Speaker A
In just 10 minutes, you're going to know exactly how to sign your first influencer and land your first brand. Whether you're starting from scratch or have been at it for a while, I'm going to give you five practical steps to land clients.
Learn 5 practical steps to sign your first influencer and land your first brand with no experience or big network needed.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
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Key Takeaways
- Specializing in a niche builds authority and trust with brands and influencers.
- Personalized outreach is more effective than mass generic emails.
- Micro-influencers offer better engagement and ROI at lower costs.
- Persistence with follow-ups is crucial to getting responses.
- Understanding client needs before selling increases chances of success.
What the video covers
- Step 1: Define your niche and target market to become a specialist rather than a generalist.
- Step 2: Find influencers and brands by using Instagram hashtags, LinkedIn employee directories, and free influencer search tools.
- Step 3: Reach out to influencers and brands using personalized LinkedIn messages and emails, avoiding generic cold emails.
- Step 4: Focus on micro-influencers with high engagement for better ROI and easier communication.
- Step 5: Follow up persistently but politely, varying your message and adding value each time.
- Avoid pitching influencers with managers or talent agencies to reduce complications.
- Target brands already familiar with influencer marketing for easier sales.
- Keep outreach messages brief, polite, authoritative, and niche-specific to solve brand problems.
- Timing your outreach during business hours and early in the week improves response rates.
- The first call with a client should focus on understanding their needs, not selling.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Overview of 5 Steps
- 00:44Importance of Choosing a Niche
- 01:27Examples and Niche Specialization
- 02:13Step 2: Finding Influencers and Brands
- 03:03Benefits of Micro-Influencers
- 03:52Finding Brands Already Using Influencers
- 04:37Step 3: Reaching Out to Influencers and Brands
- 05:21Personalized Messaging and Call to Action
- 06:29Outreach Tips and Timing
- 09:13Importance of Follow-Ups and Message Variation
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
with no years of experience or big Network needed the first step is defining your Niche and target market I've mentioned it before and you probably think that I'm a broken record at this point but choosing a niche is
Speaker A
No years of experience or big network needed. The first step is defining your niche and target market. I've mentioned it before, and you probably think that I'm a broken record at this point, but choosing a niche is super important.
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but when you ask them Niche specific questions you just get generic answers are you going to want to work with them or you want to work with an IMA owner that specializes in for example the beauty Niche obviously the specialized
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Without it, you're a jack of all trades and a master of none. Imagine being a brand like Netflix or L'Oreal Paris, and you're approached by some random IMA owner telling you that they're going to run campaigns for you.
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in other niches and I've just referred them to people in my IM Academy program that's how seriously you should take it so pick a niche doesn't matter which one as long as you're willing to constantly learn about it figure the pain points of
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But when you ask them niche-specific questions, you just get generic answers. Are you going to want to work with them, or do you want to work with an IMA owner that specializes in, for example, the beauty niche? Obviously, the specialized agency.
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Brands is actually simpler than you think head to Instagram search for a popular hashtag inyour Niche and use the explore to when you find someone with good engagement and a decent following hit that arrow button to see similar
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So pick a niche. For example, we are in gaming, tech, and entertainment, so we service brands and influencers in that area. We don't try and approach people outside of it, and there are multiple instances where I've been referred clients in other niches, and I've just referred them to people in my IM Academy program. That's how seriously you should take it.
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better results at a lower price than big influencers why they usually don't charge as much because they think they can't with a small following but their audiences are more engaged meeting better Roi for you and the brands they're also a lot easier to get
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So pick a niche. It doesn't matter which one as long as you're willing to constantly learn about it, figure out the pain points of influencers and brands, and pick even the consumers in it. The more you learn, the more everyone will trust you when you pitch your services as an authority.
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quickly to check this is just to look at their email if it's a business email they're probably represented so there are easier options out there for you now for finding Brands Target ones that are already working with influencers as it's
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That takes us to step two: finding influencers and brands. Finding influencers and brands is actually simpler than you think. Head to Instagram, search for a popular hashtag in your niche, and use the explore tool. When you find someone with good engagement and a decent following, hit that arrow button to see similar influencers and keep repeating that to build your list.
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with multiple influencers they're your ideal clients the other way is on LinkedIn check the employee directory of companies and search for roles with influencer in the title and if they have someone managing influencer marketing they're a perfect fit this method Works
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Another option is just using free influencer search tools. You can just Google them up, and you'll find plenty. Here's a tip: micro-influencers with high engagement can often give you better results at a lower price than big influencers.
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email cold email involves sending hundreds or thousands of generic emails but for beginners it's not as effective so we're just going to focus on LinkedIn and personalized emails the process is really the same for both you want to
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Why? They usually don't charge as much because they think they can't with a small following, but their audiences are more engaged, meaning better ROI for you and the brands. They're also a lot easier to get responses from since people don't think to pitch them as often, nor do big agencies focus on landing them.
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genuinely interested keep your message brief polite and authoritative and focus on providing value not General marketing info but specific Niche Focus value that solves their brands problems then you want to add a clear call to action like are you open to me sending some
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When you're choosing influencers, avoid anyone with a manager or talent agency. It just adds extra complications. A quick way to check this is just to look at their email. If it's a business email, they're probably represented, so there are easier options out there for you.
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be the same as in your LinkedIn message for influencers you can DM them on Instagram or email and I personally recommend you go via email to begin with but in DMS keep it super short no one's reading paragraphs introduce yourself
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Now, for finding brands, target ones that are already working with influencers, as it's way easier to sell your services to someone who's already familiar with influencer marketing. Here's how to find them: first, look at influencers in your niche on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram and scroll through their content for sponsored posts.
