Oct 3, 2025
7 MIN READ
Communication
Communication
When to Start Reaching Out to Influencers for Black Friday
When to Start Reaching Out to Influencers for Black Friday
When to Start Reaching Out to Influencers for Black Friday
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Content Marketer @impulze.ai
Sections
Blog in Short ⏱️
Blog in Short ⏱️
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
Most brands start outreach as early as July. It’s October now—this is your last call to get ahead.
The Ideal Timeline
Aug–Sept → Build list, outreach, lock contracts.
October → Content production + teasers.
November → Roll out campaign, retarget with influencer posts.
Mistakes to Avoid
Waiting until mid-November → influencers are already swamped.
Partnering with too many → chaos, missed deadlines.
Ignoring audience fit → reach ≠ conversions.
Treating influencers like ad slots → authenticity matters.
Quick Action Plan (Do This Week)
Shortlist your top 10 creators.
Send clear outreach (with brief + budget).
Track contracts, deadlines, and posts in one place.
How Impulze.ai Helps You Win
Pricing Calculator → Know real influencer costs before you commit.
SocialiQ (Free Extension) → Check engagement, audience insights, and contact info instantly.
Collab Finder → See who your competitors are working with.
Automated Outreach → Schedule and personalize follow-ups without manual chaos.
Content Calendar → Map every post and stay launch-ready.
For the past few months, we’ve been working on getting influencers on board for our own campaign. And here’s what shocked me: some of the popular creators we wanted were already fully booked — not just for Black Friday, but for the entire year — by bigger brands.
At first, that felt unbelievable. But the more we looked into it, the more we realized this isn’t rare at all. It’s the reality of influencer marketing. The same thing happens every Black Friday. The best creators get snapped up months in advance.
So if you have been thinking, “October or November is when I’ll start planning,” here’s the truth: that’s already too late.
According to many influencer marketers, many brands begin their Black Friday influencer campaign prep as early as July. We’re already at the beginning of October. If you don’t start right now, you risk being left behind.
Here are a few key reasons why early outreach makes all the difference and how to actually get ahead this year.
Why Early Outreach Wins
Influencers treat Black Friday like wedding season—their calendars fill up fast. Top creators will be juggling ten or more offers at once, and if you’re late to the table, your campaign risks being squeezed into whatever leftover space they can give you. That’s not where you want your brand.
Starting outreach early completely changes the game, and here’s why:
1. Availability
The best influencers are booked months in advance. By reaching out now, you secure the creators who actually fit your brand voice and values before competitors grab them. Waiting until November often means settling for whoever’s left.
2. Better Rates
As Black Friday approaches, influencer fees skyrocket. Locking in partnerships during August or September usually means better pricing and smoother negotiations. It’s simple supply and demand—when everyone’s scrambling, prices climb.
3. Stronger Content
Time is your best creative asset. Giving influencers space to brainstorm, film, and refine ensures content that feels authentic and on-brand. Last-minute briefs almost always result in generic posts that don’t move the needle.
4. Higher Visibility
Early campaigns allow influencers to slowly warm up their audiences. By the time your Black Friday deal goes live, followers are already primed and excited—your offer isn’t just another ad lost in the holiday noise.
The bottom line: acting early buys you time, saves you money, and gives your campaign a much better chance of breaking through during the busiest shopping season of the year.
The Ideal Black Friday Timeline
Here’s a simple roadmap to follow:
August–September
Build your influencer list (target 20–30, knowing only some will say yes).
Share briefs and goals, and don’t wait until the last minute.
October
Content production phase. Influencers create → you review → edits happen.
Test “pre-launch” teasers, polls, or UGC to warm audiences.
November
Roll out the big campaign on Black Friday weekend.
Double down on creators with the best engagement.
Repurpose influencer posts into retargeting ads for max ROI.
Black Friday Campaign Mistakes to Avoid
1. Waiting until the eleventh hour
Reaching out in mid-November isn’t “last-minute hustle”, it’s brand suicide. By then, influencers are swamped with offers, and your email is competing with 20 other brands in their inbox. The result? Either they ghost you or quote a fee that’s 2–3x higher than their normal rate.
