I want to tell you about one of my Lounge students who just scored a massive discount on a newsletter sponsorship from a popular publication in her industry.
And before you tune out because you have no interest in a newsletter sponsorships – first I’d say are you sure – but also that’s not actually what this episode is about anyway. That’s just where the story ends. The real story is about what she did to get there and how you might be sitting on the same opportunity without even realizing it.
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Why Warm Outreach Beats Cold Pitching Every Time
I had a Lounge student planning a big promo campaign – she booked a velvet rope call for my support in hashing out her marketing plans.
During our conversation I uncovered that a lot of the new customers she has gained this year came from a feature she got in a popular publication in her Industry.
As someone who leaned a lot on partners like this in my previous day job, I asked her if she reached out to them to see if they have any sort of advertising opportunities or would be willing to share.
A few days after our call she messaged me to say – and I’m paraphrasing “Thank you for the suggestion. I never would have thought about asking these people if you hadn’t mentioned it. So far two have said yes and one of them gave me a huge discount on their typical newsletter sponsorship rate”
And it was that message that made me realize I had to record this as a podcast episode because it’s something I have done on auto-pilot for as long as I can remember and sometimes I forget that not everyone knows or will think of these things.
At the end of the day you’re out here trying to crack the code on cold traffic, ads, the algorithm, and meanwhile, you’ve likely got this whole network of warm connections with audiences just sitting there completely untapped.
I want to make sure you’re tapping into those connections, so let’s talk about who they are so you can identify them in your own network.
Past Press and Publications: Your Dormant PR Asset
If you’ve ever been featured in a blog, a magazine, an online publication, a gift guide — those people exist somewhere in your inbox or your DMs. They put your name and your products in front of their audience once. That means they were already excited about what you’re doing.
When you have a sale, a new product launch, a collab, a milestone — reach out. It doesn’t have to be a formal pitch. It can literally just be, “Hey, I don’t know if this is something you’d want to share with your audience, but we’ve got something big happening and I thought of you.”
If you know they have specific advertising opportunities you can ask specifically about them so it doesn’t sound like you’re asking for a free favor, but ultimately that’s it.
Some will say no, some will say yes, and some of them might come back to you with an offer you weren’t even expecting – like my Lounge student did.
Brand Collaborations: The Partnership That Doesn’t Have to End
I’ve definitely talked about brand collaborations on this podcast before, but most of us only think about these partnerships when there is a direct reciprocal event – like a join giveaway, promotion, product, or gift guide.
But that relationship doesn’t expire when the collab ends. If you’ve got something coming up, send a quick note. Ask if they’d be willing to mention it to their email list or share it on their social. Let them know you’ll be happy to return the favor in the future. Most of the time, people are happy to help.
Vendors and Suppliers: The Marketing Partners You’re Ignoring
This one tends to surprise people. Your vendors and suppliers — the people who make or source what you sell — they often have their own communities, their own social platforms, their own newsletters. And they love when their customers succeed. It’s literally good for their business too.
If your supplier has a blog, or an Instagram, or a newsletter where they feature makers and retailers using their products — that could be you. Even if they don’t, it doesn’t typically feature their retailers, it doesn’t mean they won’t. It could just be because no one has asked them before!
We did tons of marketing campaigns and events with our vendors and suppliers. It’s an especially good opportunity if the product you sell needs some sort of education around it because they will typically have someone on their team who is happy to get on video and lead the educational event. They also might be willing to give you a break on the wholesale price of items you’re going to feature so you can offer a discount that sort of thing.
Remember, these brands have marketing budgets too.
Wholesale and Retail Partners: How to Make It Worth Their While
If you sell wholesale or you’ve ever had your products stocked anywhere, you should absolutely tap into the relationship you have with them.
That might look like hosting an event with them, giving them a slight discount on the wholesale price of units they sell during this time, all the things we just talked about.
But even if the sale doesn’t come directly through their business, they might be willing to promote the campaign on your own site as long as it doesn’t cannibalize the business they already do with you.
Maybe you offer them a sponsorship fee, a discount off their next wholesale order, or agree to do an in-person event in their store. Whatever you can do to make it mutually beneficial.
Influencers, Creators, and Affiliates: Give Them a Reason to Promote
Anyone who is already out there promoting your business on the Internet should get a heads up about any special promotions, or new product launches you’re doing in your business.
