TJ Vasquez
When you think about influencer outreach, it’s easy to focus on the basics: finding influencers, reaching out, and hoping they say yes. But there’s a lot more to it if you want to increase the odds of receiving a reply.
Let’s go over a few issues to side-step early on, as well as a general set of best practices you can use to guide your outreach planning.
Common Mistakes: What to Avoid
When stepping into influencer outreach, many brands make mistakes that can derail their efforts. Though these missteps may seem minor at first glance, they can have a big impact on the success of your campaign.
Ignoring Micro-Influencers’ Impact
When outreach only focuses on influencers with huge followings, brands miss out on the benefits of working with those in smaller niches. Micro-influencers may offer a better ROI, as their audiences are highly targeted and tend to trust the individuals they follow.
Tip: Look for influencers with around 1,000 to 100,000 followers who align with your specific niche.
Overlooking Influencer Fit
This one is subtle, but it’s a mistake many brands make. Finding someone with an audience that matches yours is ideal, but that’s not all there is to it. It’s also important to work with someone whose personal values align with your business. If their behaviors and beliefs don’t match what you’re looking for, it can lead to an unsuccessful campaign. Worse, working with a poorly-aligned influencer can harm your brand’s reputation, so do your research first and foremost.
Failing to Set Clear Expectations
One common mistake is assuming all influencers know exactly what you expect, simply because they have done brand deals before. Every collaboration is different, so it’s important to be clear about what you’re offering, as well as what you need from them. For example, do you want a product review? Are you looking for a full-fledged campaign? Maybe it’s something in the middle. In any case, be specific, as a vague pitch can lead to disappointment on both sides.
Tip: Create a simple agreement or outline that lists timelines, compensation (monetary or in-kind), content requirements, and any other expectations.
Not Offering Fair Compensation
Despite the common assumption, many influencers do not work for free products, exposure, or just to help out. The content they produce is work, and successful influencers take their role seriously. When they promote a product or service, they’re essentially putting their reputation on the line for it. Offering free products or exposure is not always enough for that sort of risk, even for smaller influencers.
Tip: Be willing to negotiate. In some situations, influencers are happy with product exchanges, but others expect monetary payment.
Treating Influencers Like One-Offs
Influencer outreach is sometimes a one-time transaction—reach out, get a post, and move on. It happens. But it’s always wise to set up a collaboration with long-term partnerships in mind. Once an influencer has worked with you, continue to nurture that relationship for future campaigns. Even if you don’t end up working together again in the future, your positive connection with that individual can help you expand your network.
Tip: Keep in touch with influencers between campaigns. Send them occasional updates about your brand or new product launches.
Best Practices: Going Beyond the Basics
Watching out for common mistakes is just one part of designing an effective influencer outreach plan. Take your messaging and collaboration success to the next level by:
Making It About Them, Not Just You
Instead of copying and pasting the same generic pitch to every influencer, take the time to personalize your message. Mention specific posts you’ve liked, or share why you think they’re a good fit for your campaign. Not only does this feel authentic, but it also doesn’t come off as sounding scammy.
Building a Relationship Before Pitching
Even if partnerships are part of an influencer’s job, don’t get down to brass tax right away. Engage with their content over time, comment on their posts, and share their stories. This shows that you were genuinely interested in their work before you reached out to ask for a collaboration.
Providing Creative Freedom
Influencers know what their audience responds to best. So, avoid dictating every little detail. Instead, provide them with the main message, product details, and any guidelines you have. From there, trust them to create content that resonates with their audience.
Tip: Let the influencers you work with pitch their ideas or content formats. This not only shows you appreciate their creativity but also makes them more invested in the campaign.
Not Being Pushy
Follow-ups are important, but timing is everything. If an influencer doesn’t respond to your initial outreach, give them some time before reaching out again.
Tip: A good rule of thumb is to wait a week before sending a gentle reminder.
Influencer outreach can be incredibly rewarding, but to make the most of it, you need to go beyond standard practices. By paying attention to the subtle details, you can turn your influencer partnerships into long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations.