Early outreach (August–September) means you lock in creators before the frenzy starts.
2. Spreading yourself too thin
A common trap is thinking “more influencers = more sales.”
In reality, juggling 30 half-committed creators leads to missed deadlines, inconsistent messaging, and campaign chaos. The brands that win focus on a core group of 5–10 reliable influencers they can brief well, review content with, and actually build momentum.
3. Ignoring fit in the rush to book
When Black Friday panic sets in, brands sometimes grab any influencer with decent reach. That’s a fast way to burn budget. If your 40% off skincare promo is being pushed by a fitness influencer whose audience is 80% male, you’ll get clicks but no conversions.
Audience alignment matters more than follower count, especially during the most competitive weekend of the year.
4. Treating influencers like “slots”, not partners
This one is subtle but costly. Influencers aren’t ad placements; they’re creators with their own style. Brands that dictate overly rigid scripts often end up with content that feels forced and underperforms.
The best results come when you give influencers a clear brief but trust them to deliver it in their own authentic voice.
Quick Action Plan (Do This Week)
1. Shortlist your top 10 potential influencers
Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with creators already talking to your target customers.
For example, if you sell skincare, look for mid-tier beauty influencers who recently reviewed products similar to yours. One DTC skincare brand I know picked just 8 micro-influencers last August and ended up with polished tutorials ready to launch by November.
2. Send outreach with a clear brief + budget
Vague messages like “We’d love to collaborate” get ignored.
Instead, share specifics in your outreach: “We’re planning a Black Friday campaign in November, budget is $500 per Reel, deliverables include 2 posts + 3 stories.”
3. Track everything in one place
Once replies start rolling in, chaos follows: email threads, contracts, deadlines, and content approvals. If you’re managing it in a spreadsheet, things will slip through the cracks.
impulze.ai helps you track every influencer’s contract status, content deadlines, and post performance so you don’t end up with missing posts on launch week.
How to Use impulze.ai’s Toolkit to Get Ahead
So, how do you actually start preparing for Black Friday right now?
Here’s how we’d use the impulze.ai toolkit if we were in your shoes:
1. Pricing Calculator
Black Friday campaigns often crash because brands underestimate costs. With Impulze’s Pricing Calculator, you stop guessing. Run the numbers for posts, stories, or even whitelisting and know exactly what each influencer will charge.
Planning budgets early means you avoid inflated November rates and can scale campaigns without overspending.
2. SocialiQ (Free Extension)
Scrolling Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube is fun—until you realize half the influencers you “liked” aren’t even worth their fees.
With SocialiQ, you can instantly check engagement rates, see audience insights, unlock contact info, and save creators into organized lists. Later, sit down with your team and decide who’s truly worth investing in, with real data instead of gut feeling.
3. Collab Finder
Starting from zero? Not necessary.
With Impulze’s Collab Finder, you can see which influencers your competitors have already worked with. This gives you a head start: spot proven partners, understand what’s working in your industry, and even uncover overlooked creators who could be perfect for your brand. Competitor insights turn into smarter, faster decisions.
4. Automated Outreach
When serious outreach begins, inboxes get crowded. Impulze’s automated outreach featutesoc ensures your follow-ups never slip through the cracks.
Instead of chasing DMs or manually sending reminders, you can personalize messages once and let the system handle scheduling, responses, and tracking. It saves you hours and keeps your campaign moving smoothly.
5. Content Calendar
Black Friday isn’t just about one post—it’s weeks of teasers, drops, and reminders. Impulze’s Content Calendar gives you a bird’s-eye view of all your collaborations. You’ll know exactly which influencer is posting what, when, and where. This keeps your messaging consistent and ensures you’re not scrambling on November 23rd trying to align posts.
Bottom line: with Impulze.ai, you can go from “we should start planning soon” to “our Black Friday campaign is already mapped out.”
