Instagram influencer outreach: how brands DM creators (with templates)

Instagram influencer outreach is how a brand contacts creators to work together, and it usually starts with a DM. The DMs that get answered are short: one line about a specific post of theirs, one sentence on why you're writing, and a question. Rates, briefs and contracts usually come later, by email.

This guide covers who to contact, what to send first, how to follow up, templates you can copy, the tools people use, and the reverse case, when creators DM brands.

What influencer outreach is

Influencer outreach is the first-contact step of influencer marketing: finding creators whose audience matches your customer and asking them to work with you, whether that's a paid post, a product gift, an affiliate deal or user-generated content. The usual rules of cold outreach apply, but the people you're writing to get more messages than most.

Brands reach creators three ways: by email, through platforms where creators list themselves, and by DM. Smaller creators often give a DM as their only contact. Larger creators usually have a manager, so the email in their bio is the better way in.

Who to contact first

Start with creators who already talk about your category, even if their numbers are small. Look at who posts under your niche's hashtags, who comments on your competitors' posts and who your own customers follow. Smaller accounts tend to answer their own DMs. Big ones often don't.

In r/socialmedia's thread "Influencer outreach feels impossible", u/ContentClawz makes the same point about marketplaces: the creators listed there aren't always the ones you want, so find people through their content first. In the same thread, u/heyrostr suggests keeping a spreadsheet of creators before you have a budget, so you can reach out as soon as the money is there (both re-read 3 November 2026).

Before you message anyone, check that they post regularly, that their comments read like real people talking, and that their audience is the one you sell to. Our engagement rate calculator works from numbers you type in, so you can compare creators without scraping anything.

What to send in the first DM

Keep it to two or three sentences. Mention one specific post, say in a line who you are and why you picked them, and ask if they're open to it. Leave the brief, the deliverables and the money out of message one. All you want from it is a reply.

The structure:

1. Start with their post: "Your [specific reel or post] was [specific reason it fits you]."
2. Say who you are in one line: "We make [product] for [their audience]."
3. Ask the question: "Are you open to brand partnerships at the moment?"

Don't put a link in a first message to someone who doesn't follow you. Instagram treats a first message request as text only, and our pace rules, which come from vendor and community reports and not from Instagram, keep first requests text-only. If you want the whole message drafted in one go, the free Instagram influencer outreach template generator writes a gifting, paid or affiliate DM for a creator. If you only need the first line, the free Instagram icebreaker generator writes three from a creator's bio and latest caption.

What to offer creators

Match the offer to the creator. A small creator may say yes to a free product, a bigger one usually wants a fee for set deliverables, and an affiliate code suits brands that want pay tied to sales. Say which you're offering in your first or second message, and ask for their rate instead of guessing it, since creators set their own.

Influencer outreach templates

Each template has a slot for a real detail from the creator's profile, plus spintax so the wording changes from one send to the next. Replace everything in brackets. If you can't fill the first slot with something true, don't send the message.

For gifting (product, no fee):

{{Hi|Hey}} {{first_name}}, {{ai_line}} We make [product] for [audience] and I think it'd suit your [routine / setup / kitchen]. {{Could we send you one|Would you like to try one}}, no strings attached?

For a paid post:

{{Hey|Hi}} {{first_name}}! {{ai_line}} We're [brand], and we're looking for [niche] creators for a paid [reel / post] in [month]. {{Are you open to|Would you consider}} brand partnerships right now?

For UGC (content for the brand's own ads):

{{Hi|Hey}} {{first_name}}, {{ai_line}} We're hiring creators to film short videos for our own ads, paid per video. {{Is that something you do|Do you take on UGC work}}?

For an affiliate deal:

{{Hey|Hi}} {{first_name}}, {{ai_line}} Your audience asks about [topic] a lot. We'd pay you [commission] on every sale from your code. {{Interested|Worth a chat}}?

When they reply, ask for their best email and send the brief there. For general cold DM copy, see our Instagram DM templates. For the openers Reddit says work, see Instagram DM openers that get replies.

How to follow up

On Instagram, you can only follow up once the creator accepts your message request. Until then, Instagram holds anything else you send. After they accept, one or two short nudges a few days apart is normal, and many partnerships start there.

In r/influencermarketing's thread "Sent 100+ brand outreach emails. What am I doing wrong?" (score 12), u/Tweetgirl says "Most partnerships come from follow-ups." They use DMs to find the right email address and then follow up by email.

A sensible plan:

1. Day 0: the first DM.
2. If they accept but don't answer, send a short nudge two or three days later.
3. If they answer, move to email for the brief and rates.
4. If one nudge still gets nothing, stop.

What Reddit says about influencer outreach

Reddit's main complaint is saturation. Brands get flooded with pitches and creators get flooded with brand offers, so generic messages are deleted unread. The people who get replies are specific, send few messages and follow up patiently.

The same r/influencermarketing thread shows the brand side. u/spongeworthylane, who manages a brand's influencer program, says of cold pitches: "I used to read them a few years ago but now I just delete without even opening." They meant cold emails from creators and their agents. The point still explains why a message about one specific post does better than a pitch that could be about anyone.

These are individual reports, not measured results. On X, a post with 63 likes argues that you don't need a paid influencer database to find contacts, because you can pull public creator emails from Google (@codyschneider, 31 October 2026). Only use addresses that creators publish themselves.

Influencer outreach tools

There are three kinds: creator databases and search tools, marketplaces where creators list themselves, and outreach tools that send the messages for you. A database finds people. A marketplace finds people who want deals. An outreach tool contacts them. Few do all three well.

• Creator search tools and databases let you filter creators by audience and niche. Modash is one of the tools ranking for this search.
• On marketplaces like Collabstr and Afluencer, creators list themselves, which saves you time. The catch is in the r/socialmedia reply above: the creators who list aren't always the best fit.
• Outreach tools come in two kinds. Email tools work for creators who list an email address, and DM tools cover the ones who don't.

We haven't checked these tools' prices, so look at each vendor's own pricing page. If you want one tool that finds creators, sends the DMs and tracks who replied, see our influencer outreach tool page. For Instagram DM tools, our Reddit-sourced table of Instagram DM automation tools lists the tools people name and flags which replies came from sellers.

How to DM a brand on Instagram (if you're the creator)

The same approach works when a creator pitches a brand. Mention something specific the brand has done, say in one line what you'd make for them and for which audience, and ask who handles partnerships. Keep your rate card out of the first message.

A template:

{{Hi|Hey}} [brand] team, {{ai_line}} I make [type of content] for [audience] and I'd love to do a [format] featuring [product]. {{Who's the best person to talk to about partnerships|Is there someone I should email about this}}?

If a brand puts a partnerships email in its bio, it usually wants you to use it. If you're pitching through a welcome flow or a "partner with us" auto-reply, our Instagram welcome message examples show what brands tend to send back.

Instagram is one channel

Plenty of creators are easier to reach by email, and some brands answer faster on LinkedIn or X. If you run outreach on several platforms, our social media outreach guide covers how each one handles first contact.