Free Million Influencer Database? Mass Email 100+ KOLs? KOL Guide for Solopreneurs (Part 2)
Step-by-step guide to using Shopify Colab plugin to find KOLs for free! Detailed KOL filtering, outreach, and collaboration process with email templates included.
Preface
If you've already read Part 1: Stop Hyping Influencer Marketing! KOL Guide for Solopreneurs (Part 1)!
And you're still determined to try KOL collaborations. Then this article will handhold you through using the Shopify Collab plugin to find all kinds of KOLs you want from 0 to 1, for free!
I mentioned this official Shopify affiliate marketing plugin before, you can check out the basic functions and introduction in the previous article:
Note: There are many paid and crawler automation tools on the internet, I won't introduce them here to avoid seeming like advertising. This article only covers free manual methods.
Step 1: Enter Influencer Database, Filter Your Needs
Let's assume it's a women's fashion independent site, wanting to find:
- UK region
- Instagram platform
- Women/lifestyle/fashion related bloggers
- Follower count between 5k-10k
Then we need to make the following filter settings:
Channel Selection
Select Instagram
Search Scope Setting
Set Location, hashtag, and other needs
Filter Rules
Further set related rules in filter settings
And eventually you'll get tons of KOLs.
Step 2: Further Filter and Save
After simple browsing and filtering KOL profiles, we can first save the suitable KOLs.
This plugin can save up to 1000 KOLs, just delete when full. This makes it convenient for us to further organize and contact them in the future.
Step 3: Start Harassment Mode, Go Hit on Influencers
By now we've probably filtered dozens or even hundreds of influencers, the next step is to contact them one by one.
There are two methods:
Method 1: Manual DM Method
We manually go to their Instagram profiles and Message them one by one.
If you see "DM for collabs" on this person's profile, they're likely very easy to succeed with, generally just needing to give some gifts.
Copy Template
There are countless templates online, or you can have ChatGPT help you write or translate them.
But I suggest, fellow solopreneurs, don't be lazy. As solopreneurs, don't slack off on this work. This type of content must be carefully thought out by yourself, summarizing a template that belongs to you.
When you're summarizing this type of copy, it can also help you think clearly about your brand advantages and product advantages. If you can't even write clear copy introducing your brand and products to KOLs, what qualification do you have to make the broad user base trust you?
The general framework is nothing more than this (the following content assumes you've already activated the Shopify Collab distribution system):
Hello, we're XXX, a XXX brand, we're really strong in XXX. Our colleagues were attracted by your content, your content is really great XXX. Would you like to become our brand ambassador and grow together with us XXX.
We'd love to offer you:
- Free gifts
- 15% commission
- 15% discount for your followers
- Shoutout on social media and official website
Looking forward to your reply.
Finally, you can directly attach your affiliate application page link.
Precautions:
- Don't send too many DMs in high frequency, easily get banned by Instagram
- Can try opening Instagram alt accounts, anyway if they're banned or flagged, just open new ones
Method 2: Email Blast Method
We go back to the saved KOL list and export the KOL information.
Then in the exported file, keep only the KOLs with email addresses.
Next there will be two branches:
Branch 1: Direct Email System Blast
This is very simple to explain, just go to your email system and batch send emails.
Branch 2: Send Through Shopify Official Email
This will be slightly more troublesome (because you need to first import KOL information as your customers), but the advantage is that Shopify official Email has email templates, which looks more professional.
For specific tutorial, see below:
Precautions:
- Not all influencers have email addresses in their profiles. So you can select more at once
- Take a look, sometimes when filtering you might accidentally filter in some non-KOL contacts (but it doesn't matter, just send it, who cares - once I sent to a UK government organization mailbox)
- Emails might go to spam folder, but the advantage is you can batch send. Can send hundreds a day, right?
Summary
At this point, we've successfully, for free, and relatively efficiently, sent out hundreds of cooperation invitations.
Next step is waiting for KOL replies, then both parties negotiate how to implement the cooperation.
Rest assured, you will definitely encounter various "scammers", like sending out gifts and they disappear. Or after cooperation you feel no effect at all, only then do you realize that Instagram's so-called KOL data is all fake, conversion is so poor.
But I still strongly support all solopreneurs to try this strategy action. I'll never forget the joy when successfully cooperating with the first KOL. Although there was no conversion, but you felt your site and your brand were interacting with people, always feeling there's some hope.
Of course, slowly, until now I feel fatigue towards so-called Instagram KOL collaborations, seeing active applications and being too lazy to reply.
This is the process of learning and progress.
You step on pitfalls one by one to gain experience, slowly find the KOLs most suitable for you, learn to see others' engagement data, and eventually possibly find more suitable promotion or conversion channels for yourself.
Don't be lazy, solopreneurs
