Welcome to Influencer Marketing 101! Today I want to talk to you about something that is extremely important to me, and that is perfecting your pitch. In the Influencer community, having a great pitch is a must. It is nearly impossible to really succeed without having your pitch down. Influencer pitching is something that has been coming up more and more in the media as well, and it is not always shown in a good light. I am here today though, to tell you how to put together a proper pitch that will impress brands and get you to work.
Influencer Marketing 101
Alright guys it is time to step into the world of influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is a booming business right now. Not only is it a wonderful opportunity for online influencers, but it is also hugely advantageous for brands as well. Influencer marketing is significantly less expensive than traditional marketing and a lot of people are more likely to purchase a product based on a blogger or vlogger than they are from a traditional commercial. This is an industry that has been catching some heat lately, but it is not likely to go away any time soon. In fact, influencer marketing is projected to continue growing with no signs of slowing down. So now is the time to sharpen your pitching skills, and really get into the influencer marketing game.
Influencer Marketing 101: The Pre-Pitch
Before we even start with pitching, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. The first thing you want to do is research, research, research. If you find a brand that you want to work with, then start doing your research on them.
Type the company into Google, and look up their PR email. See if they even work with influencers ( some don’t). You can easily type in ” your brand here” and influencer marketing and find a lot of articles that can help you. You are also going to want to research their past campaigns. Traditional and influencer campaigns that the company has done in the past can help you get a feel for their aesthetic and brand goals. Seeing what has ( and hasn’t) worked for the brand in the past can help you craft a tailored pitch specifically for that company.
You are also going to want to check out their social media accounts. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and even LinkedIn are going to be super beneficial to your research. Go ahead and follow the brand on all channels. You can’t just follow and forget though, you have to engage! Like, comment, share, retweet, etc.. this will help to put you on the brand’s radar. Of course, always be genuine! You can also use Linkedin to your advantage. Not only will you be able to follow the brand, but this is where you can find out the names of the employees. Usually, you can see people who work for the company and their position right there. This gives you another chance to not only connect, but to be able to use real names when sending the pitch email.
Influencer Marketing 101: The Pitch
Now that the research has been done, it is time to craft your perfect pitch! I feel like there are a lot of things that influencers tend to do wrong when pitching companies, so I am going to share with you how I craft a pitch that works!
Personalize Your Pitch
In doing your research, you should have been able to come across the actual names of the individual(s) that you will be pitching to. Do yourself a favor and use their name! If you can’t find a name, that is okay too but really try to find that out. It shows that you did your research. Also, make sure you use the name of the company as well. You don’t want your pitch to look copy and paste. It should be personalized based on the research you conducted on the brand itself.
Keep Pitches Simple
One thing you need to realize is that these brand managers are probably receiving a countless number of emails each and every day. They are busy people and do not have time to read through your novel of an email. They will skim it most likely. See if it grabs their attention, and then respond to you asking for more information.
Cater To The Company
Alright, so you need to have a simple but powerful pitch that will cater to the company. This is your chance to shine and let that person know what you have to offer. Layout a game plan for a video, post, or photoshoot, and let the company know how it will benefit THEM. Yup, this is about the company, not about you. They want to know what they get out of this, and it is your job to tell them.
Leave Out Numbers
The one thing you do not want to do in an initial pitch is talk numbers. This means your following size, your page views, and especially your prices. While there is a time and place for all of this, initial contact is not that time or place. I typically don’t even ever talk about my following size at all. Once in a while, a brand will ask for a media kit, but even that is not as common as many would think.
Be Flexible!
If Influencer Marketing 101 has taught me anything, it is that we should be flexible. When it comes to pitching, that means not “demanding” or sounding demanding. One example would be an influencer asking for a hotel room. It is easier on the brand, to let them either pick available dates or wait for them to ask you about dates. If you sound like you are too demanding of free product or not willing to compromise, then the company probably won’t want to work with you at all.
Working With Brands
In all honesty, pitching brands is more of an art than a science. It is something you learn over time. Your skills will improve the more you do it, and you will start hearing yes more and more. You will probably hear quite a few nos, and that is okay. Don’t let that discourage you from your goals. Keep working, keep trying, and keep pitching!
