What NOT to do when reaching out to an influencer
What NOT to do when reaching out to an influencer.
I’ve been around the block for a while now and I’ve seen a lot of things when brands are trying to get influencers to notice them. However, most of the time brands miss the marker in a big way because of things that can be fixed rather simply.
If you’re following me on Instagram, then you’ve noticed that I’ve been a lot more vocal about how brands and influencers should be working with one another. If you’re not following me yet, well then, whatcha waiting for?
Back to the matter at hand, here are three things to NOT do when cold-emailing an influencer:
DON’T start the email with a general salutation . Oh yeah, my inbox is full of “hi doll!” and “hey cutie pie” or my favorite “Hello. Sir.” - please note the grammar on all three cases. What do they all have in common besides the poor lack of grammar? Answer: they’re not addressed to me. Whenever starting an email to an influencer, or their team member/manager/agent/publicist/etc, make sure to start the email with that person’s first name. Trust me when I say that anything else will come across as spam.
DON’T send a long email. As I always say, “Ain’t nobody got time to read a thesis.” Emails should be short and sweet. Most importantly, however, effective. The breakdown of your email should: Explain who you are; why the influencer should care; and what you have to offer. Two sentences each should do the trick.
DON’T leave without a call to action. This is one that brands don’t realize they’re doing (or not doing for that matter). I get it. You get caught up on writing the perfect emailing showcasing the best your brand has got to offer, you thank the influencer for their time, and BYE! Uhm, that’s not effective. A truly efficient email will leave the influencer with a call to action. So think about what that is… Would you like for them to pick something out of your website as a gift? Would you like to see their media kit? Would you like to know what their rates are? Whatever it is, ask it plainly and straight-forwardly.