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What Is Influencer Outreach, How To Do It

In a nutshell, Influencer Outreach or Blogger Outreach is the act of reaching out to bloggers or influencers to collaborate or mention your product or posts. And it’s really simple, you just need to follow a few rules.

PR and Blogger Outreach is as equally important as the product you create and vital to promoting your product and maintaining a steady flow of traffic to your website. It is very time-consuming, but highly rewarding when you do get a press write up, mention, blogger collaboration, or editorial placement. If you are financially able, hiring someone to do PR and Blogger Outreach for you is ideal. This task alone can be a full-time job, and if you don’t have the time, you will be missing a very crucial element to success.

So if you can’t hire someone yet, you will need to bite the bullet and DIY it for a while.

How to Do Blogger Outreach

At first it can be very intimidating for someone who has never done PR and Blogger Outreach but I assure you, it’s not that hard, you really just need to know a few do’s and don’ts –and be prepared to work your butt off.

Make sure you understand the amount of time it’s going to require to reach out to the right bloggers, editors, etc. It’s an ongoing effort that doesn’t end, and you will need to make a schedule so you can devote time to outreach as well as creating your content (or a product, whichever it is you do).

Create, Research, Write, Send, Follow-up and Repeat.

I think I must have sent 30 emails out before I got an interview and write up with Fast Company about my bicycle bag project. Be diligent and don’t give up! It WILL pay off.

If you plan to do your own PR, make sure you are currently creating or have created some kind of social media rapport before pitching your product to an influencer or editor, even if it’s just to Comment, Share or Re-Tweet an interesting news article they have written.

Make sure you are targeting the right blogs, magazines, etc.

Know Thy Writer. You can send email after email, but unless you research and “get to know” the writer and learn exactly what they cover, you’re wasting your time. For example, if you’re marketing a yoga wear product, don’t just reach out to general fashion bloggers, find those that focus on healthy living, yoga lifestyle, sustainable clothing, etc.

You can find and conduct research by going through sites such as Bloglovin’, and searching for relevant bloggers, reading their posts and then taking notes of their content that map to your product. Make a spreadsheet to keep track.

You can also contact bloggers in a more “automated” way, by using tools such as BuzzStream or HARO that save the time it takes to do influencer outreach. Another option is to outsource your PR / Blogger outreach by contacting one of many independent, professional Social Media Managers (freelancers) or agencies that represent bloggers who can manage the outreach campaigning on your behalf.

Once you know your target influencers, make a list of the contacts you’d like to reach out to. Emails are the best way to reach influencers, bloggers, editors. Make the emails concise and personal. Sending canned, lengthy, impersonal, copy-and-paste templates are a big ‘no-no’. We know when an email is a copy-and-paste and it’s not only offensive but it just feels like SPAM. If you need a guideline, I have provided one for you to use as a reference point.

Email Examples to Use for Influencer or Blogger Outreach

Hey/Dear/Hello _________, (use first names, never write ‘Dear Editor’)

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I’m the Social Media Community Manager at [YOUR BLOG NAME]. I came across your site and couldn’t help but appreciate a number of your posts. Feel free to add the title of a particular post here that you enjoyed.

[The pitch: With winter upon us it can be difficult to maintain clear and healthy looking skin. The frigid air takes its toll making our exposed skin dry, cracked, itchy and irritated. It’s this time of year, more than ever, when we need to take extra measures to battle back against the cruel cold.] You will want to write your own copy here, based on the subject or project you’re working on.

We’d love the chance to hear about you and your thoughts on [subject (i.e. winter skin care]. Let me know if this is something you’d be interested in and I’ll happily provide you with some more information!

Looking forward to hearing from you soon 🙂

-YOUR NAME

Basic Guidelines for Writing a Blogger Outreach Email

The first email you send should be quick and to the point. Address the person by their first name (PLEASE!)
Include relevant, supporting links.
Be enthusiastic about what you’re presenting, but don’t feel as though you need to write everything all at once.
Make it easy for them to send a quick yes response by ending the email with a “Let me know if this is something you’d be interested in and I’ll happily provide you with some more information!” or a quick, “Is this something you would be interested in?”

