To get in contact with an influencer, start by making your outreach look credible and easy to respond to. Use your brand’s official email or social account, introduce yourself briefly, and explain what kind of collaboration you have in mind. Keep your tone direct and respectful, focusing on why you’re reaching out and what the next step could be. Influencers tend to reply more often to messages that are clear, genuine, and professional without sounding scripted.
It’s really important to learn the best ways to contact creators to increase your chances of getting a reply. Every unanswered message slows down campaign planning and adds to the time and cost of finding new creators.
When your outreach is clear and credible, it shortens the back-and-forth process and helps you identify the right partners faster. In the long run, knowing how to write messages that actually get replies saves effort, reduces acquisition costs, and keeps your campaign moving instead of stalling in inboxes.
How to increase your chances of getting a response
Start with proof of credibility
A short one-liner about your brand, one key audience-fit stat (for example, “our main audience overlaps 70% with yours”), and a short description of the deliverable or usage period make your offer clear.
Get to the point fast
The first two lines should explain who you are and what kind of collaboration you’re offering. Avoid long introductions or background stories.
Ask one clear thing
Make a single, specific request. For example, ask if they’re open to partnerships or if they can share their rate card. One focused ask gets better results than several at once.
Keep the next step easy
Offer a clear path to reply, like attaching a short brief or suggesting a quick call, but without pressure.
Follow up politely
Wait around three days before sending one short follow-up, then another a few days later if needed. If there’s still no reply, let it go and move on.
“Most of the time, ‘how do I get in contact with an influencer’ is really ‘how do I not look weird in their inbox.’ A short intro, a real profile, and a clear reason you’re reaching out already put you ahead of half the messages they get.” — Ayu Dewi, Content Marketing Writer at HypeAuditor
What to keep in mind
Getting in contact with influencers is partly about knowing the right “access paths.” While direct email or DMs work in many cases, some creators operate through other channels. Use creator marketplaces like TikTok Creator Marketplace to reach influencers who are open to brand deals. Others rely on managers or agencies, which you can usually find tagged in their bios (always contact those representatives first). You can also try introductions from other creators or even approach influencers you meet at industry events - these “warm” connections tend to work better than cold messages.
The way you open your message determines how seriously it’s read. A good subject line should be short, specific, and professional. A small personalization makes your message stand out from dozens of basic pitches.
“Choose some specific work they did or a video you saw that made you think that they are a good fit, scammers send canned emails saying that they are a good fit, but not anything specific.” — from r/influencermarketing
Timing also plays a part. Avoid reaching out late at night or on weekends, when most creators are either offline or busy posting their own content. Try messaging during weekday mornings based on their time zone and posting habits; that’s when they’re most likely to check inquiries.
You can usually tell if a creator is self-managed or represented by checking their bio. If it lists a manager or agency contact, keep your tone formal and brief because managers prefer facts over small talk. For self-managed influencers, a more conversational tone works better since you’re speaking directly with them.