For the past few months, we’ve been working on getting influencers on board for our own campaign. And here’s what shocked me: some of the popular creators we wanted were already fully booked — not just for Black Friday, but for the entire year — by bigger brands.
At first, that felt unbelievable. But the more we looked into it, the more we realized this isn’t rare at all. It’s the reality of influencer marketing. The same thing happens every Black Friday. The best creators get snapped up months in advance.
So if you have been thinking, “October or November is when I’ll start planning,” here’s the truth: that’s already too late.
According to many influencer marketers, many brands begin their Black Friday influencer campaign prep as early as July. We’re already at the beginning of October. If you don’t start right now, you risk being left behind.
Here are a few key reasons why early outreach makes all the difference and how to actually get ahead this year.
Why Early Outreach Wins
Influencers treat Black Friday like wedding season—their calendars fill up fast. Top creators will be juggling ten or more offers at once, and if you’re late to the table, your campaign risks being squeezed into whatever leftover space they can give you. That’s not where you want your brand.
Starting outreach early completely changes the game, and here’s why:
1. Availability
The best influencers are booked months in advance. By reaching out now, you secure the creators who actually fit your brand voice and values before competitors grab them. Waiting until November often means settling for whoever’s left.
2. Better Rates
As Black Friday approaches, influencer fees skyrocket. Locking in partnerships during August or September usually means better pricing and smoother negotiations. It’s simple supply and demand—when everyone’s scrambling, prices climb.
3. Stronger Content
Time is your best creative asset. Giving influencers space to brainstorm, film, and refine ensures content that feels authentic and on-brand. Last-minute briefs almost always result in generic posts that don’t move the needle.
4. Higher Visibility
Early campaigns allow influencers to slowly warm up their audiences. By the time your Black Friday deal goes live, followers are already primed and excited—your offer isn’t just another ad lost in the holiday noise.
The bottom line: acting early buys you time, saves you money, and gives your campaign a much better chance of breaking through during the busiest shopping season of the year.
The Ideal Black Friday Timeline
Here’s a simple roadmap to follow:
August–September
Build your influencer list (target 20–30, knowing only some will say yes).
Share briefs and goals, and don’t wait until the last minute.
October
Content production phase. Influencers create → you review → edits happen.
Test “pre-launch” teasers, polls, or UGC to warm audiences.
November
Roll out the big campaign on Black Friday weekend.
Double down on creators with the best engagement.
Repurpose influencer posts into retargeting ads for max ROI.
Black Friday Campaign Mistakes to Avoid
1. Waiting until the eleventh hour
Reaching out in mid-November isn’t “last-minute hustle”, it’s brand suicide. By then, influencers are swamped with offers, and your email is competing with 20 other brands in their inbox. The result? Either they ghost you or quote a fee that’s 2–3x higher than their normal rate.
Early outreach (August–September) means you lock in creators before the frenzy starts.
2. Spreading yourself too thin
A common trap is thinking “more influencers = more sales.”
In reality, juggling 30 half-committed creators leads to missed deadlines, inconsistent messaging, and campaign chaos. The brands that win focus on a core group of 5–10 reliable influencers they can brief well, review content with, and actually build momentum.
3. Ignoring fit in the rush to book
When Black Friday panic sets in, brands sometimes grab any influencer with decent reach. That’s a fast way to burn budget. If your 40% off skincare promo is being pushed by a fitness influencer whose audience is 80% male, you’ll get clicks but no conversions.
Audience alignment matters more than follower count, especially during the most competitive weekend of the year.
4. Treating influencers like “slots”, not partners
This one is subtle but costly. Influencers aren’t ad placements; they’re creators with their own style. Brands that dictate overly rigid scripts often end up with content that feels forced and underperforms.
The best results come when you give influencers a clear brief but trust them to deliver it in their own authentic voice.
Quick Action Plan (Do This Week)
1. Shortlist your top 10 potential influencers
Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with creators already talking to your target customers.
