Alexis Kestler
After years pitching to brands as an influencer, I‘ve learned what works, what fails miserably, and how you can set your outreach up for success.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover how to craft attention-grabbing pitches, optimize your assets to stand out, avoid common mistakes – and negotiate like a pro if you land a positive response!
Crafting A Captivating Pitch Email
Your initial outreach email has 1 goal – to intrigue brands enough to open the door for an exploratory call with you. Use these proven email elements to leave a great first impression:
1. Seductive Subject Lines
I increased my email open rate by 64% just by perfecting my subject line strategy. Use the formula below to construct magnetic subject lines:
[Hook] + [Your Niche] + [Benefit Statement]
Examples:
- Grow Your Gen Z Engagement with 180k Fashion Fans
- Get Your Supplements in Front of 230k Fitness Influencers
2. Warm Personalized Greeting
Address your email directly to the relevant decision maker, name-checking them for maximum impact. With 84% of professionals more likely to open outreach that uses their name, this small touch makes a big difference!
3. Succinct One Liner
Sum up who you are, your niche and value in one single, compelling sentence like:
"As a fitness influencer with 230k highly engaged followers obsessed with the latest supplement trends, I can provide your brand with direct access to the key 18-35 male demographic purchase decision makers in the lucrative sports nutrition space."
4. Bullet Point Bio
Quickly call out your key metrics in a skimmable format after your one liner introduction:
- 230k Instagram Followers
- 18-35 Male Demographic
- Fitness & Gym Enthusiasts
- 7.2% Average Engagement Rate
5. Strategic Social Proof
Embed images of 2-3 successful past brand collaborations in your pitch to build immediate credibility that you deliver results.
But choose partner logos strategically based on prestige and niche alignment for maximum effect.
Optimizing Your Influencer Assets To Stand Out
To scale up your sponsorships, you need to invest time into crafting a polished media kit, influencer profile and Instagram aesthetic that screams "premium brand partner" material.
Create A Media Kit Highlighting Your Value
A media kit that succinctly presents your audience demographics, engagement metrics and packages makes it effortless for brands to see your partnership potential.
Be sure to include client testimonials and past campaign results to social proof your value.
Build An Influencer Profile On Relevant Platforms
In addition to a website, create profiles on niche marketplaces like Ainfluencer, AspireIQ and Upfluence where brands proactively search for influencers.
Foster A Premium Personal Brand Image
Analyze your Instagram aesthetic – do you currently radiate " selective premium brand collaborator" with a consistent polished feed? If not, step it up.
Top brands partner most often with influencers whose personal brand and image aligns strongly with their own.
My Top Pitching Mistakes To Avoid
Through plenty of cringe-worthy moments, I‘ve made every pitching mistake possible when starting out!
Save yourself pain by avoiding these common blunders I see influencers make:
⛔ Sending mass generic pitches
⛔ Forgetting to disclose sponsorship
⛔ Misrepresenting your rates or audience
⛔ Overloading them with too much info
⛔ Using awkward salesy language
Instead, keep it short, sincere and strategic in your initial outreach, nurturing the relationship slowly over multiple touch points. Patience and persistence pays off.
Negotiation Tips To Scoring Your First Brand Deal
Woohoo, a brand responded and wants to set up an intro call! 🎉 Now it‘s time to negotiate terms for a winning partnership.
Keep these tips in mind:
🔆 Know your non-negotiables upfront based on rates, IP rights etc.
🔆 Discuss objectives alignment for the partnership
🔆 Don‘t be afraid to counteroffer rates or campaign assets
🔆 Seek win-win flexibility on both sides
If you land your first collaboration, over-deliver on your promises to build immense goodwill and pave the way for repeat sponsorships!
Current Influencer Marketing Trends To Leverage
As recent industry surveys show, there are exploding opportunities right now around:
Ecommerce Sponsorships – "Buy Now" links and affiliated product recommendations
Instagram Reels Content – Brands spend 68% more promoting Reels over static posts
Micro & Nano Influencers – Lower tiers drive higher engagement and conversions
Branded Hashtag Campaigns – #Hashtag Sponsorships saw 95% higher engagement rates in 2022
Adjust your pitching and partnership offerings accordingly to capitalize on these growth areas that brands are embracing in 2023!
The key is crafting personalized, metric-driven pitches while continuously developing your personal brand assets and partnership toolkit. Avoid past mistakes, negotiate win-win terms and over-deliver on your promises.
Now go unleash your influence and land those game-changing brand deals! ✨
