So, you’re a blogger or influencer and you want to start monetizing your audience.
The question is: Where do you get started?
You should start by creating a solid brand pitch email template.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how you can do just that.
Here are some of the things we’ll be covering:
Let’s get started.
So, you want to pitch to a brand for a partnership.
And, you’ve decided to use cold emailing as a way to approach your target brand.
The first thing you need is a great subject line.
Of course, you don’t need me to tell you that subject lines matter when it comes to brand outreach, PR outreach, guest posting outreach, sales outreach or link building outreach.
The truth is, there’s a fine line between creating a compelling subject line and one that sounds spammy and will most likely trigger spam filters.
So, your outreach email should have a great subject line.
For the sake of example, in this guide, we’ll pretend that you’re a lifestyle blogger who wants to establish some business partnerships with lifestyle brands from around the world.
With Respona, you can discover prospects for your brand pitch campaign using two methods:
For our example, we’re going to use the second method.
In addition, we’re going to assume that the brand you want to reach out to and establish a partnership with is a lifestyle brand—a startup that creates fine organic foods.
To craft our subject line, we’re going to use Respona’s editor.
To do that, we first need to create a new campaign.
Then, we’re going to choose “Import” as our choice for inserting prospects into Respona.
From there—and, assuming that we’ve already created a csv file with all the website URLs of the brands we want to reach out to—we can click on “Upload CSV File”.
When our file finishes uploading, we’ll see its name below the “Upload” button.
At that point, we need to click “Continue” and let Respona map the different attributes.
Here’s what we get next:
Note: In our example, we uploaded a CSV file with only one column (Website URL) and one entry.
Once we click “Continue”, Respona will take us to the next step, which is to create our email sequence.
Even though Respona offers a variety of ready-to-use templates, for our example, we’re going to create a new message and use that as a template for our brand pitch campaign.
So, next, we’d want to click on “Personal Templates” and then on “Create New”.
Then, we have to give our sequence a name and click on “Create New Step”.
At this point, we’re ready to start crafting our email’s subject line.
Here’s the subject line we’ve chosen for our campaign:
Let’s break it down a bit.
First of all, we added the first name of our prospect in our subject line.
To do that, we located the variable we wanted to insert and clicked on it.
Now, the truth is that using the name of your prospect in the subject line doesn’t quite mean that you’ve personalized it.
However, this can definitely help, as it shows that we’ve done our research.
According to a study by Backlinko, “personalized subject lines boost response rate by 30.5%.”
This is why adding the first name of the recipient in the subject line is a smart move.
Next, we included a relevant question in our subject line that at the same time leaves some things unanswered.
“Extra help with your products?”
What kind of help could this be? Help with production, materials, or promotion and marketing?
Our prospect will have to click on that email to find out.
Moreover, as you may have noticed, Respona grades the content of your email pitch based on several criteria.
One of those criteria is the Spam Score, which tells us if we’ve included any words that could trigger a spam filter in our pitch.
For the subject line we’ve chosen, the spam word count is zero, so we’re good to go.
To add an “additional layer of safety” or just to make sure that your subject line is okay, you can use Refine—a subject line tester by Moosend.
All you need to know from there is to add your subject line and put it to the test by clicking on the “Predict Now!” button.
Moosend’s algorithm will then give you an estimation for an Open Rate and other useful recommendations for your campaign, based on your subject line and your industry.
Note: Refind was originally designed to help people with their email campaigns subject lines, but it can also help you with your brand email pitch subject lines.
Next, we need to write a stellar introduction for your brand email pitch template.
According to an analysis of 12 million outreach emails by Backlinko, only 8.5% of all outreach emails get a response.
The fact that the vast majority of emails get ignored may be justified—most emails are generic, too self-promotional or add no value whatsoever to the recipient.
Many such emails look something like this:
Note: This is a cold email pitching a content piece in the hopes of getting a backlink, but most brand pitch emails look much the same.
If you want to pitch to brands for a collaboration, 9 times out of 10, you’ll have the marketing manager of the company as your point of contact.
Now, there are two things you should keep in mind about marketing managers:
This means you have to be creative, especially if you’re new to this.
I know that doing sponsored posts on Instagram isn’t enough.
However, if you want to get to the next level, you have to master brand pitching, and to do that, you need a great introduction.
So, what should you include in your introduction?
