How to build relationships with influencers when you want to promote your product?
This is more of a feedback for marketers who are trying to establish contact with bigger influencers.
Thanks to my experience from "both sides", I noticed certain patterns that could work better and satisfaction would be on both sides. :)
Here are my points for better collaboration with influencers:
1️⃣ When reaching out, mention it’s a paid collaboration. If you don’t have a proposal, ask for their price list—big influencers filter messages that don’t clarify this. They don't have time to deal with every message.
2️⃣ Instruct them. Make a custom tutorial on how the product works, not every person fell from the sky as a scholar; that's why they need instructions, ideally a video tutorial.
3️⃣ Offer an extended trial or free version to motivate long-term use and organic promotion – but only if the influencer finds it relevant to their workflow.
4️⃣ Establish conditions beforehand and organise everything in advance. If you do things haphazardly and at the last minute, the output will also be poor. In short, don't expect a miracle.
5️⃣ Track. You're a marketer, so there's probably no need to say much about this. 😀
What point would you add that has worked for you?
Replies
Lancepilot
I’ve always thought about influencer marketing for my product outreach but wasn’t sure how to approach it the right way. Your breakdown makes it much clearer.
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@priyankamandal I will try to write something like that for my newsletter, in the future :)
MultiDrive
Another thing: how to atrract influencers for unpaid collaboration? :)
When you have a free product, and if their audience finds it usefull for daily tasks.
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@tetiana_hryshmanovska yes, but I would say that people you are describing are amabassadors or better said: advocates for the product :)
Cal ID
Really impressed by this list, Nika!
I’d just add one thing that’s worked for us, both as a page owner and a marketer: start warm – engage with their content before pitching. Just some thoughtful comments, occasional shares, and a DM that’s about their last video, not just your product.
When reaching out to smaller or mid-tier creators, personal relevance is everything. Find people who already care about your space, they’ll be more likely to make the collab sound real (that's the end goal, right?)
I have a page on IG with over 1.3M followers, and after doing a gazillion brand collabs including Sony, Meta, and a few other brands, I could say that even the most handsomely paid marketing executives have a miss between relevance and their expertise.
Let creators put their own spin on things! They know their audience better than your analytics. Authentic posts move the needle way more than forced ones.
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@sanskarix Wow, which Instagram account do you have with 1.3M followers?
Cal ID
@busmark_w_nika Its actually a meme page, kinda reposted content but good reach - @ twentisty give it a shot, we might make you smile (if not laugh)
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@sanskarix This one? https://www.instagram.com/twentisty/ Do you pay for ads?
Cal ID
@busmark_w_nika Yup, that's the one, and I didn't quite get your question. Did you mean - do I charge for ads? If that's what you wanted to ask then yes, that's how the page is being monetized so far. We've collaborated with Meta, Apple, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, and a few other companies for many campaigns.
Just listened to this episode of How I Built This https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-advice-line-playing-to-your-strengths/ where Lady Gaga's former manager Troy Carter talks partnering with influencers. Main take away for me: it has to be authentic.
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@robingreenwood Wou, I need to listen to this, TY!
Triforce Todos
I’d add: let creators have some creative freedom. Strict scripts can make the promotion feel forced and less effective
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@abod_rehman Yes! Authenticity matters. :) I like when I can do things according to myself :D
@abod_rehman I'm 100% aligned with your opinion. When brands impose too many restrictions, creators end up producing repetitive, almost identical content. This not only reduces originality but also limits the natural creativity that makes influencer collaborations impactful. As a result, the content often fails to resonate with audiences and may even hinder overall reach, because people quickly recognize when multiple creators are pushing the same templated message instead of something authentic.
Great list, @busmark_w_nika ... I’d add one more: frame it around how the influencer’s audience benefits, not just how your product shines. When they can instantly see the value for their followers, the collaboration feels natural and works long term.
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@automations24 Nice one! :) Sometimes I forget about people who it is for :D
IXORD
I agree with point 2; it's true that people won't spend time with a product to learn how it works. People need to be shown that the product can be useful to them, and given the extended trial period, this is the best combination.
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@ixord True, I do not like to talk about products I do not know how to use.
Great insights, Nika!
I’d add one more thing that’s worked really well: build a genuine relationship before pitching.
Follow their work, engage thoughtfully with their content, and understand their audience. When you reach out, it doesn’t feel like a cold message, it feels like a collaboration that benefits both sides. That foundation often makes influencers more open and invested in promoting your product authentically.
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@ritik_ranjan Can you share name of influencers you acquired this way?
@busmark_w_nika Thanks Nika! Most of the influencers I connected with were in the SaaS and sales-tech space. Rather than big names, I focused on micro-influencers who had a strong, engaged community. Happy to share more about the approach if that helps!
Really solid points 👏. I especially agree with the extended trial one — I’ve noticed many collaborations fail because influencers don’t actually get enough time to experience the product before promoting it. Without that, the promotion feels forced.
Curious though — in your experience, what’s the sweet spot for trial length so influencers can use it enough but brands don’t overcommit?
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@ahmad63 The best ones were forever plans :D of course :D However, from both perspectives, 6 months or 1 year seems like a long-term collaboration.
@busmark_w_nika Haha forever plans do sound like the dream 😅. But I like your point about 6–12 months — that feels like the right balance between commitment and giving enough time for genuine adoption. Short trials often push for surface-level promotion, but longer ones let influencers actually live with the product. Makes the eventual content way more authentic.
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@ahmad63 Yeah, I think that I felt more committed and more likely to use/promote the tool when I received the yearly plan. Several times, I received a lifetime plan, but they stopped the service then.
Great pointers, Nika!
Loved the Track part here, you need to make sure that the analytics and benefits part stays clear here to make collaborations fruitful and rewarding.
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@bhargav5394 But many users do not love that part, to be honest. 😅