8-Step guide for your next influencer outreach strategy

Imagine you spent an entire day writing that perfect influencer outreach email. You’re quite happy as you hit send, anticipating a huge number of replies. Days pass, and you keep staring at those messages for any reply—but crickets!

We get it! So we’ve created this guide for you that walks you through each step for creating the right influencer outreach strategy. As a bonus, we’ve included some outreach and follow-up templates that you can plug in with a few improvements.

What is an influencer outreach campaign?

An influencer outreach campaign is when you reach out to potential influencers to collaborate within your niche to promote your brand.

Influencer outreach campaigns involve identifying the right influencers, building relationships, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships that align with your marketing goals and target audience's interests.

Dos and don'ts for your next influencer outreach campaign

1. Don't mislead when reaching out to influencers

When you contact influencers, be transparent about your requirements. Avoid using clickbait subject lines or vague messages that could mislead them. Instead, clearly state the purpose of your email and what you're proposing. Being upfront from the start helps build trust and sets the foundation for a genuine partnership.

2. Use a professional email

Influencers get hit up with a lot of scammy offers. It’s hard to know who to trust. Use a professional email address associated with your brand or company. Avoid using personal email accounts, as they may come across as unprofessional or even suspicious. A branded email address helps establish credibility and shows that you're representing a legitimate business. It also makes it easier for influencers to verify your identity and respond to your inquiry.

3. Identify yourself with proper information

Provide proper information about yourself and your brand. Include your full name, job title, and company name to give influencers a clear understanding of who you are and whom you represent. This transparency helps build trust and credibility from the start. If you pass the first round of suspicion, expect influencers to do a little investigating online to see if you are who you say you are. They may even call your agency or brand to make sure the offer is legit.

4. Don't make them open a link to get information

Avoid making influencers jump through hoops to access the information about your collaboration proposal. Instead of directing them to external links or websites, which they are unlikely to open because you are not trusted yet, provide all the necessary details in the email itself. This approach shows respect for their time and makes it easier for them to evaluate your offer quickly.

5. Personalize the email

Take the time to research their content, interests, and engagement style, and tailor your message accordingly. Address them by name and mention specific aspects of their work that resonate with your brand. This personalization shows that you've done your homework and are genuinely interested in collaborating with them.

6. Include information on deliverables and budget

Be upfront about the deliverables you expect from the influencer and the budget you're offering. This transparency helps influencers understand the scope of work and determine if they can meet your expectations. Additionally, provide information on the compensation you're offering, whether it's a flat fee, product gifting or seeding, or a performance-based model.

Step-by-step guide for the influencer outreach strategy

Step 1 - Setting up your objectives

When setting up your influencer outreach campaign, the first step is to outline your objectives.

What do you want to achieve through this collaboration? Are you looking to:

• Increase brand awareness

• Create reusable content

• Drive website traffic

• Boost sales

• Increase customer engagement

To align your objectives with your influencer outreach efforts, start by identifying the key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the campaign’s success.

For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you might track metrics like reach, impressions, and follower growth. If you're focused on driving sales, consider monitoring click-through rates, conversions, and revenue generated.

Step 2 - Understanding your audience

For a successful outreach campaign, you need to think beyond the basic details of your ideal audience.

Take the time to research your audience's interests, pain points, and purchasing habits. Analyze their social media behavior, including the platforms they use most frequently and the types of content they engage with.

Having such detailed information will help you in finding influencers who fit the bill with the right set of audiences. When collaborating with influencers who share your target audience, you tap into their established trust and credibility.

Their followers are more open to your brand when the message comes from a familiar and trusted source.

Remember, understanding your audience is an ongoing process. As you launch and evaluate your influencer campaigns, continue to gather data to refine your targeting and collaboration strategies for even better results in the future.

Step 3 - Finding the right influencer fit

Each social media platform has its unique features, audience demographics, and content formats. So tailoring your approach can lead to more effective collaborations. Let's go through each platform:

Instagram If you're launching your influencer marketing campaign on Instagram, look for influencers with good engagement rates.

According to Adobe, a good engagement rate for Instagram is 3%, so whenever you're shortlisting any influencer, weigh their Instagram engagement rates against this benchmark.

To calculate any Instagram influencer's engagement rate, create a free account on MightyScout and using the lookup tool, type in the Instagram handle of the influencer. It will quickly generate a report for you.

For example, the engagement rate of Dr.Sanjay Gupta, a health influencer, is below 1%.

TikTok On TikTok, look for influencers who have mastered the platform's short-form video format and have a knack for creating viral content.

TikTok's "Creator Marketplace" is a valuable resource for discovering influencers and filtering them based on their content categories, audience demographics and engagement metrics.

YouTube YouTube is the space if your audience likes long-form content. So, prioritize influencers who create high-quality and engaging long-form content. For YouTube, here are the specific metrics you need to look at:

• Subscribers

• View count

• Engagement rate

• Watch time

• Subscriber growth rate

Step 4 - Writing outreach messages

When you think of sending influencer outreach messages the long-standing debate—email vs DM—may surface. Both of these methods have their pros and cons. The best method may be the one the influencer specifies in their bio.

Essential elements of an effective outreach message

• Start with a personalized greeting that tells the influencer you’re familiar with them and the content they post

• Introduce your brand and briefly include details on your brand’s values

• Outline the specific campaign or collaboration you have in mind and include details such as deliverables, timeline, and compensation

• Include the value proposition for the influencer and how it aligns with their audience

• Close with a clear call-to-action, inviting the influencer to respond or schedule a call to discuss further details

• Follow-up. Influencers are busy people. If you really want to work with someone, you’ll try more than once.