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Jessi is the creative mind behind The Coffee Mom, a popular blog that combines parenting advice, travel tips, and a love for all things Disney. As a trusted Disney influencer and passionate storyteller, Jessi’s authentic insights and relatable content resonate with readers worldwide.
Totally just sat and watched this!! And I even jotted down a couple of questions to ask you tonight in the Facebook live. I won’t miss it, eastern time. 🙂 You’ve made some excellent points, and I feel awful for that girl, but at the same time, never copy and paste a pitch! Sounds like she was seasoned, and should have known better!
Awe thank you! Yea the girl,didn’t deserve to be blasted like she was, but we can all learn from her not so good pitch
I have been guilty of the “copy and paste” pitch, unfortunately. And even hit “send” before customizing it with names. I made a rule not to pitch when I’m exhausted for that very reason! Some of the short and sweet pitches have done well while others have told me no several times before finally saying yes after I went into full detail. Investigating the company a little helps get a good feeling.
I think,we are all guilty of the copy paste…I know I am lol.
Seriously this blog post is on fire! SO many great tips for bloggers. Perfecting my pitch was on my ‘to do’ list for New Years. Thank you!!!
Thank you! I’m so,glad you found it useful!
This post is really informative and helpful for bloggers to start their influencer campaigns.I usually don’t copy & paste.Instead I personalize my message and I don’t send many email per week.But,most of the time my proposals win. 🙂 Thanks for all these tips.
Great Tips! these can help me on how to craft a successful influencer marketing strategy from start to finish.
I could use a lot of work when it comes to getting my pitch. I am always so nervous and a mess. I definitely need to remember to be flexible!
The wonderful thing about pitching is that you can pitch to anyone you love. However, just because we (me) think we are a great fit doesn’t mean that the company thinks you are a great fit – that has been my biggest discovery on pitching brands.
These are great tips! I don’t feel like I have a big enough following yet to start pitching brands, but I’m still trying to learn as much as I can! This was very helpful, pinning so I can read again later.
Lots of really useful info here. I’ve often thought about pitching companies but didn’t really know where to start, thanks!
This has been helpful. I’ve never pitched to brands before but have worked with the ones who’ve come to me. This is really good information to have for when I begin to pitch
This is great info. I wish I would have had this when I first started working with brands. New influencers will love this.
thank you for these tips…i will be thinking of all these tips when i send a pitch to a brand.
I love this! For 2018 I definitely don’t plan to wait around for gigs but go out and pitch to more brands.
Yes! Go out and get it for sure!
I use a lot of these tips when pitching to brands. I find great success when I personalize the e-mail, and show that I have a really good understanding about the company.
This will definitely come in handy. I’ve been working with brands for over four years now, but I still get nervous blind pitching and asking for payment.
You can never underestimate the importance of a killer pitch. It can mean the difference between going viral for acting self-entitled to starting a great working relationship. It’s crazy how even though influencer marketing is growing some influencers and brands are forgetting to be transparent and keep up their integrity.
I could not agree more! If we want to be taken seriously as influencers, we need to make the difference and think like a professional and like a business.
I’m so glad you put a full post up about this, AND a video! I was super bummed that I missed your webinar on Friday, so I’ll definitely be sure to watch this video!!
I’m glad its helpful! I do have the replay of the live pinned in the group too 🙂
I agree with everything that you said and you’re totally right about pitching beong more of an art. It’s something you’ll learn through experience and you’ll notice your improvement as you go along.
It is for sure an art, and something that takes practice.
This is such a great topic and so helpful for those not quite comfortable with pitches yet. And for everyone thinking they are doing it right but getting a bad name for all us!
Yes ! I hate that so many people think badly of us because of a few bad apples or incidents
Some awesome tips for bloggers like me. I will be saving of all these tips when I send a pitch to a brand.
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This is a great blog. Thanks for the tips.
This is a really helpful post, thank you so much! I had written down a list of companies to pitch yesterday but after watching your video I’ve gone on their social media and interacted with them first 🙂
That’s awesome! Good luck on your pitches! Interacting with the brands and letting them know you truly love them is so helpful.
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