How to Contact TikTok Influencers

Finding the right TikTok influencer to shout out your brand can feel like a game-changer, and it often is. But figuring out how to get their attention without your message getting lost in a sea of spam is the real challenge. This guide strips away the guesswork and gives you a clear, step-by-step plan for finding, vetting, and successfully contacting the TikTok creators who are perfect for your brand.

First Things First: Groundwork Before the Outreach

Jumping straight into someone’s DMs without a plan is a recipe for being ignored. A successful influencer partnership starts with knowing exactly what you want to achieve and who you need to partner with to get there. Taking a moment to define this will save you countless hours later.

Define Your Goals and Ideal Creator

Before you even open the TikTok app, ask yourself a few simple questions:

• What is the goal? Are you trying to drive sales for a specific product, boost brand awareness, get app downloads, or promote an event? A campaign for an e-commerce brand selling T-shirts will look very different from one for a new mobile game.
• Who is your target audience? Be specific. Not just "Gen Z," but maybe "college students in the US who are into sustainable fashion" or "dads who love grilling and dad jokes." Your ideal influencer should be creating content for that exact audience.
• What is your budget? Know your numbers. This includes the creator's fee, the cost of any products you'll be sending them, and any ad spend you plan to put behind the content. Influencers range from nano-creators who might accept free products to mega-stars who command five or six figures per video.

Once you have these answers, you can create an "ideal creator persona." This is a quick profile of the perfect influencer for your campaign. It might look something like this:

• Niche: Home cooking, simple recipes for beginners
• Follower Count: 25k - 100k (micro-influencer)
• Audience: Primarily millennials in the US & Canada
• Content Style: Authentic, slightly chaotic, funny, uses trending sounds well
• Vibe: Relatable, not overly polished

This persona becomes your north star. It makes the search process much more focused and effective.

Where to Find TikTok Influencers

Now that you know who you’re looking for, it's time to find them. There’s no single "best" way, using a mix of these methods usually yields the best results.

• TikTok's Creator Marketplace (TCM): This is TikTok’s official platform for connecting brands and creators. You can filter influencers by topic, location, audience demographics, and more. It’s a great starting point, though not all creators are on it, especially smaller ones.
• Manual Searching on TikTok: Don't underestimate the power of using TikTok like a regular user. Search relevant hashtags (#veganrecipes, #thriftflip, #indiegame), keywords, and trending sounds related to your industry. Pay attention to who is consistently creating quality content in your niche. Your "For You Page" is a powerful discovery engine once the algorithm understands what you’re looking for.
• Look at Your Own Followers: Who are your brand's biggest fans? Sometimes, your best advocates are already following you. Look for creators in your audience who are already posting content in your niche. An existing fan is much more likely to be interested in a partnership.
• Analyze Your Competitors: Which influencers are your competitors working with? While you may not want to work with the exact same people, it gives you an excellent idea of who is active and effective in your space.

Analyze Influencers Beyond Their Follower Count

A big follower number looks impressive, but it’s one of the least important metrics for a successful campaign. Engagement and authenticity are what actually matter. Before adding an influencer to your shortlist, do a deep dive into their profile.

Check for Authentic Engagement

Look past the likes. The comments section is where you find the truth about an influencer's community.

• Are comments genuine? Look for real conversations and questions related to the content. Vague comments like "Nice!" or a string of emojis could be from bots or low-quality engagement pods.
• Does the creator reply? An influencer who engages with their audience in the comments shows that they care about their community, which is a massive plus for any brand partner.
• What's the view-to-like ratio? While not a perfect science, very high views with very low likes and comments can sometimes be a red flag for inflated numbers. A healthy engagement rate is typically calculated as (Likes + Comments + Shares) / Views * 100. Aim for creators with engagement rates that are strong for their niche and follower size.

Assess Their Content and Brand Alignment

Spend at least 15-20 minutes scrolling through their feed. Ask yourself:

• Is their brand persona consistent with yours? If your brand is lighthearted and fun, a creator with a very serious or academic tone probably isn’t the right fit, even if their audience demographics match.
• What is the quality of their content? Look for clear video, good lighting, clear audio, and creative editing. Does it feel like they put effort into their posts?
• How have they handled past partnerships? Look for videos with the #ad or #sponsored hashtag. Do their sponsored posts feel forced and salesy, or are they integrated naturally and creatively into their regular content style? The latter is what you want. You’re looking for a partner who can sell without selling.

