How to Build Relationships with Influencers

The secret to great influencer marketing isn't just buying shoutouts from accounts with big follower counts, it’s about building genuine relationships that turn creators into true brand advocates. This guide breaks down exactly how to find the right partners, craft outreach that actually gets a reply, and nurture those connections for long-term success. We’ll show you how to move beyond transactional posts and create partnerships that feel authentic to everyone involved.

Phase 1: Finding the Right Influencers (It's Not Just About Follower Count)

Before you even think about sending a DM, you need to lay the groundwork. The success of any outreach effort depends almost entirely on the quality of your list. If you find the right people, the rest of the process becomes a hundred times easier. Rushing this stage is the most common mistake brands make.

Define Your Goals and Audience First

It sounds basic, but it’s amazing how many brands skip this step. Before you scroll a single feed, ask yourself:

• What is our primary goal? Is it driving immediate sales, increasing brand awareness, generating high-quality user-generated content (UGC), or driving traffic to our website?
• Who is our ideal customer? Get specific. What are their interests, values, pain points, and where do they hang out online?

The best influencer is essentially an extension of your ideal customer. If you sell sustainable activewear for yoga enthusiasts, you shouldn't be looking for a generic fashion model. You need a creator who lives and breathes yoga, understands the community, and has an audience of people who trust their recommendations on mats, leggings, and lifestyle choices. The more aligned their audience is with your target customer, the more effective the partnership will be.

Look Beyond Obvious Metrics

Follower count is one of the least important metrics. It can be easily faked and says nothing about a creator's actual influence. Instead, focus on these far more meaningful indicators:

• Engagement Rate: Look at the number of likes and, more importantly, comments in proportion to their follower count. A micro-influencer with 15,000 highly engaged followers who comment on every post is infinitely more valuable than a macro-influencer with 500,000 passive followers who barely interact. Look for meaningful conversations in the comments, not just fire emojis from bot accounts.
• Content Alignment and Quality: Does their content aesthetic match your brand’s visual identity? Is their tone of voice compatible with yours? Do they consistently produce high-quality photos, videos, or articles? Most importantly, does their personal brand align with your company’s values?
• Audience Trust: This one is huge. Read the comments sections. Do followers genuinely ask for advice and seem to trust the influencer’s recommendations? When they post sponsored content, how does their audience react? If the comments are full of positivity and trust, you’ve found a winner. If it’s crickets or negativity, run the other way.

Where to Find a Goldmine of Creators

Once you know who you’re looking for, it’s time to start searching. Don't just rely on influencer platforms, the best fits are often found through organic discovery.

• Explore Relevant Hashtags: Search for specific hashtags related to your niche, industry, or location. For a local coffee shop, that might be #DenverCoffee, #DenverFoodie, or broader terms like #SpecialtyCoffee. Scroll through the "Top" and "Recent" posts to find creators who are actively posting in your space.
• Check Who Your Ideal Customers Follow: Your own audience is a fantastic resource. Look at who your most engaged followers are following and tagging. They are already leading you to the people they trust.
• See Who Competitors Are Liking: Search for brands similar to yours (or complementary ones) and see which influencers are tagging them. Better yet, see whose content those brand accounts are genuinely liking and commenting on. This gives you a list of creators who are already active and trusted in your industry.

Phase 2: Making Meaningful Contact (Don't Be a Spammer)

This is where an overwhelming number of brands fail. Sending a generic, copy-pasted DM asking "What are your sponsorship rates?" is the modern-day equivalent of cold-calling at dinnertime. You need to approach this with thoughtfulness and respect for the creator's time and business.

Warm Up the Connection: Engage Before You Ask

Before you pitch anyone, take a week or two to become a friendly face in their community. You wouldn’t ask a stranger for a huge favor minutes after meeting them, and the same principle applies here. The goal is simple: add value with zero expectations.

• Follow them everywhere. See where they are most active. Is it Instagram Reels, YouTube shorts, or a blog? Meet them where they are.
• Leave genuine comments. Go beyond "Love this!" or "Great post!" Engage with what they’ve actually said. If they post a question, answer it. If they share a personal story, react to it thoughtfully. Aim for comments that start conversations.
• Share their work. If they create a piece of content that would genuinely be valuable to your audience, share it to your Stories and tag them. This shows you respect their craft and aren't just there to take.

