Jan. 13, 2023 – There’s a reason that influencer marketing has taken off in the past few years—it’s wildly effective. In fact, influencer marketers see an average of $5-6.50 return on every $1 invested in social media creators. Influencer marketing is a way brands can promote their products through endorsements or recommendations from influencers and content creators on the internet.

One of the keys to building a robust influencer marketing program is product seeding, also known as influencer gifting. This is when brands send free products to a carefully selected group of influencers. In return, influencers post about the item and share photos and opinions of the product with their followers.

By allowing the creator to browse your catalog and select a product they will use in real life, creators are more likely to develop genuine brand affinity and pass that love on to their followers.

For most brands, product seeding is highly cost-effective. Unless a brand has an extremely high-ticket product, the exchange of product for user-generated content (UGC) is by far the most inexpensive way to build brand awareness and eventually drive sales.

Sending out a product to influencers without asking for an immediate response builds the kind of trust that leads to brand love. You’re more likely to turn an influencer into a “true believer” by taking the time to slow down and build a real relationship. In turn, you’ll earn the support of the fans who genuinely believe in that influencer’s mission.

For most brands, product seeding is highly cost-effective. Unless a brand has an extremely high-ticket product, the exchange of product for user-generated content (UGC) is by far the most inexpensive way to build brand awareness and eventually drive sales.

You constantly create opportunities to convert new customers by getting products out into the world. Even if the goal isn’t to acquire a new influencer to represent your brand, a free product could create a loyal fan that will buy from you in the future.

Social media-based influencer recommendations help 49% of consumers decide what to buy–and around 80% of consumers have purchased something after seeing it recommended by an influencer. The idea behind product seeding is that getting your product into the hands of an influencer who is likely to use and enjoy your product will result in genuine, relatable content that the influencer’s community will find engaging and memorable.