When brands want to collaborate with an influencer, they pitch a partnership. Done well, influencer outreach can evolve into a successful campaign, or even a long-term creative collaboration.
But it’s competitive: Research shows that most cold outreach emails receive reply rates of between only 1% and 8.5%. Your message needs to stand out.
Whether you’re proposing a giveaway, product launch, sponsored posts, or ambassador program, a few best practices can help get your email noticed. Here’s what to keep in mind, along with influencer outreach email templates to kickstart your next campaign.
What is an influencer outreach email?
An influencer outreach email is a personalized collaboration request sent to content creators with engaged audiences proposing sponsored posts, affiliate deals, product promotions, or brand ambassadorships. The message can be sent via email, an influencer management tool like Shopify Collabs, or direct messages on social media platforms.
Unless you already have a relationship with the creator, this initial outreach is the first step in forging a relationship: an opportunity to share your brand’s unique value proposition and start a conversation. The goal is to build rapport and get the influencer interested in working with your company, so you can reach new target audiences, generate authentic, engaging content, and drive sales. A successful influencer outreach email lays the foundation for lasting influencer partnerships that extend beyond a single post.
What to include in an influencer outreach email
Here are the essential components of an influencer outreach message:
Subject line
A strong subject line is clear, friendly, and not overly salesy. Rather than a generic line like “Collaboration Opportunity,” try something catchy, like referencing a mutual connection or asking a thought-provoking question.
Personalized opener
A personalized greeting shows genuine interest in working with that specific creator, instead of making them feel like one of many you’re reaching out to. You could try something like, “I’ve been following your fitness content for a while and loved your recent pre-workout stretch series,” or, “Your weekly one-pot dinner recipes are exactly the kind of content our customers love.”
Brand alignment
Briefly explain your brand, your product, and why this creator is the right influencer for your brand’s target market. You could mention a recent post you liked or explain how their content style aligns with your brand’s values.
Collaboration ask
Be direct about the partnership opportunity you’re proposing. Are you sending a free product? Do you want them to help you promote an upcoming giveaway or be part of an influencer campaign? How? Are you asking them to join your ambassador program?
Clear next step
Write a clear next step for the recipient to act upon. For example, “Please reply if you’re interested in collaborating and we can set up a time to chat further,” or “Let me know the best address to send you our product.”
Contact information
Include a link to your website and your email address. If relevant, share a phone number as well.
Beyond the structural elements, consider writing your influencer outreach email in a tone that feels warm, confident, and human, rather than generic and salesy.
Tips for sending influencer outreach emails
Use these influencer marketing outreach tips from successful Shopify store owners to craft your emails to relevant influencers:
Follow the 3 Cs
Michelle Razavi, co-founder of the better-for-you dessert brand Elavi, relies on the Three Cs for all kinds of pitches:
1. Concise
In an interview with Shopify Masters, Michelle recommends an email that’s “short enough to keep it interesting, but long enough to cover the good parts.” Buyers and influencers are inundated with messages and have short attention spans—skip the long essay and try to limit yourself to 200 words max.
2. Compelling
Focus entirely on the value you can provide them, like access to new products or increased follower count, instead of just asking them for a favor. “That shifts the energy of the email and really perks them up because it stands out,” Michelle says.
3. Call to action
End your outreach message with a clear next step, like “Let me know the best address to send you samples.” Michelle says. She also advises clarifying the benefit for them at this stage. “Make it clear that there’s something on the other side for them, and that invites them to respond,” she says.
Stand out
To stand out in a crowded inbox, Good Girl Snacks cofounders Leah Marcus and Yasaman Bakhtiar suggest taking a slightly “weird” or unexpected approach. Try a fun, eye-catching subject line rather than a generic “We’d love to connect.” For their brand, that might look like “Hot girls eat pickles.”
Keep that first sentence short and direct.
“If you’re in the first sentence telling them, ’Hey, I’m connecting because I’m starting my own brand,’ or something like that, I think that’s always helpful,” says Yasaman.
She also recommends researching the recipient.
