How to Ace Influencer Outreach: A Comprehensive Guide to Connecting with the Right Creators

Influencer outreach can sometimes feel like you're throwing a party, but the guests have decided to ghost. The thing is, maybe it's not the party. It's the invitations.

This guide will equip you with tactical advice on approaching influencers and nurturing an organic relationship with them. The aim is to ensure any endorsements for your products spring from a place of genuine affinity and authenticity.

We'll break down the influencer outreach process into manageable, actionable steps and share some templates you can use to connect with relevant influencers for your own influencer outreach strategy.

Our goal? To help you secure those much-anticipated RSVPs. 😉

What is Influencer Outreach?

Influencer outreach is a strategic process of identifying and engaging with influencers, usually on social media platforms, to help promote a brand or product.

Looking back on the "glory days" of influencer marketing, around 2014, it was a much simpler time when direct messages to any influencer with a discount code could potentially reach a vast majority of their audience.

Over time, thanks to algorithm changes, the focus of influencer discovery and outreach campaigns has increasingly moved towards finding creators with quality content creation abilities, as opposed to vanity metrics (i.e. the amount of followers) that many people have focused on to find influencers in the past.

Yet, beyond identification and creation abilities lies the essential cornerstone of influencer outreach: relationship building.

Despite platform changes and evolving trends, fostering long-term relationships with influencers is the key to successful influencer marketing campaigns. The human connection and collaboration nurture the creative process, ensuring the longevity and success of your influencer marketing efforts.

A Go-To Method For Identifying The Right Influencers

Be selective, and start small

There are four main levels of social media influencers when it comes to follower count: micro-influencers, mid-tier influencers, macro-influencers, and mega-influencers.

Although they have a lower follower count or fewer subscribers, micro-influencers can be easier to reach, their followers are more engaged, and they can generate more creative assets with the same budget compared to working with a higher-tiered celebrity influencer.

We suggest starting with micro-influencers first and experimenting with macro-influencers when you've found a good rhythm with your influencer marketing strategy efforts.

Related: Learn How Purdy & Figg Cleaned Up with Micro-Influencers

Use influencer outreach tools or platforms to save time

Influencer outreach tools are designed to help your brand find relevant social media influencers and influencers. Most influencer marketing platforms have advanced filters and can save you hours of time in finding the right influencer. To save you the headache of starting a whole journey of discovering which influencer tool is best, here are our recommendations:

• TikTok's Creator Marketplace—Read more about how to contact TikTok influencers on TCM.
• AI-powered Tools— Read more about embracing AI in your influencer marketing efforts.
• Facebook's Brand Collabs Manager (BCM)—Taylor's thread below shares videos of steps to do this.

An awesome feature of the platform is you are able to reach out to the relevant social influencers directly from BCM via Facebook messaging and directly to their email (we recommend doing both)!

Check out this Twitter thread with many helpful video tutorials that guide you through using BCM for your next influencer outreach campaign.

‍

Read our full guide to finding the right influencers for your brand‍

You're set to take the next steps with a fitting influencer identified.

Best Practices to Follow for Effective Influencer Outreach

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of crafting a great influencer outreach email, let's chat about a few must-know tips and tricks that can make or break your influencer outreach strategy.

Adopt a Long-term Relationship Mindset

How would you start a relationship that you desire to have long-term? Would you initiate by asking if they could do something for you? Sadly this is how brands often initiate influencer outreach. Brands will offer to send out their products at no cost but immediately ask for a post or shout-out on their social media channels.

Plain and simple, don’t do this. Without the influencer ever hearing about you or your product, your outreach is their first impression of you. The core philosophy of building influencer relationships and product seeding is to build the right influencer relationship by giving, not asking.

Build Authenticity in Influencer Partnerships

By communicating effectively and establishing relationships built on respect and authenticity, brands can encourage influencers to create content that genuinely reflects their feelings about the products. This approach can lead to the creation of authentic content that resonates with the influencer's audience.

Product seeding, which involves getting the product into influencers' hands, is an important step in the influencer marketing process. The process starts with identifying the right influencers for your brand, focusing on their content creation skills. Then comes the outreach campaign, where brands should adopt a 'no strings attached' approach, not asking for any posts in return.

Product seeding can be seen as the 'top of the funnel' action— getting your product into as many hands as possible, casting a wide net. When done correctly, the genuine advocates of your brand will surface and organically post about your product without any prompt.

Building upon these relationships and leveraging the content within paid campaigns can help you reach your ideal target audience leading to the best results for your influencer marketing campaign efforts.

