Let’s break down the above email to make sense of why this works so well. First of all, the subject line tells them there is an opportunity to collaborate. Chances are, you won’t be the influencer’s first collaboration offer, so they’re familiar with the terminology and look forward to receiving offers like this.

In the body text, we make a connection with them that shows more interest than a line like “Hey mate, I plucked ya off a list of 15,000 influencers, you’re lucky number 3,903” would. Finding your influencer in a more organic way shows them that you’re invested in your niche, and more importantly, the thought leaders within it. You give a brief description of your brand – just enough to inform them that your brand’s values align with theirs. One of the most common mistakes I see with influencer outreach strategies is that marketers ramble on about their own brand. Too much information about your own brand is to your own detriment.

Next, you get right to the purpose of your email. Make sure to be clear and concise in this line. This one-liner works great for free product in exchange for posts, but also doesn’t take the option of paying off the table either.

Coming to a close, we ask a direct question – are you interested in becoming an influencer for my brand? Don’t muddle this up with other secondary questions or details that can be explained later.

Lastly, we give a simple call to action. Make it as easy as possible for the influencer to respond to you in a way that you both understand. All they need to say in response is “absolutely” or “tell me the next steps!”

**Pro tip: To get the most of your outreach efforts, use a tool like Rebump to increase open rates.