So when it came time to using social media to spread the word about our product, my hands were tied. Instagram ads were garnering high engagement rates but not enough page likes and we needed a boost. Working with influencer management companies for sponsored posts sounded like a dream but was way out of budget.
Time to write my own rules. I knew it would be a lot of work; what I didn’t know is that without being able to offer influencers any money up front, I would still be able to garner an 80% email response rate.
Most businesses are able to pay-per-post when working with influencers, and we recommend that as the right route, if you can swing it. If you can’t, here are some key discoveries that worked for me.
The old standard when writing emails of this nature was to take a highly personal approach and hope that got their attention. But when you’re a lean marketing machine doing all this work on your own, that level of personal research was simply too time consuming.
So instead, my method was to send over a message that was ridiculously concise and just a little click baity. And don’t forget the video. Something like…
Subject line: Interested in [product type] collaboration?
Hi [Name],
I’m [name], [title] at [company] and I really like your style. Would you be interested in checking out our [product name]? They [do what they do] and I think you would really dig it.
Here is a video that explains how they work: [link]
Let me know if you’re interested,
[Name]
Everyone likes skipping a couple paragraphs of reading and skipping straight to the explainer video. Our video was super high-quality and a big reason why this program was successful.
This tactic of a short message, a killer video, and a simple CTA to see if they were interested, garnered us an 80% response rate.
Obviously, not every one of those responses converted into active influencers, but it let me know that my tactic was working.
Most of all, give them some stake in the game. Offer influencers an exclusive promo code for their followers to use on your website (ex: 20% off at checkout). Track their specific promo code and offer a fixed commission for every code used. Not only will they get a payout, they are going to feel more involved in your company.
Tip: Make sure to pay out every month so they have something to look forward to and you stay top of mind.
See, all is not lost if your marketing budget runs dry before you were able to get your influencer strategy off the ground. Make sure your inventory is full, be kind, and write effectively.
This post first appeared on HuffPo.