Influencers: Before you send that email...

Influencer marketing can be very successful and have huge value for both the company and the Influencer. Before you send that email though, I want to share some tips.

When you ask a company for a product you need to understand the value of both it and yourself. You literally asking the company to sacrifice money that would be made from selling that product and invest it in you. Depending on that cost, you may not be able to return that investment. While that works for you, the company has to account for that. I am work both sides in my roles at Knights and Quantified Performance, so I know the pain. Here are my tips to make you more successful in that endeavor.

1. Grow your channels- The first filter I use when I get the email asking for product is a quick glance at base numbers. I get it that everyone starts small but if you are asking a company with 100,000 followers for $3000 product and you have 300 followers, it's not going to go well. The next metric I look at is engagement rate. If you do have 300 followers but an engagement rate of 99% (which is highly unlikely) more attention will be paid to you.
2. Know your Value- I posted an article the other day that talked about average rates at different influencer levels. If you have done your homework and analytics, then you can set a price for posts and videos. This helps you in you as you develop your plan.
3. Develop a plan- Don't just email the first email you find with the typical, "I love your product and want to show it on my channels" Show up with a plan that lays out how you will show it, what kind of reach it is expected to get, how long you will need said item and past performance.
4. Pitch your plan- Once you find that person to talk to at the company, pitch the plan you developed. Don't waste their time. be quick but be effective.

Here is an example based on the Vortex Razor Gen 3 1-10 on my rifle above.

Vortex Optics Razor Gen 3 1-10x24 MSRP $3599.99

My estimated rate per post is $100 per post and $300 per video here on LinkedIn (this is a guess)

Instead of "I love your product and want to show it on my channels" send something like this

"Mr Vortex rep, I am Ash Hess. I have over 10k followers on LinkedIn with an average engagement rate of 2.5% on photos and 3% on videos. I would like to showcase the Gen 3 1-10 for a period of 90 days. In that time, I will post a minimum of 15 photos($1500 value) and 5 videos ($1500 value). My audience is mainly decision makers, hunters, tactical style trainers and competitive marksmen. I will be using it at three Quantified Performance matches which have a division focused directly on where I believe the 1-10x Razor was built for.

At the end of the 90 days, I would like the opportunity to purchase this optic or in the event that can't happen, return it promptly.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Ash Hess."

This may not work, but you will have a better chance than the first way. You have shown that you understand the value of their time and product, understand your value and quickly laid out who you can reach. They may not need you. Don't be sad, work harder.

I hope this helps.