Gifting products to creators: how to budget for it

Key takeaways

A product gifting budget for influencers must count stock at cost, packaging, postage and the time to find and contact creators. Not every creator will post, so send to more than you need. Gifted posts still need clear disclosure under UK advertising and consumer rules, and creators who post may later expect payment.

• Count stock at cost, packaging, postage and time.
• Expect some creators not to post: plan for it.
• Gifted posts need clear disclosure.
• Track codes or links to measure sales.

What does gifting really cost?

Illustrative example: 20 creators, each sent a product costing £18 at cost, £4 packaging and £5 postage, is £540, plus around eight hours to research and contact them. If six post, the cost per post is £90 before time. That is the figure to compare with paid options.

• Product at cost.
• Packaging and postage.
• Time to research, contact and follow up.
• Cost per post = total ÷ creators who post.

• Social media budget for a UK small business
• Influencers vs paid ads: where £1,000 goes further

How do you choose who to gift?

Pick creators whose followers match your buyers in age and location, who post about your category, and whose comments look genuine. Smaller creators often reply and post more readily. Ask before sending, so you are not posting stock to people who will not use it.

• Influencer marketing for UK small businesses

What disclosure rules apply?

If you give a product with no control over what the creator says, the ASA may not treat the post as an ad, but consumer law still expects the gift to be disclosed. If you require a post or approve content, it becomes an ad and must be labelled clearly. