How To Write An Email To A Brand For Collaboration [Sample + Guide]

Collaborating with influencers, affiliates, clients, and other brands is one of the best ways to get your name out there.

Whether you’re looking to sponsor them or simply collaborate on a project, there’s one thing that will make or break your campaign.

And that has to do with how you approach them for collaboration.

How you write a collaboration email is more important than you might think.

Which is why we’re going to cover everything you need to know about collaboration email formats and more below.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• What is a collaboration email and how do they work?
• How to write an email to a brand for collaboration (3 proven steps)
• 6 Top email templates for your next brand collaboration
• 7 Best practices to perfect your collaboration email

What Is a Collaboration Email And Why Are They Important? 

A collaboration email is a professional outreach message sent to propose a mutually beneficial partnership. 

This can serve different purposes, depending on your goals and how you start your email. Such as:

• Pitching an idea to a brand.
• Offering your services or expertise.
• Proposing a joint project or campaign.
• Securing a sponsorship or affiliate deal.

These emails are vital because they serve as the first impression and open the door to meaningful opportunities.

As such, they’re important because these collaboration emails:

• Set the tone: The tone and professionalism of your email reflect how you approach the collaboration.
• Clarifies value: It communicates what you bring to the table and how the other party will benefit.
• Starts the conversation: A well-written email can lead to long-term partnerships, not just one-off deals.

Remember, your prospects’ inboxes are cluttered, and standing out requires strategy. 

That’s where understanding the key elements of a winning collaboration email comes in.

Now, if you’re wondering how to write a collaboration email, here’s what you need to know.

How to Write an Email to a Brand for Collaboration: 3-Step Guide

Depending on your audience and objective, your process might look different.

But typically, when writing collaboration emails, the steps will be as follows:

1. Set your goal

Before writing a collaboration email, you need to have a crystal-clear understanding of what you want to achieve. 

Your goal determines the tone, structure, and content of your message, so take a moment to define it. 

For example, common collaboration goals include:

• Pitching a new idea or a project.
• Securing sponsorships or partnerships.
• Collaborate on a campaign or co-branded content
• And so on.

You can’t begin writing your emails without defining this first.

Once you do that, you’ll be able to:

• Avoid confusion: Without a clear purpose, your email will sound generic or scattered.
• Builds relevance: A focused goal ensures your message aligns with the brand’s priorities.
• Gain better reply rates: Recipients are more likely to reply when they see a clear benefit and purpose.

Which email do you think would perform better?

• Option A: Vague, unpersonalized email talking about general business goals and KPIs.
• Option B: Explaining what your business solution is, why it’s relevant to the person you’re reaching out, and what’s in it for them. With a personalized email showing you did your research.

Obviously, the answer is option B.

Personalized emails with a clear goal will always perform better.

Keep on reading, below, we’ll cover email outreach templates and examples you can use as inspiration!

2. Identify your ICP and BP

What’s the difference between your ICP (ideal customer persona) and buyer’s persona?

• ICP (Ideal Customer Persona): Represents the type of business or individual you want to collaborate with. This could include brands that align with your niche, values, or audience demographics.
• BP (Buyer Persona): Refers to the specific person within that business who makes decisions about partnerships. For instance, a Marketing Manager, Influencer Outreach Specialist, or Brand Director.

Now, it’s important you know how to identify them before you start writing your collaboration email.

Here’s a brief overview:

1. Research the brand niche. Look for brands or individuals with complementary audiences, similar values, or overlapping goals.
2. Analyze their audience. Do they align with yours? Do they have a similar demographic? (interests, location, etc.)
3. Find the right decision-maker. This will depend on who you’re reaching out to for collaboration. Typically, if it’s an influencer, you can reach out to them directly. If it’s a startup, the CEO. If it’s a bigger company, see if they have a dedicated brand manager or the relevant department.

Let’s take an example.

If you’re a SaaS company specializing in marketing automation, your ICP might include mid-sized marketing agencies or e-commerce businesses that rely on personalized email campaigns.

Meanwhile, your buyer’s persona might be their head of marketing, specific department lead (e.g. email lead), or even the CEO directly.

To find your ideal leads for outreach, here’s what you need to know.

3. Scrape info about your contacts for outreach

Now, there are many different ways to go about this, all depending on your audience.

But if you work within B2B, LinkedIn will be your go-to choice. 

Just because of so many different options you have to find relevant leads. Such as:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator search filters.
• Free account search filters.
• LinkedIn groups.
• LinkedIn webinars.
• People you may know suggestions.
• And more.

In other words, if you’re targeting B2B brands or influencers, it’s guaranteed they’ll be on LinkedIn.

This is where tools like Expandi can help you save a ton of time.

For example, let’s say you’re targeting sales professionals to pitch them collaboration because your sales tool makes their jobs easier.

You would then:

1. Set up a LinkedIn search with the relevant filters (in this example, 2nd and 3rd-degree connections, based in the UK, title of “sales or director or head of sales”).

