How to Reach Out to Influencers as a Talent Manager

So, you’ve found influencers you’re interested in and built your dream list of potential influencers for your agency—nice work! But now comes the part that can trip up even the most well-intentioned talent managers: actually reaching out. What to do next? Turning a spreadsheet into a real relationship takes strategy, personalization, and a little courage. In this post, I’m walking you through the exact steps to confidently reach out to influencers as a talent manager, stand out in their inbox, and start building the kind of relationships that lead to signed contracts (and successful partnerships). Ready to move from lurking to leading? Let’s dive in.

Creating a List of Talent for Outreach

Growing your agency and building your roster is a super exciting time. It means more opportunities to collaborate with brands, more possible deals to close and more success to be had. As a Talent Management agency, we are only as good as our roster so it’s important that you are strategic about how you build yours. You want to ensure there’s alignment with content, expectations, mindset and more. Before you do any outreach you have to find Influencers for your agency.

Build your list of potential Influencers that catch your eye. Use these 8 questions to ask when building your roster to help narrow down and identify who could be a good fit for your agency. Make a list of talent that could be of interest or a good fit for you.

But let’s pause for a second—before you start firing off DMs or emails to everyone on your list, make sure your outreach is intentional. This isn’t a numbers game. It’s not about messaging 100 creators and hoping a few say yes.

We’re not about spraying and praying over here.

Be intentional and curate a list of talent that not only you like, but aligns with your agency and what you want to be known for. For example, my roster is majority people of color and they’re in the food, travel and lifestyle verticals. Before you reach out to anyone, ask yourself why you want to work with them, why are they on your list, why are they a good fit and how could you add value to their business?

Random outreach feels like spam. Strategic outreach feels like opportunity.

Engage on Social Media

Social media is the playground where your future talent hangs out—so if you want to connect, you’ve got to get in the sandbox and play. Time to get your hands dirty, errr sandy! This isn’t the time to sit on the sidelines scrolling in silence. Show up where they are already hanging out, be part of their conversations, and let your presence be known. If creators don’t know you exist, they can’t say yes to working with you. You have to meet them where they are vs expect them to come to you.

And keep in mind, if they’ve caught your eye, they’ve probably also caught the eye of other Talent Mangers. Go the extra step to do something more than just a DM. How can you stand out and get your name in front of them?

The goal? To be seen before you ever pitch, so when you do reach out, there’s already some name recognition and familiarity. Better yet, they see you and come to you. Attract vs chase. You can thank me later.

Getting Influencers to Respond on Social Media

Before you slide into their DMs with a pitch, show up in their world. The best relationships don’t start with “Hey, I want to manage you”—they start with genuine connection. Think about being the person receiving that DM. It’s like going on a first Bumble date and the person sits down at dinner and says, “I love you.” Your first, immediate reaction? Woah, you don’t even know me! So don’t be that person.

Start by following the creator, watching their Stories, liking their posts, and leaving thoughtful, relevant comments that show you’re paying attention to their content (and not just copying and pasting generic emojis). Creators notice who consistently shows up for them. This is how you start to get your name into their orbit without asking for anything yet. Think of it as the “getting-to-know-you” phase—it builds familiarity and makes your future outreach feel like a warm lead, not a cold pitch.

Here’s how to start engaging in a way that actually builds connection:

Follow them and turn on post and Story notifications so you don’t miss their content.
Respond to Stories with quick, relevant replies—this drops you into their DMs in a low-pressure, organic way.
Leave thoughtful comments on their posts. Think quality over quantity. Skip the generic praise and comment on something specific you loved or that made you think.
Share their content if it aligns with your brand or you genuinely enjoyed it. Tag them so they know you’re supporting them publicly.
Be consistent—a one-time like or comment won’t cut it. Show up regularly so your name becomes familiar in their notifications.

Don’t even forget that the people you’re reaching out to are humans. Seek to build connection first. That will go a long way.

How to Email an Influencer You’d Like to Work With

Let’s be real—I’m not the biggest fan of cold outreach. Ideally, you’ve already built some rapport through social media before you hit send on an email. A familiar name in their inbox is way more likely to get opened (and replied to). But if you are moving from a few DMs or comments to email, think of this as the start of a real conversation—not a formal pitch deck.

So what makes a good email? IMHO, it should be short, personal, and clearly show why you’re reaching out. You want to get to the point, but also make it feel warm, not transactional. Here’s what to include:

A personalized intro – Mention something specific you love about their content. Prove you’ve been paying attention.
A brief intro to you and your agency – Who you are, what you do, and why you’re reaching out.
Why you think they’d be a great fit – Be clear about the alignment you see and what excites you about the potential partnership.
Next step or call to action – Keep it simple: “Would you be open to hopping on a quick call to chat more?” This is key. Don’t make a big ask. Do NOT ask if you can be their manager, not just because that’s way too much to say to them but also, YOU need to do your due diligence about getting to know them. You may think they’re great but are they really a good fit for your agency?

