How to contact influencers on Instagram?

Great, you have finished your research to find the perfect influencers for your brand on Instagram😍! Now that you've established a list of influencers to contact on Instagram, the next question we should ask ourselves is: how can we contact them? Don't panic! Here are four steps to contact an influencer on Instagram and plan a new partnership! 🤝‍

1. Raise an Instagram influencer's attention

First of all, we must remember that influencers are over-solicited, so it will take time and patience to get answers.

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Most of the time, when you receive an email from an unknown user, you don't open it. An influencer will do the same with your message, even on their professional email. That's why it's essential to establish a strong relationship with them beforehand. Knowing the person and understanding what they want to share with their community is the key to differentiating yourself from your competitors! 🙌

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Of course, the first step that comes to mind is following their account. Yet, you can also :

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• Like and comment their posts / React to their stories → try to start a discussion
• Share their posts when they are related to your activity
• Mention them in articles or posts (tagging them to make sure they see it)
• Ask them a question in dm and start talking about their content or on a subject that interests them (this works best if you contact them with your private account)

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Of course, the goal is not to get into the spam section but simply to draw their attention regularly so that they can recognize your name or logo when you'll contact them later. 📲

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Once you have established this first relationship with the influencer, you can now initiate an actual professional contact. 👨💼

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2. Contact an influencer on Instagram

Direct solicitation :

🚨 Don't harass the influencer on every social network 🚨

Follow the influencer's preferences. If the influencer publicly shares his professional email, they prefer to be contacted through this channel. If the influencer asks to be contacted by Instagram DM in their bio, you can do so.

‍Solicitation by an intermediary :

Being introduced by a contact you have in common can be very effective because a trusted person introduces you to the influencer. An alternative to this option would be to quote the person you both know. 💬

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3. Write a clear and personalized offer 📝

66% of influencers refuse partnerships, so take the time to write a relevant email!

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• Personalize your approach

As you would do for a cover letter, it is essential to be well informed about the activity of your interlocutor before offering a partnership. That is why mentioning the influencer's content, values, or background and explaining why you chose them will make the difference: it will show that you did not just send them a simple copy-paste message.

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• Work on a specific offer

Before you even contact them, you need to know what you expect from them and how they will benefit from the partnership. This offer should be clearly stated in your message.

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• Be clear and concise

Don't go into all details of the partnership. The objective isn't to drown them in information but to raise their curiosity and confirm their interest. Go straight to the point and suggest a quick phone or video call in which you can discuss and explain the project in more detail.

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Here's an example of what not to do:

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This message for example:

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❌ Isn't personalised since it could be sent to almost any influencer

❌ Has no comment on the influencers content

❌ Lacks precision when explaining the campaign

❌ Doesn't present the brand's values

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But here is an example of what to do!

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Some important points to keep in mind:

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👉 If the collab can become a long-term partnership, don't forget to mention it.

👉 It is possible that your email may have gone unnoticed. You can then restart, but you will have to slightly modify the content of your mail (change the angle of approach or the proposal). If you still don't get an answer, you will have to move on to the next influencer on your list.

👉 Don't pressure them: give the influencer time to get familiar with the product before deciding to collaborate with your brand.

👉 Do not comment on their publications! Informing them that you have contacted them elsewhere can be perceived as very intrusive!

4. Build a long term relationship 🤝

As we already know, it is harder to generate new customers than to retain existing ones. Following this logic, it is in your best interest to maintain the relationship with your influencers, especially if you enjoyed working with them!

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First of all, don't forget to thank the influencer for their collaboration and keep them informed of their impact. 🙏

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Keep this habit of liking/commenting here and there. It will be very much appreciated. You will then have a more particular link with the influencer and, therefore, a head start on your competitors! 😎