Academy 3: Social Income · Stage 4 · Module 3

What NOT to Do in DMs

The DM mistakes that kill deals, damage relationships, and make brands never respond — and the approach that actually works.

What You'll Walk Away With

A clear understanding of the DM patterns that kill opportunities before they start — and a simple, specific approach that gets replies from both brands and potential collaborators.

From Katherine

I get DMs every day from creators who want to work with me or pitch me something. And I respond to maybe 1 in 10. Not because I'm dismissive — because 9 out of 10 say the same thing in the same way and make the same ask without any context for why I should care. The 1 in 10 that I respond to? Specific. Brief. Clear about what they want. That's it. That's the whole difference.

— Katherine Rodriguez

The 5 DM Mistakes That Kill Deals

What NOT to Do

The NovelA DM that's 400 words long. Nobody reads them. Write a DM you could read in 20 seconds. If you need more space to explain — you haven't clarified your pitch enough yet.

The Generic Opener"Hi! I love your content 😍" followed by a pitch. This opener tells the recipient you haven't actually engaged with their work — you just found their account. Specific compliments work. Generic ones don't.

The Vague Ask"I'd love to collab sometime!" on what? How? When? A vague ask puts all the burden of specificity on them. They won't bother. Tell them exactly what you're proposing.

The Immediate Ask Without ContextPitching a partnership in the first message to someone who has never interacted with your content. Unless it's a brand pitch (which is different — you're going outbound on purpose), warm the relationship first.

The Follow-Up FloodFollowing up every 24 hours after no response. Once is professional. Twice is persistent (occasionally fine). Three times or more without a response is pushy — and it's remembered.

What Works Instead

DM Formula — Brand Outreach

"Hi [Name] — I create UGC content for [niche] brands and I've been genuinely using [Product] for 3 months. I'd love to create a short video for your next campaign — I have a portfolio at [link]. Is this the right place to discuss, or is there a better contact?"

Short. Specific. One ask. Includes proof. Opens a door without forcing it.

DM Formula — Creator Collaboration

"Hey [Name] — I loved your post about [specific topic]. I create content around [related topic] for a similar audience. I have an idea for a [format] collab that would work for both our audiences — would you be open to a quick chat this week?"

Referencing their specific content signals genuine engagement. Specific collaboration type shows you've thought it through.

Prove You Got It

Write a DM pitch to a brand in your niche using the formula above. Keep it under 80 words. Read it back. If you'd respond to it, send it. If it still sounds like something you've seen a hundred times, rewrite it until it sounds specifically like you.

Say It Out Loud

"Specific gets replies. Generic gets ignored. I write for the person, not for the algorithm."