Influencer collaborations have become an important part of the marketing strategy for many brands, providing various advantages over traditional advertising. For brands, it can be a great way to generate brand awareness through someone the audience trusts. For influencers, it can be an opportunity to work with your favourite brands and make money with your social media.
But reaching out to both brands and influencers can be a daunting task. Where do you start? Who should you contact? What should you say?
Let’s simplify the process so that you can start unlocking partnerships that will move your business forward. Here is a short guide on how you can maximise your success when reaching out for these influencer brand collaborations:
1. Do your research!
Before you go and contact every single brand or influencer you can think of, it is vital that you do your research! The key here is to ensure that you’ll be a good fit with who you want to work with. Does the aesthetic and values of the brand match with the content you create?
For a fashion influencer, it might make less sense to work with an energy drink brand, even if you do use their products. Similarly, for a bridal brand, you likely wouldn’t be looking for influencers who are not in need of your services. Of course, each case is different and it is up to you to determine whether the collaboration will work for your business.
An extra tip: it’s especially useful to stay organised during this entire process! Keeping all your research in a basic spreadsheet will ensure you have everything you need in one place.
2. Find the right contact
Contact Page on the brand’s website
Their website will most likely list a customer service email, but they might also list a separate email for PR. Look out for emails related to public relations, collaborations, and partnerships.
LinkedIn
Click onto the People tab on the brand’s LinkedIn, and check if anyone has keywords similar to the following in their profile: PR, collaborations, partnerships, influencer manager.
DM on social media
Ask the brand’s social media who the best contact is for influencer collaborations.
3. Composing the email
Onto the hardest step yet: writing the email. This is your chance to really stand out, and here are a few things that a good email should include:
An eye-catching subject line
The subject of the email should be short and to the point, effectively informing the contact of the contents of the email. Make sure to include your name or brand, as well as the purpose of the email, such as “IG Partnership” or “Brand Collaboration”.
A quick introduction
This is the space to provide a first impression to the brand or influencer. For brands, this is where you can describe what makes you different from competitors and expand on your values. For influencers, include a brief background on who you are and what you do.
Why you want to work together
Regardless of whether you are a brand or influencer, partnerships are more likely to occur between parties that truly love and believe in the product or service. This is also a good place to include what you can offer for them through this collaboration.
For influencers, highlighting the aspects you love will allow brands to better understand what you’ll likely share with your audience, and could better inform them when deciding whether to work with you. For brands, it shows creators that you actually care about this partnership, and can be a start to a strong relationship between you.
A call to action
End the email with a simple call to action, such as a request to look through your portfolio or website, and an invitation to keep the conversation going.
Make sure to keep your email as succinct, double-check for any errors, and click the send button! Send a follow-up email a week later if you don’t hear back, but if that receives no response either, it might be time to move on. Keep reaching out to different brands or influencers, and you’ll increase your chance of success and snagging that dream collaboration.
Now that you’ve learnt the how-to of reaching out for influencer brand collaborations, it’s time to put this all into action! You’ve got this!
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