract or next-step document], and I’ll get started once it’s signed.

Do not accept first and attempt to renegotiate the price or deliverables later. If an important term is missing or ambiguous, ask a clarifying question instead.

That restated-terms email is closer to a legal requirement than most creators realize. New York State’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act added Article 44-A to the General Business Law effective August 28, 2024, giving freelance workers statewide a right to a written contract plus a formal enforcement process. In New York City, every freelance agreement totalling $800 or more in any 120-day period must be in writing and must spell out the work to be performed, the pay, and the date of payment (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection). A New York City freelancer who is not paid on time has the right to collect double the unpaid amount plus attorneys’ fees and costs (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection).

How should you ask a clarifying question?

Send a clarifying reply when the opportunity looks workable but one missing detail blocks your decision. Ask for that exact item — scope, budget range, publication date, usage rights, or exclusivity period — instead of a broad request for more information, and say that a definite answer follows once you have it.

Thanks for this. Before I confirm, can you clarify [the exact deliverable, budget range, publication date, usage rights, or exclusivity period]? Once I have that, I can give you a definite answer.

Here are more concrete examples:

One precise question is more likely to produce a usable answer than a broad request for additional information. The Illinois Freelance Worker Protection Act is a useful checklist of what to ask for, because it requires a freelance contract to itemize the products and services, the rate and method of compensation, the date compensation is due, and the dates services will be provided. The Illinois statute covers freelance work worth $500 or more in a 120-day period and applies to contracts taking effect after July 1, 2024 (Illinois Department of Labor, Freelance Worker Protection Act).

How should you counter a brand inquiry?

Counter when the collaboration could work but the proposed budget, scope, deadline, usage rights, or exclusivity does not. Calculate your rate first, then give the brand a concrete choice: the original scope at your price, or a reduced scope at their budget. A good counter is a decision, not a complaint.

Determine your rate first using how to price your first brand collaboration, then offer a specific alternative.

Thanks for sending this over. I’d love to find a workable option, but [the budget, timeline, usage, or exclusivity] does not align with the scope as described. I could deliver [original scope] for [your price], or [reduced scope] for [the original budget]. Let me know which option fits the campaign.

A useful counter gives the brand a decision it can make. These examples address common sticking points without accepting open-ended obligations:

What can you say when usage rights were not priced in?

My rate of [price] covers creation and publication on my account. If you would also like [organic reposting or paid advertising rights] for [defined period], I can include that for a total of [revised price].

An exclusive grant of usage rights is not something you can hand over in a DM. Under 17 U.S.C. §204(a), a transfer of copyright ownership is invalid unless a note or memorandum of the transfer is in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed (U.S. Copyright Office, Title 17, Chapter 2). Copyright law defines a “transfer of copyright ownership” to include an exclusive license but to exclude a nonexclusive license, so exclusive rights must be papered while a plain permission to repost need not be (17 U.S.C. §101).

What can you say when the brand requests exclusivity?

The proposed rate works without category exclusivity. I can add exclusivity covering [named category or competitors] for [defined period] at a total rate of [revised price].

What can you say to a gifted-only offer?

Thanks for considering me. I’m happy to receive the product with no posting obligation, but guaranteed content is a paid service. I can offer [specific deliverable] for [price].

Free product is a material connection, not a favour: the FTC tells influencers to disclose the relationship if they got anything of value to mention a product, and to disclose even when the brand did not ask for a post (FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers).

What can you say about a rushed timeline?

I’m not able to deliver the full scope by [requested date]. I can complete it by [workable date], or I can meet the earlier date with [reduced scope or revised rush price].

What can you say when the budget is fixed?

I can’t provide [original scope] at that budget, but I can offer [smaller deliverable] for [available budget]. The full package would be [your price].

Define usage rights and exclusivity by scope and duration rather than agreeing to broad phrases such as “full usage” or “no competitor content.” Your counter should state exactly what your quoted price includes.

Which disclosure does each platform require?

Every paid or gifted brand post needs an advertising disclosure, and each major platform also provides its own branded-content control that you switch on in addition to your own wording. The platform toggle is a supplement, not a substitute: FTC staff say a built-in tool is no guarantee of an adequate disclosure.

Instagram’s branded content policies state that all branded content must be disclosed using the paid partnership label (Instagram Help Center). YouTube requires creators to declare paid promotion by selecting the paid promotion box in the video details, and says creators and brands remain responsible for complying with local legal disclosure obligations. On TikTok, turning on the content disclosure setting labels a post promoting a brand, product, or service as “Paid partnership”.

Do not stop at the toggle. Asked whether an influencer can rely on a platform’s built-in disclosure feature, FTC staff answer “Not necessarily,” because a platform offering the feature “is no guarantee that it’s an effective way for influencers to disclose their material connection to a brand” (FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking). The 2023 update to that FTC staff guidance added 40 new questions and specifically addressed platform disclosure tools and brand monitoring of influencers (FTC press release).

How should you decline a brand inquiry?

Decline when the audience fit is wrong, the budget gap is too wide, the timeline is impossible, or the message looks unsafe or illegitimate. One or two sentences is enough: state the decision, thank the sender, and leave the door open for a better-fitting campaign later. If you are uncertain about an offer’s legitimacy, see how to screen brand offers.

Thanks for thinking of me. This isn’t the right fit for my page right now, so I’ll pass. I appreciate you reaching out, and please keep me in mind for future campaigns that align more closely.

A decline does not require a detailed defense. A short response closes the conversation while leaving room for a better-fitting campaign in the future.

