Did you know that almost 86 per cent of internet users suffer from banner blindness? That means that most customers will ignore the ads that cost you time and financial investments. Since people are overwhelmed with banners, they tend to disregard your marketing efforts. Not because they are rude or your offer is so bad that they can’t spare several seconds to consider it, but because they want to protect themselves from the excessive amount of information they are bombarded with every day.

So, is there any other way to advertise your product without spoiling your prospects? Luckily, yes. And in this article, we are going to show you how it works.

This marketing strategy is not something new. Brands have been utilising influencers and industry leaders in order to promote their products or services for quite some time—probably longer than ads have actually existed. Now, more and more companies of all sizes and budget capacities leverage this marketing strategy to build a more solid online presence. Let us quickly explain how it works.

A brand marketer reaches out to a social media influencer who has already gained popularity (online, offline, or both) and has built a loyal audience. The company sponsors the influencer’s content to endorse their brand and product, reach the target audience, and drive more sales.

About 90 per cent of marketers say their RIO is much better, better, or the same compared to other marketing channels. That’s because of:

– Promotion of products through trusted people
– Enhancement of brand awareness and authority
– Connection with the target audience who might be genuinely interested in the purchase
– Beating ad blockers and banner blindness
– Exposure with prospects through different communication channels
– Possibility for high RIO

Being an influencer or approaching an influencer might sometimes be challenging. If you would like to collaborate with a brand, dive into this article’s insights for know-how about landing your first brand collaboration. But as a marketer or entrepreneur, you might be wondering if you are doing everything right to get the desirable influencer to work with you. This article will clear up how to write a great proposal to get the right person to collaborate with your brand.

First, let’s define whom you should consider for the campaign. One thing is for sure: you should not go for just a random celebrity or popular blogger.

Make sure you find a famous person in your business niche or a blogger with a large following on social media—the one whose opinion is much appreciated by their audience. If you are lucky enough to find such a person, do your best to win their heart, and make an offer they couldn’t turn down. Follow these simple tips to write a proposal that would convince the influencer to ‘do you a favour’ and become your brand ambassador.

Are you ready for the influencer campaign to launch? Apart from the product or service, you’ll also need to have social media accounts so that the people you reach out to can find you easily. A website or a landing page is a must-have requirement as well.

Let’s consider social media first. Did you know that 54 per cent of customers use social media to research products? This means that you are losing 54 per cent of leads if you are not on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or Twitter. But that’s not all.

48 per cent of buyers rely on the recommendations of the influencer they follow on social media. And this drives us to the conclusion that social media and influencer marketing are some of the most powerful business tools these days. And, of course, when the influencer will be posting branded content, they’ll be able to tag you on the shared platform.

A website and a landing page the influencer can visit to learn more about your company is also crucial. If they do care about their reputation, they’ll want to estimate whether the product or service you are offering is worthy of being advertised. They’ll also be using it when sharing branded content with their audience.

Before writing the proposal, ask yourself the following questions:

– How can my product benefit the influencer’s audience?
– What problems does my product tackle?
– How can my product improve the quality of life of the influencer’s audience?
– Is there anything interesting about my brand or me that would engage or intrigue the influencer or their audience?
– Do I have valid social proof that the product is worthy of being shown to the influencer?

Take your time to carefully think about every point of this list. You may want to take notes, but that’s not necessary. As you work out answers to these questions, you’ll be preparing yourself to write down your pitch. Also, think of the offered outline: section sequence, their appropriate length, and format. As you are planning the scheme of the proposal, keep the communication channel in mind. Would you reach your future partner via social media, email, or phone? And then adjust the plan to the selected platform.

Time is money. That’s a universal truth, especially in the business world. Hence, your proposal’s opening sentence should grab the influencer’s attention and explain why you are reaching out to start a campaign with them. Timothy Barrett, head of marketing at Adsy blog posting service, suggests: “You should mention the things you admire about this influencer’s work and why you think your cooperation would benefit both of you.”

Every relationship starts with an acquaintance. So introduce yourself and do it well to spark interest in your brand and, of course, your personality. It’s the part where you should sell yourself, so don’t be too shy to brag about your expertise or achievements.

Tell your story in brief and show some proof of why you are better than other brands. Maybe you are crafting the cosiest blankets that could keep people warm on cold winter evenings. Or you are promoting an idea of endless human possibilities through your collection of sports outfits. Brag about stuff you are proud of, emphasizing your products or services’ benefits for the influencer’s audience.

Give more details about your product (who will benefit from it, what problems it solves, how it can be applied in real life, etc.). Don’t forget to link to the website or your social media channels so the influencer can learn more about your offer. If you have social proof or awards, do include them. Statistics say that 97 per cent of customers made their purchasing decisions based on testimonials. And achievements in a specific niche can increase the conversion by 34 per cent. So if you have a lot to say about your brand or product, go ahead.

We do not recommend going into detail until you hear back from the influencer. You can mention that you’ll send one or several products for testing, but don’t mention too much at first. When the influencer agrees to become your brand ambassador, then you’ll have to go over all peculiarities and close the deal with a contract. There’s no one commonly accepted rule for sealing a deal. Some influencers do not charge anything and agree on product provisioning. Others have pricing depending on the type of work you are asking for and their reputation.

Just like with any type of sales writing (you are literally selling yourself and your product when approaching the influencer), politely ask the influencer to create a specific call to action (CTA). That might be an encouragement to visit your website, follow you on social media to get to know your brand better, write you back—just anything you think is relevant in the context.

Frankly speaking, there’s no magic formula to present your brand in a more favourable light so that your selected influencer agrees to promote you right away. You either do what you love and promote your products in such a way that no one can resist your passionate speeches. Or you might come out as too straight-forward and dry. Present your product in a way that highlights all your zest and passion for your business. And the influencer wouldn’t dare to refuse you. Good luck out there!