8 Influencer Outreach Templates (& How To Personalize)

We’re all trying to balance personalization vs efficiency in influencer outreach.

Recruiting faster means higher ROI on your influencer program, but… Nobody wants to receive a templated email. Or to feel like they’re talking to a robot.

The most successful outreach programs typically template 80% of the email, then spend 5-8 minutes adding personalization.

So, here, I will:

Share various templates for different collaboration types
Give you ideas on how to personalize influencer emails

Initial outreach (short)

This is the “soft ask”. It’s good for getting a simple “yes”, and opening a conversation. That leaves flexibility around how the partnership could develop, and room for negotiations.

The downside is that it will cause additional emails for back-and-forth. (The next template avoids that.)

Hope to talk soon!

{{ your name }}

Hope to talk soon!

Here’s an example of how you might replace the “Add personalization here” part. Relevant for this one, and the next one too.

“Your peace lily care guide came up on my FYP today. Great idea to use liquid fertilizer in spring -— totally going to try this myself! 🙂”

Initial outreach (detailed)

If a “soft ask” isn’t for you, here’s a more detailed version. This is good when you have a specific offer, and tight timelines for recruitment. It cuts out back and forth.

The downside is that it pigeonholes the partnership. You’re saying “here’s the deal, take it or leave it”, rather than opening a flexible conversation (like above).

Hey {{ firstName }},

[Add personalization here]

I’m John from John’s plants. We sell all kinds of uncommon indoor plants that I think your audience will really enjoy! Are you open to brand collaborations currently?

I’m looking to collaborate with creators on a campaign to promote our new range of prayer plants. (It’s a paid opportunity.)

Here are the deliverables I’d be looking for:

— 3x Instagram Story frames

— 1x Instagram Reel

— Cross-posting on TikTok

— 30-days usage rights to use content (paid & organic)

Does this sound like something you’d be interested in? If so, please let me know about your rates and availability!

P.S. You can learn more about John’s Plants on our website or Instagram.

Hope to talk soon!

{{ your name }}

Don’t forget to customize each part of the template too (brand intro, campaign intro, deliverables).

Here’s a breakdown of the anatomy:

And in case you want to go the extra mile, here’s an extra place you can add further personalization. You can use this to get the ball rolling on content ideation, and further prove that you’ve put some effort in & you know the creator’s work.

Seeding (no-strings-attached gift)

Hey {{ firstName }},

[Add personalization here]

It made me think that you’ll really like {your product}. I’d love to send you one to check out, no strings attached. (No obligation to post anything). 😄

It’d be amazing to hear what you think, and we could explore a collaboration if you like the product(s).

Please let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll follow up with the details! (I hate waste, so we don’t send gifts without confirming you’d like it first. 😁)

Best, {{ your name }} from {{ your brand }}

Here's an example of how you might replace the "Add personalization here" part (following the plant theme...)

"I caught yesterday's vid and saw you added a new philodendron to your bathroom. Good taste, I like it! 👀"

Gifting (free product in exchange for deliverables)

If you expect posts (rather than the no-strings approach above), be clear about that up front. Here's a template you can try for influencer gifting campaigns:

Hey {{ firstName }},

[Add personalization here]

Introducing myself real quick. I’m John from John’s Plants. We sell all kinds of uncommon indoor plants that I think your audience will really enjoy!

If you’re open to it, I’d love to work on a gifted collaboration with you. It includes up to $100 in free products (I’ll follow up with the precise details if you’re interested!)

In exchange, I’d be looking for {insert deliverables here}.

I’d love to get you involved, and there’s opportunities to develop the partnership long-term if it goes well. Let me know what you think!

Best, {{ your name }} from {{ your brand }}

Here's an example of how you might replace the "Add personalization here" part (still following the plant theme...)

"It was so bold of you to cut your syngonium back & start again! Super underrated thing to do. Really happy to see how well it grew back for you."

Asking for usage rights (content is already live)

Disclaimer: if you’re going back to ask for usage rights after the content is live, it’ll always be more expensive. You’re better off negotiating this from the beginning. Nevertheless, here’s one you can use, if you need it:

Hey {{ firstName }},

I loved the Reel you posted last week!

So much so, that I’d like to repost on our brand socials, and include it within our paid ad campaigns.