First of all, you have to understand that you’re pitching to a potential business partner.
This means that even if you’re a solopreneur, you have to demonstrate that you’re not just another influencer who’s doing sponsored posts and giveaways to make money.
After the subject line, the introduction is the first thing your prospect will see.
Let’s see how you can craft a good introduction with Respona’s editor.
As you can see, the first sentence of our email pitch is:
My name is [Your Name] and I’m helping brands like [A], [B] and [C] sell more products online.
Right away, you explain what is that you do and what companies are already trusting and working with you.
Keep in mind that those companies have to be relevant to what your prospect does—and if they’re already big, established companies, even better.
By explaining what you do and what companies you’re working with, you get your prospect’s attention.
Adding a captivating introduction is therefore essential to getting your brand pitch email read.
Neal Taparia, who runs the classic gaming platform Solitaired, suggests using social credibility in your email pitches. Taparia adds, “When I’m pitching a publisher to build a custom solitaire game, I often will point out my track record of success having sold a past software business. Sometimes I’ll share what I regularly write for top business publications as well. All of this significantly help with my response rates.”
There are no rules as to how you should craft your introduction.
Just to try to be genuine and give your prospect a reason to continue reading.
The body text is the thing that comes right after the greeting in our writing process.
So, what makes a good body text?
According to the same study by Backlinko I mentioned earlier, a personalized body text can make or break your brand pitch email.
In fact, according to the study’s findings:
“Emails with personalized message bodies have a 32.7% better response rate than those that don’t personalize their messages.”
Even though personalization is something that I’ll cover later on in this guide, for now, you should keep in mind that your body text needs to be highly relevant and well-researched.
Something things you can include—assuming you’re a lifestyle blogger who’s reaching out to lifestyle brands—are:
Every marketing pitch should include at least one of the above elements.
Now, this may be a bit difficult if you’re a new influencer, since you don’t have as much experience to draw from or a client portfolio to showcase, but still you have to demonstrate some kind of value.
Let’s see how we’re doing that through our email pitch.
Note: We won’t comment on the introduction—which is also part of the body text—since we’ve already commented on that in the previous section.
As you can see, right after the introduction, we’re getting into a bit more detail regarding what is that we do.
I’m blogging for over [Years] and have a website that gets over [Visits] monthly visits.
Mentioning the number of years you’ve been blogging gives you extra credibility and makes someone want to work with you.
Meanwhile, mentioning the number of visits your website gets gives your prospect an idea of the size of your audience.
Next, we’re describing how we found our prospect in the first place.
I heard about {organization} from [Conference or Event], checked your Instagram and Facebook and really liked your products.
Conferences and events are important for lifestyle brands.
Thus, mentioning an event that you know your prospect knows (and most likely has attended in the past) is a smart thing to do.
Then, we mention that we’ve done our research about the company, checked their website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or anything else that makes sense and is relevant.
Be careful though: mention only those things that do indeed make sense and are truly relevant to what your prospect’s business does.
For instance, you can’t mention LinkedIn if the company itself doesn’t have a LinkedIn company profile—that would make them understand that you haven’t actually properly checked their social media outlets.
Next, we’re asking a question that shows exactly what our intentions are with this email.
Would you be interested in discussing a collaboration between us?
It’s only natural that our prospect would like to know the reason we’re reaching out to them.
Thus, after earning some credibility by mentioning all the important things we’ve covered so far, it’s time to explain what we want to achieve through this pitch.
My advice here is this: Try to be as genuine and straightforward as you possibly can.
Be honest about why you’re reaching out and what you want.
Your prospect will appreciate that.
What are the next steps? What do you want your prospect to do right after reading your email?
Keep in mind that—like with the CTA of your email—the next steps have to be crystal clear.
This means that your prospect has to know exactly what to expect if they’re actually interested in working with you.
Here, you have to take the lead and let your prospect know more about the process of working with you.
For example, your process may include that the company will send you a free sample for testing, and once you see how the product actually works, you can start promoting it.
These next steps are (once again) part of your email’s body text.
The next steps in our example are as clear as they can possibly be.
Here’s how it (usually) works:
Since we’re talking about next steps, it’s recommended that you use a numbered list in order to make the process crystal clear for your prospect.
Tip: Here, it is recommended that you also add a link to your media kit or a page that explains how you form partnerships.
