Creator Economy
5 min to read

How to write the best influencer outreach email?

In this article, understand the essential strategies for crafting the perfect influencer email. From finding the right contact information using CRM, to writing personalized and engaging messages, to centralizing your influencer outreach efforts, we cover everything you need to effectively connect with influencers.

May 30, 2024
Capucine Munuera

Influencer marketing continues to grow and evolve. Here are three key statistics to know:

1. Global Market Growth: By 2024, the global influencer marketing market is estimated to reach $34.2 billion, with continued growth projected in the coming years.

2. Perceived Effectiveness by Marketers: In 2023, 90% of marketers consider influencer marketing effective, and 72% believe it generates higher-quality customers.

3. Consumer Preference for Recommendations: 94% of internet users claim that a positive review encourages them to purchase, highlighting the impact of influencer recommendations on buying decisions.

1. Where and How to Contact Influencers?

Reaching out to the right influencers is a crucial element for any successful influencer marketing campaign. But how and where can you find these influencers? This is where many brands face difficulties. Here's a detailed guide on the different ways to find influencer contacts.

Searching in Social Media Bios

The first method is to check influencers' profiles on their social media platforms, mainly Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok. Many influencers include their contact email in the bio section of their profiles. For example, on Instagram, you’ll often find an "Email" button directly under their name, leading to their business email address.

It may seem simple, but the reality is that many influencers don’t share a direct email, or they only use it for serious inquiries. Moreover, some profiles may only include links to agencies or generic addresses, not the specific contact information for direct collaborations.

Contacting via DMs on Social Media

Another way to get in touch is by using private messages (DMs) on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. For example, sending a direct message on Instagram can be a quick way to grab the influencer's attention, especially if you are targeting creators with smaller communities or influencers who are less frequently approached.

However, DMs can be ignored, especially if the influencer receives many messages daily. While it’s an effective method in some cases, it depends on your relationship with the influencer and their level of visibility.

Searching on External Platforms

In addition to social media, you can use search tools to find influencer contact details. For instance, some creators include their email address on their personal blogs or websites. You can also look for press articles, interviews, or previous partnerships where their email address has been publicly shared.

But these searches can be time-consuming and are not always successful. If you're looking to work with several creators at once, this method becomes inefficient and tedious.

Influencer Platforms

Of course, there are platforms dedicated to connecting brands with influencers, like Instagram Collab, or specific sites like Influence.co. These platforms allow you to find influencer profiles with their contact information, but often, access to detailed data or advanced tools requires a paid subscription.

Once you explore all these methods, you'll quickly realize that manually searching for influencers and gathering their contacts can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Sometimes, emails are hard to find or buried in highly popular influencer profiles.

This is where Favikon comes in, simplifies this process through its powerful CRM. With Favikon's CRM, you can easily find influencers in your target niche and access their verified contact emails directly from their profiles. Once you have the email addresses, you can contact them instantly through the Favikon platform, streamlining your outreach efforts. Additionally, you can track the status of your communication and follow up efficiently, all within one centralized system, saving time and improving your outreach strategy.

CRM Favikon.

Contact an Influencer On Favikon.

2. How to Write a Good Influencer Email That Gets a Response

Before knowing how to write a good email, it's important to understand the approaches to avoid.

Impersonal and Generic Approach

A cosmetics brand contacted several influencers by sending the same standardized email without personalization. The message started with: "Hello, we are a cosmetics brand and we would love for you to talk about our products." No specific details were mentioned about the influencer’s work or how the collaboration could be beneficial for both parties.

Influencers receive many similar proposals. It is crucial to personalize each message by mentioning specific aspects of the influencer's content and clearly explaining the mutual benefits of a collaboration.

Lack of Transparency About Compensation

A fashion company proposed to an influencer to promote its products in exchange for "mutual visibility." The email didn’t mention any financial compensation or details about the brand's specific expectations. The influencer, not seeing any tangible benefit, declined the offer.

Transparency is key. Influencers need to know what is expected of them and what they will receive in return. It is important to clarify the terms of collaboration, including compensation, deliverables, and deadlines.

Excessive and Pushy Follow-Up

After an initial proposal with no response, a brand sent several follow-up emails within a few days, insisting on the urgency of the collaboration and threatening to withdraw the offer if the influencer didn’t respond quickly.

Excessive follow-ups can be perceived as harassment and harm the brand’s image. It is better to wait a week before sending a polite follow-up, using a respectful and courteous tone.

Lack of Respect for the Influencer’s Work

A company contacted an influencer asking them to create content for free, implying that it would be beneficial for their career. The email didn’t acknowledge the value of the influencer's work or the effort required to produce quality content.

It is essential to acknowledge and respect the influencer’s work. Offering a collaboration without compensation or recognition of their work’s value can be seen as exploitation.