2. Then, you can automatically scrape this list along with their contact info with Expandi.
3. If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to grab your free, 7-day Expandi trial for this. You’ll be able to scrape results as well as create an outreach campaign all on the free trial.
4. Then, copy the URL of the search results from LinkedIn.
5. Within Expandi, go to Search, press New Search, select Basic Search, and paste your URL.

Then, you should see your list of leads within Expandi like so.

From here, you can press Export all as CSV to receive your list of leads in a spreadsheet file along with their contact info.

From here, you can:

1. Set up an outreach campaign targeting them on LinkedIn and email for collaboration (directly from Expandi).
2. Import these leads into a different software as needed.

Either option you go with, you’ll need to know how to write the right emails for collaboration.

So, let’s take a look at some proven collaboration email templates you can use for different contexts and objectives.

6 Top Brand Collaboration Email Templates

Before we begin, keep in mind, there is one clear, one-size-fits-all proven template that will cause your outreach to succeed.

These templates are a good start, but you need to edit and modify them based on your audience and objectives if you want to start getting replies.

1. Generic brand collaboration email template

This template is for reaching out to a brand you’d like to collaborate with. It’s a flexible, neutral approach that can be used in various scenarios.

Subject line: (Your brand name) x (Their brand name)

“Hi [Name],

[Your name] from [Company] here. Reaching out to discuss potential collaboration on [Topic].

We [short description of what your company does]. And I believe there’s a strong synergy between our brands because [Reason].

I’d love to explore the possibility of collaborating on [briefly outline the type of collaboration you’re proposing: campaign, co-branded content, affiliate partnership, etc.]. 

Here’s why I think it would be beneficial for both of us:

• [Benefit 1]
• [Benefit 2]
• [Benefit 3]

Interested?

If so, reply ‘more info’ and I’ll shoot over a short message that details everything.”

2. Common ground – shared group email template

This is a great way to establish a connection by mentioning a shared interest or group. Whether it’s a LinkedIn group, industry forum, or event, this approach creates an immediate bond.

Subject line: From (shared group)

“Hi [Name],

Noticed we’re both in (shared group name). Since we’re both in the same industry, I thought I’d reach out to discuss potential collaboration.

At [Your Company], we focus on [describe your product/service] and have worked with brands like [mention similar or recognizable brands if possible]. 

Given our shared interest in [specific area], I believe a partnership could be a great fit.

Glad to send over more info detailing everything if you’d be open to this?”

3. Common ground – engaged in the same content

If both you and the potential partner engage with similar content, this email highlights that can serve as a great icebreaker.

Subject line: (Shared content topic)

“Hey [Name],

I saw that you recently shared/posted about [specific content/topic], and I was excited to see that we both focus on similar themes at [Your Company].

Our product, [Product Name], aligns with this content by [mention the value your product brings]. I’d love to discuss how we can collaborate on [specific campaign idea, content co-creation, etc.].

Would you be open to a conversation?

Best,

[Your Name]”

4. Common ground – location

Location-based outreach is effective when you want to connect with local businesses or organizations.

Subject line: (Location name) opportunity?

“Hi [Name],

I’m reaching out to (buyer’s personas) in (Location) to possibly collaborate on (topic)

We specialize in [brief description of your product/service], and I believe there’s a lot of potential for collaboration between our brands in the [local market].

Here’s why I think we’re a great fit:

• [Point 1: Local connection, audience overlap, etc.]
• [Point 2: Shared goals in the region]
• [Point 3: What’s in it for them]

Interested?

If so, reply ‘more info’ and I’ll shoot over a short message that details everything.”

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,

[Your Name]”

5. Common ground – industry

When reaching out to a business in a similar industry, highlighting the mutual industry will make the connection feel more authentic.

Subject line: (Industry name) collaboration?

“Hi [Name],

Noticed we both work within (industry).

At [Your Company], we specialize in [brief description of product/service], and we’ve helped similar companies like [mention notable names or case studies] achieve [specific result].

I’d love to explore how we can partner to achieve [specific goal related to their business or outcome of collaboration]. 

Could we set up a call to discuss further?

Best,

[Your Name]”

6. Common ground – shared event

This template works best when you both attended or participated in the same event, whether virtual or in person. It shows you’re already familiar with each other’s activities.

You can also scrape LinkedIn events with Expandi for targeted outreach.

Subject: Saw you at [Event name]

“Hey [Name],

Saw you also attended [Event name]. [Speaker or topic] was my favorite part of it.

Reaching out because we we specialize in [brief product or service description).

And I’m looking to collaborate with the right person to (ideal goal or outcome).

Given our shared experience at the event, I thought this might be relevant to you.

Let me know if this is relevant to discuss?”

Regardless of the collaboration email format you use, it’s important you know how to edit, modify, or write one yourself.

So, let’s take a look at just that.

7 Tips On How To Write An Effective Brand Collaboration Email

Wondering how to write a collaboration email that gets replies?

Be sure to keep these 7 tips in mind.