Trust me when I say that most prospects want to be told exactly what they need to do next.
Thus, adding the next steps they should follow in case they’re interested is a wise thing to do.
Just as importantly, mentioning this process will make your prospect think that this is something you’ve done plenty of times in the past.
This will help them trust you more and instantly think that they can do business with you.
Let’s move to the next element you need to include in your brand pitch email template.
Your brand pitch template has to have a clear and strong call to action (CTA).
What can this CTA be?
Here are some options:
The problem is that when most people pitch to brands, they’re afraid to take the lead and add a strong CTA.
Alternatively, they include a CTA that’s too sales-y.
Another thing to keep in mind is that pitching via email isn’t the same as pitching over social media (e.g. sending an Instagram DM).
Unfortunately, with email, you miss the benefit of instant replies.
This means that if your CTA is weak, your prospect may not bother replying at all, or may simply forget to get back to you.
So, let’s craft a good CTA for you to pitch to the lifestyle brands you’re trying to reach out to.
The CTA that we’ve chosen—the action we want our prospect to take next—is to book a meeting on our calendar.
It’s essential that they book a meeting instead of us booking it for them because it changes the dynamics of the relationship completely.
When it is “them” (the prospect) that books a meeting, it is we who have the lead and present ourselves as a solution to their problems.
Last but certainly not least, prompting our prospect to book a meeting “this week” limits the options the prospect has and increases our chances of getting a reply (either positive or negative).
For example, our prospect could reply here:
I’m interested but I can’t do it this week because I’ll be on a business trip. Can we try next week?
Making the time window in which the CTA can be answered gives us an obvious edge.
Of course, we don’t want to make that window too short (e.g. “book a meeting within the next 2 days, or…”), as this will sound sales-y and spammy.
Next, let’s close this email in the proper manner.
At this point, you need to close your brand pitch email.
Closing your pitch email can be as simple as wishing your prospect a great day, week or weekend ahead, depending on when you send the email.
However, in our closing, we’ll use something a bit different and more powerful.
We’ll close our email with a “P.S.” message.
As you can see, we’re closing with a simple…
Waiting to talk to you!
We’ve also included a P.S. that’s slightly off-topic, but shows that we’ve done our research about our prospect.
P.S. Liked your interview for [Magazine].
In your P.S., you can comment on a Tweet your prospect posted, a blog post they’ve published or an interview they gave which you found insightful.
Remember: As always, you have to be genuine and honest.
People can sense dishonesty, and you don’t want your P.S. note to break your pitch.
For some added credibility, consider closing your emails with a professional email signature. Having one will add to your trustworthiness and your memorability. The Wisestamp signature generator is a great free option that is super easy to use and set up.
Let’s move on to the final element that you need to include in your pitch.
In one of my recent posts, I explained how to create follow-up emails that your prospects can’t ignore.
A common question among many cold email practitioners is:
Should I follow up?
The short answer is yes.
However, it depends on how exactly you do it.
Following up to your previous emails can have a significant impact on your campaign’s overall success.
Relevant studies indicate that “email sequences with multiple attempts and multiple contacts boost response rates by 160%.”
Thus, following up is essential.
Of course, it’s one thing sending 1-2 follow-up emails, and another to be intrusive and annoying.
To create a follow-up email using Respona, you need to click on “Create New Step”…
… And start crafting your follow-up email.
Then, you can write the copy for your follow-up email and click save.
After finishing up your follow-up, you can move on to the next step of the process and start actually sending out emails to your prospects.
The good thing is that you can do everything inside Respona.
Respona will find and validate the best emails addresses for your prospects and will help you manage communications with these potential business partners.
Now that we’ve covered the last thing you need to include in your brand pitch email template, let’s wrap this article up with some final thoughts.
I have to admit that email outreach isn’t easy.
Even some of the best industry experts find it difficult to get a positive reply.
The good thing is, you now know how to reach out to brands and what elements to include in your pitch template.
I always suggest that you create 4-5 template variables and test them to see which ones are working better and why.
Then, you can seek out more brand collaborations by using your best-performing templates.
Pitching a brand collaboration can help you make money, get exposure and grow your business.
Now I’d like to hear from you:
Have you ever pitched a brand partnership? If so, what were the elements we’ve mentioned throughout this post that you included and why?
Let me know by leaving a comment below.
No spam, no BS, unsubscribe at any time.