If they are interested, they will write back. Remember, keep it concise. If you don’t get to your point within the second or third sentence, you’ve probably lost her. Many of us use Gmail, so what grabs us or loses us is in the main subject line of the email. So make sure your subject line reads like a catchy headline to grab attention.

If and when you hear back from the editor or blogger, have your follow-up email prepared which outlines the details of your collaboration post, product, project, etc.

Again, keep it simple and to the point. Your message needs to be as concise as possible. Everyone is fighting for enough hours and minutes in the day. Don’t write your emails like I write blog posts. 🙂 Follow the KISS rules: ‘Keep it Simple, Stupid’.

A Good Example of a Follow-up Influencer Outreach Email

Hi Ava,

So nice to hear from you! Thanks for taking a minute to get back to me and letting us know that you’re interested. 😀

We’ve been talking a lot about [subject currently being pitched and discussed for blog submission]. To inform the public about [current subject], we created this helpful article but we also want to know what ideas, tips, and techniques you might have in mind.

We’d love for you to join in on the conversation and share a post on your blog that highlights [subject of blog post]. For example: [Provide subject examples, headline suggestions, etc.]

In order to further spread awareness, we’re going to be promoting a number of these posts via social media and putting together a fun Pinterest Board and Instagram posts to go along with the initiative.

If you have any questions about this please let me know. I’d be more than happy to help where I can.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,
(Name Omitted)

This is just one example of a follow-up email you can draw inspiration from if you’re seeking collaboration with a blogger or social media manager. If you are doing PR outreach to gain attention for your product or service, you may want to hire someone or spend a little more time crafting a pitch that grabs attention.

Give it time for a response (up to 2 days), don’t stalk. Follow up with a quick, polite email if you haven’t heard anything back. But don’t stalk. It’s creepy and annoying and won’t earn any kind of brownie points.

Generally, if a blogger is interested and you have given him/her a way to respond quickly with a quick “yes, I’m interested, tell me more!” email, she will write back soon.

Note when contacting magazine editors: If the email addresses are not available online, you can call and ask for the specific editors’ email address if it is a magazine like Conde Nast or Hearst Publications.

Here’s an example of WHAT NOT TO DO When Doing Blogger Outreach

Dear Company,
(Error #1: She didn’t even know my name. I have made my contact info really easy to find)

My name is Name Omitted and I am a fashion student at University Name Omitted. Recently I started a fashion blog (Where’s the link?) and I have been gaining a fair amount of interest in it (How much?). At the moment my followers are still quite low (How low are we talking about here?) however I hope that you can help me! (um.) I would love to collaborate with your brand! (Why?) This could be in a number of different ways.
I have listed some ideas.
1. -Exchange of clothing for posts on my social media and blog. (This would normally be a good idea for a business that produces products – if you have a large following or audience. It’s a win-win for everyone. Clothing costs a lot of money to give away. If you are a blogger or IG influencer without a following, asking for goods in exchange for promoting to a crowd of crickets is not attractive to a company. Build up your following before requesting free goods in exchange for promotional posts)
2. -A discount code that I can share with my followers. (This is a better idea)
3. -I could model a look book for your brand and post this on my social media. (This might be OK. I still need your website, blog and social media links)
4. -You could provide me with a small discount so I could buy a few of your clothes and post on social media. (Not a bad idea)
Or if you have your own suggestion feel free to share that with me! If you are interested I would love to have a chance to speak with you.
I hope to hear from you soon,

Kind regards,
Name Omitted

Her email wasn’t offensive and she was sweet and polite. But I immediately saw where she could improve. (I did write her back, btw, and we did collaborate)

Let’s look at an example of how she could have approached a product exchange collaboration with a well-researched and well-crafted email that would have given her immediate, positive results:

Subj.: Let’s Collaborate!