Here are some influencer outreach email templates you can use if you’re a brand:

Brand influencer outreach template 1

Subject: Collaboration Opportunity with [Brand Name]

Hi [Influencer Name],

I'm [Your Name] from [Brand Name], and I've been following your content for a while now. Your engaging posts and authentic voice have really resonated with me, especially your recent [specific post/video].

We're launching a new [product/campaign] that aligns perfectly with your niche and audience. I think your unique style and creativity would be a fantastic fit for this collaboration.

We'd love to discuss the possibility of working together on [specific deliverables] to showcase our [product/service] to your followers. In return, we're offering [compensation/incentive].

If you're interested, I'd be happy to provide more details and answer any questions you may have.

Looking forward to the potential of partnering with you!

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Brand Name]

Brand influencer outreach template 2

Subject: [Brand Name] + [Influencer Name]: A Perfect Match!

Hello [Influencer Name],

I've been a fan of your work for [time period], and I'm consistently impressed by the quality and creativity of your content. Your recent [post/video] about [topic] really struck a chord with me, as it aligns perfectly with [Brand Name]'s values and mission.

We're currently looking to partner with influencers who share our passion for [niche/cause], and your unique voice and engaging style make you stand out from the crowd.

We'd love to collaborate with you on [specific campaign/project], where we envision [specific deliverables] that showcase our [product/service] while providing value to your audience. In exchange, we're offering [compensation/incentive].

If this sounds like an exciting opportunity, I'd be happy to share more details and discuss how we can create something amazing together.

Best wishes,

[Your Name]

[Brand Name]

Here are some of the influencer outreach templates you can send as an agency to the influencer:

Agency influencer outreach template 1

Subject Line: [Influencer First Name], question about your [Social Media Platform]

Hi [Influencer First Name], I’m [First Name of Agency Rep] from [Agency Name]. We work with brands like [Brand A, Brand B, Brand C, and Brand D].

I think you’d be a great fit for one of our upcoming collaborations.

[State the type of collabs offered and how they would benefit]

Would you like to give it a try?

[First and Last Name of Agency Rep]

[Agency Name]

[Agency Address]

[Agency Website linked]

Agency Follow-up email Template 1

Subject Line: [Influencer First Name], question about your [Social Media Platform]

Hi again, [Influencer First Name], not sure if you saw my first email.

I think you’d really like the collabs we have coming up.

What questions do you have for me?

[First and Last Name of Agency Rep]

[Agency Name]

[Agency Address]

[Agency Website – linked]

Step 5 - Be persistent with follow-up templates

Emails get trapped in the spam folder, and DMs get lost. We have a set of follow-up templates that you can use to nudge them while being respectful.

Follow-up 1:

Hi [Influencer Name],

Just wanted to check if you had a chance to review my previous email about collaborating with [Brand Name]. We're really excited about the potential partnership and would love to hear your thoughts. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like to discuss further.

Follow-up 2:

Hello [Influencer Name],

I wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding the collaboration opportunity with [Brand Name]. We believe your unique style and engaged audience would be a perfect fit for our [campaign/product]. If you're interested, I'd be happy to provide more details and discuss the next steps.

Follow-up 3:

Hi [Influencer Name],

I hope this message finds you well. I'm circling back to see if you had a chance to consider the collaboration proposal with [Brand Name]. We're still very excited about the potential of working together and creating something amazing for your audience. Please let me know your thoughts when you have a moment.

Step 6 - Investing in the right set of influencer marketing tools

Managing an influencer marketing campaign is a massive undertaking and using the right influencer marketing tool can make this easier for you. Here are a few of our recommendations:

• MightyScout

MightyScout streamlines influencer marketing by offering powerful analytics and discovery tools, making it easier for you to identify, evaluate and connect with the right influencers for your brand's needs.

• Upfluence

Upfluence helps you identify, connect with, and manage influencers, improving campaign efficiency with its intuitive tools and analytics.

• GRIN

GRIN's influencer marketing software simplifies collaboration by offering a user-friendly interface, streamlined communication, and detailed campaign analytics. Easily find, manage, and track influencers for successful brand partnerships and campaigns.

Step 7 - Legal considerations

You'll need to get your legal department involved for this part. But you can give them a head start by drafting an influencer contract from a template that outlines the scope of work, deliverables, compensation, and any usage rights for the content created.

Familiarize yourself with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, which require influencers to disclose sponsored content and any material connections with brands. Get guidance from your legal team on how the guidelines apply to your brand.

Ensure that the creators you’re collaborating with understand and adhere to these guidelines to maintain transparency and avoid potential legal issues. Stay updated on regulations and consult with legal professionals if needed to navigate the complexities of influencer marketing.

Step 8 - Nurturing influencer relationships

Once your influencer outreach campaign is complete, don't let that valuable partnership fizzle out. Keep the communication lines open, share updates about your brand and express appreciation for their work.

Consider offering exclusive perks, sneak peeks, or early access to new products to make them feel valued. Collaborate on future campaigns or projects, leveraging their unique skills and audience insights.

This way, you can build a network of loyal brand advocates who will continue to create authentic, impactful content that resonates with your target audience.

Long-term collaborations not only benefit your brand through increased exposure and credibility but also provide influencers with stable partnerships and opportunities for growth.

Wrapping up

Influencer outreach campaigns can be a game-changer for your brand when executed strategically. Remember to take some time to personalize that email before you hit those fingers on the keyboard to type in that outreach message.

We understand it’s a lot to take in, especially if this is your first time creating an influencer outreach strategy—but MightyScout can make it simpler.

With MightyScout, you don’t have to stress about finding the right influencers or writing outreach messages—it takes care of it for you. Sign up for a demo and let us show you how.