Did you know that 50% of millennials trust product recommendations from influencers, but this trust drops to 38% for celebrity product recommendations?
In recent years, influencers have evolved into a vital component of marketing strategies for ecommerce businesses, with influencer marketing projected to reach a staggering $21.1 billion in 2023.
However, initiating contact with influencers is a delicate and strategic process.
In this guide, we'll explore the art of effectively reaching out to influencers, providing actionable strategies and examples to help you get a sure "yes"!
Let's get started!
8 Tips on How to Contact Influencers – A Complete Guide
1. Identify Your Ideal Partners
Before reaching out to influencers, you need to pinpoint the ones who align with your brand's values and target audience.
Here's how to do it:
1. Understand your ideal customer's demographics, interests, and preferences. As a result, you can narrow down influencers with followers matching your target audience.
2. Determine your goals for influencer collaboration.
Are you looking to boost brand awareness, increase sales, or launch a new product? Your objectives will guide your influencer selection.
3. Various online tools and platforms like BuzzSumo, AspireIQ, and Upfluence can help you find influencers relevant to your niche.
Another approach involves conducting a manual search on social media platforms, which you can do using hashtags, keywords, or relying on recommendations.
Consider these essential inquiries when conducting influencer research:
1.1. Assess Engagement Over Follower Count 📌
Instead of fixating solely on the number of followers, prioritize evaluating an influencer's engagement rate.
Follower counts can easily be manipulated through inexpensive purchases, potentially misleading you.
To avoid allocating your marketing budget to misrepresented influencers, use various tools that can check fake followers.
1.2. Scrutinize Online Criticism 📌
Investigate whether the influencer has faced significant criticism online. Some influencers build notoriety by exploiting followers, promoting subpar products, or engaging in questionable behavior.
Scan their comments for signs of disgruntled followers, explore communities like Reddit, or conduct a quick YouTube search for comprehensive discussions on influencer controversies.
1.3. Review Their Handling of Previous Brand Deals 📌
Examine their track record in managing brand deals from a professional standpoint.
Analyze their past posts to gauge how creatively they've executed other influencer marketing campaigns.
1.4. Evaluate Alignment with Your Values 📌
Consider whether the influencer has made overtly political, social, or religious posts that may not align with your brand's values.
1.5. Identify Conflicts of Interest 📌
Determine if there are conflicts of interest that could impact the effectiveness of your campaign.
Some influencers may promote similar products or have ongoing influencer marketing partnerships with competing agencies in your industry.
Knowing their recent campaign involvements beforehand will help inform your decision to collaborate with them or explore other options.
1.6. Check for Prior Mentions of Your Product 📌
Assess whether the influencer has previously mentioned or used your product.
Remember that the most authentic partnerships often arise when the influencer has previously featured your product positively.
Be sure to confirm that they haven't previously criticized or spoken negatively about your product to avoid potential awkwardness.
Bonus Tip 📌: Don’t Underestimate Micro-influencers
Lately, there has been a significant shift from massive influencers boasting millions of followers to embracing micro-influencers and mid-level influencers.
The surge in the popularity of micro-influencers can be attributed to several factors:
✔️ Cost-Effective: Micro-influencers typically charge between $50 and $500 per post, in stark contrast to the hefty fees of influencers with a million or more subscribers, who can demand $10,000 or more per post. The likes of Kylie Jenner, for instance, reportedly command a staggering $1.8 million for a single post.
✔️ Smaller but More Loyal Audiences: Micro-influencers cultivate smaller but exceptionally loyal audiences.
Building a para-social connection with smaller creators is often more straightforward for consumers, as prominent influencers with millions of followers can sometimes lose touch with their fanbase, resulting in a diminished sense of genuine connection.
✔️ Authenticity: Due to their smaller audiences, consumers find it easier to relate to micro-influencers, perceiving them as friends rather than distant public figures.
2. Build Authentic Relationships
Influencers are more likely to collaborate with brands they have a genuine connection with.