Dear Ava,

My name is [ NAME ] and I am a fashion blogger and a student at [UNIVERSITY/SCHOOL] studying Fashion Design. I recently discovered your brand on Instagram and I love your colorful collection as well as your brand statement. Although I am new to blogging, I would really love to collaborate with you on an Instagram project. I currently have XXX Followers on Instagram and XXX Subscribers on my blog, with XXX visits per day. You can check out my blog at Insert title and blog link here and my Instagram account: @instagramnamehere

I would love to discuss various ways in which we can collaborate. (i.e. A discount code for my Followers or a discount on your products in exchange for my blog posting and Instagram “look of the day”). If this is something you would be interested in, I look forward to hearing from you!

Best Regards,
[Blogger Name]

Example of a Good PR Product Pitch Email

Dear Whitney,

I wanted to reach out to you because I have a brand new bicycle bag collection that would be an excellent fit for your audience of fashion-savvy professionals. The brand is Carmichael Bike Bags and we are scheduled to launch on 2/12 with an estimated global reach of over 250,000 viewers per week.

We have just recently received a write-up in Fast Company and VeloJoy, and the momentum is growing! In exchange for your mention, we would be happy to add your post link and logo to our website.

If you are interested, please let me know and I can provide hi-res photos and any other info you need. Thank you!

Best Regards,
Ava Carmichael

[Provide links and contact info]

I am interested to hear what has worked for you in your outreach? Leave a comment below ?

15 Reasons Why Coco Chanel Was Successful in Business

Coco Chanel was an exceptional woman who became one of the most influential designers in the fashion world, and eventually one of the most successful businesswomen of all time. When I think of her, I imagine her to be this driven, independent, slightly withdrawn and cranky woman.

Abandoned by her father when she was a girl, and raised in a convent probably emphasized her need for self-sufficiency. She never wanted to have a man in her life out of financial need, although she was accepting of the help she received along the way from the male suitors in her life. I find her life to be somewhat vague in a few places, but one doesn’t have to look too hard to see that Coco Chanel was a successful woman. Here’s why:

