How To Pitch Paid Sponsorships On Instagram

7 Tips for Pitching Brands | How to Pitch Sponsors as an Influencers

Hey cutie!

In my marketing work, I see influencers (bloggers, creators, etc) making some key mistakes when it comes to pitching brands. I thought it would be helpful to put together a post with some scripts, useful language (and warnings!) when pitching brands.

(Aside: I help brands partner with influencers, so this blog post is specifically from my perspective as a brand rep. I work mostly in ecommerce, such as fashion and beauty products, and tech, software and app downloads.)

I go more into depth in my course "The Art of Negotiation for Influencers," which starts Monday, September 23, and I wanted to share actionable and low hanging fruit with the internet. (If you've found this article because you're about to reply to an outreach email of mine, I'm stoked! Use it to your advantage.)

I've shared example scripts below, with fake product names, to help you communicate with brands. Be sure to personalize the script for you/your brand.

Pre-Work!!!

Before reaching out to a brand to collaborate (AKA pay you), be sure you engage with the brand's content for a few weeks. Comment on photos, share one of your fave products of theirs in your IG story, etc. In sales terms, we call this "prospecting."

Brands want to work with people who are genuinely excited about what they're doing — not just someone who is trying to get a check.

I use software that shows me how many times someone has engaged with a client on social media. If I see the only engagement we've had is you DM'ing for a collab — I'm gonna decline.

I've seen bloggers try this tactic, and ***I*** reach out for their rates. I know what they're doing, and I respect it!

I know people go through and DM dozens of brands for collabs, so if you're taking the time to engage the brand will be more likely know who you are!

Tip #1: Make The Pitch about Your Followers

When I get DMs from bloggers, they usually go something like this:

Hey [brand name]! I'm such a fan of your products, and I'd love to work together!!

And I just roll my eyes. Like… k cool, glad *you're* excited. What exactly are you excited about? Will your followers/community you've grown actually care about the brand/product? A better way to reach out to a brand via DM would be something like:

Hey [brand name]! My followers have been asking about recs for the best travel headphones. I'm such a fan of [brand name], and I'd love to create content around your travel headphones. Can you share the email of the person who works with bloggers?

This makes it clear that you are leading your followers to content that they are *asking* for. It shows the brand that there's a fit with your following. You can even go one step further and attach a screenshot of a follower asking you for recs that relate to the brand.

Influencer marketing is about playing "Follow the Leader." How do you plan on leading your following to the brand's website and products?

Tip #2: Include One Sentence about Product Use

It's really weird when I get a request from a blogger who wants to #collaborate, but they don't follow the brand they've reached out to . (Yes, I check every time.)

So many bloggers do this, and they fail to stand out.

In addition to following the brand, be specific about what you love.

A great way to stand out is to discuss a brand's SPECIFIC product or product feature. This shows you aren't copying+pasting the same message to 20 different brands.

When sending a short pitch over DM include a SPECIFIC SENTENCE that discusses what you like about a product.

WRONG: Hey [Brand Name]! I think my followers would find your leather jacket super cool! I'd love to work together to create some awesome content for social!

Actually Helpful: Hey [Brand Name]! I've been using your [product name] riding gloves for years (they're great in the rain!), and I'm totally in love with the new white vegan leather jacket you just released. I'd love to create content with this piece, are you currently partnering with bloggers?

Also! You can see a listicle where I mention the [Brand Name] gloves on my blog here: (link)

It's always better to link to or talk about a product you have used, but if you're low on funds you can talk about a specific product feature you like — and explain how you'd use it.

Tip #3: Solving a Problem

Products are meant to solve problems. A great way to collaborate with a brand is to share how their product solves a real problem you currently experience:

Products are meant to solve problems. Explain how the brand's product solves YOURS.

Hey [Brand Name]! I've been following you since I saw an article about you in (publication). I've been battling cystic acne for years, and it's really embarrassing. I'm almost 30, and I still have breakouts!!

I know {product line} would definitely help me. I'd love to work together to show how (product) clears up my skin, saving me from adult acne. Can you send the contact email for the person who wants to work with impactful bloggers?

Tip #4: Make it about a Timely Campaign

Marketers think in terms of *seasons*. Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Holiday, etc. If you're reaching out to a brand, a great way to get a reply MORE quickly is to name one of those seasons. Then it's easier for them"slot" you into the calendar.

Here's an example of a DM you can send to brands on social media, or include at the beginning of a longer pitch email:

Hey [brand name]! I'm working on a gift guide for Mother's Day, and I'd love to feature [product name]. Are you partnering with bloggers for Mother's Day?