Remember that influencers notice individuals who consistently engage with their content, even if they don't necessarily respond to each interaction.
2.1. Engage on Social Media
The first and most obvious step is to follow the influencer accounts on your list.
Subsequently, actively engage with their content by liking and commenting.
While doing so, note unique personal details about each influencer, perspective on cancel culture or favorite travel destination.
These details can be valuable in establishing a more personal connection when you contact them in your initial email or DM.
2.2. Attend Influencer Events
Whenever possible, participate in influencer events, webinars, or conferences.
It can be an excellent opportunity to meet influencers face-to-face or virtually and establish valuable connections.
3. Craft a Compelling Pitch In 5 Easy Steps With Zeno Chat
Now, you are ready to start crafting your offer!
Every influencer has a preferred method of reaching out, which is usually noted in their bio.
For example, "Collaborations in DM," "Email me for business offers," etc.
Your initial pitch to influencers should be persuasive and tailored to their unique style and audience.
💡 ZenoChat offers a fully customizable AI companion that's there for you to create, communicate, and collaborate whenever you need it.
You can personalize it to match your distinctive style and requirements, with every detail meticulously crafted from your unique inputs and preferences.
3.1. Craft An Attention-grabbing Email Subject Line
Subject lines serve a singular purpose: enticing the influencer to open your email or DM.
Below are some examples to spark your creativity, and consider a few that resonate with you.
💡 The Personal Connection: [Influencer's Name/Handle], Let's Create Magic Together 🌟
💡 The Collaborative Invitation: Join Us for an Exciting Partnership Opportunity!
💡 The Exclusive Offer: Unlock an Exclusive Collaboration: Lucrative Paid Post ($500)
💡 The Gift of Appreciation: A Special [Product/Item] Awaits You 🎁
💡 The Shared Passion: Bonding Over Our Love for [Specific Interest, e.g., Vintage Vinyl Records] 🎶
💡 The Content Admiration: Your [Influencer's Specific Content, e.g., Adventure Vlogs] Left Us Inspired!
3.2. Showcase Your Brand's Story
Share your brand's unique story, mission, and values, as it helps influencers understand why they should align with your brand.
💡 Our Story:
[Your Brand Name] was born out of a passion for [mention the origin story, e.g., sustainable fashion, healthy living, tech innovation]. It all began when [Founder's Name] embarked on a mission to [mention the problem you aimed to solve or the positive change you wanted to make]. Over the years, our brand has grown and evolved, but our commitment to [mention core principles, e.g., environmental responsibility, quality craftsmanship] remains unwavering.
Our Mission:
At [Your Brand Name], our mission is clear: [Describe your brand's overarching mission, e.g., "To empower individuals to live healthier, more sustainable lives through our products and initiatives"]. Every decision we make, from product development to community engagement, is guided by this vision. We're dedicated to positively impacting the world, one [product/category] at a time.
Our Values:
- [Value 1]: [Describe the first core value, e.g., "Sustainability"] - We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and promoting eco-conscious choices.
- [Value 2]: [Describe the second core value, e.g., "Quality"] - We take pride in crafting products that are built to last, ensuring exceptional quality.
- [Value 3]: [Describe the third core value, e.g., "Community"] - We believe in fostering a supportive and inclusive community that shares our values.
3.3. Highlight Mutual Benefits
Explain how the collaboration can benefit the influencer and your brand.
Be clear about what's in it for them, whether it's monetary compensation, exposure to your audience, or exclusive products.
Here is an example:
💡 "We believe that collaboration with you will introduce our products to your engaged audience and enhance your reputation as a trusted source for sustainable skincare solutions.
We're willing to offer you a competitive compensation package and feature you on our website and social media channels."
3.4. Be Concise and Specific
Keep your pitch concise and to the point. Include specific details about the collaboration, such as the type of content you expect, the timeline, and any creative freedom you're willing to give.
💡 This partnership would involve:
- Content-Type: A 10 to 15-minute travel vlog highlighting your journey with our [Product].
- Timeline: We aim to release in [Month/Season] to align with our upcoming campaign.
