How to Reach Out to Influencers: 4 Phases to Follow to Join Forces

Our previous blog shared how to find the right influencers and build a mix for your campaign.

But that's the first step out of the many in your influencer marketing journey.

What lies next is how to reach out to these Influencer Marketing Strategy and seal the deal with them.

We have divided this step into 4 phases: personalized outreach, negotiation, contract, and influencer brief.

In this blog, we share how to approach each phase and what things you need to do and avoid.

Before we start, let's look at some statistics that highlight the importance of all 4 phases.

"74% of marketers agree that personalized outreach improves influencer engagement and drives better results."

~ TapInfluence

"73% of marketers believe that successful negotiation with Influencer leads to higher-quality content."

~ Linqia

"67% of marketers believe that having a contract in place helps establish clear expectations and deliverables."

~ Influencer Marketing Hub

"78% of marketers believe that providing Influencer Marketing Platform for Brands  with a detailed brief ensures that their brand message gets communicated effectively."

~ Influencer Marketing Hub

Let’s look at the 4 Phases.

4 Phases of Connecting with Influencers

1. Personalized Outreach

First impressions leave a lasting effect.

Hence, you have to work on these points to prepare a personalized outreach to your chosen influencers - 

• Find out more about their likes, dislikes, causes they support, and affinity with your brand.

Highlight where you align in your message.

• Scroll through their content and find things you genuinely like and support.

Talk about what you like in the content and why in your outreach.

• Share about your campaign - what you want to do, why, when, where, and how.

You don't have to delve into details here. Just touch on the topic to give them an idea.

Also, show them how you feel they can help you in your efforts and how you can reward them for their work.

• Don't sit idle while you wait to hear from them.

Engage with the influencer’s content and show them your genuine interest and intent to join hands with them.

2. Negotiation

When you hear from them, the next phase of your influencer marketing strategy is to meet, negotiate, and come to the same page to get started.

You have to keep these tips in mind while negotiating with your chosen influencers -

• You should strive to build a two-way bridge of communication.

Be willing to discuss things, listen to their thoughts, and politely share what you have to say.

• Give them a clear idea of what you will offer (in growth and monetary) terms and what you expect (deliverables and results)

• You don't have to push yourself or your chosen influencer Marketing Platforms for influencers to answer immediately.

Take time to look back at the conversation, think about it, and then form your decision.

There's a possibility that you and your chosen influencers won't be on the same page or not be convinced even after a negotiation.

You both should end it on good terms and move forward.

3. Contract

When both parties are willing to join forces for a campaign, it's time to sign a contract and formalize the bond.

You should have a contract to avoid any room for misunderstandings and disputes and ensure a smooth collaboration between your brand and the influencer.

The contract will have all the details you talked about in the last step, along with a few more things:

• What will be the scope of work and payment terms?

• Who will own the content? How can it be or cannot be used?

• How much about the brand is the influencer free to share?

• When will the term end? 

• What action will both parties take if they breach the contract?

You should seek legal advice to ensure the contract covers everything about the partnership and beyond.

Once again, give enough time to your chosen influencer to read, consult, discuss, and then sign the contract with you.

4. Influencer Brief

It's time to roll up your sleeves and build your campaign with the influencer.

An influencer brief is the first thing you will need to share to kickstart the work.

You can prepare a good brief if you keep these things in mind -

• It should include enough information about the brand and the campaign but mustn't be cramped with data.

Give the most vital bits first - timing and type of the campaign, goals, where to post, core messaging, and target audience.

• Share your brand guidelines with them - what you stand for, how to present your brand, and your vision and values.

Your influencers will adhere to them, but you shouldn't add too many rules and restrictions to hinder their creativity.

• Use visuals and storytelling to hook them and energize them.

Build mood boards, share content in an appealing way, and include the influencer's work you like the best to give them a push.

That’s all about the second step of an influencer marketing strategy - how to reach out to, negotiate, and work with your chosen influencers.

It's very crucial to build lasting relationships with your influencers.

The 4 steps we shared: personalized outreach, negotiation, contract, and influencer brief will help you do that.

It will enable you to communicate and ensure a smooth flow of work.

You can try out our SaaS platform for FREE today and see how you can perform all the above 4 steps from one single stop.

(Registration link)

Starbuzz is an Influencer Marketing Platform for Brands that helps them save 50% of their influencer marketing time and efforts - all for FREE!