How can you differentiate your brand when reaching out to influencers?

Bring Creators in at the research and strategy phase for GTM strategy, messaging and creative vs when the strategy is already fully baked. Handing them a brief with a laundry list of do's and don'ts and asking for their shipping address bc they haven't even tried the product yet will only result in meaningless vanity metrics. Find Creators and culture drivers that have 1) shared values with your brand, 2) have tried your product and genuinely like it 3) collaborate on the creative -- bonus for shared experiences that invite their community to partake 4) create an open feedback loop for optimizing the partnership.

Brands need to view creators not just as distribution channels but as integral partners, either as employees or contractors, allowing them to have internal ownership and collaborate on brand-building. The approach of many marketing departments within companies is outdated, focusing solely on creators for their distribution and influence. It's time for a paradigm shift towards recognizing that businesses can only thrive by collaborating with the right creators and creatives, emphasizing the importance of finding the right partnerships.

It's very clear to influencers when they're being reached out to enmasse, and when it's a carefully constructed, personalized pitch from a brand who has a vision for the content they can create together! With almost 1M followers across platforms, I only respond to the latter now. Your preparedness will effect the influencers you attract, and the overall success of the campaign!

Differentiate your brand when reaching out to influencers by personalizing your approach. Research and understand their content and audience. Craft a compelling pitch highlighting mutual benefits. Showcase what makes your brand unique. Emphasize shared values and goals. Offer creative collaboration ideas. Be transparent about expectations and incentives. Prioritize long-term relationships. Tailor your communication to their preferred platform. By standing out with authenticity and a tailored approach, you elevate your brand and attract influencers aligned with your vision.

When a creator feels like they're being told what to do, being told how to best position your product (or service) for their audience, or that you're asking them for a heavy lift that's not commensurate to whatever compensation (if any) you're providing... you're gonna get ghosted by the experienced creators. Look, you know what you're trying to market - but those creators know full well that you're not likely to stick around after this activation. To them, this is a transaction. So, perhaps lean into the idea of building (dare I say it) a legitimate relationship with them such that they don't feel like they normally do when "influencer marketers" reach out. AI did not write this - an experienced creator did.

A key way to stand out when contacting influencers is to research their personality and tone of voice, then tailor your messaging accordingly. With AI tools now available to analyse an influencer's past content and categorise their verbal and writing style, brands can easily identify patterns and preferences. A personalised, thoughtful message aligned to an influencer's sensibilities signals that a brand understands who they are collaborating with. This extra effort increases the chances an influencer will engage. Simply taking some time to appreciate what makes each influencer unique - then reflecting that back - is an effective yet simple brand differentiation technique for influencer outreach.

Like all types of outreach, it's very easy to tell what is a mass email and what level of personalization goes into each email. If the goal is to work with a particular influencer, or set of influencers, then demonstrating what the alignment is, why that particular influencer is such a great fit, and what value they stand to bring to their audiences. Ultimately the email is the first impression and indicative of the remainder of the partnership, so ensure it reflects the thought and detail you put into ensuring program success.

I don't even respond to "Hello @packslight" or "Hello [insert name]" emails anymore. Even if there's an aligned brand or great money, I assume then that the communication will be lackluster, and lack of care in the pitch means lack of care during the campaign, and that's not fun for me, and will reflect to my audience.

Your primary goal should be to stand out amidst a sea of other managers and brands who automize their outreach or simply copy-paste their previous messages. Creators receive such generic inquiries in countless numbers, and typically, don't even respond to them. Most importantly, influencers need to feel valued. However, there is a delicate balance to maintain. Simply stating, "Our brand likes your content, let’s collaborate" isn't enough.

Thoroughly research potential influencers to ensure their content, values, and audience match your brand. Personalize your outreach messages to demonstrate that you've taken the time to understand and appreciate their work.

Often, if you send out messages in mass, you need to look at the influencer's content. When posting, mentioning a general connection between the content and the brand is vast. Also, if you are a larger company, look through company hashtags and see if the content creator is using your product. They will be excited to collaborate if they already have a connection to your business without you offering compensation. As a person who represented influencers in the past, we always had a wish list of ideal companies to collaborate with.

Be more specific, show your engagement. For instance, let’s assume an influencer has recently released a product review, praised it, but also highlighted some drawback. As a manager from a competing brand, you could frame your approach differently: “Hey, we watch all your content and recently noticed that you reviewed product X. We invite you to try our product, which we believe addresses the issues you mentioned." Through this approach, you not only indicate an appreciation of the influencer's content but also position yourself within their context. Such targeted inquiries have shown significant conversion rates into responses and collaborations.

The best razzle dazzle I've gotten in a (paid) partnership pitch: - a pitch via snail mail, not email, for a year long brand partnership - a pitch email with a personalized short clip video from the CEO - a clear, fair budget presently explicitly in the opening pitch #1 and #2 are so memorable, but #3 rocks my socks every time!

Offer influencers something valuable, whether it's exclusive content, early access to products, or a unique experience. Be flexible in your collaboration approach, allowing influencers to express their creativity while staying aligned with your brand message.

A piece of your home made pie is great for the plumber, but they still need to pay their light bill. As an influencer, all the bells and whistles are great—the merch, the "exposure", the samples. But this is my job and I want to be *paid*. If your influencer budget is truly capped, the best thing you can do for me is help me tap into the other budgets of your marketing department—SEO, advertising, traditional media, consulting, etc.

Speak to me like a human, and show respect to my audience with a flexible brief, maxium 3 handle tags/hashtags, and an appropriate budget, and I promise I can make magic happen in the campaign performace that is mutually beneficial! Also, recurring partnerships breed trust with my audience. They know I'm an influencer who gets sponsored posts. Posting multiple times for you can break through that initial wall and show "wow, Gabby really uses them! Let me listen up!"

The secret to making your brand stand out when collaborating with influencers lies in identifying influencers who resonate with your brand's core values and target audience. For instance, if you're representing a cat food brand, avoid reaching out to influencers who don't own cats. These seemingly simple considerations can streamline your influencer outreach process. If you're promoting a fitness brand, connect with individuals passionate about fitness. Engage them with personalized messages like, "I noticed your love for HIIT workouts. Our product is specifically designed for fitness enthusiasts like you. Let's collaborate!"

Let influencers be the early adopters of new products. Always ask creators for feedback on your product, and make sure they know you value their opinions. Nothing tickles more than knowing they hold some influence over a final product quality.

Legal and ethical considerations: Be aware of and comply with relevant laws and guidelines regarding influencer marketing. Clearly outline expectations and guidelines in contracts to avoid misunderstandings.