Reaching out to Instagram influencers and brand ambassadors for collaborations isn’t easy.

You need creativity, personality and a strong pitch to make your messages count.

That’s because influencers get pitched all the time.

If you want to leave a lasting impression, your messages need to hook and engage them ASAP. For brands trying to do influencer collaborations at scale, getting ghosted isn't an option.

Not sure what a "good" collab email looks like? Don’t sweat it! Below we share our easy-to-use pitching templates and best practices for sending Instagram collaboration messages.

👉 Learn how our Instagram influencer marketing platform eliminates collab requests!

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Before Using Our Instagram Collaboration Email Templates, Read This!

Keep in mind there are multiple ways to reach influencers to ask for collabs.

Want your pitch to feel casual and personable? Then an Instagram DM (direct message) might be the way to go. DMs encourage you to be brief and get right to the point. This can increase your chances of a speedy reply.

That said, many Instagram influencers prefer to be contacted via email.

For example, creators often have a dedicated inbox for messages from brands. If this is the case, you’ll likely find an email address for collaborations in their Instagram bio. You might also find their preferred form of contact in their bio link (via Linkt.ree or Linkin.bio).

The takeaway? Always confirm the contact preferences of an influencer before messaging them!

If email isn't their preferred form of contact, adapt your messages to Instagram DMs (and vice-versa). This will improve your response rate. In situations where emails or DMs are fair game, use your best judgment.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the templates.!

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1. Standard Instagram Collaboration Pitch Template
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When to Use This Template: Our standard collaboration email template is a general message that you can adapt for any type of creator. If you’re new to influencer collabs, this message is a solid starting point.

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Standard Collaboration Email Template in Use

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2. Product Feedback Pitch Template
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Our product feedback email template is perfect for influencer gifting collaborations. While it’s hard for anyone to resist the power of “free,” you need to mind how you present your collaboration offer.

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Product Feedback Email Template in Use

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3. Brand Ambassador Collaboration Pitch Template
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Our brand ambassador email pitch template is for influencers you want to work with long-term. Nail down your brand ambassador program’s perks and rules before sending your emails.

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Brand Ambassador Email Pitch Template in Use

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4. Instagram Giveaway Collaboration Pitch Template
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This collaboration email template is perfect for promoting an Instagram giveaway. Make sure your prizes and rules are sorted before you hit “send.”

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Giveaway Collaboration Email Template in Use

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Note: Need inspiration for your next Instagram giveaway? Check out The Ultimate Checklist to Hosting an Instagram Giveaway or Contest!

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Best Practices for Brands Sending Collaboration Emails to Influencers

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Messaging Instagram influencers involves a lot of moving pieces.

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That's why we recommend using an influencer marketing platform like Statusphere so you can actually reach 100s or 1000s of influencers without juggling just as many emails or DMs.

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Our platform removes the need to conduct manual outreach by connecting your brand with vetted creators based on 300+ unique targeting data points.

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But let's say you're dead-set on doing things the DIY way for now, though.

If you want to triple-check that your emails are on point, we totally get it.

Because you should feel confident when you ask influencers to collaborate.

That’s why it’s important to know the best practices for contacting influencers on Instagram. Review the tips below to fine-tune your pitches and messaging strategy.

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Keeping Your Collaboration Requests Short!

Nobody wants to read a novel in their inbox.

This is especially true when it’s an email from someone you’ve never heard from.

When in doubt, keep your collaboration messages short and sweet.

Just how short, though? Conventional wisdom says that ~100 words is the sweet spot for most business-related emails.

Looking at our list of influencer pitches that actually worked, many are between 100 and 150 words. According to industry data, emails up to 100 words receive the highest response rate.

Consider also that most emails are opened on mobile devices. Think about how your message is going to look on a smartphone screen. If your emails require readers to scroll, they’re probably too long.

Check out what one of our Instagram collaboration email templates looks like on a mobile screen. For reference, the template below is roughly 100 words total.

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The takeaway? Don’t get too wordy! Your collaboration emails shouldn’t tell your brand’s entire story to influencers. Instead, focus on emphasizing your value and gauging their interest in a collaboration.

Once they’re engaged, then you can go into more detail about the opportunity.

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Personalize Your Influencer Collaboration Emails (Yes, All of Them)

Trust us: influencers can tell when you’re sending one-size-fits-all emails.

Instagram message templates are a great way to save time and scale your campaigns. Templates also organize your pitches to make them more direct and benefit-driven.

Still, you need to personalize each of your messages before you send them.

