How to Court an Influencer to Promote Your Product

I’ve had so many clients ask me lately how they can connect with an influencer to promote their product or service. It’s not hard, but it does take quite a bit of footwork. Although you don’t have to go knocking on doors in real-life, you need to properly introduce yourself by knocking on the door of the influencer through a social media channel of your choice online.

How to Introduce Yourself to an Influencer

​Remember, although influencers have a significant reach or audience, they are still real people like you and me! If you want a social media influencer to promote your brand, you’ll want to send them an introduction about you, your product or service, and your values. Your values and brand mission or vision must align with the prospective influencer you would like to market your product, service, or platform. If your values don’t align with the influencer you are talking to; chances are they won’t take on your brand if they have consistency with their message.

The best way to introduce yourself is to send a video introducing yourself to the social media influencer via a social media platform such as Twitter or Instagram. Seeing you IRL with a video is a much more impactful way to connect. Besides, the influencer will know that you took more time and effort to put together a video to introduce yourself to them, which has more pull and sway than just texting them a direct message.
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Make a Great First Impression When Messaging an Influencer

Be positive about your brand, your service, or your platform! Please make sure not to put other brands down or talk badly about them in your introduction as this only hurts your image, not your competition’s reputation—highlight why your product 

or service stands out among the other offerings on the market today. Note why you feel your offerings align with the image or platform of the influencer you want to connect with so they understand why you are talking to them.
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Keep Your Influencer Introduction Simple

​Keeping your message simple with one ask for the influencer to reach out to you is a significant first step in the right direction if you’re looking to network with an influencer online. Try to keep your message 90 seconds or under to keep their attention. I always suggest making a script and practicing your influencer pitch at least a couple dozen times before you make your move, so you are polished.

Sometimes people feel that practicing comes across as fake. However, the total opposite is true. Practice comes across as confident and knowing what you want to ask, which gives the receiver of your message a perception that you know what you are doing with your business and give them more incentive to work with your company or industry.
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Once you’ve practiced your pitch, go ahead and create your video or voice message for the social media influencers you have chosen and send it to them! Although this can be a scary move, your actions will result in a percent of influencers returning your response, and one of them may take you up on your offer!

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Leave the Social Media Influencer with One Ask

​I’ve seen many people make the mistake of having several asks in less than a minute, which can be confusing to the person receiving the message. Make sure to have ONE ask how you want the social media influencer to get back to you. You may give them your email, your mobile, or company number or ask them to message their email back to you to be contacted.
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While there is no right or wrong ask, make sure you have only one and that your ask is clear. Also, create a simple ask such as, “If this opportunity is interesting to you, please send me your email for us to move forward!”

Remember that online influencers are real people too, just like you and me; the difference is that they have worked at their platform and often have a bit of luck on their side that allowed them to be seen by tens or hundreds of thousands of people. Many influencers are excited to work with brands and companies to help them endorse their products through their social channels.

So what are you waiting for? Start writing your influencer pitch today!

​Frustrated with social media and not sure how to post your brand online? Looking to connect with social media influencers in your vertical or niche? Have you wanted to start a podcast to promote your company but aren’t sure where to start?

Find out how Write For You can work with your team to create consistent, creative content that tells your brand story with a complimentary consult: 

https://calendly.com/lynnsmargis/complimentary-15-minute-consult

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