After a couple of weeks of consistent, non-demanding interaction, they might start to recognize your brand name. Now your "cold" outreach is a little warmer.

Crafting the First Message: The Email Pitch

Once you've built some familiarity, it’s time to make the formal ask. Email is almost always preferable to a DM. It’s more professional and less likely to get lost. Most serious creators will have their business email in their bio.

Here’s a structure for an outreach email that gets responses:

1. A Personalized Subject Line: Something like "Loving your [topic] content - potential partnership" works way better than "Collaboration Inquiry." Be specific and human.
2. Show You're a Fan First: The first line should prove you've done your homework. Reference something specific and recent. "Hi [Name], I'm [Your Name] from [Your Brand]. I absolutely loved your recent Reel on your home espresso setup - I never thought to use a WDT tool that way!"
3. Briefly Introduce Your Brand & Explain the 'Why': Tell them who you are and, most importantly, why you think a partnership makes sense. This isn’t about you, it's about mutual alignment. "We make ethically sourced coffee beans, and we were so impressed by your deep knowledge and your community's passion for specialty coffee."
4. State Your Idea Clearly: Be direct about what you're thinking. Is it a gift of free product, a one-off paid post, an affiliate relationship, or something bigger? "We'd love to send you a bag of our new single-origin roast to try, with no obligation to post. If you enjoy it, we could discuss a more official partnership down the line." This low-pressure ask is great for a first touchpoint.
5. Make it Easy to Respond: End with a clear, simple call-to-action. Don't make them do the work. "If you're open to it, just let me know the best address to send the package to! Either way, keep up the amazing content."

Phase 3: Nurturing the Relationship for the Long-Term

Getting a "yes" to your first campaign is not the finish line, it’s the starting line. The real benefit of influencer marketing comes from turning a single collaboration into a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership.

Trust Their Creative Expertise

You chose this creator for their unique voice and their connection with their community. The biggest mistake you can make is trying to turn them into a walking billboard for your brand by handing them a rigid script. This will only lead to content that feels unnatural and falls flat with their audience.

Instead, provide a clear and concise brief that outlines:

• The overall campaign goal.
• Key messages or benefits you must include.
• Any mandatory calls-to-action (#, @, or links).
• Important DOs and DON'Ts (e.g., please don’t show the product next to a competitor's).
• Due dates and publishing schedules.

After that, step back a bit and give them the creative freedom to present your brand in a way that feels organic to their personal style.

Think Beyond a Single Paycheck

Fair compensation is foundational. Creators are entrepreneurs, and their work provides real value. Always be prepared to pay them for their services. However, a strong relationship is built on more than just the exchange of money for a post.

Consider offering value in other ways to show you see them as a partner:

• Share Their Content: Feature their collaboration content prominently on your own social channels, website, or in your newsletters (always with their permission and proper credit). This gives them exposure to your audience.
• Give Exclusive Access: Invite your top-tier partners to virtual or in-person brand events, give them a sneak peek at new product launches before the public, or ask for their input on a new product flavor or design.
• Invest in Their Growth: If you see a particularly promising micro-influencer, offer them resources that help their business. This could be anything from professional photography for an upcoming campaign to an affiliate program that provides a steady income stream.

The goal is to make them feel like an integral part of your team, not just a hired gun.

Communication is Everything

Maintain an open, respectful, and professional line of communication once you stop "pitching". Be organized. Ship products on time. Pay your invoices promptly. Be quick to respond to their questions. If you appreciate the content they create, tell them!

Even better, don't just disappear after the campaign is over. Keep up your gentle engagement with their content. If they reach a big follower milestone, send a quick note of congratulations. These small gestures show you still value them as a person and creator, even when they're not actively working on a project for you. This is what keeps your brand top of mind for future opportunities and turns collaborators into true, long-lasting advocates.

Final Thoughts

Building real relationships with influencers is a slow burn, not a shortcut. It’s about mutual respect, shared values, and investing the time to connect with people who are aligned with your brand's mission, not just their follower count.

Keeping track of all those conversations - comments, DMs, and story replies across multiple platforms - can get chaotic fast. We actually built Postbase to solve this very problem. Having a unified inbox for all our social accounts makes it so much easier to engage with creators and our community without letting important messages slip through the cracks. It helps us stay organized and responsive, which is essential for nurturing these partnerships.