Before we get into the “how” to write an influencer outreach email, let’s have a quick recap of the “why.” It wouldn’t be amiss to say that influencer marketing has gained popularity faster than any other marketing trend in recent history:
- For every dollar spent on influencer marketing, brands can earn $5.78
- 63% of consumers say they trust what influencers say about your products more than what you say about them
- The global influencer marketing industry had a market value of $16.4 billion, as of 2022
Such numbers are possible as consumers continue to engage with influencers on a daily basis, often across multiple platforms. This level of engagement helps brands promote their products and services to consumers faster and more effectively.
Finding the perfect influencers to partner with is the first step, then comes the challenging part of getting in touch with them and ensuring a positive reply that leads to a successful collabaration.
So, how do you do it? There’s two main ways to go about it. Either you or your team can send a personal message on social media or reach out to them through email. The ideal way would be to do both, but email is a far more reliable way of getting a reply. When drafting your outreach emails, remember that an influencer receives dozens of emails daily so your message might get lost.
You need to make sure you cut through the noise by writing an email that immediately catches their attention. With that in mind, we’ve compiled this guide of the best strategies and templates you can use to write influencer outreach emails that elicits a positive response.
Chapters:
- How to write a perfect influencer outreach email
- Influencer outreach email templates
- Save time on your influencer outreach emails with AI
How to write a perfect influencer outreach email
Follow these five simple steps to master your influencer outreach email(s) that guarantee a positive response.
1. Know your goals
What do you expect to achieve from the collaboration? Is it increasing brand engagement and reach or increasing brand awareness? Why do you want to partner with this particular influencer? What do you want the influencer to do for your brand? Give free giveaways, a product review, or post photos or videos of your products?
By answering these questions up front, you’ll be able to articulate your ideas and write an influencer outreach email that encourages your prospect influencer to work with your brand.
2. Write a catchy subject line
Digital celebrities are busy people, who receive multiple emails a day. If you want them to read yours, your outreach email needs to have a catchy subject line that draws attention.
Put across the main idea of your email in one short sentence or phrase. Seven or so words, or around 41 characters, is the ideal length for your subject line. Examples of a punchy subject line for your influencer outreach emails include:
- [Name], we want you as [brand name]’s VIP ✨
- Love your Instagram aesthetic, [name]! 😍
- Looking for a new collab, [name]? 🤝🏼
Keep in mind that your subject line is like your “resume,” so to speak. If you don’t make an impression with it, the chances of your email getting opened could be slim — a third of recipients will open an email based on the subject line alone! So don’t underestimate the power of a strong subject line and give it a lot of thought to create a few versions before you finalize one.
3. Personalize your messages
Make sure you tailor every outreach email to each specific influencer you message. Personalization should begin with the subject line itself and should most certainly reflect in the greeting, and then must be spread across your email content where possible. Always use the influencers name to your advantage and these opportunities where you can add a touch of personalization to your outreach emails:
- Express admiration for the content the influencer generates. Be specific and share a link to a post that the influencer has published, and talk about what you love or appreciate about it
- If you or a colleague has met the influencer in person, make it a point to say so in the email
- If anyone from your brand has participated in an event/activity hosted by the influencer, don’t forget to mention this in the email
- If you’re reaching out to an influencer from a different country, try to speak their language. You don’t need to write the whole email in their language, but the greeting, subject line, or a few words here (“Bonjour!” instead of “Hello!”) and there make a strong impression. But make sure the usage is accurate — consult with someone who speaks the language or make sure you verify what you’ve written is accurate
4. Keep your email short and to the point
Influencers have busy schedules and other priorities ahead of reading outreach emails. If you want your email to be read, make it easy for them to scan it. Be concise and to the point. Although personalization in the email is essential, don’t overdo it to a point where it gets too lengthy:
- Introduce yourself and your company: Let them know about the brand and industry you work in, your mission, and the product or service you offer
- Connect your brand values to the values of the influencer: Tell them why they’re a perfect fit for your brand. Use some of their content that resonates with your brand to establish a connection where possible
- Let them know the offer: Give details about what you’ll offer, whether it’s free products, collaboration, or an affiliate program. Only when they show interest in your offer, talk about the monetary compensation
5. Give them creative freedom
Influencers run their business the way they want it and they’re successful at what they do. Give them the freedom to create content the way they like it. Don’t give them strict prerequisites that limit their creativity, as this will likely turn them off and make them not consider associating with you.