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here are two quick tips I suggest you guys take note of one Outreach is a numbers game but only if it's truly personalized sending 50 highquality messages a day beats 100 generic ones and secondly time your Outreach within
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If certain brands pop up with multiple influencers, they're your ideal clients. The other way is on LinkedIn: check the employee directory of companies and search for roles with influencer in the title. If they have someone managing influencer marketing, they're a perfect fit.
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eyes the money is in the follow-ups very rarely will you ever get response are b a meeting with the first message people are busy they miss emails and DMS so following up is key here's how you do it
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This method works in any niche, so trust me, this works. Once you got your list of influencers and brands, it's time for step three, which is reaching out. So let's start with the brands.
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brand or work or mention a recent campaign or post that they did for example if your first message was offering value on influencer marketing your followup can mention a different angle like a specific influencer that you think be great fit for for their
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There are three ways to reach out: LinkedIn, personalized email, and cold email. Cold email involves sending hundreds or thousands of generic emails, but for beginners, it's not as effective, so we're just going to focus on LinkedIn and personalized emails.
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potentially collaborate if you don't get reply after that follow up again in a few more days adjust your message slightly each time and maybe offer a case study or share a quick tip relevant to their Niche the key is persistence
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The process is really the same for both. You want to connect with decision-makers or people in the influencer marketing department. Your message needs to be personalized, so don't just spam them.
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just have to know when to stop and if it's clear they aren't interested like they've seen the follow-ups you've sent but ignored you constantly then just forget it leave it on an open note where they can potentially reach out to you
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Spend a few minutes finding something they care about or worked on recently, as it shows you're genuinely interested. Keep your message brief, polite, and authoritative, and focus on providing value—not general marketing info but specific niche-focused value that solves their brand's problems.
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step five is getting them on a call but here's the key don't try and sell in the first call instead focus on understanding their needs and building trust when asking for the call keep it casual and low pressure something like
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Then you want to add a clear call to action, like, "Are you open to me sending some influencers you could work with on a campaign?" or "Booking a call to discuss this further."
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ask about their current challenges what they're trying to achieve and what has and hasn't worked for them so far keep the conversation focused on them use questions like what's your biggest goal for influencer marketing right now what's the most difficult part for you
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If you prefer sending personalized emails, use the apollo.io tool to scrape emails from LinkedIn. It's free and works right in your Chrome browser. The email structure should be the same as in your LinkedIn message.
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guarantee you can say something like I want to make this a no-brainer and we're just talking but here's what I can offer you a discounted rate for this first campaign and to make sure you're comfortable I'll guarantee results and
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For influencers, you can DM them on Instagram or email, and I personally recommend you go via email to begin with. But in DMs, keep it super short. No one's reading paragraphs.
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work for free you're guaranteeing that they won't lose money if you won't deliver results at the end of the call instead of pushing for a decision suggest the next step for example I'll put together some ideas and send them
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Introduce yourself, explain what you do, and offer value. Or in an email, add a personalized compliment, then explain the value and your solution to their pain points.
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you're serious without overwhelming them with a hard sell by offering a results guarantee you're creating trust and reducing their risk while still charging for your services as a beginner this helps you build experience and credibility will make it easier for them
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I have other videos breaking down outreach strategies in detail, but that's just the general gist.
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clients get your future clients and build your reputation here's how to approach it step by step the first step is to set clear expectations with your client or influencer make sure everyone's on the same page at the campaign goals timelines deliverables
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Here are two quick tips I suggest you guys take note of. One, outreach is a numbers game, but only if it's truly personalized. Sending 50 high-quality messages a day beats 100 generic ones.
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managing influencers content or deadlines keep everything organized use tools like Google Sheets or project management softwares like clickup which is what I personally use and there's a link to that in the description to track progress deadlines and communication the
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And secondly, time your outreach within business hours and aim for early in the week when people are more focused.
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to post this week and we'll start seeing results by insert specific date I'll keep you posted engagement numbers as they come in then monitor the campaign keep an eye on the metrics and performance throughout the campaign whether it's tracking the influencers
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I don't want any of you guys to give up if you don't get responses initially, though, because step four is following up. And I know we mentioned this earlier, but in my eyes, the money is in the follow-ups.
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and deliver a simple report that highlights the campaign successes be transparent if something didn't go as expected and offer suggestions for improvement in the next campaign something that you could say is here's what we achieved 25% engagement increase
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Very rarely will you ever get a response or a meeting with the first message. People are busy; they miss emails and DMs, so following up is key.
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opportunities that is the key for building long-term relationships and securing future deals you could say I'd love to discuss working on another campaign together we could explore X ideer for the next quarter let me know if you're open to a quick chat now that
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Here's how you do it: first, wait around two to three days before sending your follow-up. You want to stay on the radar without coming across as pushy.
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got a f length free 1hour course going through Outreach building campaigns and basically everything you need so click right here for that video and otherwise if this video helped hit the like button subscribe and please consider leaving a
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When you do follow up, don't just repeat your first message. Mix it up. Reference something specific about their brand or work, or mention a recent campaign or post that they did.
Topics:influencer marketinginfluencer outreachfinding influencersbrand partnershipsmicro-influencersniche marketingclient acquisitionpersonalized outreachinfluencer agencyinfluencer marketing strategy
