Again and again I get asked, but HOW do you actually write a pitch email? To me, it comes very naturally, my goals being to open the door to conversation, share what I have to offer and ensure they are interested in purchasing my services.
I have shared before that the one thing you MUST be sure of is that the person you are selling to actually WANTS you to sell to them. Selling to people who don’t want to buy is never going to work… so, your best course of action in any brand sales communication is to start with a pre qualifying email.
Prequalifying Email:
This is the email you use if a brand/pr company reaches out to you without stating compensation.
“Thank you so much for reaching out. I love what you are doing with this campaign and have a few great ideas about how my brand can with with you to promote it to our readers! If you are interested in a proposal of ideas, please let me know. If not have a wonderful day”
Or, if you are engaging with a brand on twitter, and they are engaging back, OR they email you via press release, our “product sharing” message.
“ Thanks for connecting. I think this product/brand/concept would be really interesting to my readers and would love to work with you to support the message. Please let me know if I can pull together a proposal of ideas. “
THE GOAL: We want to confirm that the company is aware we are looking for compensation for the campaign promotion. This can be sent as a standard reply to press releases that interest you, or brands that reach out. )
The Cold Call
Now, if you AREN’T chatting with a brand on social, and just want to reach out and try a cold call, your odds are going to be reduced. It works better if you have content you have written about their brand already as an opener. But, if you just want to try, this is what I suggest!
Hello (Brand)
I am loving what your brand is doing to support (campaign name, concept, recent post) and thought it would be a great time to reach out.
I am the owner and publisher of a (describe your blog) , sharing (what do you write about/what are your content pillars) quality content to (who is your niche market?)
We reach almost (estimate pageviews) a month with our content and love chatting on our (what is your fave social community) in an engaging and fun way.
Add a line here about why YOU are so important. What is it about YOU that makes your readers listen? (I love connected to my readers with fun stories that include product placement/sharing ethical and green brands/creating hilarious videos on youyube)
I would love to have a chance to connect with you by phone or email to discuss ways we can work together to promote your (product) and provide an opportunity for your brand to connect with my community!
You can find more information about what we do here (Link your work with me page) and I look forward to having the chance to connect!
Yours
Amazing Influencer!
THE GOAL: You want the brand to know you exist, and that you love their product and want to support them (on compensated campaigns) and to understand more about your site, and your reader.
The Proposal
No, no, this isn’t marriage on the line, but hopefully it is a job! When a company responds with a “Yes” please send us a proposal, either from a cold call, or prequalifying email, you can send this type of reply.
Great! I am excited to share some ideas with you about how I can support this campaign!
(Note: each proposal, small or large, should include apx 3 options for the brand for what you can deliver. Options should start at your most simple deliverable, and move to your most elaborate. By providing options we give the brand control back over the campaign, and share the range of the services we can provide) Each option will differ slightly based on the campaign, brand and product. You will have the best ROI from these options by making the proposals personal to their brand )
Proposal 1: Your smallest offering (or what the brand asked for if they provided details) Blog post, social support etc. State what you will offer, the theme and specific details, as well as what you will deliver and the price point.
Proposal 2: A “one up” This can include custom recipes, crafts, videos, expanded content (multiple posts) additional social assets (participating in twitter chats, custom pin boards etc) State what you will offer, and the price
Proposal 3: This is your “dream” option. What you would LOVE to to with the brand. Integrated campaigns, twitter parties, elaborate multiple post content (porch DIY, including separate posts for how to make a wooden bench, how to paint a porch, porch planters etc) all on brand. Include what you will offer, deliverables and cost.
Closing:
We would love the chance to connect with you to discuss some of our ideas, and learn of others ways we can support you. As an influencer, we have a variety of options for working with brands, and are keen to form a partnership with your company.
One thing to be sure is that each proposal option should be kept short and sweet at this point. Be specific, and be direct about what you can do, deliver and why it should matter!
THE GOAL: You want the brand to see the range of services and skills you have, and get excited about your ideas, but still know they can negotiate with you and find a way to work together (even if you didn’t nail the pitch)
FOLLOW UP
If you have not had a response from the proposal within 7 days, send a friendly follow up email to the brand, inquiring if they have questions.
While you are engaging in the back and forth communication, remember to support the brand digitally (twitter/instagram) so show your continued interest
The more opportunity you have for conversation and engagement, the better able you are to figure out WHAT the brand is looking for and HOW you can deliver it. Keep your correspondence true to brand, be professional and direct in your emails, and support the opportunity to share ideas and find solutions.
If you still don’t hear back, don’t freak out. Sometimes this means they are just adding you to their list for future opportunities! I have heard back from brands 6 months after reaching out with an offer and was grateful I didn’t burn any bridges!
THE GOAL: Build relationships, be supportive and available and open to communication! And get paid work!!
In the end, reaching out is never a bad thing. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t play!