The Ultimate Guide on How to Reach Influencers

Influencer marketing certainly is one of the most popular marketing strategies these days, if not the most popular. And rightfully so.

There are several reasons why everyone is going gaga over influencer marketing. Airbnb has been able to reach over 966 million people on Instagram with the help of influencers. Beauty brand, Glossier was able to increase their sales by 600% with the right influencer marketing campaign.

Most influencer marketing statistics are compelling enough to make you want to start using it right away. However, some marketers still struggle to get their strategy right. For example, connecting with influencers is one of the top three challenges faced by marketers today.

If you too are struggling to figure out how to reach influencers, worry not. In this post, I’m going to run you through the 5 essential steps of reaching influencers effectively.

How to Reach Influencers Effectively

Follow these five steps for a successful influencer marketing campaign.

Step #1: Do Your Homework

If you’re sending random emails to every influencer in your niche, you’re wasting everyone’s time. The very first step in figuring out how to reach influencers is to analyze the characteristics of your ideal influencer. People who share the same kind of values, messaging, and brand image. They are the ones who can put you in front of your target audiences.

However, many a time, brands have very specific requirements. For example, let’s say you’re looking for lifestyle influencers whose target audiences are aged 50+. That would require some extensive search which definitely won’t be easy.

The good news is – you can easily find your ideal influencers using influencer marketing tools while saving a lot of time and effort. Platforms like Grin, BuzzSumo, or HYPR can be really useful to help you find and connect with relevant influencers.

Grin, for example, includes filters to sort influencers by followers, location, and social media channels.

Image via Grin

These platforms help you make an informed choice to ensure the success of your influencer campaigns.

Image via BuzzSumo

Image via HYPR

Key Things to Keep in Mind While Researching Influencers

• Does your potential influencer have a solid engagement rate?
• Is your potential influencer relevant to your industry?
• Does your potential influencer deliver quality content that influences their followers?

Step #2: Build a Personal Connection

If you’re wondering how to reach influencers effectively, you should definitely focus on building long-term relationships with them. Understand that they too, are people like you and me who prefer warm introductions and a personal touch. Here are a few things you should do to familiarize them with you before you actually reach out.

Comment on Their Blog Posts and Share Them

Your comments need to be valuable, thoughtful, and interactive. Check out these comments on a travel blog post below. They sound sincere and genuine enough to get the blogger’s attention.

Image via Spirited Pursuit

Follow and Engage with Them on Social Media

Are you retweeting your influencer’s tweet? Sharing their Facebook posts? What about commenting on their YouTube and Instagram posts?

One of the first things to do before planning how to reach influencers is to follow them on social media. You’ll learn a lot about the kind of engagement they get and you’ll get them to notice you too.

Image via Instagram

The more meaningful comments you post, the better will be the chances of you getting noticed.

Write About Them

This is a little more time-consuming as compared to others, but you are sure to make your presence felt. You can mention them in a blog post or social media posts. Acknowledging and appreciating their work will go a long way in establishing great relationships with your influencers.

Step #3: Draft a Win-Win Proposal

Drafting a win-win proposal is not easy. You need to understand what really motivates an influencer to work with brands. For example, 67% of influencers are more willing to work with brands who provide fair compensation.

So, what should you offer in your proposal? You can select any or a combination of the following.

• Fair monetary compensation.
• Free product samples.
• Discount coupons or affiliate links.
• Free giveaways for their followers.

However, you should keep it fairly open so that the influencer can suggest the compensation model that suits them best.

Example of a Win-Win Proposal

Hi [NAME],

I am [YOUR NAME] from [YOUR COMPANY NAME]. I recently came across your post [LINK] and was really impressed with what you’ve done there.

I’m reaching out to you because I have a product that your audiences might love. It’s an [PRODUCT NAME] product which is quite similar to your [INTEREST] with some additional features.

Would you like to try it out and share an honest review with your followers?

I’d be happy to send you a sample of this product as well as another exclusive product that I’m launching next week. I can also offer 5 free samples as giveaways for your audiences.

If this is something of interest, please reply with a suitable time for a quick discussion.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

[NAME and CONTACT]

A proposal such as this clearly lays out what’s in store for the influencer if they choose to take up the offer. It also gives them a chance to share how they genuinely feel about the offer.

Step #4: Reach Out With a Personal Note

While planning how to reach influencers effectively, work on a pitch that sounds personal. The same email template will not work for all.

You’ve got to tell your influencers what’s in it for them. The more you can make the opportunity look relevant, the better will be your chances of a collaboration. 49% of influencers are likely to partner with brands who approach them with relevant opportunities.

Image via Crowdtap

Here are some email templates to help you with your influencer outreach.

Template 1

Hi [NAME],

I am [NAME] from [COMPANY NAME]. I have been following you on [social media platform/blog] for quite some time and I’m a big fan of your work.

I share some of your posts from time to time, on my social accounts as they really resonate with my audiences. Having said that, I have a product/idea [link] that might be quite interesting for your audiences.

I’d love to connect with you to see how best we can collaborate to deliver something valuable to our audiences. If this interests you, please share a suitable time for an initial discussion.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

[YOUR NAME & CONTACT]

Template 2

Hi [NAME],

My name is [NAME] and I am the [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY NAME]. I loved this amazing post [LINK] that you shared last week. The practical tips you’ve included in it are incredibly valuable for readers.

I wanted to reach out to you because I have a product [LINK] that might be of interest to your audience. Would you like to try it out and share an honest review about it on your blog?

I’m happy to discuss a compensation plan for your review if you’re interested. Please let me know your thoughts.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

[YOUR NAME & CONTACT]

Personalized emails such as these are more likely to get the attention of your potential influencers. So, the next time you approach someone, add a personal touch and don’t make it sound generic.

Step #5: Follow Up on Your Proposal

Don’t be hesitant to follow up with your influencer if they haven’t replied to your first email. The probability of influencers missing your email is quite high, considering the volume of messages they receive.

How Soon Should You Follow Up?

Waiting for a couple of days is good enough. If you don’t receive a reply in 2-3 days, you can send a follow-up email.

What Should Your Follow Up Email Include?

• A reference to your previous email
• A short summary of your offer of collaboration
• A call-to-action telling them the next steps

If your influencer is truly interested in your proposal, they are likely to respond to your follow up email.

Conclusion

With this, we’ve reached the end of my essential guide on how to reach influencers effectively. Influencer marketing is going to evolve further with time. And a strategic outreach program can prevent you from wasting unnecessary time and effort. These 5 tips are fairly simple and easy so don’t get complacent while reaching out to your influencers.

Do you have any additional tips to share on how to reach influencers effectively? Let me know in the comments below.