How to Reach Out to Influencers the Right Way in 2025

Influencer marketing works really well. 

In fact, brands earn an average of $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer campaigns. 

But what you don’t see behind that polished, high-performing content is everything it took to get there.

Before a single post goes live, there’s a process: finding the right creator, crafting an outreach message that feels personal (not pushy), and making an offer that actually makes sense for both sides.

It’s easy to assume influencer outreach is just a numbers game: send a bunch of messages, hope someone says yes. But if you want meaningful partnerships (and content that actually performs), you need a smarter, more intentional approach.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to contact influencers to promote your product. 

How to find the right influencer to reach out to

Manually finding the right influencers means digging through social media, scanning endless profiles, trying to judge fit based on engagement rates, content style, and niche… then tracking down contact info, reaching out cold, and hoping for a reply. 

At the very least, it’s incredibly time-consuming. 

Insense makes the entire process faster, easier, and way more effective by giving you instant access to a global marketplace of 68,500+ pre-vetted creators, including micro-influencers, UGC creators, TikTok Spark Ads partners, and creators with Amazon Storefronts.

Instead of manually sifting through hundreds (or thousands) of potential options, Insense helps you find the right fit within 48 hours. 

Here’s what it offers: 

• Advanced filters that help you zero in on creators who match your brand’s ideal audience. You can search by niche, location, engagement rate, platform, and more.
• Built-in creator chat where you can message influencers directly, share briefs, request revisions, and download final content all in one place.
• Brands regularly receive content in just 14–20 days from brief to delivery, which means you can launch faster and stay ahead of the competition.
• Self-serve and fully managed packages so you can run campaigns yourself or get help from our expert team. 

How to choose the right offer

When you reach out to a content creator, you’re not just asking them to promote your product. You want to craft an offer that works for both of you. Remember, this is a collaboration. It needs to feel like both parties are getting something out of it. 

So how do you come up with an offer that actually lands? Start by reading the room (or, in this case, the feed). 

Step 1: Study their account 

Scroll through the influencer’s recent posts. 

Who are they already working with? What kind of brands do they feature? 

If they’re consistently posting UGC-style reviews for wellness products, and you’re pitching them a high-gloss, luxury fashion collab, they might not be the right fit or you might need to tailor your approach.

Look at:

• The type of content they create (product reviews, aesthetic vlogs, tutorials, funny skits?)
• Their tone of voice (authentic and unfiltered, educational, aspirational?)
• The vibe of their visuals (studio-shot vs. handheld, polished vs. raw)
• Their engagement (are their followers active, commenting, asking questions?)

This gives you clues into what motivates them and what kind of offer they’re most likely to say yes to.

Step 2: Match your offer to their goals

Creators aren’t a monolith. Some are focused on growing their audience, others want to monetize, and some care more about the creative freedom than the cash.

Here are a few offer types and when they work best:

• Gifting-only. Great for nano/micro influencers who are just getting started or creators genuinely interested in your product. But don’t expect guaranteed posting, unless it’s clear in your brief.
• Flat-rate payment. If you want deliverables on a schedule with brand-safe messaging, this shows you respect their time and process.
• Affiliate commission. Ideal for creators who already sell on their channels (thin owners or TikTok Shop affiliates). 
• Custom bundles. Some creators will love a mix of paid posts, gifted extras, and potential long-term collabs. 

Bonus tip. Don’t be afraid to ask what they’re looking for. This is where Insense really shines. You can chat directly with creators and shape an offer that makes sense for both sides.

Step 3: Respect the value exchange

Creators are marketers, strategists, and production teams rolled into one. They’re doing way more than just hitting “record”. They’re putting in hours of planning, shooting, editing, and engaging with their audience.

So when you’re crafting your offer, think about it from their side too:

• Are you respecting their time and creativity?
• Is your ask clear and doable?
• Are you offering something that aligns with their values and style?

The best collabs happen when both sides walk away happy. You get authentic, high-performing content, and they get something worth their effort, whether that’s compensation, creative freedom, or exposure to a brand they genuinely love.

What to consider before reaching out to influencers

Before you hit send on that pitch, pause. 

A great collab often hinges on how you reach out, not just who you’re reaching out to. Here are a few key things to consider so your message doesn’t get ignored or land at the worst possible time.

• Personalize your message. Take five minutes to scroll the creator’s feed, learn their name, reference a recent post, or mention why you think they’d be a great fit. 
• Respect their timing. Don’t reach out during the holidays or right in the middle of another campaign an influencer is running because you probably won’t get a reply. 
• Use the contact method they prefer. Look at the influencer’s bio to see how they’d like you to reach out. Email? DM? Another way?  