Read more: Mastering Facebook Advertising: A Comprehensive 3-Part Mini Course For Paid Media Success

Start on Email, Then DMs & Don't Forget to Follow-Up

You can do this using Facebook’s Brand Collab Manager—a free tool that helps you reach out via Facebook Messenger and directly to their email.

Here's what the outreach flow looks like:

• Start outreach on email first. Send your initial email message and 5 follow-ups (or until you get a response with address).
• Influencers who don’t respond on email after 5 follow-ups start messaging on Instagram DM (initial message + 5 follow-ups or until they respond with address).
• Make sure any influencers who didn’t respond got 5 follow-ups on email (if available) and 5 follow-ups on Instagram.

Optimize Your Influencer Outreach Process With the Right Tools

For an easier and more streamlined product seeding operation, we've developed a Shopify app designed as an all-in-one influencer outreach tool. It not only aids in sending out products to your influencers but also seamlessly integrates them as customers within your store, eliminating backend hassles.

With our tool, you can effortlessly modify and monitor the entire process in real-time. Check it out here.

Then, as part of our own influencer marketing tools and outreach services, we use MightyScout to help start collating the influencer content posted on all the social media platforms in real time. Once we send the product out, we input every influencer’s social media handle that we had product seeded into MightyScout.

Once the product delivery is confirmed, we recommend checking MightyScout daily for potential content rights messaging opportunities. These content rights conversations should start immediately following the first post and be revisited daily as more posts appear.

Addressing Misconceptions of Influencer Outreach

The process of managing and building relationships with influencers, negotiating deals, and running campaigns involves significant time and effort. This labor-intensive work is more complex and requires distinctly different skills and resources than standard media buying.

Brands looking to run influencer outreach in-house often underestimate the level of labor and time investment it requires.

Once you've spent the time identifying the right influencers for your brand, the process involves:

• Outreach to influencers
• Negotiation, sometimes even with their agents
• Constantly maintaining and tracking these human-to-human interactions

It's worth noting that these processes don't operate on a rigid schedule— they are contingent on the availability and responsiveness of the key influencers themselves, which can be unpredictable and out of your control.

Considering the Assistance of an Influencer Marketing Agency

An influencer marketing agency, like Kynship, can offer significant benefits for brands that may struggle with their influencer marketing outreach. As an agency, we provide scale and speed to the outreach process. For instance, our influencer outreach services typically include identifying and reaching out to 500 influencers every month for every client, a task that might take most brands six months to a year.

Working with an agency like ours is not a requirement but an option to consider, especially if you're struggling with resources internally. We are here to help brands build relationships the right way, understand the true return on investment of their influencer marketing campaigns, and avoid common pitfalls.

At the end of the day, we want to make sure brands approach influencer marketing intelligently without having to rely on unrealistic influencer marketing budgets.

As we discuss the tangible steps you can take in your influencer campaign outreach, let's dive into the heart of your influencer outreach campaign strategy: crafting an effective outreach email.

How To Write an Effective Influencer Outreach Email

A well-constructed email is your first line of communication with influencers and serves as the foundation for your relationship.

Here's what you need to include to make an outreach email truly impactful:

• A quick introduction — be complimentary, but get to the point.
• In 1-2 sentences, explain why you are reaching out to them.
• No strings attached messaging — Emphasize that there are no obligatory quid pro quo expectations; you're offering your product to them based on their alignment with your brand.

Here's an example of Kynship's co-founder Cody sending a DM to an influencer covering these components well:

________________________________________________________________

[Copy + Paste this Template]

Hi Danielle,

We're reaching out on behalf of @llamanaturals {brand name}.

They are one of the first plant-based vitamin bites on the market. They thought you'd be perfect and your kiddos would love them! {This brief phrase encapsulates your identity and why you're reaching out. Brevity and specificity are key to an impactful introduction.}

They'd love to send you product, no strings attached. Let me know your address and we'll get some product over to you ASAP! Thanks! {End with a clear call-to-action (CTA) and your email address for follow-up.|

cody@kynship.co

________________________________________________________________

The phrase "no strings attached" is essential because it establishes a give-first, ask-later rapport with the influencer. It cultivates a nurturing environment where your product is organically integrated into their content and your relationship with them can build over time.

Creating a positive first impression with the influencer is essential. Yes, the ultimate goal might be to gain user-generated content, but initiating a relationship from a giving standpoint rather than a transactional one can set the groundwork for a lasting partnership.

