So you’ve decided to try influencer marketing but you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’ve reached out to a few influencers but you failed to get a positive response.
Yes, influencer marketing can be challenging especially when you’re unable to convince influencers to work with you. As one of the first steps involved in an influencer marketing campaign, influencer outreach is crucial. But you may face many challenges in executing this, so here are a few tips that will help you crush your influencer outreach:
#1. Test the waters: Initiate a connection through social media
Some marketers make a big mistake in their influencer outreach because they blindly go for a cold outreach approach. Cold outreach is when you send an email or message out of the blue with an offer for partnership. Although this may work in some cases, it’s not really recommended. Just think about how you would react to an unsolicited request from a person you haven’t heard of or interacted with before.
The best way to get started is by initiating a connection with influencers through social media. From there, you can engage with them and slowly build a connection by liking and commenting on their posts. Maybe you can share/retweet their posts, and mention them. You can even ask them questions and see if they respond.
Daniel Knowlton of KPS Digital Marketing decided to tweet to Moz, letting them know about a piece of content in which he has featured their website. He even got a reply from them, which is promising, especially if they share the post.
#2. Get personal: Customize and personalize your outreach email
Influencers are smart and they can detect a generic outreach template from miles away. So when you decide to send out your outreach email, you need to personalize it as much as possible. If you’re following the influencer marketing principles, it’s likely that you’ve done thorough research on the influencer you’re approaching. Make the most of your research and add some points to show the influencer how you genuinely appreciate their work.
For example, if you’re reaching out to a blogger, compliment them on one of their recent posts. Make sure you also talk about some key points that you found interesting in the post. This shows them that you actually read it as opposed to just complimenting them for the sake of it. If the influencer you’re reaching out to recently accomplished something, congratulate them.
Take a look at how Mark Samms of Ninja Outreach reached out to Search Engine People’s Jeff Quipp. As you read the email, you get the sense that the email was crafted especially for Jeff. Mark talks about how he came across the website and also thanked Jeff for letting a certain writer post on the site.
#3. Start strong: Write a compelling and intriguing subject line
Before influencers even get to open your mail, the first thing they’re going to notice is the subject line. You know that these influencers probably get hundreds of outreach emails from marketers just like you. So you’re going to need something that stands out and makes them want to read more about your offer. Think of it like a marketing email, where you’re advertising your partnership offer to the influencer.
The idea is to write a short yet interesting subject line that gets straight to the point. Instead of something that beats around the bush, you need to be straightforward so that the recipient knows exactly what to expect when they open the email. A subject line that reads, “Great Opportunity!” or “Earn more money,” isn’t going to do you much good. These are vague and somewhat “spammy.” Instead, opt for something like: “It’s shocking that we haven’t worked together!” or, “Interview for XYZ’s round-up post?”
Here’s an excellent example of a compelling subject line from Dave Schneider of Ninja Outreach. It’s concise and immediately tells the recipient that the email is about a guest post pitch – straightforward. It’s intriguing because it claims to be the, “best guest post pitch,” the recipient will get all week.
#4. Make a case for yourself: Show your credibility
When doing influencer outreach, it’s a given that you’ll be offering them incentives or a value proposition. But in addition to this, many influencers may refuse to work with you if you have nothing to show for yourself. You need to make a case for yourself and prove to influencers how worthwhile it can be to associate themselves with your name or brand.
If you’ve been featured in certain articles, mention them and provide the influencer with a link for proof. If your product or service has received an award or is getting good reviews and ratings, mention that along with a link to prove your claim. There are a number of ways to prove your credibility, which may be subjective according to your business. The main idea is to let influencers know that there is some credibility behind your claims, so that they’re more interested to work with you.
Check out this subtle yet honest way Tim Soulo of Bloggerjet reached out to Successful Blogging’s Sue Anne Dunlevie. He talks about how his article got featured in the, “Moz Top 10” newsletter and ends the email with a confession about how he’s trying to impress her.
Conclusion
So these are some of the most important tips for successfully reaching out to potential influencers for your brand. There may be many other tips and tricks you can make use of, but following these ideas can make significant improvements in your current campaign. Got any ideas, suggestions, or questions to share? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.