No one can deny that getting PR boxes is a thrill. Each package allows you to try cool products and feel the love from brands. It also signals your rising influence and validates all your hard work.
But let’s be honest— receiving a mountain of freebies can be overwhelming. You need to figure out how to use all those products without boring your audience or turning your platform into a giant ad. You might even worry that your content will lose the authenticity your followers love.
Don’t worry! Incorporating product gifts into your content can add variety and strengthen your relationship with your audience. You just need to know how to do it.
Key takeaways from this blog
- Incorporating product gifts into your content strategy widens your reach and makes your posts more memorable.
- Unboxings and giveaways can increase audience engagement.
- Creating genuine reviews and testimonials can build deeper connections with your audience.
- Finding the right brand or product for your personal brand can make or break a collab, so choose wisely.
1. Build anticipation with unboxing videos
There’s something undeniably exciting about opening a brand-new item for the first time—and unboxing videos capture this feeling perfectly. They allow you to share the thrill of discovering a product with your audience, making them a part of the experience.
This format works well in many scenarios, but you’ll make the most impact if you choose products with unique packaging or eye-catching PR boxes.
Lifestyle and beauty creator @urmom_sushi teamed up with makeup brand Flower Knows to create a beautiful unboxing video that reflects the brand’s feminine aesthetic.
2. Make teachable moments with how-to guides and tutorials
Incorporating products into how-to guides and tutorials provides practical value to your audience. This content format demonstrates how the product works while positioning you as a source of knowledge in your field.
It also resonates with audiences. Research shows that 53 percent of consumers follow influencers for expert advice or how-to content.
Sammy Monsour, a Michelin star chef and food influencer, created an autumnal recipe Reel featuring a Blaze Grill as part of his partnership with BBQGuys. Note: This brand deal may not have involved product gifting.
3. Get experiential with product demos
Creating product demos with PR gives you the hands-on experience to effectively highlight the product’s features, functionalities, and benefits. When crafting this content type, show how the products work, their real-life applications, and the results they deliver.
Seeing the product in action helps consumers visualize the role the product could play in their lives. It also makes your reviews feel more genuine. Research reveals that 52 percent of consumers believe product reviews feel most authentic when the influencer demonstrates how they use the product.
Yinka Oni-Orisan, a fashion and beauty creator, demos the Urban Skin RX YouthHero AM and PM serums in a relaxing skincare routine Reel. The video shows how beautifully the product applies and works with other products in her lineup.
4. Help your audience shop with product reviews and comparisons
Product gifts provide firsthand experience with the items you’re reviewing or comparing. This allows for deeper analysis and detailed insights to improve your content quality and credibility.
This content type provides immense value to your followers, too. In-depth reviews of a product or comparison help them make more informed purchasing decisions. Research shows that one out of three consumers value product demonstrations.
In her YouTube video, Rachel Fusaro, a pet and nutrition creator, created an in-depth comparison of The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie dog food brands. Note: This brand deal may not have involved product gifting.
5. Boost audience engagement with giveaways
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Hosting giveaways with your product gifts deepens your brand relationships, engages your audience, and attracts new followers.
When you include a brand’s products in a giveaway, you raise brand awareness and visibility. As participants engage with the giveaway content, they become more familiar with the brand—potentially leading to increased recognition and brand loyalty. This lays a strong foundation for future partnerships with the brand.
Additionally, giveaways often generate buzz on social media. Your reach expands as you accumulate more shares, likes, and comments.
You also strengthen the bond with your existing audience by fostering community around your platform.
Ashley of @merrilsonthemove, an outdoor, travel, and family creator, made a big splash with followers when she offered up an epic offroading adventure in Idaho in collaboration with several brands, including Idaho Wilderness Yurts and Zion Powerspot Rentals.
Nailing product-audience fit leads to successful content
Creating successful content with product gifts hinges on one crucial factor: Pitching brands that align with your style and audience.
Authentic collabs based on shared values can boost your credibility and show your followers that you’re genuine.
Want to find brands that you genuinely love? Sign up for impact.com / creator to discover brands that want to work with creators like you.
Keep on learning with these resources:
- The art of the freebie: How micro-influencers can score PR packages (blog)
- Your step-by-step guide to creating a Marketplace listing that brands can’t resist (blog)
- Brand contracts decoded: 7 essentials every content creator should know (blog)
FAQs
When influencers get free products from brands, they must clearly tell their audience. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules require creators to be honest about any connections they have with brands, including PR packages and product gifts.
Being open about free products also keeps you honest with your followers. Transparency is key to building and maintaining an audience. According to impact.com research, 54 percent of consumers rated integrity as an influencer’s most important quality.
When you receive a free product you don’t like, approach the situation with honesty and transparency.
First, check your brand contract. Are you required to create content about this product? Does that content need a specific tone? If you have an agreement, consider contacting the brand privately to give feedback. Explain why the product didn’t meet your expectations or fit with your content. Offer the brand the chance to make adjustments or exchange the product for something you’re more likely to like.
If you don’t have an agreement with the brand, you aren’t obligated to create content about the product.