Keep the tone friendly, not formal. Don’t be sales-y. Be you! I always suggest writing the first draft, which is usually more formal, boring and stuffy than what you’d really say and then rewrite it in your own voice.

Sample Email Template for Influencer Outreach

Subject: Potential Partnership – Loved Your Recent [Insert Specific Content]

Hola [Influencer’s First Name],

I’ve been loving your content lately about XYZ topic—especially your recent [mention something specific, like “partnership with XYZ brand” or “mini vlog from your trip to Palm Springs”]. Your personality shines thought and I love how clear & strong your brand voice is. You’ve clearly worked hard to figure out your corner of the internet and it shows.

I run a talent management agency that supports creators like you with securing brand deals, handling negotiations, and growing their business in a way that feels aligned, sustainable & fun. If you’re looking for management, I’d love to connect and explore whether we might be a good fit for each other. My roster is majority people of color which is something I’ve become known for. That means a lot to me. We travel together, do really cool annual retreats as well as monthly zoom gatherings. I’m kinda obsessed with supporting my roster as best as I can.

Was curious if you’re open to chatting, assuming you don’t already have management. No pressure at all—I just wanted to reach out and start the conversation. If you’re open to chatting more, I’d love to get a call scheduled.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Title + Agency Name]
[Your Website / IG handle / Contact Info]

How Many Follow-Ups to Send an Influencer

Follow-ups are part of the process—but there’s a fine line between being persistent and being pushy. I usually recommend sending 1–2 light follow-ups over the course of a month to six weeks. That gives the creator space to breathe, while also keeping the door open if they missed your original message or just needed a little time.

In between those follow-ups? Keep showing up on social. Continue engaging with their content in a genuine way so your name stays familiar. That way, when they do see your follow-up, it doesn’t feel out of the blue—it feels like part of an ongoing conversation.

Pro tip: Your follow-up can be casual and friendly. Something as simple as “Hey [Name], just wanted to bump this up in your inbox in case it got buried—no rush, just wanted to reconnect!” goes a long way. And we all know full people’s inboxes are these days.

Personalize Your Outreach Efforts

Please don’t be that person copy/pasting the same message to 100 influencers. You’ll get ignored real fast. Keep it short, but make it personal. Mention something specific they’ve posted recently so they know you’re not just blasting out cold emails. Anybody can do that and you’re not just anybody. Creators can feel the difference between “Hey, you seem cool” and “Hey, I actually see you.” That extra bit of effort? It’s what gets you noticed—and gets you a response.

Showing You Care

It’s simple: treat them like a person, not a pitch. Creators get flooded with transactional messages & spammy DMs 24/7 so standing out often just means being human. Mention a recent post they shared, call out a brand collab you loved, or reference something in their bio that shows you’ve actually spent time on their page.

You can even let them know how you found them—“A friend shared your Reel and I’ve been following ever since.” Keep it short, keep it real, and make sure it sounds like you talking to them. Ask yourself, “Would I want to receive this?” If the answer is no, rewrite it. Showing up with intention and care always gets noticed.

Getting on the Phone

Once there’s some back-and-forth and mutual interest, don’t be afraid to suggest hopping on a quick call. I’m a Gen X-er so you know I LOVE talking on the phone. I know this isn’t for everyone but hear me out. You eventually will want to take the chat out of your DMs and email into something real where you can connect.

The DMs and emails are great for opening the door, getting something going, but a phone or Zoom convo is where you can really get a feel for each other—vibes, communication style, goals, all of it. I have a FAQs page on my website which is where I point people to schedule a call. It’s a super seamless, efficient system that gets people on my calendar AND I get some basic information about their business as well.

Questions to Ask an Influencer You Want to Work With

At this stage, one of the most important questions you can ask is: What expectations do you have of a manager or agency? That one question alone can tell you so much about their mindset, how they approach their business, and their understanding of how this industry works. Are they looking for a business partner? A best friend? Someone to magically get them deals with zero effort on their end? You want to get clear on what they think this relationship will look like so you can decide if it’s aligned with how you run your agency. For me, this question will shed a lot of insight into if I want to move forward to continue the conversation with them.

This part of the process—outreach, getting to know potential talent, asking the right questions—it matters. As a talent manager, you are only as good as your roster, so it’s worth putting real time and energy into this step. Be intentional. Be clear. Don’t rush it or half-ass it just to check a box. When you skip over the relationship-building phase, you risk onboarding someone who isn’t aligned—and that costs you time, energy, and trust down the line. Getting to know someone properly up front helps you build a roster you’re proud of, with creators who truly fit your agency’s vision and values. Do the work now so you’re not cleaning up a mess later.

PSST! Are you an Influencer Talent Manager & just started your own Talent Management Agency? Do you want to learn exactly how to use attract vs chase to build your roster? Do you need help pricing your talent’s rates, responding to brand inquiries knowing exactly what to say & getting insight on where to find brand collabs?

Click HERE to learn about my 8 week Influencer Talent Manager Coaching Mentorship Program, taught by me, Johanna Voss, an award winning Influencer Talent Manager who has closed over $6M worth of brand deals.