This approach fosters organic advocacy for your product, with some influencers spontaneously posting about it while others may use it without further engagement.

Here's a practical example of an outreach email you can adapt:‍

[Copy + Paste this Template]

Subject line {Brand Name} — Partnership!

Hi Danielle,

My name is Joann, the Founder of @thejoyalife.

{Position/Title} of {Brand Name}

We believe that eating superfoods should be joyful! We created elixirs, teas, and chocolates with that in mind.

{Short blurb on your brand's value proposition and what you make}

I believe you're the best representative for our brand because you represent that message!

{Why they complement your brand}

I'd love to send you some product, not strings attached. Let me know your address and we'll get some product over to you ASAP!

{Call to action}

Thanks,

Joann, joann@thejoylife.com

{Or, email signature}

________________________________________________________________

Why is "partnership" in the email subject line? Using the word "partnership" in the subject line can pique the potential influencer yourself's interest, avoiding any misconception that you're attempting to manipulate them with free gifts or bombard them with requests. This shows respect for their time and influence and helps build trust from the outset.

The Influencer Outreach Strategy Detailed Breakdown

Influencer outreach strategies are methodologies and tactics businesses and marketers use to connect with influencers who can help increase their brand's visibility and reputation. The ultimate goal of these strategies is to form partnerships where both the brand and the influencer can mutually benefit.

Here at Kynship, we have fine-tuned an influencer outreach template strategy that has proven effective across many platforms and building solid relationships with influencers. Feel free to grab these templates and use them to kick-start your own influencer outreach.

Step One: Crafting the Perfect Initial Outreach Message

Every influencer outreach campaign begins with a direct, personalized message to the influencers we've identified. These templates can be tweaked to suit your brand's voice and personality. Whether it's an email, Instagram, or TikTok direct message, we aim to pique the influencer's interest and offer a free sample of our client's product.

Our objective is not to push for a partnership right away but to showcase the brand and its offerings, creating an opportunity for the influencer to experience the product firsthand.

Initial Outreach Message Template via Email:

Start with a catchy subject line: "{Brand Name} - Partnership!" or "[Brand Name] - TikTok Partnership" or you can experiment with a question like "Where do we ship it?" (consult your Influencer Specialist for this).

Then, your email body should look something like this:

"Hi [Influencer's Name],

I'm [Your Name], the Influencer Marketing Coordinator at {BRAND NAME}, where we {BRAND ONE-LINER, BACKGROUND}. We think you're a great fit for our product and we admire what you do. We'd like to gift you our {PRODUCT NAME}, no strings attached! Just let us know your address [and SIZE, if applicable] and we'll ship it over ASAP! Remember, this is a free gift just for you and we don't expect anything in return.

You can check out the product here: [INSERT LINK].

P.S. If you prefer, feel free to DM me on IG! @ [BRAND HANDLE]"

________________________________________________________________

Template to DM an Influencer for Collaboration on Instagram or TikTok:

"Hey [Influencer's Name],

We’re {BRAND NAME} and we {BRAND ONE-LINER, BACKGROUND}. We think you're the perfect match for our product and we're fans of your work. We'd love to send you our {PRODUCT NAME} as a gift, no strings attached! If you're interested, let us know your address [and SIZE, if applicable] and we’ll get it to you ASAP. Cheers!”

________________________________________________________________

Reaching out to TikTok Influencers on Other Platforms:

"Hey [Influencer's Name],

We’re {BRAND NAME} and we {BRAND ONE-LINER, BACKGROUND}. We adore your TikTok content, but had a hard time reaching you there, so we're reaching out here. We'd love to gift you our {PRODUCT NAME}, no strings attached! Just drop us your address [and SIZE, if applicable] and we’ll ship it out ASAP.

P.S. If it's more convenient, we can continue the conversation by email."

________________________________________________________________

Step Two: Persist with Follow Up Templates

Messages can sometimes get lost or overlooked. We have a set of follow-up templates that maintain the initial enthusiasm while being respectful of the influencer's space. These templates range from light reminders to more creative prompts, each geared towards getting a response without coming off as intrusive.

If you don't hear back from an influencer within 24 hours after your email or Instagram DM, use these follow-up templates. Aim to follow-up every 24 hours on both email and DM, for up to 5 times.

• First follow-up:“Hey [first_name]! I have a box with your name on it! All I need is your address (and size / and choice of product - if applicable)”

• Second follow-up: “Hey [first_name]! C’mon! Everybody loves free gifts! And we’re serious. We’re not asking for anything in return from you. Just hit me back with your address, and we’ll take care of the rest!”