How to tailor the outreach message

Once you’ve found a great creator, it’s time for the part that can make or break the collab: the message. 

It sounds easy… it’s just a simple message, right? But when you consider that the message needs to respect the influencer’s time, make your offer clear, and show you’ve done your homework all in a couple of sentences, it feels like a pretty tall order. 

Here’s how to make it easier. 

Subject line: Get to the point ASAP 

If you’re sending an email, your subject line should make it immediately clear what this is about. Skip the vague lines and try something like: 

• Paid collab with [your brand name]
• UGC for our upcoming [product] launch
• Let’s work together? [Your brand name] x [creator name] 

Greeting: Use their name for a personal touch 

This is the bare minimum for personalization. “Hey there” feels generic. “Hi Jasmine” feels human. If their name isn’t obvious, it’s probably in their handle, bio, or tagged content. 

Introduction: Who are you and why should they care? 

You don’t need a full brand bio, but the essentials will definitely help.

Keep it clear and simple. Something like: 

“I’m Jamie from GlowHaus, a skincare brand focused on clean, no-fuss products for sensitive skin. I came across your videos on TikTok and really appreciated your honest review style, especially your recent one on vitamin C serums.”

The proposal: Clearly outline your collab idea and its value 

Explicitly say what you’re asking for and what’s in it for the influencer. 

For example:

We’re launching a new gel cleanser and would love to collaborate with you on a short-form UGC video. We’d send the product, pay your standard rate, and include the content in our paid social ads. The timeline is flexible, but we’re looking to publish mid-next month.

Notice a few things here:

• It explains the deliverable
• It signals compensation
• It includes the use case (paid ads)
• It provides a rough timeline

Call-to-action: Make it easy to say yes

End with a clear next step:

• “Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send over the full brief.”
• “Happy to work around your current schedule. Does this sound like something you’d be open to?”

Closing: A polite, professional sign-off 

End on a polite note, but don’t overthink it.

Thanks for your time, hope we can collaborate soon!
Best,
Jamie | GlowHaus

Some final tips: 

• Be professional but conversational. 
• Show genuine enthusiasm and respect for their work. 
• Keep it concise and focused. 
• Explain what’s in it for the influencer. 
• Emphasize how the collaboration aligns with the influencer’s brand.

How to follow up in a non-annoying way

You sent the message, and… crickets. Now what? 

Firstly, don’t panic. Influencers and UGC creators are busy people juggling content calendars, campaigns, and a lot of DMs. Silence doesn’t always mean a hard no. 

Here’s how to follow up without being annoying:

Wait at least 5-7 days

Give your follow up at least a week. The influencer might be mid-campaign, mid-shoot, or just catching up with their inbox. 

Send a short, friendly nudge 

Keep your follow-up polite and low-pressure.

Something like:

Hey [Name], just checking in to see if you had a chance to review my previous message. Would love to explore a potential collab if the timing feels right. Totally understand if things are busy right now—happy to circle back later if that works better for you.

That shows you’re respectful of their time and still interested.

Know when to move on (or pivot) 

If you still don’t hear back, it’s okay to move on or revisit that creator later when the timing might be better. You can always reach out again with a different offer, a seasonal campaign, or a new product launch that feels more relevant. 

How to get a YES every time…

…Okay, maybe not every time (let’s be realistic here), but your chances of getting a “yes” improve dramatically when you stop thinking in one-off transactions and start focusing on long-term relationships. 

Here’s how to become a brand that influencers are excited to work with. 

Be generous on your end of the bargain 

You can stand out by offering fair pay, clear briefs, flexible timelines, and creative freedom. Even with campaigns where you’re not offering monetary compensation (like product seeding and gifting campaigns), you can make the experience smooth by: 

• Sending full-sized products
• Covering shipping costs
• Personalizing the packaging

Bottom line is, creators are far more likely to say yes if they feel valued. 

Leave room for influencers to get creative

You’re reaching out because you like a creator’s content, right? So let them do their thing. 

Give a clear brief, yes, but avoid scripting every word or forcing them into awkward brand speak. Creators know better than anyone what resonates with their audience. If you give them space, you’ll often get better content and stronger results. 

Think beyond this one collab

If you want more yeses in your inbox, start building a reputation as a brand that’s easy and enjoyable to work with. 

You can do this by: 

• Following up with results and feedback
• Offering repeat work to creators who crushed it
• Referring influencers to other brands or including them in other campaigns 

And if you want to make that process 10x easier, use Insense. You can build creator lists, manage chats, share briefs, and run multiple campaigns without starting from scratch every time.

