The honeymoon outreach should improve your influencer marketing.
In a best-case scenario, you have a pre-existing relationship with the influencer you’re pitching. However, we all know that this often isn’t the case.
Typically, you must contact an influencer who doesn’t know who you are and what you’re selling. In a way, this is the marketing equivalent of cold-calling.
I hate cold sales—as I’m sure most of us do.
So, how do you avoid pitching cold?
How To Do a Honeymoon Outreach
The fundamental principle is straightforward:
Never sell or promote anything in your first contact with an influencer!
But how should you get in touch with influencers, then? 2 – 8 weeks before your planned outreach, drop your pre-selected list of influencers an email and introduce yourself. Don’t try to act as if you’re about to become best friends or anything — state the following clearly:
Non-Interested Influencers
Interested Influencers
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do a honeymoon outreach.
In my experience, honeymoon outreach increases influencer marketing results significantly. After all — you’re only contacting influencers who have given you their permission to pitch them. 1See also Permission Marketing by Seth Godin.
Still, it’s not only about avoiding the ‘not interested;’ you will most likely write better outreach emails if you’ve been in contact with the people you’re reaching out to.
Thanks for reading. Please support my blog by sharing articles with other communications and marketing professionals. You might also consider my PR services or speaking engagements.
Update: Since this post was written in 2012, the influencer marketing industry has grown considerably. Today, there are many specialist outreach agencies whose primary strategy is establishing many influencer relationships before connecting them with brands.
PR Resource: Different Types of Influencer Marketing
Influencer Marketing vs Influencer Relations
There are three main types of influencer marketing (digital marketing) and one primary type of influencer relations (digital PR):
Influencer Relations (Part of Digital PR)
Influencer outreach (earned media) = the influencer receives invitations, demos, or exclusive material without strings attached.
Influencer Marketing (Part of Digital Marketing)
Influencer advertising (paid media) = the influencer will publish the brand’s pre-made content in their channels.
Influencer sponsorship (paid media) = the influencer will read a script to convey an offering following the brand’s instructions.
Influencer collaboration (paid media) = the influencer showcases the brand’s offering by creating content similar to the influencer’s regular content.
Advertising, sponsorships, and collaborations are typically referred to as influencer marketing, and outreach is typically referred to as influencer relations.
Organisations looking to utilise the potential reach of relevant influencers will be wise to pay attention to these distinctions. 2Silfwer, J. (2020, January 15). The Influencers in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://doctorspin.net/influencers-in-public-relations/
Learn more: Influencer Relations vs Influencer Marketing
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ANNOTATIONS
| 1 | See also Permission Marketing by Seth Godin. |
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| 2 | Silfwer, J. (2020, January 15). The Influencers in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://doctorspin.net/influencers-in-public-relations/ |