• After no response after 2nd follow-up: Go like their 5 most recent posts and comment on their most recent post with “I’m here to support all your posts and hoping you open our DM and email. You won a million dollars! Okay...it’s not that good but we think our products are pretty special. Pretty please?”

• Third follow-up “Hey [first_name]!Just wanted to follow up here to see if you’re interested? We would be honored for you to have our product, with no strings attached. Can’t wait to hear from you!”

• Fourth follow-up “Hey there! Thought I’d check in again on the offer of a free gift of our product. Let me know if you’re interested! I need your address, and we’ll take care of the rest.”

• Fifth follow-up “Hey [first_name]! You sure you don’t want this free gift? Let me know.”

Step Three: Checking In On Product Satisfaction: Email/DM Templates

Once an influencer has received the product, we like to check in after a few days. The goal here is to gauge their satisfaction with our product and open the door for potential content creation. However, we emphasize that there is no obligation to post anything— we genuinely want to hear their thoughts.

“Hey [first_name]! Our team let me know that your package arrived a few days ago! How are you finding it? We're really grateful you were open to trying it out! If you feel like sharing anything about us, we'd be happy to provide some examples of content we love to repost. We suggest this because we often get that kind of feedback/question. But remember, there’s absolutely no obligation for you to do so. Regardless, we hope you're enjoying our brand and we can't wait to hear from you!”

Step Four: Content Rights Outreach & Follow-Up

If an influencer has shared content featuring the product, we see it as an opportunity to repurpose and amplify that content through our client's paid marketing channels.

We reach out to them asking for permission to share their content on our platforms and maintain transparency throughout this process. Here are the templates for that:

• Content Rights Email/DM Template: “Hi [Influencer's Name]! We saw your content and absolutely loved it. We were wondering if you'd be okay with us resharing it in our Facebook ads for the next 30 days? We value your time and look forward to building a lasting relationship with you!”

• Content Rights - TikTok Content/Spark Ads:“Hi [Influencer's Name]! We adored the content you created. We were hoping you'd allow us to share it on our Facebook ads for the next 30 days and also via Spark Ads on TikTok. We appreciate your time and hope to continue this collaboration!”

And if they haven't responded to the request to use their content, send a follow-up:

• Content Rights Follow-up: “Hi [Influencer's Name]! I'm just following up on the request we made about using your content. We'd love to hear your thoughts!”

Outreach Tip: Remember to screenshot their agreement to use their content and keep it organized by the influencer's name.

Step Five: NPS Survey Send-Out

Finally, we aim to understand the influencer's experience working with our client's brand. We request them to fill out a simple NPS survey. The feedback is used not only to improve future collaborations but also to understand the brand's perception, authenticity, and opportunities for referrals and advocacy.

Here's a template you can use for your NPS Survey send-out:

“Hi [first_name], Thank you so much for collaborating with our brand! We value your feedback immensely. Could you spare 3-5 minutes to fill out this survey? We'd greatly appreciate it!”

And if they haven't filled out the survey, follow up with them:

"Just checking in to see if you've had a chance to fill out our survey! Your input is important to us. Thank you!"

Understanding an influencer's experience with your brand helps with the following:

1. Brand Perception: Influencers offer insight into how your audience perceives your brand.
2. Improve Future Collaborations: Their feedback can streamline future partnerships.
3. Authenticity: Influencers with authentic, positive brand experiences produce more genuine content, boosting engagement, trust, and, ultimately, marketing impact.
4. Brand Advocacy: Positive experiences can turn influencers into long-term brand champions.
5. Referral Opportunities: Satisfied influencers may refer your brand to their network, opening new collaboration avenues.

Final thoughts: Approach Influencer Outreach Not As a Transaction, But As A Partnership

As we wrap up this comprehensive guide on influencer outreach, remember it's about finding the right voice that aligns with your brand's identity, resonates with your target audience, and can share your brand story authentically and passionately. It's about building authenticity and focusing on developing relationships with creators who can produce quality content.

Whether you're eager to take influencer outreach on yourself or a brand considering the assistance of an influencer marketing agency like Kynship, we encourage you to take your time, build your relationships, and invest in the influencer marketing outreach strategies that put authenticity and quality at the forefront. With these practices, you'll find that the influencers you partner with won't just be voices for your brand; they'll become advocates and extensions of your brand.