“Maybe you can find a commonality between you and this person, and you can try and incorporate that so that you can create some sort of connection between you two.”
Be direct
Gyve Safavi and Mark Rushmore, cofounders of dental care company SURI, advise keeping outreach short and making a simple, direct ask.
Gyve tells Shopify Masters about reaching out to famed Apple designer Sir Jony Ive.
“I was like, ’I’ve been your biggest fan. We decided to design a [better] toothbrush,’” Gyve says. “‘We’re taking a lot of cues from Apple and how they made things more minimalist, but served a great function. I’d love to send you one, see what you think.’” It worked: He responded.
“I think [those emails] have to be short and authentic. Because if you sound like, ‘We’d really love to take your time for an hour to chat more about this, see how you could help us,’ nobody wants to respond,” Gyve adds.
Use a tool to stay organized
As your outreach campaigns grow, the right tools can keep your influencer relationships organized. Shopify Collabs, for example, helps track follow-ups, streamline communication, and monitor key metrics. The Direct Creator Invites feature lets you contact prospective influencers through the platform, eliminating the need to manage outreach emails across multiple inboxes and social media accounts.
Other platforms worth exploring include GRIN and Superfiliate, which provide tools for managing outreach, product seeding, content approvals, ROI reporting, and payments.
Sample influencer outreach templates
Influencer outreach emails take on various flavors and formats. Here are three examples of common collaboration requests:
Brand ambassador outreach
Email subject line: [Name], we think you’re a perfect fit for [brand]
Hi [Influencer name],
I’m [your name], [role] at [brand]. I’ve been following you on [platform] for a while now, and I keep coming back to how well your content aligns with [brand]. [Specific compliment here—mention an element of their content style, an aligned value, or a particular post that backs up your point.] We have an engaged audience as well (XX follower count across social media platforms), who I’m sure would be interested in hearing a voice like yours.
We’re looking for a brand ambassador to grow with us as a partner—an ongoing relationship where we’d work as creative collaborators to showcase [brand]. Would you be open to chatting further about this opportunity? If so, please let me know some dates and times that work for you in the next couple of weeks.
Best,
[Your name]
[Contact information]
Gifted product
Email subject line: [Name], we’d love to send you [product]
Hi [influencer name],
I’m [your name], [role] at [brand]. I’ve been following you on [platform] for a while now, and am a huge fan of [specific compliment]. I think your style is a great fit for what we’re building at [brand].
We make [product description], and I’d love to send you [product] to try, no strings attached. If you like it and feel that it would be a natural fit for your audience, I’d love to chat further about working together on a more formal basis.
If you’re interested, please reply here with the best mailing address, and I’ll get [product] out to you right away!
Best,
[Your name]
[Contact information]
Giveaway collaboration
Email subject line: Giveaway collab idea for your audience, [name]
Hi [influencer name],
I’m [your name], [role] at [brand]. I’m a big fan of your [platform] page—[specific compliment]. We’re working on a giveaway for [product description], and I think you’d be a great partner, since your audience seems to love [relevant interest/product/content type].
We’d handle all the logistics—all we’d need from you is [clear, simple ask, like a post tagging the brand]. If you’re interested, I’d love to chat further about the campaign and your payment structure; just send me some dates and times that work for you.
Best,
[Your name]
[Contact information]
Influencer outreach email template FAQ
What is an influencer outreach email?
An influencer outreach email is the first contact a business makes, proposing a brand partnership with an influencer. These emails typically introduce the brand and product, highlight alignment with the influencer’s personal brand, and ask if the influencer would be interested in taking the partnership forward.
What should an influencer outreach email say?
A strong influencer outreach email is brief, written in a warm, confident tone, and includes the following information:
- A clear, friendly subject line
- A personalized opener
- An explanation of your brand and product, and how it aligns with the creator
- A direct collaboration ask
- A clear next step, such as, “If you’re interested, let me know when you’re free to chat.”
- Any relevant contact information
How long should an influencer outreach email be?
A strong influencer outreach email is short and to the point (no longer than 200 words) but still contains all of the necessary details, such as the collaboration request, clear next step, and brand information.
