How do you approach an influencer, a "guru" or a podcaster /blogger in your niche offering a commission without being too direct?

Identify what these "gurus" need for their work or how you can contribute to their success success. If you find a way on how to contribute, provide them with free value and the offer to get back to you in case it was helpful (or they need more information or insights etc).
If they get back to you, develop a potential affiliate engagement from there, again, pointing out the benefits on her or his side.
Even if they don't end up engaging with your product, they will remember your name (due to the value you provided - if you really did) and your expertise as soon as a similar topic comes up.
Hope that helps :)

I'm an "influencer" some would say and we get emails all the time. The only ones I've ever worked with when being pitched is ones who knew what I would and would not be involved with, personalized their approach and didn't write a cheesy template email like the Jennifer Lawrence ones.

Don't offer an affiliate link, offer cash.

Podcaster/bloggers are less interested in commission than maintaining their relationship with their audience.

I've found that approaching bloggers with an opportunity for early access, prizes for giveaways, free product to review is far more effective as an icebreaker.

Once they have a review or podcast then you can have a conversation on how they can monetize it via affiliate links.

Additionally email may be the wrong venue to approach them, your email could be getting lost in the noise if they are getting a ton of unsolicited emails daily.

If the opportunity is big enough send a small gift to get their attention. Stand apart from the crowd.

Hope this helps.

Mick

In my experience, the biggest hurdle when "cold contacting/emailing" a potential influencer is: TRUST. You might have a stand out product but they don't know you from Adam and in essence: you are asking them to do something. Most people don't do something because a stranger asked them to - and this is no different.

You have to remember: These influencers get pitched daily; someone always wanting something from them so human nature tells us -- defenses would be up. I would suggest not mentioning the affiliate program at all on first contact. Perhaps you first add value to them by: asking if you could write a non-product blog post for them. Or perhaps you ask them if they have the same pain point your product is solving and work with them to solve that pain point - with no strings attached. You have to prove to them you want to build a relationship - not get them to push or promote a product.

If trust is built and the time is right after that - you could ask them if they could share their honest (good and bad) pain point story to their audience (then, the affiliate program is just ancillary -"oh, and we track and compensate you via our affiliate program, for any sale you bring over as a result"). I'd also try to really make it clear that you want to work one-on-one with them to make it successful and as so you should offer them something you don't offer 95% of your other affiliates (discounts, giveaway to just their audience, etc.).

With this, you will build strong bonds, aligning your success with theirs - which makes for a good influencer/merchant relationship.

Good luck! If you have any questions - I am just a call away:)

Provide immediate value, whichever influencer you're looking to work with think as to how your saas can help them do their job better and then deliver it. Allow them to toy with it etc with cordial follow ups and their feedback. (I myself am an influencer and growth hacker)
Best of luck!

Approach is everything with a thing like that. I would consider calling it a partnership rather than you are looking to have them as your affiliate. First, compliment their website, then ask if they have advertising options available. Then mention you have a revenue sharing partnership available that is working well in a few instances. Another approach is offering to do a "hybrid deal" whereby you pay them a certain monthly fee, plus giving them a commission per sale (which can be lower than what you offer straight affiliates). This could be a good way to show some good faith like you are trying to make them some guaranteed money plus the affiliate commissions.

Start of explaining how you solve a problem, say something unique that shows you know who they are (no form letters) and then ask if they are interested in a demo. If they want more information, tell them another way their audience would benefit (as all podcasters want to be seen as the person who helped their audience benefit) and then mention, oh, and we also have an affiliate program. Form letters go right in the trash. Also take some time to know who you are talking to.I get asked to promote my competition on a fairly regular basis.

Just be direct, but solve a problem at the same time. People want results, so make sure whatever your offer is that it gives value.

Here are some tips on how you can do just that.

Do your homework and get to know the influencer before reaching out to them
Always start by appreciating their work before making a pitch
Clearly highlight what you’re offering in return for their effort
Get to-the-point, mention everything relevant, but don’t make your message too long
Be respectful and leave scope for further discussion and negotiation
Follow-up if they do not reply to your first message.

The main purpose of influencer marketing and outreach is to boost your company’s sales and leads. Influencers are individuals that have audiences you are interested in marketing to. Lately, the term “influencer marketing” has begun to apply to all social networks. When you work with these influencers to promote your product, that is called influencer marketing.
Reaching out to them to get a deal done is influencer outreach. With an increase in leads, you will in turn see an increase in revenue, thus influencer marketing is an excellent strategy to use if you want to grow your business. According to a poll on the Tomoson blog, 59% of marketers are planning to increase their influencer marketing budgets over the next 12 months. The poll also showed that influencer marketing was rated the fastest-growing customer acquisition channel. If you are struggling to find good ideas, it is okay to go online to find motivation from other brands. There are thousands of online lists of marketing ideas. Remember in your planning that using influencers in unique ways always stands out, like in 2014 when HubSpot asked influencers to lend advice about influencer marketing for an infographic. Much like our finished influencer project, they took advice from top-level experts and created a visually pleasing infographic. After you have determined what your project is, it is wise to establish goals that are within reach and mapped out over time. This is a method loved by marketers everywhere, and if you adhere to it, you will have a clear path forward for every project you ever attempt. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it is aligned with your specific project, the needs of your influencers, and your ultimate goals. This was the best way to provide value to both our audience and the audiences of the influencers who responded. Now you are ready to start homing in on your influencers. It can be excruciatingly overwhelming to track down influencers. The key to finding the right influencers is to remember that the more you know about your target, the better you can create a pitch that will engage and sell them on your idea. Just look at how brands like Jord tap into micro-influencer content with strategic YouTube features. You could miss her by a mile, which means you would be losing thousands of impressions for your project. And Jord does not just focus on one group either. There are hundreds of thousands of reviews for this company on YouTube alone.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath