Reaching out to an influencer with a cold call or email can be a bit daunting. You’ve probably sifted through dozens of profiles to find the right influencer, but once you have a few in mind to work with, how do you reach out? Do you send an email that says, “Hey, would you like to promote our product on social?” If you want to know how to ask an influencer to promote your product, check out our tips.
Create a casting call
Rather than countless hours clicking through social profiles, create a casting call on The Creator Marketplace® and have influencers come to you.
You’ll provide project details, campaign inspiration, deadlines, post type and compensation in your casting call. You can also ask influencers to answer specific questions in their pitch.
Look at the casting call below from one of our brand partners. You’ll notice a project description, a list of required platforms, two questions applicants must answer, and an “I’d like to Submit a Pitch” button on the right.
As a marketer, you simply sit back and watch the pitches roll in.
Review the influencer applicants
Set aside some time to review the applicants. You’re already starting ahead of the game. You know these influencers are interested in your product. You don’t have to send cold emails or wonder how to message influencers on Instagram to start a conversation.
Here’s what to look for in an ideal influencer. You want a content creator who:
- Followed the directions in the pitch.
- Provided thoughtful, customized answers to your questions. If responses feel canned or templated, put them in the “no thanks” pile.
- Provides specifics. Look for influencers who explain what kind of post they’d like to create for your brand.
Check profiles on The Creator Marketplace
Creators have profiles on The Creator Marketplace that offer a wealth of information. For example, here’s a snapshot of Andre De Mello’s profile. You can see his audience size, engagement rate, social media channels and audience demographics.
Browse your applicant’s profiles and look at the metrics provided. Remember, an engagement rate of 1-5% is average; anything above 5% is high. For example, this influencer’s TikTok engagement rate is 5.29%, which is a good sign for marketers.
To learn more about metrics monitoring, check out Influencer Marketing KPIs and How to Track Them.
Review candidates’ social channels
From the creator’s profile on IZEA, you can click on their social channels. Take a few minutes to browse through the influencer’s posts. As you browse, the influencer should:
- Share content that’s relevant to your target audience.
- Respond to comments.
- Post with regularity.
- Be authentic and honest with their audience.
- Use a matching tone to that of your brand.
- Use hashtags to make posts searchable.
- Use tags to include others on posts.
How to ask an influencer to promote your product
How do you message influencers to promote your product? After narrowing your search, send a message to one or two influencers and tell them that you liked their pitch and you’d like to take the next step.
You should:
- Reiterate the project details and deadlines.
- Discuss the content the influencer pitched.
- Provide specific instructions, including tags and hashtags to use.
- List questions to ask influencers, if you need any clarification.
- Provide specific compensation details.
- Send a copy of an influencer contract that covers content ownership, the approval process, and what happens if either party fails to meet the terms listed in the contract.
- Explain how the campaign’s success will be measured.
- Express interest in a post-campaign review call.
You can also set up a conference call with the influencer if you’d like to speak with him or her. If you plan to work with a small team of influencers, consider organizing a group call so you can go over the plans once instead of sending a dozen separate emails.
Review, approve, and pay for content
Influencers will create and deliver content for approval. You’ll review the content, be it a picture, video, or article, and either approve it or ask for minor tweaks.
When it meets your approval, give the influencer the green light to post it. Once it’s published, it’s standard practice to pay the influencer at that time.
Review KPIs
Take a look at your metrics to see how the campaign went. Ask influencers to join you for a follow-up call. It’s beneficial to both your brand and the influencer to review KPIs and discuss what went well and what can be improved.
If you’re overwhelmed with running the campaign, you can also try IZEA Flex to manage all aspects of your influencer marketing strategy in one place.
Influencers:
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Marketers:
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