Influencer seeding: how to gift products to creators and know if it worked
Influencer seeding (or gifting) means sending free product to creators with no obligation to post, and hoping some of them share it because they genuinely like it. It is the cheapest way for a small brand to start with creators. The catch is that nothing is guaranteed, so the whole game is choosing the right people and counting what came back.
By Nick Jaffrey, founder · Last updated
Seeding, gifting or a paid collaboration?
“Seeding” and “gifting” are the same thing under two names. The real line is between a gift and a paid deal: once you need a guaranteed post, a date or a say in the content, you are buying a collaboration and should agree it in writing first.
| Mode | You pay | Post guaranteed? | Content by | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeding / gifting | The product and the postage | No | The creator | Testing fit cheaply, launches, building a list of creators who genuinely like you |
| Gifted + code | Product, postage, and discount on the orders it drives | No | The creator | When you want to see sales, not just posts |
| Paid collaboration | A fee (plus product) | Yes, agreed in writing | Shared, per the brief | Creators whose audience you already know converts for you |
1. Pick creators who would use it anyway
A gift works when it lands with someone whose audience already buys things like yours. Before you add anyone to the list, check three things: they already post about your category; their audience is in the countries you ship to; and their posts are actually seen. Follower count is the weakest of the signals. Look at the views on their recent posts instead (we call that real reach), and at whether the comments come from real people. Engagement tells you an audience is awake; our engagement-rate benchmarks show what normal looks like at each size.
2. Ask before you ship
Parcels sent cold get lost, returned or resented. Send a short message first: who you are, what you would like to send, and that there is no obligation to post. Anyone who says yes gives you their address, which is also the consent you need to hold it. Keep the ask and the gift separate from any sales request.
3. Build the seeding kit
A seeding kit is simply what goes in the box: the product, a handwritten or printed note, instructions if the product needs them, and a way to reach you. Send the version you would want a customer to receive. If the product has a first-use moment (a routine, a fit, a set-up), make that moment easy. A discount code for their followers is optional; it lands better in a follow-up once the parcel has shipped, so the gift never reads as a sales pitch. The full checklist, a cost worksheet and kit ideas for skincare and fashion are in the seeding kit guide.
4. Write the note: three templates
Keep it short, personal and free of pressure. Copy one of these and make it yours:
Hi [name], thank you for saying yes. This is [product]. We made it because [one honest sentence]. No need to post: we just think you will like it. If you do share it, we would love to see it. [Your name], [brand]
Hi [name], welcome to [brand]. Start with [first step]; most people notice [what to expect] after [time]. If anything is off, reply to this email and I will sort it personally. No strings attached. [Your name]
Hi [name], your parcel is on its way: [tracking link]. If your followers ask about it, [CODE] gives them [x]% off until [date]. Totally optional, and please label it clearly if you post. [Your name]
5. Make disclosure easy
A free product is a connection that most countries expect creators to disclose. In the US, see the FTC's Disclosures 101 for influencers. In the UK, the ASA and CMA influencer guide asks creators to say clearly that something was gifted. EU rules vary by country, and “gifted” on its own is often not enough. One line in your note asking creators to label any post clearly protects both of you.
6. Count what came back
Seeding only looks free. Track four numbers per batch: parcels shipped, posts that followed, the views those posts got, and orders on any code you shared. Then work out your cost per post and compare it with what a creator would charge for a paid post.
You send 20 kits. Each costs $18 in product and $9 in postage, so $27 a kit and $540 for the batch. Five creators post. Your cost per post is $540 ÷ 5 = $108. If those creators would charge more than $108 for a paid post, seeding was the cheaper route. If only one had posted, you paid $540 for one post, and a paid collaboration would probably have been better.
To check what a creator's post is worth to your store, run their numbers through the free influencer ROI calculator, and see the going rate for an account their size in the influencer rate calculator.
7. Turn the best gifts into partnerships
The creators who posted without being asked are your warmest candidates for a paid collaboration: they like the product, and you have already seen how their audience responds. Offer them a proper brief and a fee before you look for strangers.
How Acurrate handles seeding
Acurrate runs this whole loop for Shopify stores. You find creators matched to your store and see what each is likely to be worth using your own conversion rate and order value. You pick a product from your connected Shopify catalogue, and Acurrate gives you one claim link per creator to send from your own inbox; nothing goes out without you. The creator enters their shipping address on a simple page that also reminds them to label any post. Acurrate then creates a zero-cost draft order in your Shopify store for you to review and complete, and each creator moves through clear stages: address received, order drafted, shipped, posted.
Common questions
What is influencer seeding?
Influencer seeding means sending free product to creators with no obligation to post. The bet is that some of them will like it and share it on their own. It is also called influencer gifting or product seeding; the three terms describe the same thing.
Do creators have to post about a gifted product?
No. A gift carries no obligation, and saying so in your note is both honest and more effective. If you need a guaranteed post, a date or approval over the content, that is a paid collaboration, and it should be agreed in writing before anything is sent.
Does a gifted post need to be labelled as an ad?
Usually, yes. In the US, the FTC treats a free product as a connection the creator must disclose. UK guidance from the ASA and CMA asks creators to say clearly that something was gifted. EU countries set their own rules, and "gifted" on its own is often not enough. Remind creators to label posts clearly; the legal duty sits with both of you.
What should go in an influencer seeding kit?
The product, a short personal note, simple instructions if the product needs them, and your contact details. A discount code for their audience is optional and works best in a follow-up after the parcel ships, so the gift never reads as a sales request. Branded packaging helps if it is part of your product experience; it is not required.
How many creators should I seed?
Start with a batch you can afford to lose entirely, send it to creators you picked by hand, and count the posts before sending more. A small, well-chosen batch tells you more than a large random one, because you can see exactly which creators responded and why.
Find creators worth gifting
Acurrate matches creators to your store and runs your seeding from your own Shopify catalogue.