Brands are looking for influencers. More accurately for content creators. Even more, specifically brand advocates with smaller following. Why? Because brand advocates have a community of deeply loyal and highly engaged fan bases. But how do you – a humble creator – catch the attention of a brand for a collaboration? Well, you can do it by logging in on the DYT app and choosing the brand campaign you love. That’s the easy way. The more challenging and more conventional method is to write a pitch email to brands you love asking for collaborations.
What is a pitch email?
It’s a short email sent to a PR or marketing executive of the brand you want to work with. It contains:
- A brief intro to you.
- Why do you love their brand?
- Your media kit and your rate card.
- Any previous brand collaborations.
Sounds simple, right?
No.
Anyone who has sat down to write a pitch email knows it is a daunting task. How do you stand out and convince a brand that you are worthy in 2 to 3 paragraphs?
That’s what we talk about here.
5 steps to follow when you write a pitch email to brands
Before you send a pitch email to secure a collaboration, you’ve got to tango with the brand. For a bit, at least. By tango, we mean:
- Like, comment, share their social posts.
- Genuinely review their service or product.
- Endorse them on LinkedIn.
- Mention them in your content (without expecting anything in return).
These little favors will put you on the brand’s radar. With that out of the way, let’s unroll the 5 #thngs you need to write a pitch email to brands to grab their attention.
1. The subject line
Emails these days are flooded, and inboxes are messy. What all of us would like is to hit ‘delete all.’ In such a chaotic world, you have 1 chance to get noticed – the subject line.
If your subject line is not great, your pitch email will never be opened. Here’s how to craft a compelling subject line:
- It has to be short.
- Keep it simple and very direct.
- Include your name in it (this helps in searching the inbox for your pitch and emails with names on the subject line have an open rate of 18%
If you are pitching to the brand for the first time, include a greeting. It catches the eye and tells the brand that you’re new to them.
2. The introductory paragraph of the pitch email
The first paragraph of the pitch email is like introducing yourself to a new friend. But you don’t have the luxury to beat about the bush. So, get straight to the point.
- Keep it brief and highlight the most relevant pieces of information.
- Don’t use vague or generic phrases like ‘our partnership would have synergy.’
- Pinpoint your core strengths. One example is showing a sustainable brand that you practice and advocate eco-friendly living.
3. Next, show the brand love
The power of brand advocates – people who already use their products and genuinely love it – is enormous. So, brands gravitate towards advocates more than just mere influencers. That’s why the 3rd element of the brand pitch email is showing the brand what you love about their product or service.
What if you don’t already use a brand product? You can still reach out, as long as you are a fan of the brand and aspire to own something they make. Here’s what you need to show the brand in this section of the pitch email:
- Do the brand’s and your values align? One example is both of you believe in inclusivity. If that is the case, highlight it.
- How do you use the product? If you use it in a unique way, tell it in the pitch.
- Why did the brand or product resonate with you?
The idea here is to prove to the brand that you like their product. You can do so by talking about something new you discovered about them after using their service multiple times. You can even do so by sharing an online or physical experience you had with the brand’s team.
4. The media kit & rate card
Always attach a media kit and your rate card with the pitch email. Why?
- It showcases that you are a serious content creator.
- It gives the brand a fair idea of what you offer.
51% of marketers say that influencer marketing helps them acquire better customers. So, if your numbers sound appealing to the brand, they will love to collaborate with you.
Because the media kit demonstrates your worth and value to brands, it is your lifeline. Invest in it heavily. We’ve written a whole blog on how to create a media kit. Do not skip it!
The rate card is also essential.
- It gives the brand a measure of whether you fit their budget or not.
- Moreover, it drops the hint that content creation takes moolah, and you should not be making it for free.
What if you are a new creator and don’t know what rates to share?
Then simply tell the brand that you’d be happy with a first-time collaboration rate they set. This gives the brand an incentive to give you a trial run as their monetary risk is low.
Do remember that getting to your standard rate is a process. It will take you time to understand how much it costs you to create a specific type of content. On top of it, as your engagement rate increases, the rate should rise too.
5. The CTA
The last thing you should include in your pitch email is a Call To Action. It acts as an invitation for the brand to continue the conversation. Something as simple as ‘feel free to check my Instagram feed’ will work.
Sending the pitch email to brands is not the end
We know penning a pitch email is not easy. But with time, care, and these 5 elements, you can draft one effortlessly. But sending the pitch email is not the end of the journey. You can’t sit idly, twiddling your thumbs.
You follow up!
Hop over to this blog, to read when to follow up and once you get collaboration.