You can also make the "timeliness" a vacation, wedding or big life event with a hard date. That will help move the brand forward, as it gives them a sense of urgency.

Tip #5: Discuss ROI

"ROI" stands for "Return on Investment." As someone who partners with influencers, I measure the following to determine if a campaign was successful:

Likes
Comments (more important than likes)
Follower growth (within a 3-hour period of influencer posting)
Site traffic increase (generally from the influencers blog or tracked links that the influencer uses)
PRODUCTS SOLD (#1 way to get a me to work together again with a blogger is through product sales)

There's a HUGE disconnect between brands and influencers when it comes to ROI. Many influencers think ROI ends when a piece of content is published. You've created great imagery for a brand, and it took a lot of work!! You're ready for your check and to move TF on, right?

If a sponsored post does poorly, future brands WILL notice. I always look at the engagement of an influencer's past sponsored posts. Make sure your sponsored posts are getting the same amount of engagement as an average post — this may require you to throw in some freebies.

But, for a brand — it's just beginning. They're looking at how that image helps the bottom line. Not all content pieces will result in products sold, sometimes it's to build brand awareness (good marketers know this).

BUT, what separates good creators from great creators is TRACKING ROI.

Here's How to Stand Out:

After you get an email from a brand asking for your rates/media kit, include language about ROI. Offer to send them a report on the items listed above (as much as you can).

At this point, you're being compared to other influencer rates and offerings. If you include a report, you've just gotten a lead over the competition.

Offering a report will make the brand rep SO HAPPY, because you're helping them measure ROI — and it makes it clear you care about making the brand money.

Here's an example of how to do this:

Hey [brand name]! I've attached my rates and media kit to this email. I include a metrics report at the end of all collaborations, so you can better measure the impact of our partnership.

Keeping an eye on metrics ALSO helps you decide if you need to give a sponsored post a little extra love (freebie shares to smaller platforms, or calling it out in your IG story). IF you see a sponsored post has bombed — sometimes they do!! — you're in a better place to address it with a brand.

I've partnered multiple times with a blogger whose first post totally bombed, because she included gratis (free) content on other channels linking back to the original post (when the post did poorly).

REMEMBER: This is a BUSINESS. You need to care about the impact and results of your work.

Tip #6: Helpful Keywords & Phrases

When writing a pitch email (longform) to a brand, here's some helpful words and phrases to include:

Proactive , ie, "I am proactive about implementing copy and creative feedback"(Shows you're not going to fall off of the face of the planet for weeks at a time)
Excited to help (company) grow , ie, "I'm already sharing (brand name) on social media, and people are jazzed about (product). I'd love to partner together to reach more of my followers, and help you grow your market share!"
Thorough , ie, "I am attentive and thorough in all aspects of partnering with a brand — from contract creation, content approval, posting schedule, and metric reporting." (I can't tell you the # of influencers who fail to thoroughy read a contract, or post on the wrong day.)
Mention the founder, ie, "I really admire what Sarah Johnson has done with the brand, and I'm excited to help propel your mission forward." (Showing that you know who the founder is makes it clear you're doing your homework and care about the brand. I've seen 2 bloggers do this, and I wanted to give them an award for "Excellent Pitching.")

Tip #7: Get to Email ASAP

Most companies don't list the marketing contact on their website, and sending a pitch email to a general "info@brandname.com" email can be as effective as throwing a letter into a blackhole.

Will someone read it? Who TF knows.

When communicating with a brand over DM, ask for a contact email ASAP. The person managing social media AND brand partnerships may be the same, but they're often not. Social media managers prioritize solving DMs as quickly as possible, and may archive your message so they can get to customer messages.

When you reach out to a brand via DM, close your message with something like:

"Could you please share the contact email for the person who handles blogger relationships?"
"Thanks for your reply! I'd like to send a proposal over, can you share the email for influencer collaborations?"

Finally: Pitching is a Numbers Game

Remember that pitching and outreach is a NUMBERS game. You're not going to sign everyone you talk to, and that's okay! Make it your goal to pitch a certain number of companies a day/week/month.

Thanks for reading (and sharing!) If you're looking to up your game when it comes to pitching, negotiating and securing sponsors, check out my course! I can't share everything in a Medium post, but I hope this post helped you move forward with your business goals ❤

How to Become an Influencer — Ebook!

I've coached a TON of people on how to become an influencer, and I found tht people had the same questions:

How do I make an invoice as an influencer?
What do I charge as an influencer?
How do instagram influencers make money
How do I plan a photoshoot?
How do I pitch brands as an influencer?

Seeing this, I decided to write an ebook, with ALL of the information I wish I had access to! Check out this ebook HERE!