- Creative Freedom: We value your creative vision and are open to your ideas and style. You'll have the creative freedom to present our product in a way that feels authentic to your audience.
In return for your collaboration, we're offering a competitive compensation package of [$XXX] for this project and [mention any additional perks or incentives, e.g., product samples for giveaways].
3.5. Include Engaging CTA
Make your call to action explicit to guide the creator smoothly through the following steps. Here are a few examples:
💡 "If this opportunity intrigues you, please respond to this email, and we can arrange a brief call to delve into the particulars."
💡 "Ready to get started? You can initiate the process by completing our intake form available here. I'll personally follow up to schedule a call with you."
Remember, people are more inclined to act when they clearly understand what you expect them to do. Avoid ambiguity in your instructions.
5. Offer Value and Incentives
Influencers are more likely to partner with brands that provide genuine value and incentives. Consider these approaches:
✔️ Offer influencers your products to try and review. Ensure that the products align with their interests and content niche.
✔️ Create exclusive discount codes or promotions for the influencer's audience. This approach benefits their followers and provides measurable ROI for your brand.
💡 "Your followers can enjoy a 15% discount on our products using the code '[InfluencerName15]' for the next month."
✔️ Set up an affiliate program that offers influencers a commission for every sale they drive to your ecommerce store.
💡 "Join our affiliate program and earn a 10% commission on every sale generated through your unique referral link."
6. Respect Influencer Creative Freedom
Influencers have cultivated a unique style and voice that resonate with their audience. While you can provide guidelines, it's essential to respect their creative freedom:
1. Collaboration Guidelines
Clearly communicate your expectations and guidelines for the collaboration, such as brand messaging, key product features, and legal requirements.
💡 "We'd love for you to showcase the versatility of our product, highlighting its eco-friendliness and positive impact on skin care. Feel free to incorporate your personal experiences and style."
2. Trust Their Expertise
Remember that influencers know their audience best. Trust their expertise in creating content that resonates with their followers.
7. Negotiate Fairly
Influencers often have set rates for their services, but negotiation is still possible. Keep these tips in mind:
✔️ Familiarize yourself with typical influencer rates in your industry and adjust your offer accordingly.
✔️ Compensation can include monetary payments, free products, or a combination of both. Be transparent about your budget and what you can offer.
✔️ If you have a positive initial collaboration, discuss the potential for a long-term partnership, which can be more cost-effective for your brand.
8. Legal and Contractual Agreements
Once you've agreed on the terms, it's crucial to formalize the collaboration with a contract:
✔️ Outline the scope of work, deliverables, deadlines, and compensation in the contract. Include any specific requirements related to FTC guidelines for disclosure.
✔️ Clarify ownership of content and how both parties can use it.
✔️ Specify payment terms, including when and how influencers will receive compensation.
9. Follow Up and Nurture Relationships
Building long-term relationships with influencers can lead to more fruitful collaborations. After the initial partnership, don't forget to follow up:
✔️ Send a thank-you note or email to show appreciation for their work and professionalism.
💡 "We sincerely thank you for the fantastic content you created for our brand. Your dedication and creativity truly shone through, and we're excited about the positive response from your audience."
✔️ Keep the lines of communication open and stay engaged with their content, even when you're not collaborating.
Pro Tip
Solutions such as TextCortex enable you to use conversational AI assistant to write any type of email you need.
All you need to do is to create your persona and write the prompt instructing AI what to focus on.
Another option is to save time with custom templates.
Simply use dynamic input fields that you can fill in every time you start a new interaction with this template.
Easily change names, tone, or other specifics with a click.
Conclusion
The more influencers you reach out to, the more likely you will receive a positive response.
It's essential not to be disheartened by the occasional negative reply.
Stay on course by continuously seeking out creators who resonate with your product.
Maintain your engagement by sending concise and personalized emails that convey your message.
In the world of influencer collaborations, perseverance often leads to success.
TextCortex: Your Ideal Solution for Crafting a Persuasive Pitch
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