Need help with your affiliate outreach?
We get it — brand affiliate programs involve a ton of planning to set up and execute.
And so the stakes are high when it comes to conducting outreach to get actual affiliates on board.
Thing is, sending the “perfect” invitation message to affiliates is tough. In a few sentences, you have to introduce yourself, highlight your value and convince them to join.
Not sure what to say? Tired of getting left on “Read?” We’ve got you covered!
Below we share our three best affiliate outreach templates to help you grow your program.
Before You Use an Affiliate Outreach Template, Read This!
It’s important to have an outreach strategy for affiliates and influencers prior to picking a template.
Keep the following tips in mind to improve your response rate before conducting outreach:
- Contact affiliates where they want to be contacted. Sticking to someone’s preferred outreach method means your messages won’t get buried. Do they have a business email on their TikTok? Does their Instagram bio say “DM for collabs?” If so, follow their directions! This is why it’s a good idea to have email and DM outreach templates ready to send.
- If you contact affiliates via email, don’t go overboard with details. Emails give you more real estate to work with during outreach. This means you can go more in-depth about the benefits of your affiliate program. Don’t go overboard, though: influencers will ignore emails that ramble. Our affiliate outreach email templates are <150 words for that reason.
- Direct messages to affiliates should be short and sweet. DMs offer little control over formatting. That's why you should think “less is more” when adapting an outreach template. Remember: you don’t need to explain every detail of your program in an invitation. After all, interested affiliates can always ask questions when they reply.
- Make a point to interact with your ideal affiliates prior to outreach. Small touchpoints can have a big impact on your response rate. That means following or interacting with someone’s content for a few weeks. The more familiar you are with a creator, the easier it is to personalize your messages. Pro-tip: don’t follow someone and immediately reach out cold.
With all of that out of the way, let’s get into the good stuff!
Below are three affiliate program outreach templates to win over potential partners.
1. Brand Affiliate Email Template
When to Use This Template: This is an all-purpose email invitation intended for influencers who’d be perfect for your brand affiliate program. Making this template work means familiarizing yourself with their social presence and following them for a few weeks.
| Subject line: [Influencer Name], we'd love to partner with you! |
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Hi [Insert influencer name],
My name is [insert name here] and I’m with [insert company here]. We've been following your profile on [insert social media platform] and love your posts on [insert topic that relates to your brand’s niche].
We'd like to invite you to become a brand affiliate for our company!
We believe your [insert something once again that resonates with the type of content they post and your brand’s niche] really aligns with our company’s values and mission to [insert info about what the affiliate program has to offer, benefits of the program, and your brand’s purpose].
As a brand affiliate, you’d partner with us for [insert how you plan to utilize your affiliates to reach out to your target audience and discuss collateral like coupon codes].
If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss further what our brand affiliate program is all about!
Thank you!
[Insert name here]
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Brand Affiliate Email Sample
| Subject line: Jamie, we'd love to partner with you! |
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Hi Jamie,
My name is Kristen and I’m with Dusk. We've been following your profile on Instagram and love your posts on everyday skincare products with clean ingredients.
We'd like to invite you to become a brand affiliate for our company!
We believe your love of organic products really aligns with our company’s values and mission of providing healthy skincare products for women. We really believe you would be a great fit for our affiliate program.
As a brand affiliate, you’d partner with us for Instagram campaigns featuring our new line of organic skincare products. You'll receive a 15% commission for any products sold as a result of your promotions, and a personalized affiliate code so your followers can get 20% off their first Dusk order!
If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss further what our brand affiliate program is all about!
Thank you!
Kristen
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2. Brand Affiliate DM Template
When to Use This Template: This is a cold outreach message for contacting influencers on Instagram or TikTok via DM. If you want to keep your outreach casual and to the point, this template can do the trick. Just keep in mind that influencers on TikTok must follow your account if you want to DM them.
| Subject line: Hey [Influencer Name], we love your content! |
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Hi [Insert influencer name],
The team here at [insert company name] and I loved your post about [insert description of related post].
At [insert company name] we [insert what your brand stands for/sells]. We’d love to have you join our affiliate program where [insert collateral info like coupon codes].
Let me know if you would like to discuss the program further and if you’d be interested. Thanks! - [insert your name here]
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Brand Affiliate DM Sample
| Subject line: Hey Laurie, we love your content! |
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Hi Laurie,
The team here at Dusk and I loved the post you made today about organic, everyday skincare products.
At Dusk we strive to provide women with healthy self-care products. We’d love to have you join our affiliate program where you will receive 15% on any products you sell and a personalized coupon code for your followers to get 20% off their first Dusk order!
Let me know if you would like to discuss the program further and if you’d be interested. Thanks! - Kristen
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3. Brand Affiliate Follow-Up Message Template
When to Use This Template: This template is intended for affiliate candidates that didn’t respond to your initial invitation. Don’t assume the worst if someone doesn’t reply at first. Follow-up emails and DMs are fair game after your outreach candidates have had about a week to sit on your invite.
| Subject line: Re: Collaboration Invitation from [Brand Name] |
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Hi [Insert influencer name],
This is [insert name here] again! I just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss my invitation for an affiliate partnership with [brand name].
We really are impressed by [something unique about the influencer’s content or style]. We believe you’d be a perfect fit to represent [insert company name] based on your [insert social platform] posts.
To recap, all [insert company name] affiliates receive [insert a brief summary of your affiliate program perks here].
Let me know if you have any questions about the program. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks,
[insert name here]
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Brand Affiliate Follow-Up Message Sample
| Subject line: Re: Collaboration Invitation from Dusk |
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Hi Blaire,
This is Kristen again! I just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss my invitation for an affiliate partnership with Dusk.
We really are impressed by your authenticity and dedication to sustainable products. We believe you’d be a perfect fit to represent Dusk based on your recent Instagram posts.
To recap, all Dusk affiliates receive an instant, ongoing 15% discount and a personalized code for your followers to get 20% off their first order.
Let me know if you have any questions about the program and I look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks,
Kristen
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Note: Especially during follow-ups, be positive and frame your invitation as a partnership. Keep in mind that an affiliate program should be a win-win for brands and content creators alike. Your tone should reflect that throughout your outreach.
How to Find Brand Affiliates and Advocates Without Cold Outreach
Crafting the perfect pitch and getting the attention of your ideal affiliates isn’t easy.
That said, our outreach templates can really speed up and streamline the process!
The most important thing, though? You need to make sure that you’re connecting with the relevant influencers before you even think about conducting outreach.
And if you haven’t found the right creators to represent your brand at scale, Statusphere can help.
Our micro-influencer software matches brands with authentic and relevant creators who actually want to post about your products. Using 250+ first-party data points, your brand gets guaranteed posts from influencers in our vetted creator community. No outreach required.
Want to learn more about how our platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to see how we can help your brand get authentic content from vetted creators at scale.
This article was first published in March 2021. It was last updated June 1, 2023.