• Personalize your emails.
• Be clear and direct.
• Keep in mind what’s in it for them.
• Make it easy for them to take action.
• Kepe the tone conversational.
• Always follow up.
• Always proofread and test first.

Once you apply these principles of copywriting when writing brand collaboration emails, your outreach should start performing much better!

1. Always personalize your email

No matter the objective or context of your outreach email, you should always personalize them to the best of your abilities.

Don’t send out a generic, one-size-fits-all message. 

Instead, research the recipient and their brand, and tailor your message accordingly.

You can:

• Use their name in the subject line or opening.
• Reference something specific about their brand from their website or previous work to show you’ve done your homework.
• Align your collaboration proposal with their values, goals, and audience to make it clear why it’s beneficial to them.

To research your prospects, you can look through:

• Their LinkedIn profile to find what they’re been posting about recently.
• Their “about us” website page to learn about their background.
• Podcasts, case studies, and other marketing assets to learn what they do in detail.

2. Be clear and concise

Keep your email focused and to the point.

The point of your first email is to get a reply back.

Busy professionals are more likely to respond to a clear, well-structured email. Avoid fluff, and stick to the essentials.

• Start with a strong subject line that grabs attention and gives them a reason to click.
• Get to the point early in the email: What are you offering? What’s in it for them?
• Use bullet points to outline the benefits of the collaboration, making it easy to skim and digest.

Be super clear with what you want from the recipient.

❌ ”Looking to collaborate in a way that’s beneficial for us both and provides synergy.”

✅ ”This might be relevant to you because XYZ.”

3. What’s in it for them?

Always frame the collaboration in a way that benefits the recipient. 

Show them what they’ll gain by working with you and why it’s a mutually beneficial opportunity.

• Increased exposure: Our platform reaches over [specific number] of engaged users within your target market. We have (specific number) of followers on (social media) or (email newsletter)
• Case study success: In our recent partnership with [Previous Partner Name], they saw a [percentage] increase in their sales within the first 30 days of our collaboration. I’m confident we can generate similar results for you.
• Boosted credibility: Partnering with a respected brand like ours can enhance your reputation in the market and add credibility to your offerings. See our testimonials of people we helped here (URL).

Be clear about the value—whether it’s more exposure, increased sales, or added credibility.

4. Make it easy for them to take action

Your email should include a very clear call to action (CTA), and it should be easy for the recipient to take the next step.

Do NOT end your collaboration email with an open-ended question like “What do you think?”.

After reading your email, they should know exactly what to reply if they want to take the next steps.

• Propose a short follow-up call or meeting to discuss the opportunity.
• Offer a link to a calendar (using tools like Calendly) to make scheduling easier.
• Provide a simple yes/no option or a one-click reply such as “Reply ‘YES’ to learn more!”

5. Keep the tone conversational and not too corporate

Just because you work in B2B doesn’t mean your email should be full of jargon and tech language.

You’ll want to strike the right balance between professional and friendly.

This way, you come across as approachable and genuine, but also credible and business-like.

You can use tools like Hemingway App to see how easy or hard your email is to read.

Depending on your brand, you can also inject a bit of personality into the email to make it feel human and stand out.

6. Always follow up

If you don’t receive a response within a few days, send a polite follow-up. 

According to HubSpot, 80% of successful sales take five or more follow-ups. This is especially true for sales email templates.

Persistence is key, but be mindful of over-sending.

As a rule of thumb, you can follow up every 3-4 days, with a maximum of 4-5 follow-ups.

A typical follow-up email might look something like this:

“Hope you don’t mind a quick follow-up on this, [NAME]!

Just wanted to follow up on this and see if it’s relevant for (brand name).

Here’s what you stand to gain:

• Benefit 1.
• Benefit 2.
• Benefit 3.”

So that you’re not spamming your prospects, try to make your follow-ups valuable and also include:

• More info on how you work.
• Case study or two.
• What the next steps would be.

See our guide on follow-up email templates for more info on this.

7. Always proofread and test your emails

Last but not least, before you send that email, make sure there are no errors or typos.

Sounds obvious, right?

But something so simple can ruin your first impression.

A polished email reflects well on your brand. 

So, you’ll want to make sure everything checks out before sending.

Make sure you:

• Use Grammarly to detect any typos.
• Send the email to yourself first to get a preview.
• Test what the subject line looks like in your own inbox to see if it stands out.

Where To Go From Here

Hopefully this guide on how to write a collaboration email was helpful.

To recap, while having the right template or sample email helps, what also matters is:

• Who you’re targeting.
• Who your ideal customer persona and buyer personas are.
• How you’re going to reach them specifically.

For the last part, tools like Expandi are ideal.

Since you can use it to:

• Scrape LinkedIn search results, groups, or even webinars.
• Export list of people along with their contact info.
• And even set up an outreach campaign, targeting them on LinkedIn as well as email (with multiple touch points and personalization at scale).

Ready to start emailing brands for collaboration at scale?

Claim your free, 7-day Expandi trial and launch your new campaign today!