She had a #NoFucksGiven attitude. “I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t think about you at all”. She didn’t really care what people thought. Period.
Authenticity. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” She wanted to be who she wanted to be, and she wanted to do what she wanted to do. She did not waste her time or energy living her life to be what other people wanted her to be.
No negative self-talk. “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” She believed in herself beyond belief. She knew she was talented and had every bit of opportunity as the next person. She didn’t let negative self-talk dictate her life.
“My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” She didn’t let her past create her future. Although she grew up in an orphanage, she knew her life story was waiting to be written. She never let her humble beginnings be her obstacle, but rather her driving force to create the life she wanted.
She had other people’s interests in mind. “I wanted to give a woman comfortable clothes that would flow with her body. A woman is closest to being naked when she is well-dressed.”
She wasn’t afraid of taking risks, nor did she let people intimidate her or sway her creative direction. Coco created clothes she wanted to wear, she created clothing that she knew women wanted. Her ideas were radical for the times and there were many people who didn’t understand the way she did things, but she remained true to her visions and stuck with it. (And it paid off!)
“I don’t do fashion, I AM fashion.” She believed in her craft, she embodied her work, heart and soul. Quality and personal creativity were one of her top priorities. She wasn’t going to sell her soul just for the sake of higher profits. Her name was attached to every piece she made, and she was known for a relentless drive for perfection, whether in construction, design or fit. She had a strong opinion in all matters of style and class, and stood behind her creations with personal responsibility and authority.
“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. ” She knew when to let go. When her life wasn’t taking the shape she wanted, she knew how to recognize it, let go and move on -even if it meant letting go of a cushy life. She wasn’t one to waste time and energy beating a wall and waiting for it to turn into a window.
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
Speak up. She was not afraid to speak her mind. There was probably never a question of Coco’s position or opinion on something.
“It’s probably not just by chance that I’m alone. It would be very hard for a man to live with me, unless he’s terribly strong.”
Independence was very important to her, and she knew her emotional limitations. She knew that living a life where she had to compromise what she truly wanted, meant she wouldn’t have her freedom. For Coco, being with a man out of need was not an option. She was hellbent on making it on her own, or not at all. Once her business became financially successful without the help of Boy Capel, she stated in an interview, “I was my own master, and I depended on myself alone”.
She believed in magic. If you visit Coco’s apartment in Paris, it is as it was when she lived there: lucky symbols are everywhere, such as a frog with its mouth open and a crystal placed inside (a symbol of love, luck, money, and health), pairs of Japanese deer and wheat motifs (a sign of prosperity) are scattered across the apartment. She believed in the healing power of crystals, so there are crystal chandeliers in every room. Lions are also scattered throughout, a reference to her Leo star sign. Mirrors placed on the walls were designed to be octagonal in shape, which was also significant. The shape of the stopper for the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle was also an octagon, and even the number “5” of her perfume has a special meaning in Numerology. The number 5 is the most dynamic and energetic of all the single-digit numbers. It is unpredictable, always in motion and constantly in need of change. Sometimes believing in the magic that we possess will get us over humps when we feel like quitting.
“There is nothing worse than solitude. Solitude can help a man realize himself, but it destroys a woman.”
She believed in surrounding herself with inspirational and like-minded friends. She befriended artists such as Picasso, Dali, Diaghilev, Stravinsky, Cocteau, Jean Renoir, Visconti – all of whom she collaborated with. Find your “tribe”, and you will watch wonders unfold creatively.
“There is a time for work and a time for love. That leaves no other time.”
She knew how to manage her time and energy to suit her own goals. She knew what was most important to her and she neither deviated from that or tried to combine them all. As a businesswoman, Coco wasn’t one to waste valuable resources with endeavors that did not serve her higher purpose. Her only focus in life was her vision, her brand, her company (and occasionally love).
Chanel was focused on her dream. Don’t be afraid to be a little selfish. When we feel spent, and our venture is failing, we have to look at our life and see where our daily energies are going. Chances are, you probably aren’t devoting enough of your time to what YOU want to do, because you’re too busy trying to create something for someone else, or you’re just doing too much. Focus on the one thing you want to accomplish, and don’t be afraid to tell others “I’m sorry, I just don’t have the bandwidth.”
“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”
Simplicity without “decision fatigue”. Coco was known for her simple, but elegant design aesthetic. She didn’t overcomplicate her designs because that just wasn’t who she was. Most days, Coco wore black, because it was simple, elegant and easy. She was (back then) what we now call the “Capsule Movement Wardrobe”. It’s the trait of highly successful people such as Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama. In an interview, President Obama stated, “I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” In a 1969 interview with Micheline Sandrel, Chanel was asked, “You have this suit, this Chanel on you, what else do you have nowadays in your own wardrobe?” Coco Chanel: Two suits I’ve had for three years, a beige one and the one I wore yesterday, with a small pattern, three is good.
“In order to be irreplaceable one must be different” Don’t spend so much time trying to do what’s working for others, or do what you think will sell. Follow your passion, explore your own talents and ideas, no matter how different they may seem from the mainstream. Carve your own path. After all, there was only one Coco and there is only one YOU. Perhaps you are here for that very purpose.

The Top 10 Most Searched Fashion Brands in USA…

According to Google Trends, these brands were the most searched in the early part of 2018. (Gucci moved from the #8 spot in 2016 to #2, beating Forever21). What I find most interesting is there is no “in between.” We have budget to moderate shopping destinations, and the other 40% are luxury. So you have budget shoppers and then luxury shoppers, but nothing much in between and Forever21 ranking #1 for the last 144 months in 2016-17. I’d hardly call Zara middle of the road, but if there were a middle ground, I guess I’d place them there. Once upon a time, Abercrombie was on this list. It has now be replaced by its little sister store, Hollister. (FYI: the term “Fashion” was the #1 search term for Fashion)

Based on so many reports, I’m actually very surprised Nike and Adidas weren’t on this list.

Most Searched Fashion Brands in the United States [2018]

Source: Google Trends – The Most Searched Fashion brands in the United States https://www.google.com/trends/topcharts?vm=chart&cid=fashion_labels&date=201601&geo=US&cat