How to Write An Introduction Email to an Influencer (Using Examples)

Reaching out to an influencer begins with an email. Whether you have already initially spoken to the influencer or not, writing that email confirms you mean business.

Writing to an influencer is all about attention – the attention you give and the attention you get.

If you can catch her attention, the more likely the return of attention.

That’s what your outreach is supposed to do: hook her to read from beginning to end. But the goal is to make her catch your pitch.

And how do you do that? Here are three tips for putting together an introduction email to an influencer.

It’s Not About You

A sure way to get an influencer’s attention is not to be impressed about how big or what your business is but what you know about the influencer.

So this means you first research this influencer.

If she/he is a blogger, know what she writes about. But don’t tell her about what she wrote; she knows that already.

Tell her what you think, and you got her ears.

While your outreach is as much about you introducing your business as it is contacting the influencer, it’s not just that.

If the influencer wants to know about your business, she can Google it.

Your email shouldn’t write the “About Us” page of your brand; a line or two will do.

Here’s an example of a letter sent to a blogger to solicit his participation in a round-up blog post.

Note how the introduction is succinct, but how the writer hooks the interest by giving a review of one of the influencer’s blog posts and praises the thoughts within it.

Too Much Information (TMI) Not Required

In as few words as possible, you should be able to say who you are, what your brand/company does, and your goal.

This is how you can better segue into how he/she can help you.

Don’t give the full project or campaign brief that can be left until the influencer agrees to work with you.

Be clear, to the point, and make the “ask.”

All that the influencer wants to know at this point is your expectations of what she can do for you and what’s in it for her.

Until you agree on the incentive, it’s prudent not to lay it out in full until the agreement is final.

Remember, this stage of outreach is an introduction/proposal email, not a contract or agreement.

At this point, it’s assumed that you know enough about this influencer to determine how much to share.

Additionally, it’s important to know that the influencer is not engaged in “megaphone negotiation,” where his followers know or are consulted about his/her business ventures.

Here’s an example of an actual outreach letter to enlist a board member of a non-profit to partner for an influence marketing campaign to reach their membership as the target audience.

Note that the campaign was briefly discussed, as well as the goal and the “ask.”

But since this a potential influencer, and holds a certain position in the organization, it was best to first ask for a call, where the details are better discussed at length.

The Value-Added Factor

Whether the “ask” is to promote a product, contribute content, host a giveaway, or ask for a product review, it’s all about the X-factor.

The influencer has reached her status and gained those followers on her own merits and her own style. Use that to collaborate campaign ideas with her ways of doing things.

The X-factor is the influencer’s own ideas that will add value to the campaign – see 20 examples of innovative influence marketing campaigns.

Express your willingness to collaborate with the influencer.

This way you do not only position the influencer’s ideas as a valuable one, but you also care about what matters to her and her audience.

This shows you understand how influencers can protect their niche following and their brand.

Here’s an example of an email I received that I welcomed and responded to. The email had the elements that would tease and warrant a response.

There was a genuine compliment about my blog post, and that’s very appreciated. And the pitch was subtle because it didn’t want to dilute the compliment it gave and the intent to engage and build a relationship.

The pitch came in the follow-up email, an offer to review their article.

It was pitched in a very gracious manner that suggested my professional opinion is most valuable.

Ring Central got me at their hello, but at that point, I couldn’t collaborate as I didn’t have the time.

In a third email, they pitched again to consider linking to their guide in my next guide.

For reaching out in the emails with genuine interest, I’m looking for ways to work with them.

Well, I guess I just did, but in a way, they probably didn’t expect it because they did their influencer outreach right.