This article was co-authored by Candace Gasper and by wikiHow staff writer, Bailey Bujnosek, BA. Candace Gasper is a Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant and the Owner of Digital Candy, a social media agency. With over seven years of professional experience, Candace is an expert in social media and content creation, specializing in working with local businesses to share their narratives and help them expand their reach. Candace received her Bachelor of Science in Merchandising, Apparels, and Textiles from the University of Kentucky.
There are 21 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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PR (public relations) unboxing videos are always satisfying to watch. If you’ve scrolled on TikTok lately, you’ve likely seen a few PR unboxings. But have you ever wondered how to get PR packages yourself? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need millions of followers to get free products delivered right to your door. We spoke with social media consultant Candace Gasper and social media expert Ramin Ahmari to find out what creators can do to improve their chances of getting on brands' PR lists. Read on to learn easy ways to get PR packages, plus advice on how to contact brands and optimize your content.
How To Get PR Packages
Politely reach out to brands and PR agencies in your content niche to get on mailing lists. Put your email in your bio and open your DMs to make it easy for brands to contact you. Tag them in content you make about their products, and use hashtags related to your niche to help them find your account.
Steps
7 Ways to Get PR Packages For Free
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Apply for brand ambassador programs. Many fashion, beauty, beverage, and lifestyle brands have brand ambassador programs you can apply to through their official websites. Ambassadors receive free products, usually in exchange for posting about them or reviewing them.[1] Besides PR packages, you can also potentially receive exclusive discounts and invitations to brand events if you become a brand ambassador.
- To find application forms, search for phrases like “apply + brand ambassador,” “apply + influencer partnerships,” and “[brand name] + ambassador + apply.” You can also look for “Contact” or “Work With Us” pages on the bottom of brands’ websites.
- Some brands with ambassador applications on their websites include Revolve, Windsor, and Sweetgreen.
- If you’re a current college student, look for campus ambassador programs. Companies like SHEIN, Princess Polly, Red Bull, and poppi have yearly applications exclusively for university students—and many have no minimum follower requirement. Ambassadors typically receive PR packages in exchange for promoting the brand to peers online and on campus.[2]
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Reach out to brands you want to work with. Find general emails for influencer partnerships and PR package requests on brand’s websites.[3] Additionally, you can reach out to members of their influencer marketing team directly if they post that they’re open to pitches. Always be polite, professional, and patient when contacting brands.
- Don’t be discouraged to reach out because you have a small following. “Really what [brands are] looking for is somebody who has pull with their audience. So even if you're an account with 800 [followers], but your audience is really engaged, then they’ll be more willing to work with you,” says Gasper.
- You can also reach out via email to PR agencies that represent brands in your niche. They may be able to connect you directly with brands’ influencer marketing teams—or, add you to mailing lists to receive PR packages from their brands.[4]
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Sign up for product-reviewing platforms. If you’re looking to get free products and don’t mind providing an honest review or creating content, this is an easy way to get PR packages. Popular platforms include Influenster, Aspire, and Shopify Collabs.[5] Some platforms require reviews, while others connect influencers with brands to collaborate on paid, sponsored content.
- While brands on these platforms are usually vetted and legitimate, be wary of scams. You should never have to pay for PR packages, shipping, or brand collaborations—brands send products to build a working relationship with you and potentially reach your audience.[6]
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Look at who similar influencers are getting PR packages from. Search for accounts with similar content and following sizes to yours on the explore page or via relevant hashtags. It will give you an idea of which brands in your niche are sending out PR packages—and which brands might be interested in the content you create.[7]
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Add your email to your bio and open your DMs. If you have a following online, post consistently, and get high engagement, brands may reach out to you to send PR packages. Make it easy for them to contact you by having your DMs open and putting your email address in your bio on all social media platforms.[8]
- Check your DMs and email regularly so you don’t miss potential opportunities. Research the accounts and brands that reach out to you to make sure their offers are legitimate.
- Create a separate email address for public social media profiles to avoid spam and harassment. Put this email address in your bios instead of your personal one. You can even put “PR/Collabs: [your email]” in your bio to make it clear who should contact you.
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Create organic content about brands you want to work with. An easy way to get your dream PR package is to show a brand how much you love their products. Make organic content featuring products you already own and enjoy—for example, a review or feature in a Get Ready With Me video—and tag the brand to try to get on their pr lists.[9] Use brand-relevant hashtags to increase the chance the brand will see your content and understand your unique style and audience.[10]
- Talk about products you actually like and use regularly. You’ll enjoy PR packages from brands you like more than free products from brands you’re not really a fan of.
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Post consistently and use relevant hashtags. When brands look at your profile, they want to see that you’re an active, reliable user and fit into their niche.[11] Post on a daily or weekly basis to show that you take content creation seriously. Use hashtags specific to your niche to help the right brands find your content.
- The more specific the hashtags, the better, says Ahmari. “Don't use hashtags that are like #beauty or #fashion, because there are millions of posts there. If you're not big, you're not gonna be discovered there,” he advises. Instead, he recommends replicating the hashtags used by successful profiles and creating your own.
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
References
- ↑ https://impact.com/influencer/7-steps-to-becoming-a-brand-ambassador/
- ↑ https://impact.com/influencer/7-steps-to-becoming-a-brand-ambassador/
- ↑ https://www.amyshamblen.com/blog/how-to-reach-out-and-collab-with-brands#
- ↑ https://rlmpr.com/pr-advice/how-get-pr-lists/
- ↑ https://www.sociallytaylored.com/blog/how-to-receive-free-products-from-influenster
- ↑ https://presskithero.com/pr-package/
- ↑ https://brands.joinstatus.com/how-to-find-brands-looking-for-ambassadors
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@socialtaiyeler/video/7234633639768657194
- ↑ https://komi.io/blog/how-to-get-on-brand-pr-lists
- ↑ https://komi.io/blog/how-to-get-on-brand-pr-lists
- ↑ https://komi.io/blog/how-to-get-on-brand-pr-lists
- ↑ https://lickd.co/blog/advice-for-content-creators/get-on-brand-pr-lists
- ↑ https://www.newstatesman.com/uncategorized/2024/09/instagram-in-the-new-economy-why-instagram-followers-matter-to-business-growth-instagram
- ↑ https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report-2021/#toc-38
- ↑ https://www.plannthat.com/how-to-reach-out-to-brands-as-an-influencer/
- ↑ https://www.plannthat.com/how-to-reach-out-to-brands-as-an-influencer/
- ↑ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-media-kit/
- ↑ https://home.socialbluebook.com/how-to-protect-your-privacy-as-an-influencer/
- ↑ https://komi.io/blog/how-to-get-on-brand-pr-lists
- ↑ https://wearesculpt.com/blog/organic-social-media-comments/
- ↑ https://blog.heepsy.com/posts/influencer-engagement-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter
- ↑ https://komi.io/blog/how-to-get-on-brand-pr-lists
- ↑ https://brands.joinstatus.com/how-to-send-pr-packages-to-influencers
- ↑ https://presskithero.com/pr-package/
- ↑ https://www.bu.edu/prlab/2022/03/07/the-importance-of-pr-packages/
- ↑ https://brands.joinstatus.com/influencer-gifting-vs-paid-collaborations
- ↑ https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/1001a-influencer-guide-508_1.pdf
- ↑ https://www.bu.edu/prlab/2022/03/07/the-importance-of-pr-packages/
- ↑ https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you#