Why Should You Do Influencer Outreach?

The simple act of putting out feelers to influencers to expand your brand is nothing new. It’s been done, in one way or another, since the beginning of advertising as a concept. Get someone well-known to talk about your product, explain why it would benefit everyone watching who trusts this big name, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success. The big difference, in the true Age of the Influencer, though, is that everything – every post each influencer does – needs to pass the smell test. Kids can spot phonies, they’re very smart. Which is why influencer outreach is critical to get right.

What Is Influencer Outreach?

Making your brand seem approachable will be a huge boon for you, and depending on what it is your brand currently represents, you may have your work cut out for you. This is why the simple act of contacting influencers through their people or their social media can benefit you in the long run – you’ll end up with a long list of influencers who will show your product off for their own, usually predetermined, price.

Sometimes the engagement will be a simple social media image post, sometimes it will be a text post or series of them, and sometimes it will be a full video review / interaction post / unboxing type post that shows the influencer interacting with your product and brand and telling the world what they think.

How Can Influencer Outreach Help You?

The obvious answer is that you’re getting eyes on your product. Potentially millions of eyes, depending on which influencers you reach out to and how likely their audience is willing to latch on to the ideas you set forth in your agreement with the influencer. Think about:

• Where your brand is right now
• Where your brand is going
• What your brand stands for, beyond the obvious things like “quality, service, etc” – you need to know what your brand is trying to say
• How the right influencer can naturally work your brand into their work

What is the Best Way to Start?

This big move of putting out the feelers would benefit from vetting on your end. Find the influencers who are talking several times a week to the people you’re trying to reach. You should understand:

• The demographics you are trying to expand out into
• The demographics you’re strong in, who could benefit from galvanizing
• What you can offer this new audience – Sales? Discounts? Swag? Special events?
• Do you have a moment they can latch on to – what does your brand look like in an influencer’s hands, and what story does that tell your new audience?

Our team does this kind of outreach for you, and having a team who knows the influencers and how they’ll respond to your brand – and how to get them to respond to where your brand is going – is a huge benefit to any brand wishing to branch out and get their products in the hands of the people who are being listened to.