Chapter 10: Influencers
Most influencers with a measurable following will be signed to some type of agency to handle their business dealings. This means the best way to approach an influencer for a brand deal is through their agent - so stay out of the DM’s, you won’t get a response. Most influencers have an email address in their bio that goes direct to their agent “for business inquiries”. When reaching out to agencies, refer to the template below for inspiration on how to approach.
Email to Agent:
“Hello,
My name is (Name), and I run a digital media & marketing company. I am reaching out on behalf of (Your Company or Client, @Company, www.company.com). (Brief one-line Company Description)
I was wondering what pricing options look like for a sponsored ad read during one of (Influencer)’s Youtube videos? We're looking to get more involved in YouTube sponsorships, and many of our team are big (Influencer) fans.
We would be interested in getting this sponsorship up and running as soon as possible! Please let me know pricing estimates as soon as you can.
Best,
(Name)”
Typically, the agent will get back to you with an updated pricing sheet and tentative scheduling options. From this point, there’s a few things you should ask for in order to get an idea of what type of ROI to expect. These influencers have all done brand deals before, so don’t be afraid to ask for a case study or two to show how they turned out. Agents should be able to share analytics from previous partnerships, showing reach, engagement, link clicks, and maybe even revenue generation if that information was shared with the Agency from the previous company. If the given analytics match up to the goals you are trying to achieve with your promotion, chances are you’re in the clear to move forward.
As we mentioned, it’s in your best interest to roll out a handful of influencer promotions at once, with variable sizing and cost. Ideally, you would be able to put together a package deal via a singular agent, instead of having to deal with a bunch of individual contracts. Agents are constantly trying to get deals for all of their clients, and will often offer discounts and incentives to include more than one person in your campaign. It’s important to remember that agents typically take a 20% cut of the campaign budget, leaving influencers with ~80% of the total value. This means that agents are financially incentivized to help you find more influencers that fit your campaign.
The agent network in Los Angeles specifically is a very fluid environment. While historically talent was always signed exclusively to one agent, those times are beginning to shift. Even if an influencer has an exclusive deal with an agency, if another deal is brought by a different agent, typically the two agents will share the commission and push the deal through. This allows the original agent you approached to go out on your behalf and hunt down any influencers you might want as part of your campaign, even if they’re signed to a completely different agency. Working with a strong agent that has ties throughout the social media industry can be pivotal in creating a profitable influencer campaign, and will save you an immense amount of time.