Reaching out to Instagram influencers and brand ambassadors for collaborations isn’t easy.
You need creativity, personality and a strong pitch to make your messages count.
That’s because influencers get pitched all the time. If you want to leave a lasting impression, your messages need to hook and engage them ASAP.
If you don’t, you run the risk of your emails going unanswered.
And for brands trying to do influencer collaborations at scale, getting ghosted isn't an option.
Not sure what a "good" collab email looks like? Don’t sweat it! Below we share our easy-to-use pitching templates that can help. You'll also learn best practices for writing and sending Instagram collaboration messages.
Keep in mind there are multiple ways to reach influencers to ask for collabs.
Want your pitch to feel casual and personable? Then an Instagram DM (direct message) might be the way to go. DMs encourage you to be brief and get right to the point. This can increase your chances of a speedy reply.
That said, many Instagram influencers prefer to be contacted via email.
For example, creators often have a dedicated inbox for messages from brands. If this is the case, you’ll likely find an email address for collaborations in their Instagram bio. You might also find their preferred form of contact in their bio link (via Linkt.ree or Linkin.bio).
The takeaway? Always confirm the contact preferences of an influencer before messaging them!
If email isn't their preferred form of contact, adapt your messages to Instagram DMs (and vice-versa). This will improve your response rate. In situations where emails or DMs are fair game, use your best judgment.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into the templates!
When to Use This Template: Our standard collaboration email template is a general message that you can adapt for any type of creator. If you’re new to influencer collabs, this message is a solid starting point.
| Subject line: Hey [Influencer Name], we love your content! |
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Hi [Insert Influencer Name], I love your post(s) about [insert topic here] on Instagram. [Insert another sentence or two relating to their feed that adds a human element]! My name is [insert name here] and I work for [insert company name]. We [insert what you do or your mantra]. I’m reaching out because [insert what you saw in their feed, posts and what they are passionate about and relate it to your brand’s purpose]. We'd love it if you would collaborate with us [insert any collaboration specifics in mind]! Please let me know if you're interested and I'll share more details. Thanks! [Insert name here] |
| Subject line: Hey Sofia, we love your content! |
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Hi Sofia, I love your posts about college life on Instagram. It's great that you emphasize self-care through each and every post in your feed. I’m loving all of the bullet journal inspiration, too! My name is Kristen and I work for Dusk. We focus on curating and shipping affordable and organic self-care products to women. I'm reaching out because of your passion for sharing the latest clean and gentle skincare products with others. We'd love for you to collaborate with us on our fall social campaign! Please let me know if you're interested and I'll share more details. Thanks! Kristen |
Our product feedback email template is perfect for influencer gifting collaborations. While it’s hard for anyone to resist the power of “free,” you need to mind how you present your collaboration offer.
| Subject line: Loved your recent [Product/Industry] post, [Influencer Name]! |
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Hi [Insert Influencer Name], I’ve been following your profile on Instagram for a while and love your posts on [insert topic here]. [Insert another sentence or two relating to their feed that adds a human element]! My name is [insert name here] and I work for [insert company name]. We [insert what you do or your mantra]. I’m reaching out because [insert what you saw in their feed, posts, and what they are passionate about that relates to your brand]. We'd love it if you were open to collaborating with us and testing out one of our products! Please let me know if you're interested and I'll send more details. Thanks! [Insert name here] |
| Subject line: Loved your recent skincare Reel, Violet! |
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Hi Violet, I’ve been following your profile on Instagram for a while and love your posts on your favorite self-care products. By the way, your cat, Rey, is so adorable! My name is Kristen and I work for Dusk. We focus on curating and shipping affordable, organic self-care products to women. I’m reaching out because we saw your thoughtful round-ups on your fave facial cleansers. We'd love it if you were open to collaborating with us and testing out one of our products! Please let me know if you're interested and I'll share more details. Thanks! Kristen |
Our brand ambassador email pitch template is for influencers you want to work with long-term. Nail down your brand ambassador program’s perks and rules before sending your emails.
| Subject line: [Influencer Name], we want you to be a [Brand Name] VIP! ✨ |
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Hi [Insert Influencer Name], My name is [insert name here] and I work for [insert company name]. I’m reaching out because we have been following your Instagram and love your honest thoughts on [insert topic]. We'd love to invite you to become a part of our brand ambassador team! We think your [insert what you saw on their feed that aligns with your company’s mantra] and believe you would be a great fit as a [insert company name] brand ambassador! As a brand ambassador, you would partner with us on [insert what you’d like to utilize your ambassadors for]. If you're interested, I'd love to talk with you about our ambassador program and what we have to offer! Thanks! [Insert name here] |
| Subject line: Maddie, we want you to be a Dusk VIP! ✨ |
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Hi Maddie, My name is Kristen and I work for Dusk. I’m reaching out because we have been following your Instagram and love your honest thoughts on clean ingredients in everyday skincare products. We'd love to invite you to become a part of our brand ambassador team! We think your appreciation for organic products aligns with our company’s mission to provide healthier self-care products for women. We believe you would be a great fit as a Dusk brand ambassador! As a brand ambassador, you would partner with us on Instagram campaigns featuring new self-care products that are organic. You will receive a lifetime discount of 40% on products and a personalized affiliate code for your followers to get 25% off their first Dusk order! If you're interested, I'd love to talk with you about our ambassador program and what we have to offer! Thanks! Kristen |
This collaboration email template is perfect for promoting an Instagram giveaway. Make sure your prizes and rules are sorted before you hit “send.”
