Did you know that Instagram is the most popular channel for influencer marketing campaigns?
For the survey, 800 marketing agencies, brands, and professionals were interviewed. And 79% of respondents said they predominantly use Instagram for influencer marketing.
Clearly, Instagram is dominating the influencer marketing landscape. If you want to boost your sales and get more visibility, Instagram influencer marketing is the way to go.
In this article, we’ll look at different ways you can find the right influencers to collaborate with and how you can get in touch with them.
How to Find the Right Influencers For Your Business
There are thousands of influencers on Instagram. But some of them have fake followers. If your brand collaborates with such an influencer, it can ruin your brand’s reputation. Other influencers aren’t the right fit for your brand or campaign.
So, how can you find the best influencers for your brand?
Clearly, you have to be careful. In the survey mentioned above, 64% of survey respondents said that they were concerned about influencer marketing fraud.
Before you reach out to any influencer, it’s advisable to do a background check on them. Even though it’s a time-consuming process, it is a necessary step.
When you look at influencer’s profile, focus on what kinds of values they promote. Ideally, your brand’s values should align with those of the influencer. That way, they’re a natural fit to promote your brand. Their message is more likely to be perceived as honest and authentic.
For instance, if your brand promotes sustainable living, you should partner with influencers who care about the cause.
Native Cold Pressed, an Ohio-based juice company, collaborated with Lauren Blake, an influencer who promotes healthy food. Since their values and target audiences are similar, it’s a symbiotic partnership.
In addition to this, it’s also important to check the engagement rates of influencers. That can give you an idea about how influential they are.
To calculate the engagement rate, pick three or four promotional posts on their profile. For each post, add the total number of likes and comments. Next, divide that by the total number of followers they have. You can then compare that to the standard engagement rate in your industry or niche.
If they have a website, check out the kind of content they have featured on it. Is it overly promotional? Are they promoting products too often? These are some of the questions that you should look to answer.
Keep in mind that over-promotion doesn’t seem authentic. So, a quality check is necessary before you reach out to an influencer.
Also, you should check if the influencer has received any press coverage before. If they have, see what other people have to say about them and also look for testimonials. This will help you figure out if they have a good reputation in the industry or not.
To make the process easier, you can use influencer marketing tools like iFluenz (which is the best way to get in touch with influencers) With this tool, you can also create your campaigns for free.
Best Ways to Contact Instagram Influencers
Once you’ve found your relevant influencers, the next step is to reach out to them for partnerships. If for some reason you prefer to contact them directly without the help of an influencer platform, you can reach out to them through various modes of communication such as:
Many influencers have specific guidelines for how to contact them. Most likely, you’ll find them on their social media profiles or their website.
Sometimes you may have to fill out a form with info about your brand and why you’re interested in a collaboration. At other times, a direct message on Instagram may also work. It really depends on the influencer’s preferences.
If they haven’t mentioned any way to contact them, you can try any of the following strategies:
1. Send an Email
Emails are the most common medium for professional communication across industries. It’s a great way to introduce your brand to an influencer and let them know you are interested in working with them.
Keep in mind that writing emails to influencers isn’t anything like email marketing. You can’t just copy and paste the same content for all influencers. Each influencer has a different aesthetic and takes a unique approach to storytelling.
By looking at their work, you need to gauge what their style is. That’s why research is a crucial part of influencer marketing. Based on their approach, you need to craft your pitch by adding a personal touch to it.
Write a subject line that will intrigue them. Don’t keep it vague. It should be something that makes them want to check out your email.
Also, if you want them to take your email seriously, you need to address them directly. Use their name in all emails.
Begin your email content by telling them what you admire about their work. If a particular post of theirs resonated with you, it’s a good idea to mention it.
Next, introduce them to your brand and tell them about values that your brand stands for. Highlight what your brand can offer them. Focus on communicating why partnering with your brand can be beneficial for them.
Keep in mind that the first email that you send should be focused on opening a line of communication. It should leave some scope for further interaction. It’s okay if you don’t get to writing about the specifics of your campaign. At the end of the pitch, you should insert a clear call-to-action.
Sample Email Template
Take a look at this sample email template that you can use to reach out to influencers:
“Dear [Influencer’s Name],
I am [Your Name], [Your Designation] from [Your Company’s Name].
We love the work that you do. We really appreciate [Mention something that you like about their work]. Your social media profile is great! We think our audience would find your content very interesting.
[Introduce your brand.]
We would love to collaborate with you for an Instagram campaign on [Theme/Topic]. In the past, we’ve worked on similar campaigns [Share campaign link] with [Mention names of influencers] and they loved partnering with us.
We’re sure your audience will benefit from our products. If this collaboration interests you, please respond to this email. We can discuss the details further.
Looking forward to your response.
Thanks in advance!
[Your Name]”
2. Direct Message
Social media is another channel that you can use to reach out to influencers. Unlike emails, this channel is not as formal. So, you can be more casual in your tone.
While writing your message, introduce yourself and your brand. Tell them that you’d like to collaborate with them for an Instagram campaign. Keep your direct messages concise. To discuss the details of the campaign, you can suggest a video call or an in-person meeting.
Keep in mind that influencers are popular on social media. They are likely to receive hundreds of messages from their followers and brands in their inboxes everyday. It’s possible that they may miss your message or forget to send you a reply.
To improve the likeliness of getting a response, you can engage with their social media posts. Like a few posts and write some comments. In this way, you can put yourself on their radar.
Also, keep in mind that most influencers have a presence on multiple social media platforms. If you don’t receive a response on Instagram, you can always try to get in touch with them via Facebook, Twitter, or other platforms.
Follow Up if Necessary
You may not always get a prompt response after you send a message or an email. You shouldn’t expect one. Influencers may be contemplating your offer or may even have missed your message. Chances are your message is still unread.
Whatever the case, a gentle reminder can work well to ensure that they read your email. Following up is an important part of reaching out to influencers.
You should wait for at least a couple of days before sending a follow-up message. Do not be in a hurry. Space out your follow-up messages so that you give them enough time to respond. Even while writing your follow-up message, keep in mind that you need to be non-intrusive and polite.
It should act as a reminder of the first message you sent. You can also mention what you have to offer and include a call-to-action. It should clearly mention the next course of action they can take.
However, resist the temptation to go overboard with follow-up messages. Do not send more than two messages, otherwise you risk coming across as annoying. And that can do more damage than good for your brand’s reputation.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right influencers for your Instagram campaign is only half the job. Reaching out to them is the next important step. Influencers are popular social media personalities. So, they are constantly receiving messages from their fans and other brands.
If you want to stand out, you may need to use multiple platforms to reach out to them. While crafting your message, remember to be professional, polite, and concise. If you don’t get a response within a couple of days, sending a follow-up message is a good idea.
Which strategy do you use to get in touch with Instagram influencers? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.