How to Reach Out to a PR Agency as an Influencer

There’s no doubt that working with influencers is an essential part of public relations. We value the relationships influencers have with their audiences and the authenticity they bring to content and promoting brands. As a lifestyle PR professional, I’m in contact with influencers that want to work with my brands on a daily basis. Some of the outreach is so incredibly personalized and well thought out that I want to work with them immediately, while others leave me with little clarity as to how we could work together in a meaningful way. If you’re an influencer looking to reach out to a PR agency, develop relationships with agencies and brands and create opportunities for partnerships, read below for my must-have tips for a slam-dunk partnership proposal!

MAKE IT PERSONAL

There’s nothing worse than getting a blanket statement email addressed to nobody. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten a direct email addressed to “Hello PR team” or “Hello (insert brand)”.  Do your research before reaching out to an agency – this is your first impression and you want to make it good. Knowing the name of who you’re reaching out to, greeting them and asking about the right brand shows your commitment and gives PR teams insight into your professionalism and work ethic. Check on social and view the company website to learn about who you’re reaching out to – we have our full team listed on our website, which is a great way to get to know the team, what they specialize in and the types of brands they work on. Getting an email addressed to nobody that mentions no brand but asks for a paid partnership isn’t the way to go and won’t keep you top of mind for opportunities with the agency. 

PITCH YOURSELF

The best way to put yourself on a brand or agency’s radar is to show them why they need you! The best influencer outreached I’ve gotten had detailed information on why the influencer was a fit for the brand, included content ideas and did a great job of showing how the brands values aligned with their own. There is a lot of work that goes into picking both paid and organic partners for brands – brands, consumers and influencers are all looking for partnerships to be more meaningful and intentional. Gone are the days of partnerships that make no sense or have no mutual alignment. Showing the PR team why you’re a great fit for the brand is a crucial step in developing a strong, lasting relationship and it makes a world of difference when reaching out. 

CREATE A MEDIA KIT

This one should be a no brainer, but there’s nothing worse than getting influencer outreach with no social account included. We do our due diligence to research influencers but having to scour instagram with nothing but an email and first name to find an influencer’s profile is not the best use of our time. When reaching out to a PR agency, it’s always better to include as much information as you can. Having a media kit that outlines all your platforms (including hyperlinked handles), following, rates, audience demographics and past partnerships gives us a snapshot of your professional work and helps us find a fit with our brands. It also eliminates all the back and forth which will inevitably come when we need to keep circling back for additional information to make an informed decision. 

BE OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES

Reaching out to a PR agency doesn’t always guarantee a paid partnership. While we do manage paid partnerships for our brands, we also work with organic gifting, events, brand trips, experiential activations, etc – there are tons of opportunities with brands outside paid partnerships. Developing strong relationships with PR agencies and brands is the first step to securing paid work. With most of our activities and budgets set at the beginning of the year, we aren’t able to add new partners or explore new campaigns in November. When we do look at paid partners, we always look into existing brand advocates – the ones that truly love the brand and products and show support in organic ways. That being said, connecting with brands, trying the products, sharing organic content and attending events paves the way for larger partnerships and keeps you top of mind for brands and PR teams as they look ahead at planning.