Influencer outreach email templates
With the above points in mind, you’re all set to start drafting your own influencer outreach emails. But to help you further, here’s a few influencer outreach email templates for different business scenarios for you to copy and paste.
Example #1: The first outreach email
The first email is to figure out the influencer’s interest in collaborating with you. In this email, state the purpose and make it clear that collaboration is mutually beneficial. Take a look at this example:
| Subject line: [name], we love your TikTok content! 👀 |
| Hi [name], I’m [your name] and I work as the [job title] at [brand/business]. I’ve been following your content for quite some time now and I must say that it’s impressive and in line with our brand. Your recent post, [title or description of the post – hyperlinked], was really well done [the reason]. I shared it with our social media followers as well, and they really appreciated it! I’m writing to you because I wanted to discuss if you’d be interested in collaborating with [brand/business] to help us reach your audience. We’d love to send you our products and are open to other forms of collaboration as well. Is this something you’d be interested in? If so, I’d love to begin the collaboration and bring value to both our followers! Many thanks, [Your name] |
Example #2: Brand ambassador pitch email template
If you want an influencer to work with you for the long term as a brand ambassador, follow this example:
| Subject line: [name], we want you as our new brand VIP 💎 |
| Hi [name], I’m [your name], I’m the [job title] at [brand/business]. I’ve been following your content for a while and I love it — especially your post on [example of a post that resonates with your brand]! I’m writing to you today as I think you’d be a great fit for our brand so I’d love to start a conversation for us to work together by establishing a long-term association. Would you be interested in an ongoing collaboration with [brand or company name]? We’re [describe what the brand or company does]. Let me know if you’re open to discussing this further and I’ll send over more details to you. Excited to get started! [Your name] |
Example #3: A new product launch
Influencers can generate a huge buzz online for your new products or your latest features. This example is perfect for your prospective influencers:
| Subject line: [name] x [your brand name] collab? 🤝 |
| Hey [name], I’m [your name] from [brand/company name]. We’re launching a new product, [name of product/feature], this month, which is helpful to [who finds your product useful and why]. I’ve been following your content for a while now and I noticed that you post about similar products. I strongly feel that your audience would benefit from learning about our products, especially our latest launch! Please let me know if you’d be interested in promoting [new product/feature]? You’ll be adequately compensated with [list perks like new features, free samples, the pay rate, etc.] for your time. Hope to hear from you! Kind regards, [Your name] |
Example #4: Free samples template
Influencer outreach emails don’t have to be focused solely on collaborations. It’s also a good idea to reach out to influencers and let them know that you’d be sending your products for them to talk about if they’re interested and like your product. Consider this direct, short email example:
| Subject line: Loved your latest Instagram post, [name] 😍 |
| Hey [name], I’m [your name] from [company name]. I loved your latest Instagram post and wanted to let you know that your work is very impressive! I’m reaching out to you because I have a product that I think your niche audience would absolutely love. I hope you’d be keen to test out [product name] and share it with your audience, if you like it. Keep a lookout for free samples too – I’ll also send a few extras in case you want to do a giveaway with them. Let me know what you think! Thanks for your time, [Your name] |
Example #5. The affiliate marketing template
Affiliate programs are payment or commission-based programs that depend on the number of leads the influencers pass on to you. Here’s an excellent template of an email for that purpose:
| Subject line: We want you as one of [brand name]’s featured creators! 🎨 |
| Hey [name], I’m [your name] from [company name]. I really enjoy the content you create for your audience! I’m reaching out to you because I feel you would be a great ambassador for our brand. With that, I’d love to invite you to join us as an affiliate partner. We’ll provide you with a number of free samples for you to use and share with your loyal community. We’d also love to offer an affiliate code that you can share with your audience so you can earn commission from your influence. Would you be interested in joining us as an affiliate partner? Please let me know – we’d love to have you on board! Many thanks, [Your name] |
Save time on your influencer outreach emails with AI
These tips and influencer outreach email templates are an easy way for you to get started on your influencer marketing strategy. But there’s an easier way too — letting AI do it for you.
With Bazaarvoice affable.ai, you can reach multiple influencers at once using several ready-to-use influencer outreach email templates, saving you and your team substantial time and effort.
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