Collab Outreach

The Warm-Up (Before the Pitch)

Never cold-pitch a collaboration. Warm up first:

1. Subscribe and watch. Actually watch their content. Reference specific videos.
2. Comment thoughtfully. Leave genuine, substantive comments on 3-5 videos over 2-3 weeks. Not "great video!" -- add value.
3. Engage on social. Like, reply, share their content on Twitter/LinkedIn.
4. Share their content with your audience. Mention them in a video or newsletter. Tag them.

This creates recognition before you pitch. When your DM arrives, they already know your name.

The Pitch (After Warm-Up)

Format: DM (Twitter/X, Instagram, or LinkedIn) or email. Keep it under 150 words.

Structure:

1. Connection (1 sentence) -- Reference something specific about their content
2. Value proposition (2 sentences) -- What their audience gets from this collab
3. The ask (1 sentence) -- Specific collab format and topic
4. Easy out (1 sentence) -- Make it easy to say no

Outreach Templates

Template 1: Guest Appearance Pitch

Hey [Name],

Your video on [specific topic] was sharp — especially [specific point].
I think your audience would get a lot from a conversation about
[specific topic you'd cover], given my experience with [your credibility].

Would you be open to a quick chat about doing a [format — interview /
joint video / guest segment]? I could make it easy — just show up and
bring the insights.

Either way, keep making great stuff. No pressure at all.

[Your name]

Template 2: Cross-Promotion Pitch

Hey [Name],

I've been watching your content on [topic] — your take on [specific thing]
was really good. I'm covering a similar angle this month from my
perspective as a [your angle], and I thought it'd be cool to cross-reference.

What if we both made a video on [shared topic] from our different angles
and linked to each other? Easy, low-coordination, mutual benefit.

Happy to hop on a 15-min call to see if it makes sense. And totally fine
if the timing isn't right.

[Your name]

Template 3: Podcast Guest Pitch

Hey [Name],

I've listened to [X] episodes of [podcast name] — your interview with
[guest] on [topic] was one of the best I've heard on the subject.

I think your listeners would benefit from hearing about [specific topic +
your angle]. I [brief credibility: "run a $1.5M SaaS and have been
implementing AI across the entire revenue org"].

Would you be open to having me on? I can share a few topic angles that
might work for your show.

[Your name]

Collab Execution

Pre-Collab Checklist

• Agreed on topic, format, and length
• Defined who publishes where (both channels? one channel?)
• Agreed on cross-linking and CTA strategy
• Scheduled recording date
• Exchanged channel context (audience, style, topics to avoid)
• Prepared talking points or outline
• Agreed on publish timeline (same day? staggered?)

During the Collab

• Lead with value for THEIR audience
• Be a good guest: let them guide the conversation structure
• Mention your channel/content naturally, don't hard-sell
• Share something genuinely useful that their audience can't get elsewhere

Post-Collab

• Send a thank-you message within 24 hours
• Cross-promote the collab on all your platforms
• Share the performance data with your partner (views, subs, engagement)
• Discuss the next collab (don't let it be a one-off)
• Engage with comments on their video where you appeared

Common Mistakes

• Pitching too big. A 10K channel pitching MrBeast won't get a reply. Stay in your weight class.
• Leading with your stats. "I have 15K subscribers and get 5K views per video" -- they don't care about your numbers. They care about what you bring to their audience.
• Cold pitching. No warm-up, no relationship building, just "want to collab?" in their DMs. Low response rate, burned bridge.
• No clear topic. "We should do something together" is not a pitch. "Your audience would love a deep dive on [topic] from a [your angle] perspective" is.
• One-sided value. If the collab only benefits you (exposure to a bigger audience with nothing in return), it's not a collaboration. It's a favor.
• Treating it as one-off. The real value of collabs comes from ongoing relationships, not single videos.

Process

1. Define collab goals and target criteria.
2. Identify 5-10 potential partners using the 3-Filter System.
3. Warm up (2-3 weeks of genuine engagement).
4. Pitch (150 words or less, value-first).
5. If yes: execute the pre-collab checklist.
6. Record and publish.
7. Post-collab follow-up and relationship maintenance.

Output Format

## Collab Strategy for: [Channel Name]

### Collab Goals
[What you want to achieve — growth, authority, content variety]

### Target Criteria
- Size range: [X-Y subscribers]
- Niche overlap: [Adjacent topics]
- Format preference: [Guest, joint, cross-promo]

### Target List

| Creator | Subs | Niche | Why They're a Fit | Warm-Up Status |
|---------|------|-------|-------------------|----------------|
| [Name] | [X] | [Topic] | [Specific reason] | [Not started / In progress / Ready to pitch] |
| [Name] | [X] | [Topic] | [Specific reason] | [Status] |
| [Name] | [X] | [Topic] | [Specific reason] | [Status] |

### Outreach Plan
[Pitch for the top target, customized using the templates above]

### Collab Concept
[Specific video idea for the collab — topic, format, length, publish plan]

Related Skills

• audience-research -- Understand your audience to find complementary collab partners.
• channel-strategy -- Collabs should align with your channel's growth strategy.
• idea-generation -- Generate collab-specific video ideas.
• channel-audit -- Ensure your channel is collab-ready (consistent quality, clear positioning).
• hook-writing -- Collab videos still need great hooks.