Think about how hard it feels sometimes for you to market your business when you feel like you have nothing new to say. Well, the same is true for online creators.
Depending on the structure of your program, you can also offer additional incentives during this short window to get them excited about featuring your products again.
And honestly, sometimes that’s not even necessary. If they’re already an affiliate and earning commission, of course they would want to promote your products when there is a higher likelihood of the customer converting because you have something special going on. It’s truly a no brainer.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
The through-line here — across every single one of these — is that you are not asking strangers for a favor. You are reaching back out to people who have already said yes to you in some way. That changes everything about how these conversations go.
Cold outreach is hard. Warm outreach is a completely different game.
And here’s the thing about asking — so many of us just don’t do it. We assume people are too busy, or they’ll say no, it’s weird to ask, or we just don’t even think about doing it. But most people genuinely want to help if it’s an easy yes for them. Your sale or your launch is not an inconvenience to share. For a lot of these people, it’s actually content. It solves their problem of “what do I post about today?”
So stop assuming the answer is no before you even send the message.
Your Own Customers: The Micro-Influencers Already in Your Corner
Now, one quick add-on before I wrap up — this same logic applies to your customers too.
If you have any sort of referral program for your customers, giving them a heads up that this is coming can help them get the word out. Some of them might even have blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram followings, TikTok pages.
It feels like everyone and their mother is a creator or micro-influencer these days, right. And if they are already your customer, already love what you sell, of course they’re gonna want to tell their friends about you. They just need a little nudge and a reminder to do it.
The 15-Minute Exercise to Map Your Warm Network
Okay, so here’s what I want you to actually do with this.
Take fifteen minutes — seriously, just fifteen minutes — and brainstorm a list of everyone who has ever said yes to you in some way. Past press. Collabs. Vendors. Retail partners. Creators you’ve gifted. Go through your email, your DMs, your notes. Make the list.
Then, the next time you have something worth promoting — a sale, a launch, a new product, a milestone — go to that list first. Send a simple, genuine message. Tell them what’s happening and ask if they’d be willing to share.
You are going to be surprised how many people say yes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is warm outreach and how is it different from cold outreach?
Warm outreach means reaching back out to people who have already interacted with your brand in a positive way — press contacts who featured you, past brand collaborators, vendors, retail partners, affiliates, or existing customers. Cold outreach means contacting strangers with no prior relationship. Warm outreach converts far better because there’s already an established connection and a baseline of trust on both sides.
Who should I reach out to when I have a sale or product launch?
Your warm network includes more people than you probably think: publications or blogs that have featured your products, brands you’ve collaborated with, your vendors and suppliers, wholesale or retail partners who carry your products, influencers or affiliates you’ve worked with, and even your own customers. Each of these groups has already shown some form of interest in your brand, making them far more likely to share your news.
How do I ask a publication or press contact to share my promotion without feeling like I’m asking for a free favor?
Keep it casual and genuine. A simple message saying you have something happening and thought of them is often enough. If they have paid advertising or sponsorship options, mention that you’re open to those too — that way it doesn’t read as asking for something for nothing. Some will say no, some will say yes, and some will come back with an offer you weren’t even expecting.
Can I really get marketing support from my vendors or suppliers?
Yes — and it’s more common than most store owners realize. Vendors and suppliers often have their own social platforms, newsletters, and blogs where they love to feature the businesses using their products. They have marketing budgets too, and your success is literally good for their business. Even if they don’t have a formal program, it doesn’t mean they won’t help — it might just mean no one has asked them yet.
How do I re-engage affiliates or creators I’ve worked with in the past?
Give them a heads-up before your next sale or launch and remind them there’s something worth promoting. If they’re already earning commission, a promotion period with higher conversion likelihood is a no-brainer for them. You can also offer short-term additional incentives to generate extra excitement, but often a simple heads-up message with the details is all it takes.
What’s the fastest way to start building my warm outreach list?
Set a timer for 15 minutes and go through your email inbox, DMs, and notes. Write down every person or brand who has ever said yes to you in some way — featured you, collaborated with you, stocked your products, promoted you, or bought from you. That list becomes your go-to every time you have a sale, launch, or new product to announce.