| Subject line: [Name] x [Brand Name] collab? 🤝 |
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Hi [Insert Influencer Name], My name is [insert name here] and I work for [insert company name]. I’m reaching out because we have been following your Instagram and saw one of your most recent posts about [insert what you saw in their feed]. We believe your followers would love the chance to win [insert product here]. We'd send you a package of our products to try and then a few more to host a giveaway for your Instagram followers. The rules to win would be simple, [insert giveaway rules]. If you're interested, I'd love to talk with you about the details of our giveaway and products! Thanks! [Insert name here] |
| Subject line: Daniella x Dusk collab? 🤝 |
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Hi Daniella, My name is Kristen and I work for Dusk. I’m reaching out because we have been following your Instagram and saw one of your most recent posts about your favorite night-time self-care products. We believe your followers would love the chance to win a set of our new evening skincare products, “Dusk till Dawn!” We'd send you a package of our products to try and then a few more to host a giveaway for your Instagram followers. The rules to win would be simple. They would need to follow both of our accounts and tag two friends in your Instagram post featuring our products. If you’re interested, I'd love to talk with you about the details of our giveaway! Thanks! Kristen |
Note: Need inspiration for your next Instagram giveaway? Check out The Ultimate Checklist to Hosting an Instagram Giveaway or Contest!
Messaging Instagram influencers involves a lot of moving pieces.
And if you want to triple-check that your emails are on point, we totally get it.
Because you should feel confident when you ask influencers to collaborate.
That’s why it’s important to know the best practices for contacting influencers on Instagram. Review the tips below to fine-tune your pitches and messaging strategy.
Nobody wants to read a novel in their inbox.
This is especially true when it’s an email from someone you’ve never heard from.
When in doubt, keep your collaboration messages short and sweet.
Just how short, though? Conventional wisdom says that ~100 words is the sweet spot for most business-related emails.
Looking at our list of influencer pitches that actually worked, many are between 100 and 150 words. According to industry data, emails up to 100 words receive the highest response rate.
Consider also that most emails are opened on mobile devices. Think about how your message is going to look on a smartphone screen. If your emails require readers to scroll, they’re probably too long.
Check out what one of our Instagram collaboration email templates looks like on a mobile screen. For reference, the template below is roughly 100 words total.
The takeaway? Don’t get too wordy! Your collaboration emails shouldn’t tell your brand’s entire story to influencers. Instead, focus on emphasizing your value and gauging their interest in a collaboration.
Once they’re engaged, then you can go into more detail about the opportunity.
Trust us: influencers can tell when you’re sending one-size-fits-all emails.
Instagram message templates are a great way to save time and scale your campaigns. Templates also organize your pitches to make them more direct and benefit-driven.
Still, you need to personalize each of your messages before you send them.
Why, though? Low-effort emails reflect poorly on your brand. Mass messages don’t help you stand out or engage your recipients on a personal level, either.
That’s why it pays to personalize your messages. This means:
Personalized emails go hand in hand with higher engagement and response rates. An oft-cited study from Salesloft notes that personalizing just 20% of an email lifts reply rates by 112% (plus 40% more opens).
Remember to do your homework on any influencers you plan to message. The research is 100% worth the effort. Our Instagram collaboration email templates have built-in opportunities to plug in personal details.
Content creators are suspicious of spam and scams. We don’t blame them.
And so some influencers are already on the defensive when they get a cold email from a brand they don’t know.
Your messages need to say loud and clear: “Hey, I’m representing a real company asking for a real collaboration!” Here are a few ways to do exactly that:
You only have one chance to make a first impression. The more legitimate you look from the get-go, the more likely potential influencers are to respond positively.
Fact: 47% of recipients will open an email based on the subject line alone.
Subject lines can be make-or-break for your collaboration messages. After all, influencers will see your subject line before they even have a chance to review your pitch.
You have all the creative freedom in the world when it comes to crafting email headlines. The problem? Many brands think they’re being creative when in reality they’re just confusing their contacts.
Our advice? Rather than be clever or cute, be direct.
Still, there is no “right” way to write a collaboration email subject line. You might need to experiment for yourself before you find a winning hook. Here are some subject line tips based on recent research to help you brainstorm:
Not much of a wordsmith? No worries! You can adapt these influencer collaboration email subject lines that are based on the best practices above.
Some subject lines are more direct than others and that’s okay! Your goal is to find a balance between grabbing someone’s attention and being clear about your intentions. These sample influencer subject lines tick those boxes.
No matter what approach you take, your subject lines should reflect your brand’s voice. Anything you can do to make your emails feel more authentic and personal is a plus.
Emailing influencers and brand ambassadors might seem intimidating.
It doesn’t have to be, though!
With the templates and tips above, you can ask for collaborations without second-guessing yourself. Just make sure to add your own personality and flair to our templates to make them really pop.
If you want to take your Instagram collaboration campaigns to the next level, it’s time to connect with more creators. Brands that maximize the ROI of their influencer collabs are working with hundreds of creators and not just a handful.
And Statusphere makes that scalability possible without requiring you to send a single email.
Our micro-influencer marketing platform matches brands with relevant influencers from our vetted creator network. This means you can earn guaranteed posts at scale without worrying about managing or coordinating collaborations yourself.
Statusphere also streamlines the most time-consuming pieces of influencer marketing such as fulfillment, reporting and content rights management. Our software saves our brands 98% of the work involved with running campaigns in-house.
Want to learn more about how our platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to see how we can maximize your influencer marketing campaigns with guaranteed content at scale.
This article was first published in June 2019. It was last updated June 11, 2024.