Here are a few tips & tricks to make your brief application stand out.
1. Draft a personal application message
Don’t copy and paste your application message across every brief on Cohley. Crafting a unique message for each brand takes time, but your message is far more likely to be read if the brand can tell it was written for them specifically.
Here’s an example of a great application message from a creator who was accepted:
The product in the brief was Magnesium and this creator showed that the product would fit seamlessly into his content. He also mentioned that he’s an athlete, which to a supplement brand makes him stand out.
Versus a message a brand will scroll past — too long, clearly written by AI, and not tied to the brand:
“A little effort goes a long way in the message but if it’s too long I also tend to skim it because we just don’t have time when going through 150-200 other applicants.” — Cohley Brand
Short, specific, and human wins. Further insight below.
2. Upload sample content that matches what the brand needs
Sample content is one of the strongest signals brands look at when reviewing your application. If the brand has included direction in the brief about the kind of sample they’re looking for — testimonial-style, voiceover, lifestyle, speaking to camera — read it first and choose a sample that matches. If they haven’t, pick something that closely fits the brief’s vibe and content type.
A few things to know about sample content:
- You can upload a file (photo or video — MOV is supported for video), OR
- Paste a URL from your authorized Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok account — Cohley validates that the link comes from an account you’ve connected
- Your sample content is the first thing brands evaluate after your message
- It also feeds into your Highlights preview on your Creator Card, so brands browsing creators across briefs may see it too — see Brands see my “highlights” — what is that?
A targeted, relevant sample is far stronger than a generic best-of.
3. Spend time on your portfolio
Every brand reviews your Creator Portfolio after reading your message. You can upload up to 9 assets, so fill it up with examples. Brands want to see a mix of voiceover content, lifestyle content, TikTok trends, and speaking directly to the camera. If the brief is for photo content, include photo examples too.
The more diverse and current your portfolio, the better — Cohley automatically surfaces your best-matching portfolio piece per brief, so variety means your strongest relevant work shows up. See My Portfolio.
What actually works, based on our data
We looked at how brands responded to several hundred thousand applications to see what separates the ones that get accepted. Here's what stood out. None of it is a guarantee — brands pick for all kinds of reasons — but these patterns held up consistently.
Say so if you already use the product
This was the single strongest thing we found. Creators who mentioned genuinely already owning, buying, or using the product — or being a long-time customer of the brand — were accepted noticeably more often than creators who didn't, across almost every kind of brief.
It makes sense from the brand's side: you already know the product, you're a real customer, and your content is going to sound like it.
A quick note for product briefs where the product is the compensation: it's still worth mentioning, just be clear about why you want this one anyway — you're restocking, you want to compare it to the version you own, you've been meaning to try a different variant. Brands would rather know.
Only say it if it's true. A brand can tell, and it's the fastest way to lose credibility.
Ask the brand a question
Applications that included a genuine question did better than ones that didn't. A short, specific question — about the product, the creative direction, or how they'd like something shot — reads as real interest rather than a form submission, and it opens a conversation.
Keep it to one, and make it something the brief doesn't already answer.
Skip the links
Pasting your Instagram, TikTok, portfolio, or Drive link into the message doesn't help — applications containing one were accepted slightly less often.
The reason is simple: Cohley already shows the brand your connected accounts, your follower counts, and your best-matching portfolio piece, right alongside your application. The link is telling them something they can already see, and it uses up space you could spend on why you fit this brief.
Longer is not better
Message length on its own doesn't improve your chances — if anything, the longest messages did slightly worse. What matters is whether the message is specific to this brand and this brief.
Two or three tight sentences that show you read the brief will beat a long paragraph that could have been sent to anyone. As one brand told us, they're often reading 150–200 applications and will skim anything that runs long.
The short version
- Mention it if you genuinely already use the product or love the brand
- Say why this brief fits what you make
- Ask one real question
- Leave out links — the brand already has them
- Keep it short and specific to the brand