It’d be amazing to hear what you think, and we could explore a collaboration if you like the product(s).

Hopefully it will get more eyes on your profile, as well as ours. Would that be okay with you?

Let me know if you have any concerns, or any policy regarding usage rights for your content!

Talk soon, {{ your name }}

This doesn't explicitly ask for rates/fees relating to usage rights, but you might face additional fees for this. Especially if the creator is represented by a talent manager/agency.

Remember to replace elements like "Reel" with the actual type of deliverable, and specify the type of rights you'd like.

Reposting on brand socials?
Using in ad campaigns?
Featuring on a website / product page?
In perpetuity (forever), or for a fixed period?

Follow-up templates

In our outreach survey, most marketers followed up at least 2x.

Here's one take from Dmitri Cherner:

Inboxes are messy and things get lost, so follow ups are necessary. I plan for two follow-ups, max. The first a week later, and the second two weeks after that. Anything beyond three messages just becomes aggravating.

Dmitri Cherner Ex Head of Influencer, OneSkin & Ruggable

I think that, with care, you can safely add more follow-ups. However, if you're just getting started, you likely want to keep it simple anyway.

So, here's a 3-step follow-up flow you can use that contains two initial nudges, plus a polite ending that leaves the door open for future.

First follow-up

Hey {{ firstName }},

Quickly following up on my email.

Any interest in exploring a collaboration?

Hope to talk soon!

Second follow-up

If there's a sense of urgency (i.e. a timeline you're trying to meet), I suggest mentioning it in the first or second follow-up!

Hi again!

Did you get a chance to read my last email?

I need to cut off new applications for this campaign by [date], so I’m just sending another nudge.

Please let me know if you’re interested!

— {{ your name }} from {{ your brand}}

Third follow-up

Hey {{ firstName }},

I figure you’re either not interested, or now simply isn’t a good time.

Either way -— I’ll stop bugging you.

If you ever want to collaborate with [brand], please get in touch. I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Until then -— keep up the great work with your content!

All the best, {{ your name }} from {{ your brand }}

8 ideas for how to personalize these influencer outreach templates

There are dozens of ways to personalize influencer outreach emails. Here are 8 ideas (with examples).

From doing proper vetting, you should already know a little about the person & their content. With a handful of personalization methods in your back pocket ready to use, it doesn't take long. 🙂

1. Find common ground (if you have some)

Example: "I'm not sure which of us is the bigger Wicked fan. I saw it THREE times this year (most recently in NYC)."

Don't BS — it will be obvious. If you have no common ground, use another method.

2. Acknowledge they're a customer/fan (if they are)

Example: "I saw that you've already bought [PRODUCT]. That's amazing! All our best collaborations tend to be with people who were customers first."

3. Comment on a past sponsored post

Example: "I was so impressed by how you integrated [BRAND] into your video last week. It felt really authentic, and enjoyable to watch. I'd love to explore something similar."

4. Explain why they seem like a good fit

Example: "The combination of your experience traveling in Zambia plus your storytelling skills makes you PERFECT for what I have in mind."

5. Congratulate a recent achievement or milestone

Example: "Huge congrats on crossing 20k subs last week. It's super obvious you're putting in a ton of work. 👏"

This could also be a personal event like a wedding, birthday or anniversary (as long as they shared it publicly — don't be a creep).

6. Comment on a recent post

Example: "Loved your take on wastage in our industry yesterday. I think a lot of us feel the same, but you articulated the situation really well."

(Ideally, make sure this ties to your brand/offer/idea in some way.)

7. Compliment a particular quality or skill

Example: "Those little skits you've been adding lately are killing me. Especially the pirate one! 😂"

This should be something that the creator is clearly working on & improving over time. It feels good when people notice!

8. React to audience comments / sentiment

Example: "I just skimmed through the comments on your last couple of Reels. People are absolutely loving your pottery series. That must feel so good!"

More resources

If you liked this, you might like:

14 Outreach Examples: we crowdsourced more real-world outreach examples
How To Do Influencer Outreach: a 101 guide for brands
Why You Shouldn’t Do Mass Outreach: a case for personalization, and against templated spam

 
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Audience fit is the #1 factor marketers look for in creators, and it’s the #1 reason collabs flop. Learn how to vet creators beyond audience metrics.