Influencer outreach refers to building long-lasting connections with individuals who have a prominent digital footprint in a particular niche or industry. This is very different from paying an influencer to put up a post on behalf of your brand or giving a shootout online. Influencer outreach is all about creating relationships that can ensure that the communication pertaining to your brand travels far and wide in an authentic manner.
Influencer marketing has evolved greatly over the years. Initially, it was all about reaching out to celebrities with a good social media reach and getting them to promote your brand. However, with time, bloggers, content creators, and industry experts came into the picture and they started getting recognized as influencers.
Most companies or brands found a simple way to leverage the kind of following influencers had. They would pay influencers a certain amount of money for promotional activities and try to amplify the awareness around their products and services. This was often referred to as a paid collaboration. The influencer would quote an amount, you pay them and they will promote your brand.
With time, a lot of stakeholders realized that doing things organically proves to be far more effective than pumping in money to amplify a message or create brand awareness. Apart from saving a substantial amount of money, investing in organic influencer outreach helps brands build a loyal consumer base.
Businesses, that have just recently been set up or are operating on a small scale, do not have a lot of money to spend on marketing activities. Setting aside a large sum of money for influencer marketing will not be a viable option for them. If they engage in influencer outreach, they will be able to grow their business at a good pace without spending a lot of marketing.
Finding the Right Influencer
A business can engage in influencer outreach smoothly by collaborating with the right influencers. You have to focus on finding influencers that prove to be the right fit for your brand or the campaign you are planning to run at a given point in time. One of the things you have to make sure is that your vision aligns with the sensibilities of the influencers you plan to collaborate with.
Go Through Social Media
If you are wondering where to find influencers, you should start looking for them where they are the most active. While 3-4 social media platforms rule the roost, some of the newer names, too, have left a mark. All the influencers you need to collaborate with are on social media. All you need to do is find the right ones.
One of the simplest ways to find influencers on social media is to follow hashtags. You have to focus on finding hashtags that are relevant to your brand or are connected with your campaign in some way. You can also look for influencers by using the right keywords. Many of the influencers use keywords and hashtags in their bio, that will help you narrow down your search.
Influencer Database
A reliable free influencer marketing platform or a website dedicated to influencers and the work they do could offer you access to a robust influencer database. Whether you are looking for Instagram influencers or those who are active on YouTube, you can find them conveniently with the help of a digital database.
When you come across a database for the first time, the enormous amount of information it contains could leave you feeling a little overwhelmed. You should know that using filters like location, audience size, language, and interest can help you narrow your search down and get the required results faster.
Writing the Perfect E-Mail
When you visit a free influencer marketing platform and look for tips on influencer outreach, one of the first things you realize is that you have to write an e-mail that conveys your intentions to them. When it comes to influencer outreach, you must remember that the first impression matters a lot. The outreach message turns out to be the first interaction that takes place between an influencer and a brand. Therefore, it has to be precise, effective, clear and register an impact.
The first step involved in creating an outreach message is to do extensive research. As a part of the research, the brand has to go through some of the recent content posted by the influencer, analyse their engagement levels and go through their audience feedback. The message crafted by you should let the influencer know that you have done your research and are well-prepared.
While crafting the message, you must ensure that it has a personal touch to it. You could, for instance, address the influencer by their first name. You can do a few other things to make it clear that you have put together this message specifically for them. A generic message would be easily identified and fail to register any impact.
You could use some creativity while writing the subject line of the e-mail. It should be fresh, and interesting and be able to grab the attention of the recipient. Influencers get a lot of e-mails.
The outreach message should give the influencers a clear idea about what they will get by collaborating with you. You might highlight what they stand to gain from it. If you want them to review a particular product, such as an electronic gadget, you can offer it as a gift to them. If you are a travel brand, you can send them on all-expenses-paid trips or vacations.
You have to mention in clear terms how both parties will benefit from the collaboration. Instead of exaggerating things, you should stick to being honest and present the facts in the most transparent manner.
Getting the Right Help
Today, you get several tools, methods, platforms, and techniques to make influencer outreach much more effective. Many agencies provide a plethora of influencer outreach services that can help you move ahead in this space correctly. With experts around, there will be a lesser chance of you making mistakes.
Many brands use the help of bulk email tools to connect with influencers. These tools enable you to create personalized emails in bulk and send them to different people. These tools come equipped with features like open-rate analytics and automatic follow-ups. You can also seek the help of DM automation tools to automate direct messages on Instagram. For common queries, you get to create rule-based responses as well.
