Have you ever sent an email to a brand for it to just go unanswered? ME TOO! These days, it is SO EASY for emails to get lost in the shuffle. Inboxes get inundated day-in, day-out with hundreds of emails. Are you pitching to brands regularly? Maybe you’re trying to score some gifted product, or an in-kind hotel stay? Or, are you introducing yourself to a PR group in hopes of discovering future opportunities? Maybe you have an elaborate marketing plan and pitch ready to go for your favorite brand and you just need to press send! HOLD UP. Before you press that send button, read this post to make sure your email stands out in a flooded inbox!
While following up with brands can be great when your initial email doesn’t quite make the mark, I’ve also discovered a few ways to get your pitch to land right away. These items will help you increase your response rate on emails and get the attention from brands you deserve! And…the more emails answered, the more opportunities to create relationships with brands and monetize your business!
Here are a few items I ALWAYS include in every brand email:
A Personal Introduction
First, I like to introduce myself and share a little about my connection to the brand/product when pitching to brands. This shows that I’ve done my research and that I care to make a personal connection with the brand contact. Taking this small step can help lead to longer term collaborations!
Here is a sample of an email I sent to a PR group to introduce myself as an influencer:
Popping into your inbox to introduce myself – I’m Emily Croslin (better known as @helloemilyerin), a Florida-based lifestyle and fashion influencer and blogger. I see that [X PR FIRM] has an impressive list of clients and I would love to be considered for any collaboration opportunities that align with the brands’ marketing needs and audience. I’ve attached my media kit for a deeper dive into my audience, past branded collaborations, and opportunities available to brands. Additionally, you can view my portfolio and website here, which showcases some of my past branded work.
In this email introduction, I clearly introduce myself and my brand and show that I know a bit more about the PR group and their clients. I urge you to get even more specific! When I reach out to boutiques, I pick one SUPER CUTE clothing item and share my love for the product with the team.
Here is a sample email I sent to a boutique:
I am reaching out with an exciting opportunity for a collaboration between [X BOUTIQUE] and Hello Emily Erin (IG: @helloemilyerin. My name is Emily Croslin and I am an influencer and blogger based in Florida focusing on fashion and lifestyle. I’m also based in St. Pete! I’ve been a long-time fan of [X BOUTIQUE] and have been visiting the store since you opened! I love your gorgeous, sunny style, especially the adorable Free People wrap dresses you just got in! I feel like our brands align really well and I would love to work together.
In this pitch, I share a product that I love and my connection to the brand. We’re both based in St. Pete, so I included this info as another way to make a connection!
My Media Kit
Next, don’t forget to share your media kit when pitching to brands! Your media kit should serve as a one stop shop for your brand! It’ll introduce you, your social media channels and stats, audience demographics, packages, and past collaborations. Note – you should only include your media kit AFTER you’ve already been corresponding with a brand. Attaching your media kit to your initial email can cause the email to BOUNCE and never reach the intended recipient. Curious about other mistakes you can make when working with brands? Check out my 4 Mistakes To Avoid When Working With Brands post!
Recent Insights
Last but not least, don’t forget to include some recent insights when pitching to brands. This will show your account’s recent performance. Since my media kit is a summary of averages, I like to share some updated stats for the past week when reaching out to brands. I like to share my reach, impressions, and interactions for that week. the more specific, the better!
Where to find your insights on Instagram
To find these stats on your Instagram profile, click on your profile, then select the “Insights” button in the middle of the page, right below your bio. Keep in mind, you will need to have an Instagram creator account in order to access these insights!
Once you’re viewing the insights section, you should be able to see detailed statistics about your past week’s performance on IG. The Discovery column details items such as reach and impressions. When you scroll down, you should see the option to view Interactions. Here you will see more info about profile visits, website clicks, emails, and get directions if you input an address for your business.
My Insights section for this week:
This sample email excerpt includes my insights and updated info regarding my performance for that week:
For a little more information about my brand and audience, I would be happy to share my media kit which details some of my past brand collaborations, branded content samples, and collaboration opportunities. You can also check out my site for some branded content samples.
For added context, this week on Instagram (the past 7 days) I’ve received:
- 54,319 impressions
- 12,920 reach
- 2,230 actions taken on my account
- Engagement rate: 4.39%
My audience breakdown is as follows:
- 16,600 followers
- 70% women
- 22% in 18-24 range
- 45% in 25-34 range
Need some bonus tips?
Check out my blog post about How To Land the Perfect Pitch Every Time when pitching to brands. This post discusses some ways to market yourself and your brand in unique ways that’ll be sure to help your emails land!
What items do you always include in your emails when pitching to brands? Has anything worked well for you so far? Will you try including some of these in your next pitch?! Let me know in the comments below!