How to Craft an Outreach Message That Actually Gets Read

You’ve found your perfect match. Now it's time to reach out. Creators, especially larger ones, get dozens (or hundreds) of pitches every day. Yours needs to stand out by being personal, professional, and straight to the point.

Find the Right Way to Contact Them

Most dedicated creators know their value and want to be contacted in a professional manner. Check their TikTok bio first. They’ll often list their preferred contact method.

• Email (The Best Option): If an influencer provides an email address in their bio (or on their Linktree), use it. This is the most professional channel. It shows you’re serious and keeps the business communication separate from their personal DMs. It also allows for longer-form messages and an easier way to share documents later on.
• Contact Forms: Some larger influencers use a "contact me" form on their website or Linktree. This routes your request directly to them or their management team.
• TikTok or Instagram DMs (The Backup Plan): If you cannot find an email, a DM is your next best bet. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. The goal of the first DM should be to get them to an email thread. Something like, "Hi [Name], love your content, especially [specific video]. I have a partnership idea that might be a great fit. What's the best email to send details to?"

Anatomy of a Perfect Outreach Email

Generic, copy-pasted messages get deleted instantly. A great pitch is built on personalization and mutual value. Here's a proven structure:

1. A Clear and Compelling Subject Line

Your subject line should be obvious but also intriguing. Avoid anything that sounds like spam.

• Bad: URGENT Collab Opportunity!!
• Good: Partnership Idea: [Your Brand Name] x [Influencer's Username]
• Even Better: Love your [Specific Niche] videos! Potential collab with [Your Brand Name]?

2. The Personalized Opening

This is where you show you’ve actually watched their content. Don’t just say "I like your videos." Reference a specific video or series that you genuinely enjoyed. This two-sentence opener can make or break your pitch.

"Hi [Creator Name],

My name is [Your Name] and I'm the [Your Title] at [Your Brand]. I’ve been following your page for a while and just had to tell you that your recent video on [Specific Video Topic] was both hilarious and super informative. The part where [mention a specific moment] actually made me laugh out loud."

3. The Clear and Concise "Why"

Quickly explain who you are and why you're reaching out. Don't waste their time with your company's life story. Focus on the alignment between their content and your brand.

"We recently launched [Your Product], a [one-sentence product description]. Because a lot of your content focuses on [Their Niche] and your audience seems to really trust your recommendations, I thought a partnership would be a natural fit."

4. The Initial Proposal (The "Ask")

Briefly describe what the partnership would look like. Be clear about what you're hoping for but flexible enough to negotiate. You can mention deliverables without getting bogged down in legal details just yet.

"We’d love to sponsor a video where you incorporate [Your Product] into one of your signature [type of video they create, e.g., 'get ready with me' or 'easy weeknight recipe'] videos. We are open to your creative ideas on how to best make this happen!"

5. Emphasize Mutual Value (The "Offer")

Spell out what’s in it for them. This includes compensation but can also cover other benefits.

"This would be a paid collaboration, of course, and we’d be happy to discuss your rates. We’d also provide you with the full [product line or package] to try for yourself. We're also planning to promote the final video across our own channels, which should drive some new followers your way."

6. A Clear Call-to-Action

Tell them exactly what to do next. Make it easy for them to say yes.

"If this sounds interesting to you, please let me know if you’d be open to discussing details and rates. Looking forward to hearing from you!"

The Follow-Up Strategy

Creators are busy people. It's totally fine to send a follow-up email if you don't hear back. A good rule of thumb is to wait 5-7 business days. A simple, polite bump is all you need.

"Hi [Creator Name], just wanted to quickly follow up on my email from last week regarding a potential partnership with [Your Brand]. Let me know if you have any questions!"

Don't send more than one or two follow-ups. If they don't respond after that, it's best to respectfully move on.

Final Thoughts

Reaching out to TikTok influencers is a process of thoughtful strategy, not just a numbers game aimed at spamming DMs. By identifying the right creators for your specific goals, thoroughly vetting their content, and crafting a personalized, value-driven pitch, you set yourself up for partnerships that are authentic and effective.

Once you’ve locked in a few great influencer partnerships, the next challenge is managing all the content schedules, approvals, and post-campaign analytics. This is where a focused tool helps maintain your sanity. For example, we designed our visual content calendar in Postbase to help you see exactly when each piece of influencer content is going live alongside your own organic posts. It makes spotting schedule gaps and coordinating big campaign pushes incredibly simple, keeping everything organized in one place instead of scattered across spreadsheets and email chains.