Why, though? Low-effort emails reflect poorly on your brand. Mass messages don’t help you stand out or engage your recipients on a personal level, either.

That’s why it pays to personalize your messages. This means:
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• Referring to influencers by name
• Complimenting a recent post (and be specific about why it stood out )
• Explaining how you discovered their Instagram content and profile

Personalized emails go hand in hand with higher engagement and response rates. An oft-cited study from Salesloft notes that personalizing just 20% of an email lifts reply rates by 112% (plus 40% more opens).

Remember to do your homework on any influencers you plan to message. The research is 100% worth the effort. Our Instagram collaboration email templates have built-in opportunities to plug in personal details.

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Let Influencers Know That Your Request is Legit ASAP

Content creators are suspicious of spam and scams. We don’t blame them.

And so some influencers are already on the defensive when they get a cold email from a brand they don’t know.

Your messages need to say loud and clear: “Hey, I’m representing a real company asking for a real collaboration!” Here are a few ways to do exactly that:
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• Use an email signature that includes your full name and headshot.
  
  
• Send your collaboration emails from a company email address. Getting a message from [yourname]@[branddomain].com feels more legitimate than a personal Gmail or Yahoo account. However, make sure you present your emails as being from a person and not a department (think: marketing@[branddomain].com).
  
  
• Try to get your influencers’ contact information from a public source. This might include their social media bios, Linkt.ree or professional website. Getting someone’s email from a third party adds an extra layer of trust-building to the pitching process. You should ideally contact influencers that want to be contacted directly.
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You only have one chance to make a first impression. The more legitimate you look from the get-go, the more likely potential influencers are to respond positively.

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Craft Subject Lines That Get Influencers Excited

Fact: 47% of recipients will open an email based on the subject line alone.

Subject lines can be make-or-break for your collaboration messages. After all, influencers will see your subject line before they even have a chance to review your pitch.

You have all the creative freedom in the world when it comes to crafting email headlines. The problem? Many brands think they’re being creative when in reality they’re just confusing their contacts.

Our advice? Rather than be clever or cute, be direct.

Still, there is no “right” way to write a collaboration email subject line. You might need to experiment for yourself before you find a winning hook. Here are some subject line tips based on recent research to help you brainstorm:
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• Length-wise, subject lines between 15 and 70 characters are considered “good” (~24 characters is “optimal”).
• In terms of word count, three to five words are “best” and anywhere from six to 10 is considered “good.”
• Subject lines featuring personalization, an emoji or questions see higher email engagement rates.

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Sample Subject Lines to Boost Opens for Your Influencer Emails

Not much of a wordsmith? No worries!  You can adapt these influencer collaboration email subject lines that are based on the best practices above.
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• Loved your latest post about [Industry/Product], [Name]!
• We want you to be [Brand Name]’s next ambassador!
• [Name], we love what we’ve seen on Instagram! 👀
• [Name], we want you to be a [Brand Name] VIP! ✨
• [Name] x [Brand Name] collab? 🤝
• [Brand Name] wants to collab with you, [Name]!

Some subject lines are more direct than others and that’s okay!  Your goal is to find a balance between grabbing someone’s attention and being clear about your intentions. These sample influencer subject lines tick those boxes.
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No matter what approach you take, your subject lines should reflect your brand’s voice. Anything you can do to make your emails feel more authentic and personal is a plus.

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How to Reach More Influencers That Want to Collaborate with Your Brand

Emailing influencers and brand ambassadors might seem intimidating.

It doesn’t have to be, though!

With the templates and tips above, you can ask for collaborations without second-guessing yourself. Just make sure to add your own personality and flair to our templates to make them really pop.

Of course, doing so takes a huge chunk out of your schedule.

If you want to take your Instagram collaboration campaigns to the next level, it’s time to connect with more creators. Brands that maximize the ROI of their influencer collabs are working with hundreds of creators and not just a handful.

And Statusphere makes that scalability possible without requiring you to send a single email.

Our micro-influencer marketing platform matches brands with relevant influencers from our vetted creator network. This means you can earn guaranteed posts at scale without worrying about managing or coordinating collaborations yourself.

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Statusphere also streamlines the most time-consuming pieces of influencer marketing such as fulfillment, reporting and content rights management. Our software saves our brands 98% of the work involved with running campaigns in-house.

Want to learn more about how our platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to see how we can maximize your influencer marketing campaigns with guaranteed content at scale.

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This article was first published in June 2019. It was last updated March 13, 2025.

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