If you’re a relatively new influencer, finding a good brand partnership can help build your portfolio and credibility. However, lots of pitches fall flat because they haven’t been thoughtfully crafted and tailored for the specific brand. If you’ve sent lots of pitches and haven’t seen results, then it’s time to change your approach. We’ve created a short playbook about 7 things every brand pitch should include that will increase your chances of getting a response and help you secure an influencer marketing partnership with a great brand.
7 things every brand pitch should include
1. Well-crafted subject line
Most emails go unread. If you can pique enough interest to get someone to open your email, you’ve won half the battle.
Your subject line should:
- Be clear and concise
- State the benefit to the brand
- Be personalized (no copy and paste)
- Create a sense of urgency
From your subject line to your sign off, every word needs to be given thought. Whoever you’re sending this to doesn’t have a lot of time.
Pro tip: Use a business email address. It’s hard to get taken seriously without one.
2. A link to your influencer profile
You don’t want to overwhelm your reader with too many hyperlinks—the chances of someone clicking through to an external link are slim anyways.
Your email should include a link to only your social media profile. Since you’re positioning yourself as a social influencer, your account should already align with everything that you’re saying in your pitch.
3. Stats that show you’re the real deal
With social media influencers, the proof is in the pudding. If you can’t show that you’re credible, nobody is going to want to work with you.
Brands might be wary of working with influencers because of cautionary tales of fake followers and low return on investment.
To show you’re a real influencer with a legitimate following, include these stats in your pitch:
- Engagement rate: The best influencers aren’t always the ones with the biggest followings, they’re the ones with the most engagement. That’s why you need to show that you have a loyal, sustained following that enjoys your content through likes, comments, and shares.
- Monthly views: You’re showing that you have consistent interest from your followers through average monthly views. If you can also show year-over-year growth, that’s even better.
- Follower growth: If you can show strong follower growth within the last year, then you’re able to better highlight the potential reach of your content. Brands are going to be looking for steady growth—you’ll raise eyebrows if there’s a huge follower spike for no reason or your engagement/follower ratio is off.
- Conversion rates: Conversion rates show that you’re able to inspire action. If you use the swipe up feature on your Instagram Stories, be sure to include conversion rates.
4. The three Rs of influence
Brands want to know that you understand what’s involved in a partnership. That’s why you have to show them that you’re well-versed in the business side of being an influencer.
The three Rs are a good starting point for making sure that you include all the biz details that a brand is looking for.
- Relevance: You’re sharing content and have an audience that is relevant to the brand you’re pitching. It’s great that you have thousands of followers—but are those followers going to be interested in the specific brand you’re pitching?
- Reach: You have an idea of the number of people you could reasonably reach based on your follower base and the type of partnership you’re pitching.
- Resonance: You understand how your content will resonate with the brand’s audience. What level of engagement do you expect to get from your partnership project?
5. Examples of partnerships you’ve done
If you’ve had any partnerships in the past, then list up to two of your most relevant jobs. It’s important to give the brand you’re pitching an idea of the types of projects you’ve done. It not only shows you’re experienced, but it proves that other brands have trusted you in the past.
In case you haven’t worked with a major brand then citing a partnership—even with a friend or personal contact—can help showcase your experience.
How to include a partnership mention:
- Name the influencer or brand (or industry of brand if you don’t have permission)
- Give a one-liner on how you worked with them
- Share success metrics, revenue accrued, or other outcomes
6. Specifics on how you want to work together
You’re not going to pitch a full campaign plan, but you should include a sentence or two on how you’d like to work together.
Show that’s there’s a reason you’re reaching out and that you’ve done your homework. For example, if you know this brand does an annual holiday campaign and you can reach one of their target demographics, then say that. You should frame your idea in a way that clearly states the benefit to the brand.
Pro tip: Include a small, genuine compliment. What do you admire about the brand? And why do you want to work with them (it has to be something more than just you need to make money)?
7. A signoff that includes next steps
Think of your signoff as your pitch’s call-to-action: what are you hoping to get your reader to do next?
Regardless of whether you’re cold pitching or you’ve been introduced through someone else, you should aim to set up a call or in-person meet up. Be specific (but brief) about what you’d like to accomplish in that meeting.
Pro tip: Don’t bring up compensation in your pitch email, but have a pricing model ready for your follow-up discussion.
Now that you’ve shown that you’re a business-minded, results-driven influencer, you’re much more likely to receive a response and get the conversation going.
All that’s left to do is a thorough edit of your email and SEND.