The most critical aspect of an influencer outreach email is its ability to stand out. Inboxes are flooded with emails, and influencers are selective about who they engage with. To increase your chances of a positive response, follow these tips:

  • Personalize Your Message: Start by addressing the influencer by name. A generic “Hello” or “Hi there” will often get ignored.
  • Introduce Yourself Clearly: Be sure to quickly introduce who you are, what your company does, and why you’re reaching out. Influencers want to know who they’re talking to right away.
  • Highlight Why You’re Interested in Them: Let them know why you chose to contact them specifically. Mention something you admire about their content and how it aligns with your brand values or products.
  • Offer Value: Influencers receive many offers, so ensure that you’re providing value. Be clear about what’s in it for them—whether it’s monetary compensation, free products, or something else of interest.
  • Keep It Short and Sweet: Influencers are busy. Respect their time by keeping the email concise and to the point.
  • Include a Clear Call to Action: End the email by suggesting a clear next step. For example, ask them if they’d be interested in discussing potential collaboration opportunities.

Here’s an example of a well-structured outreach email:

Subject: Collaboration Opportunity with [Your Brand Name]

Hi [Influencer's Name],

My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Job Title] at [Your Brand Name]. We specialize in [Briefly describe what your company does]. I’ve been following your work on [mention a specific platform or post], and I truly admire the way you engage with your audience around [mention something specific about their content].

We would love to collaborate with you on [describe the collaboration—product review, sponsorship, content creation, etc.]. In exchange, we’d be happy to [mention the value or benefits, such as payment, free products, etc.].

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, I’d love to set up a time to discuss further. Let me know your availability!

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]

3. How to Use the CRM to Track Your Efforts

Once you have sent multiple outreach emails, it can become challenging to keep track of which influencers have been contacted, whether they responded, and what stage each collaboration is in. This is where using a CRM like Favikon comes in handy.

Favikon’s CRM functionality allows you to centralize your influencer management efforts. By adding each influencer you reach out to, you can easily monitor the status of your outreach campaigns. With Favikon, you can:

  • Track which influencers have been contacted.
  • Set reminders to follow up or schedule calls.
  • Record responses or lack thereof, helping you stay organized.
  • Organize influencers by categories, niches, or campaign status, enabling you to analyze the performance of your outreach efforts.

The ability to centralize this information in one place can streamline your outreach process, saving time and ensuring that no influencers are overlooked. With Favikon, you can stay on top of your influencer marketing efforts and improve your chances of success.

In the Favikon CRM you can add Tags, Status and Notes.

4. What to Do If the Influencer Doesn’t Respond to Your Initial Contact?

It's not uncommon for influencers to miss or ignore outreach emails, especially if they’re inundated with requests. So, what should you do if your email goes unanswered?

  • Follow-Up: If you haven’t received a response after a few days, send a polite follow-up email. For example, you could write: "Hi [Influencer's Name], I hope this email finds you well! I just wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding a potential collaboration. Let me know if you’re interested, or if there’s a better time to discuss." Keep it friendly and respectful. Influencers are busy, so don’t take it personally.

  • Give Them Space: After your first follow-up, if you still don’t get a response, wait a week or two before reaching out again. For instance, after a week, you might say: "Hi [Name], I understand you might be busy, but I wanted to check back regarding my previous message. Please let me know if you'd like to explore this opportunity further." Repeated emails too soon can come off as pushy.

  • Change the Approach: If the influencer hasn’t responded to your direct email, consider reaching out via other platforms such as Instagram DM, Twitter, or LinkedIn. For example, send a DM like: "Hi [Influencer's Name], I recently emailed you about a potential collaboration with [Your Brand]. Let me know if you had a chance to review it or if this platform is better for communication!" Sometimes, influencers are more responsive on social media.

  • Evaluate Your Outreach: If you’re consistently getting no replies, revisit your outreach approach. Ask yourself: Are you offering clear value? For example, instead of a generic email, tailor it to their interests: "We love the authenticity of your recent post about [Topic]! We'd love to collaborate on something similar with [Your Brand]." Small adjustments like these can improve your chances.

If, after a couple of follow-ups, there’s still no response, it might be time to move on and focus on other influencers who are more likely to engage with your brand. Remember, persistence is important, but so is knowing when to redirect your efforts.

Writing the perfect influencer outreach email is a blend of personalization, clear communication, and offering value. By finding the right influencers on platforms like Favikon, crafting engaging emails, and managing your outreach through a CRM, you can increase your chances of forming successful partnerships. And remember, if an influencer doesn’t respond initially, don’t be discouraged—keep following up and adjusting your approach, and you’ll soon see the results of your efforts. Happy outreach!

Also See: Influencer Marketing Contract Template

About the author

Capucine Munuera

Capucine Munuera is currently pursuing a Master's in Social Media Strategy at Sup de Pub in Paris while working as a marketing manager at Favikon. Her professional journey includes significant roles such as marketing responsibilities at Favikon and prior experiences at organizations like CLIC&MOI and Carré Cointreau. Capucine's expertise lies in developing and executing marketing strategies, leveraging her hands-on experience in social media management and brand communication.