Influencer Outreach Email Templates
Six emails covering the whole arc of a brand deal, from the first cold pitch to chasing a late invoice. Fill in your numbers once and every template fills itself in.
An influencer outreach email is the message a creator sends a brand to open, negotiate, or close a sponsorship. The ones that work are short, specific to that brand, and carry one or two real numbers. The hard ones are not the cold pitch but the replies: countering a lowball without killing the deal, charging properly for usage rights a brand assumed were free, and chasing money that has not arrived. All six are here, and the numbers come from your own channel rather than a placeholder.
Hi there, I'm [your name], I run [your channel], a [your niche] channel averaging [average views] views per video. I've been using [brand] for a while and my audience keeps asking what I use, so it felt worth reaching out rather than waiting. What I'd propose: a 60 to 90 second integration in an upcoming video, with the content built around how it actually fits into what I already do rather than a scripted read. Rate for that is [your rate]. I've attached my rate card with the other formats. Worth a quick call? [your name] [@yourhandle]
Once a brand says yes, put the terms in writing with the free influencer contract template. Once the deal is live you also have to disclose it publicly, see the FTC Endorsement Guides.
Influencer Outreach Email Templates, FAQ
What should an influencer outreach email include?
Four things and nothing else: who you are in one line, a specific reason you are writing to that brand rather than any brand, one or two numbers that prove your audience matches theirs, and a single clear next step. Keep it under 150 words. Brand managers read these on a phone between meetings, and the long ones get archived unread.
Should I put my rate in the first email?
Usually not in a cold pitch, because naming a number before you know the scope caps you at that number. Do name it the moment they ask what you charge, and name it as a range tied to a deliverable rather than a single figure. If they opened with an offer, respond with your rate immediately, since the first number on the table anchors everything that follows.
How many brands should I pitch?
Reply rates on cold creator outreach are low, so treat it as volume plus relevance rather than one perfect email. Twenty well targeted, genuinely personalised emails will beat two hundred generic ones. Pitch brands you already use and can talk about credibly, and pitch the ones already sponsoring creators your size rather than the biggest name in the category.
What do I do if a brand ghosts me?
Follow up once after five to seven working days, then once more after another two weeks, then stop. Add something new each time rather than just bumping the thread, a recent video that performed well or a relevant result. Silence after three touches is a no, and continuing past that costs you the chance to pitch them again in six months.
How do I respond to a lowball sponsorship offer?
Do not reject it and do not accept it. Thank them, restate what they are asking for in full including the usage rights and exclusivity, then give your rate for exactly that scope with the reasoning attached. Most brands hold 40 to 60 percent flexibility above their opening number, and a counter backed by your view count and niche rate is the thing that unlocks it.