How to Successfully Pitch to Brands

Pitching brands as a content creator requires a great deal of strategy, and many influencers don’t do it correctly.

Getting sponsored on Instagram can seem like a bit of a challenge. Many influencers wonder:

• How do I pitch to brands?
• Do I wait for them to contact me?
• Do I even have enough followers to get sponsored on Instagram?

Landing brand partnerships is a critical way for influencers and creators to monetize their influence. The key is learning how to pitch to brands as an influencer.

Why should influencers pitch to brands?

With the steady growth of the influencer marketing industry, more and more brands are looking to work with content creators, influencers, and brand ambassadors. Instagram influencer partnerships are by far the best performing method for brands to reach new audiences quickly. Companies are constantly on the lookout for Instagram influencers who resonate with their brand and have a community of highly engaged followers.

Pitching to brands is worthwhile for influencers. Here are some of the benefits:

• Seize the opportunity to work with brands that you love.
• You don’t have to wait around for someone to contact you.
• You can build a relationship with the brand and it could turn into a long-term partnership.
• The brand might recommend you for other campaigns.

What is an email pitch?

An email pitch is a short email to a brand letting them know who you are, what you offer, and why they should hire you as an influencer.

Pitch emails should be 2-3 paragraphs max and should include:

• An attention-grabbing subject line
• A brief introduction
• What you love about their brand/product
• The value you’ll bring to their company
• A media kit
• Your rate card
• Any relevant brand partnerships

The last section, any relevant brand partnerships, is an important one. It gives the company an understanding of how successful you have been with building brand awareness or driving conversion in the past.

Important factors to consider when you want to pitch to brands:

1. Write a short and catchy subject line

Subject lines are most successful when they’re attention-grabbing and short.

Keep your subject line simple and direct, and consider putting your name in it. Putting your name in the subject line makes it super easy for the brand to search their inbox for your email and prevents you from being sent to the email spam folder.

2. Include direct links to your Instagram and blog, not to a press page—don’t give them any extra steps!

Include direct links to your Instagram page and blog so brands can easily get an idea of the quality of your work. If possible, link to the same type of posts that you’ll be offering them should they wish to move forward.

3. Include your stats

• Engagement rate

The best influencers aren’t always the ones with the biggest followings, they’re the ones with the most engagement. That’s why you need to show that you have a loyal, sustained following that interacts with your content through likes, comments, and shares.

• Monthly views

By sharing average monthly views, you’re showing that you have consistent interest from your followers. If you can also show year-over-year growth, that’s even better.

• Audience demographics

Your audience is your biggest asset so make them the focus of your pitch. Your demographic will go a long way in determining which brands are the right partners for you. After all, brands that work with influencers are looking to expand their audience, and if your followers don’t fit into their target demographic they won’t be interested.

4. List the top 3 brands you’ve worked with, and link to each of the promotions

If you’ve had any brand partnerships in the past, then list up to three of your most recent, relevant jobs. It’s important to give the brand you’re pitching an idea of your work and the types of projects you’ve done. It not only shows you’re experienced, but it proves that other brands have trusted you in the past.

Tip: If you’re a newbie and haven’t worked with any brands yet, include your growth from month to month.

5. Be genuine

Be genuine, and don’t just send some templated email out to every brand. People can tell, and brands look for authenticity in an influencer. Include a genuine compliment or personal tidbit about the company to make your pitch stand out.

Some final notes on crafting a pitch

As was mentioned earlier, your entire email should be as short and concise as possible—3 paragraphs max, 3 sentences per paragraph. Use bullet points and bold lettering to direct to the most important elements. More than likely your email isn’t going to be read all the way through; it’s going to be scanned. So make sure they are scanning your best points.

Before you send off your pitch, put yourself in the recipient’s shoes; imagine how many emails this person gets in a day. As they’re scanning your email quickly, what information pops out?

How to Pitch To Brands

1. Do your research.

When you’re researching companies to pitch, look for brands that have the same audience as you and those who’ve worked with content creators before. They’ll be an easier sell.

2. Find the contact

When pitching, you’ll want to connect with someone on the PR or marketing team. You may be able to find the PR contact in a recent press release or through their website. You can also try to find a contact via LinkedIn or Facebook. If all else fails, some influencers have been successful in reaching out through Instagram DM.

3. Follow up

If you’ve sent your pitch and haven’t heard back in a week or so, follow up via a different channel or send it again. They may be busy and haven’t gotten to it yet, or your pitch might have gotten buried. It never hurts to check, just make sure not to overdo it or you may come off as annoying.

4. Use influencer marketing tools

Influencer marketing tools make connecting and collaborating with brands easier. 

Join the Ainfluencer app and register as an Influencer. Influencers can explore the Ad Marketplace browsing thousands of branded offers, and make offers to collaborate. Discover, connect and collaborate with brands– all in one place.