For example, if you sell skincare, look for mid-tier beauty influencers who recently reviewed products similar to yours. One DTC skincare brand I know picked just 8 micro-influencers last August and ended up with polished tutorials ready to launch by November.
2. Send outreach with a clear brief + budget
Vague messages like “We’d love to collaborate” get ignored.
Instead, share specifics in your outreach: “We’re planning a Black Friday campaign in November, budget is $500 per Reel, deliverables include 2 posts + 3 stories.”
3. Track everything in one place
Once replies start rolling in, chaos follows: email threads, contracts, deadlines, and content approvals. If you’re managing it in a spreadsheet, things will slip through the cracks.
impulze.ai helps you track every influencer’s contract status, content deadlines, and post performance so you don’t end up with missing posts on launch week.
How to Use impulze.ai’s Toolkit to Get Ahead
So, how do you actually start preparing for Black Friday right now?
Here’s how we’d use the impulze.ai toolkit if we were in your shoes:
1. Pricing Calculator
Black Friday campaigns often crash because brands underestimate costs. With Impulze’s Pricing Calculator, you stop guessing. Run the numbers for posts, stories, or even whitelisting and know exactly what each influencer will charge.
Planning budgets early means you avoid inflated November rates and can scale campaigns without overspending.
2. SocialiQ (Free Extension)
Scrolling Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube is fun—until you realize half the influencers you “liked” aren’t even worth their fees.
With SocialiQ, you can instantly check engagement rates, see audience insights, unlock contact info, and save creators into organized lists. Later, sit down with your team and decide who’s truly worth investing in, with real data instead of gut feeling.
3. Collab Finder
Starting from zero? Not necessary.
With Impulze’s Collab Finder, you can see which influencers your competitors have already worked with. This gives you a head start: spot proven partners, understand what’s working in your industry, and even uncover overlooked creators who could be perfect for your brand. Competitor insights turn into smarter, faster decisions.
4. Automated Outreach
When serious outreach begins, inboxes get crowded. Impulze’s automated outreach featutesoc ensures your follow-ups never slip through the cracks.
Instead of chasing DMs or manually sending reminders, you can personalize messages once and let the system handle scheduling, responses, and tracking. It saves you hours and keeps your campaign moving smoothly.
5. Content Calendar
Black Friday isn’t just about one post—it’s weeks of teasers, drops, and reminders. Impulze’s Content Calendar gives you a bird’s-eye view of all your collaborations. You’ll know exactly which influencer is posting what, when, and where. This keeps your messaging consistent and ensures you’re not scrambling on November 23rd trying to align posts.
Bottom line: with Impulze.ai, you can go from “we should start planning soon” to “our Black Friday campaign is already mapped out.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start planning my Black Friday influencer campaign?
When should I start planning my Black Friday influencer campaign?
When should I start planning my Black Friday influencer campaign?
How do I know how much to budget for influencers?
How do I know how much to budget for influencers?
How do I know how much to budget for influencers?
Outreach takes forever—how do I keep it efficient?
Outreach takes forever—how do I keep it efficient?
Outreach takes forever—how do I keep it efficient?
Can I see which influencers my competitors are working with?
Can I see which influencers my competitors are working with?
Can I see which influencers my competitors are working with?
How do I find influencers who actually deliver results?
How do I find influencers who actually deliver results?
How do I find influencers who actually deliver results?
What are some Black Friday campaign ideas I can try with influencers?
What are some Black Friday campaign ideas I can try with influencers?
What are some Black Friday campaign ideas I can try with influencers?
Author Bio
Author Bio
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh is a writer and strategist with more than 7 years of experience. When not writing, she is either spending time with her friends or planning her next trip. You can learn more about her here.
Rashmi Singh is a writer and strategist with more than 7 years of experience. When not writing, she is either spending time with her friends or planning her next trip. You can learn more about her here.
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Join over 30,000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
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Join over 30,000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
30K+ Active Users
May be Later
Join over 30,000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
30K+ Active Users
May be Later