Dmitri | Creator Citadel

Built Creator Citadel - a gamified platform teaching creators to land brand deals independently. Ex influencer marketing at StreamElements and Klook.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

@sentdefender @Jerhiko2 @JayneZirkle The more relevant question here is would you have commented on this post if it had been about Mamdani not attending the Greek Independence Day parade or any of the others. Rhetorical I know, your recent conduct speaks for itself.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

@KaptainKrunch97 "Dick first at mach fuck" - you've won the internet today

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

@ScottyTidwell I built an entire learning app around this ideaI because I believe it with every fiber of my being.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Every week I'm sharing what I learned from nearly a decade of closing influencer deals on the brand side.

If you're a creator who wants to land brand deals on your own, follow along. And if you want the full playbook, the link to my platform is in my bio.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Timing tip: most marketing teams finalize Q2 campaign budgets in February or early March.

If you pitch now, you're catching them while they're actively looking for creators to fill upcoming slots.

If you pitch them in May, those budgets are likely locked and allocated. Don't be late.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

I spent nearly a decade running influencer campaigns for brands. Everything from gaming to travel, tech, even household products.

Now I put everything I learned into a platform that teaches creators how to pitch brands, negotiate rates, and build a media kit. All one their own, without second-guessing themselves or giving 20-30% to an agency.

It's called Creator Citadel. Link in bio.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

"I need more followers before brands will work with me" - I hear this every damn day from creators.

I spent years on the brand side of influencer marketing. We regularly chose 25K creators over 200K creators.

The deciding factors were never follower count alone. It almost always came down to views (the actual indicator of channel reach), niche relevance, content quality, and whether the audience actually matched the brand's target market.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Brands don't just pay for your video. They're paying for:
1. Your audience's trust
2. Content they can repurpose
3. Association with your brand
4. Data from your audience's response

When you understand what they're actually buying, you stop undercharging for "just a video".

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Most creators guess their rate. Brands don't guess their budget.

That's why the negotiation oftentimes feels lopsided; one side has a spreadsheet and the other has a gut feeling or something they got off Reddit.

I built a rate calculator to fix that. Link in bio.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

A pitch email template that actually gets read.

Subject: [Your Niche] x [Brand Name] - content idea

Body:
Hi [name/Brand Name team], I create [content platform and type] for [audience]. I had an idea for [Brand] that I think would resonate with my audience of [size + key demo stat]."

Then pitch ONE specific idea. Not three. Not a menu. One.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

If you're a small creator and you're struggling to get brand sponsorships, I'm here to help. Reply to this post or DM me, we can review your channel metrics, which brands you'd like to work with, how much you'd like to get paid, etc.

I don't sell snake oil. I can't guarantee that you'll walk away from our conversation with a brand campaign in hand. I can guarantee that you'll learn from my experience helping hundreds of creators with dozens of campaigns, and will be in a better position to pitch, negotiate and close deals with brands.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

This week I shared tips on:

→ What goes into pitching a brand
→ Why usage rights are your most powerful negotiation lever
→ The real math on agency commissions
→ Why your first deal sets the tone for every deal after

All of this comes from nearly a decade brand-side at companies like Klook and StreamElements, evaluating creator pitches and managing partnerships from the other side of the table.

If you want the full playbook - structured missions with tools and exercises, I built @CreatorCitadel for exactly that.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

💌 Agencies taking 20–30% of your brand deals?
Stop giving away your money. I can show you how to pitch brands yourself and keep every dollar. Reply "BRAND" or DM me, and I’ll show you exactly how. 🏆

#MicroInfluencers #UGC #BrandDeals #CreatorEconomy

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

In 2026, brands increasingly prefer micro-influencers (10K-100K) over mega-influencers for most campaigns.

Ever wonder why? Better engagement rates. Higher ROI per dollar. More authentic audience trust. Those are the industry terms.

In normal terms, smaller creators have more close-knit, supportive and dedicated viewers.

A creator with 30K followers and a 11% engagement rate will outperform someone with 100K followers and 2% engagement. Brands know this. They calculate cost per engagement before committing.

If you have a small but engaged audience, you have more leverage than you think.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Your first deal with a brand sets the baseline for the entire relationship.

Accept $500 without negotiating? That becomes the ceiling. Future conversations will anchor there: "Well, we paid you $500 last time.."

The only things that reset this are major channel growth, viral moments, or 12+ months passing.

Every rate you accept becomes a data point that works either for or against you. Be thoughtful about what precedents you're setting, especially early on.

I built an entire platform around teaching creators how to handle exactly this. Link in bio if you're curious.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

A template for walking away from a deal without burning the bridge:

"Thanks so much for working through this with me. It seems like we're a bit apart on budget for this one. I'd love to stay in touch for future campaigns; feel free to reach out if budgets shift or you have other opportunities that might be a better fit."

Doors stay open. Relationships preserved. The person saying "no" today might have triple the budget next quarter.

The worst thing you can do with a brand is go AWOL. Walking away is fine, and Irish Goodbye is not.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Saying "I run a channel with 100K followers" and nothing else is a weak pitch.

"I run a YouTube channel with 100K subscribers, averaging 25K views per video with a predominantly US-based audience and a 6% engagement rate" is way stronger. Putting all that info (and then some) into a media kit elevates it even more.

Specific numbers show you understand your business. Brands don't buy your follower count— they buy access to an audience they can measure.

I spent 7 years on the brand side evaluating pitches like these. The difference between getting a reply and getting ignored is almost always specificity.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Hard agree, and the 3-5 brand partners point is the most underrated advice here.

A creator with 25K AVV and 3-5 loyal brand partners doing quarterly deals is clearing $15-25K/year from sponsorships alone. That's before merch, courses, etc. One YT mid-roll integration pays more than 25,000 ad-supported views. The math on brand deals vs AdSense isn't even close.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

Quick exclusivity pricing guide:

→ For the duration of a campaign (up to 30 days): Usually included in your base rate.
→ 30-90 days: 20-40% markup
→ 90+ days: 50%+ premium, this can absolutely block your income from competitors. Fortunately, it's also quite rare

When a brand asks for "exclusivity," your first question should be - "What category and for how long?"

A "30-day exclusivity in energy drinks" is completely different from "12-month exclusivity in beverages." The details matter more than the word.

[Dmitri | Creator Citadel @triselbur]

The most salient negotiation advice I can give you:

Don't take it personally.

Most brands have campaign budgets set months in advance, CPM limits from management, and approval thresholds their partnership managers can't exceed.

A brand might love your content and still only offer half your rate, all because that's what their budget allows.

That's not rejection. That's business. Every negotiation is a data point, even the ones that don't close.