What should you confirm before saying yes?

Confirm seven things in writing before you film, produce, or publish: deliverables, schedule, compensation, usage rights, exclusivity, revisions and approvals, and the advertising disclosure. In several US states a written contract is not optional above a low dollar threshold, so putting these in an email or a signed agreement is both practical and legal hygiene.

• Deliverables: Specify the platform, content format, quantity, length, and any required talking points or links.
• Schedule: Record the draft deadline, review period, revision deadline, and publication date.
• Compensation: State the total payment, payment schedule, invoicing process, and any approved expenses.
• Usage rights: Define where the brand may use the content, for what purpose, and for how long.
• Exclusivity: Identify the restricted competitors or category and the start and end dates.
• Revisions and approvals: State how many revision rounds are included and who provides final approval.
• Disclosure: Confirm that the published content will include the required advertising disclosure.

Three state laws set the dollar line at which a written contract becomes mandatory for freelance work: $250 in California under SB 988 for contracts entered on or after January 1, 2025; $500 in Illinois for work in a 120-day period; and $800 in New York City for agreements totalling that amount in any 120-day period (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection). California also requires the hiring party to retain the signed freelance contract for no less than four years (California SB 988, Business and Professions Code Part 5).

On the disclosure line, use the FTC’s own definitions rather than the brand’s wording:

• The FTC defines a “material connection” as a personal, family, or employment relationship with a brand, or a financial relationship such as the brand paying you or giving you free or discounted products or services.
• FTC staff say the disclosure should be placed with the endorsement message itself and is likely to be missed if it appears only on an ABOUT ME or profile page, at the end of posts or videos, or anywhere that requires a person to click MORE (FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers).
• The FTC treats “advertisement,” “ad,” and “sponsored” as workable disclosure terms and warns against vague ones such as “sp,” “spon,” or “collab,” and stand-alone words such as “thanks” or “ambassador” (FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers).
• In video, FTC staff say the disclosure should be in the video itself rather than only in the uploaded description, and preferably both visually and audibly; in a live stream it should be repeated periodically (FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking).
• A hyperlinked DISCLOSURE or LEGAL button does not qualify, because FTC staff call such a disclosure “easily avoidable, meaning that the disclosure is not clear and conspicuous” (FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking).
• A long-term contract does not buy a one-time disclosure: FTC staff say each new endorsement made without a disclosure could be deceptive because viewers might not have seen the prior posts (FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking).

A reply can document the basic agreement, but it may not address every contractual issue. Review the brand’s contract carefully and make sure its scope, payment, rights, exclusivity, cancellation, and disclosure provisions match what you agreed to in the conversation.

What should you do after replying?

After you send the reply, record the next action and its date: contract and delivery dates for an accepted deal, a follow-up date for a clarifying question, the original and revised terms for a counter, and a one-line note for a decline in case the brand returns.

• For an accepted inquiry, record the contract, production, and delivery dates.
• For a clarification request, note when you will follow up if the brand does not answer.
• For a counter, save the original and revised terms.
• For a decline, keep a brief record in case the brand returns with a better-fitting opportunity.

How to organize brand leads solo explains how to track these conversations without a full customer relationship management system.

If you are also deciding how brands should contact you, how to accept brand inquiries from your bio covers the workflow from bio link to final reply.

How can you manage brand inquiries on FanBell?

FanBell adds a “work with me” form to your creator page and routes submissions into a separate brand inbox, so collaboration requests do not sit in the same thread as fan messages. FanBell organizes incoming leads; it does not source, match, negotiate, or price brand deals for you.

FanBell’s Brand Collaboration Inquiries feature is the form that feeds that inbox. FanBell’s pricing page lists a Free plan at $0 per month with a 12% platform fee per paid transaction, and states that brand inquiries are free (FanBell pricing). The same page states that the fan pays only the displayed price and that creator earnings equal the fan payment minus the platform fee minus the payment-processing fee, so the 12% applies to paid fan interactions rather than to a brand deal you negotiate by email.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you have to reply to a brand inquiry?

Unless the inquiry includes a deadline, there is no fixed response window in law or platform policy. Replying within one or two business days is a FanBell workflow recommendation, not a documented industry benchmark. If you need more time to assess the scope, schedule, or rate, acknowledge the message and give the brand a specific day for your complete answer.

What if you do not know how to price the collaboration?

Do not guess or accept incomplete terms. Ask for the missing scope, usage, exclusivity, and budget details, then calculate your rate before responding. How to price your first brand collaboration explains how to determine a figure before you counter or accept.

Is it okay to ignore an inquiry you do not want?

You can choose not to respond, particularly to obvious spam or unsafe messages, but a legitimate inquiry usually merits a one-sentence decline. A brief reply closes the loop and leaves the relationship in better shape if the brand returns with a more suitable campaign.

Do you need a written contract before starting?

In California, Illinois, and New York, yes, above a low threshold: written freelance contracts are required at $250 (California SB 988, effective January 1, 2025), $500 in a 120-day period, and $800 in a 120-day period in New York City (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection). Everywhere else, put the deliverable, price, deadline, usage rights, exclusivity, and disclosure expectations in writing anyway.

Who is responsible for the #ad disclosure, you or the brand?

You are. FTC staff tell influencers that it is their responsibility to make these disclosures, to be familiar with the Endorsement Guides, and to comply with laws against deceptive ads, and add: “Don’t rely on others to do it for you”.

Create your free FanBell link and give brands a real form — and a fast, clear reply — instead of a DM that goes unanswered for a week.