What NOT to do when reaching out to influencers

If you're getting ignored, left on read, or hit with a polite "I'll pass" more often than you'd like, it might be time to check your approach. 

Here's what not to do when reaching out to creators:

Be vague and uncertain

"Hey! We’re a brand and we’d love to work with you. Are you interested?"

Cool… but what’s the offer? Creators aren’t mind readers. If your message feels unclear, non-committal, or half-baked, it won’t feel worth their time.

Instead, be specific. What do you want? What’s the timeline? What’s in it for them?

Sound like a bot

"We would like to inquire if you are amenable to participating in a mutually beneficial social media engagement."

No. Just no.

Creators want to work with humans, not faceless brands spitting out corporate nonsense. If your tone sounds stiff, automated, or overly formal, it’s an instant turn-off.

You can be professional and human. Just write like you talk and remember there’s another person at the end of your outreach.

Spray-and-pray

DMing 50 creators with the exact same message and commenting “DM us pls” on as many new posts as possible might feel like an efficient way to reach influencers, but it’s not a good look. It feels spammy, lazy, and disrespectful of the influencer’s work. 

Instead, personalize your outreach by mentioning something specific about their content to show you’ve actually engaged with their profile. 

Push for free work

“Can you post in exchange for a discount code?” is not a compelling offer. Neither is vague "exposure" or the promise of "possible future opportunities."

If you want to build successful influencer partnerships, you need to offer real value with clear deliverables. It helps if you have a good product and an easy collab process in place. 

Get pushy in follow-ups

Following up once or twice is almost necessary when influencers are so busy. Inboxes are full and you don’t want to miss out simply because you didn’t follow-up. But sending five DMs in two days that get increasingly frantic and desperate won’t help your case. In fact, it’ll do the exact opposite.

Give influencers time (they’re busy, remember). And, if they’re not responding full stop, circle back later with a different campaign or offer. 

Examples of how to reach out to influencers

Wondering how to reach out to influencers on Instagram or TikTok? 

Here are two hypothetical outreach scenarios and how to tailor your message the right way in each one.

Scenario 1: Product seeding for a DTC skincare brand

Imagine you're a clean beauty brand launching a new moisturizer and want 10 micro-influencers to try it and (hopefully) post about it.

Right outreach message (email or DM):

Subject: Gifted skincare collab with LumiSkin?

‍Hi Taylor,

‍I’m Ella from LumiSkin. We’re a DTC skincare brand focused on simple, clean ingredients for sensitive skin. I came across your reels on skincare routines (your SPF layering one was so helpful!) and thought you’d be a perfect fit for our next seeding campaign.

‍We’re gifting our new Replenish Moisturizer to a small group of creators and we’d love to send it your way. No strings attached, but if you love it and decide to share, we’d be thrilled.

Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll get shipping details from you.

Thanks so much,
Ella
Brand Manager | LumiSkin

Why it works:

• Friendly, non-pushy
• Clear value with a free product and no obligation
• References a specific piece of content
• Professional tone, short and skimmable

Scenario 2: Paid UGC for a pet brand’s TikTok ads

Let’s say you’re running paid TikTok ads for a dog food brand and need UGC videos from creators with dogs.

Right outreach message (via Insense or email):

Subject: Paid TikTok collab? 🐶 [Brand] x [Creator Name]

Hey Jordan,

‍I’m Matt from GoodPup. I saw your video on crate training and loved how natural and engaging it was (your dog is a star, seriously).

‍We’re looking for creators to produce a short UGC-style TikTok video for our premium dog food, and I think you’d be a great fit. It’s a paid collaboration and the video would run as an ad, so no posting required—we’d handle that on our end.

‍Let me know if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, and I can share the brief and next steps.

‍Best,
Matt
Partnerships | GoodPup

Why it works:

• Makes the ask clear (paid UGC, not an influencer post)
• Respects the creator’s time and value
• Highlights why they were chosen
• Encourages a quick, no-pressure response

Still writing outreach messages from scratch? Let us help 

We get it. Sometimes you just need a solid starting point. While personalization is always key, having a strong outreach template can help you move faster and stay organized.

Good news! Insense comes with ready-to-use message templates you can customize in seconds. Whether you’re running a product seeding campaign, looking for UGC creators, or launching paid ads on TikTok or Meta, we’ve got message frameworks that make outreach feel easy and professional.

Even better, you don’t need to copy-paste anything into your inbox. With Insense’s in-platform creator chat, you can find the right influencer, choose a template, tweak it to match your voice, and send, all in one place.

Want to see how it works? Try Insense for free or book a demo with our team. We’ll walk you through how to connect with creators the right way, from message to campaign launch.

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