Did you know that there has been a 325% increase in Google searches for influencer marketing over the last 12 months? There’s no doubt that the influencer marketing space is growing, but more importantly, nearly 84% of marketers agree that it’s an effective strategy.
However, working with influencers is not always an easy feat. You have to think about your who, what, where, when, why, and how’s.
- WHO do you want to work with? (ie: Who is the best representation of your brand?)
- WHAT do you hope to achieve from an influencer marketing strategy?
- WHERE will your campaign take place? (Blogs, Social Media, etc.)
- WHEN do you want to start the campaign and hope to start seeing results?
- WHY do you want to work together?
- HOW do you plan on measuring the effectiveness of the campaign?
After conducting multiple influencer campaigns for brands of all sizes, I’ve started to hone in on what works and what doesn’t when creating an influencer marketing campaign.
Here are my top 5 tips when pitching influencers.
1. Do Your Homework
Influencer outreach takes time. The most effective campaigns occur when you’ve done your research in advance of the pitch. Identify your “Who’s” — the types of influencers you want to reach out to. Find people who post consistent quality content, look at engagement rates, and make sure they are a natural extension of the brand’s voice.
TIP: I highly suggest outlining your goals (your WHATs), your ideal influencers, your expectations, your sponsored budget/products, and any contracts or applicable FTC guidelines in advance of the pitch.
2. Perfect Your Subject Line
Bloggers and influencers get flooded with emails everyday. You get seconds to catch their attention in the inbox before your pitch goes straight to “Trash”, “Spam”, or remains unread… Make sure you provide enough information to grasp their attention so that they want to read more.
TIP: You don’t have to put the ENTIRE pitch and expectations in one email. Be concise and ask for their interest first.
3. Be Personal
Influencers can instantly tell if you sent them a mass email and didn’t actually read their content. Saying something like “We really like your lifestyle and fitness content and think you’d be a great fit for XYZ brand” is impersonal and sometimes even considered rude.
Remember, you WANT to have a relationship with this individual because chances are that you are asking something of them. Think about it this way, would you go into a sales pitch without researching the brand and company (I’d certainly hope not). Show some respect and personalize the pitch.
TIP: Address the individual by name, mention a previous post or common interest, and explain you think they’d be a great fit for your campaign. Remember, be HUMAN!
4. Explain the Mutual Benefit
When you’re pitching a blogger or influencer, usually it’s because you want something from them: a review, their attendance at an event, photos of your product, exposure to their audience, etc.
The way you can stand out is by explaining WHY the partnership is mutually beneficial. What value can you provide influencers or bloggers for their time, reaching their audience, etc.? Make sure there is a clear value and benefit for both sides.
TIP: Highlight or bold what it is the influencer gets in your pitch so it’s clear to them.
5. Follow Up with Class
The follow up is just as (if not more important) than the initial pitch. If someone didn’t respond to your email, it could be because they didn’t open it, they forgot about it, or they didn’t care what it was about…
This is another opportunity for you to get in front of them and explain why you truly want to work with them and what value you can offer. If you didn’t personalize the original pitch, this is your chance to make amends.
TIP: As always, be classy and respect that these influencers are busy, often working multiple jobs or long hours so wait a few days to follow up 🙂
Questions? Send me a message in the comments below or email me directly at kellen@kellenmcavoy.com.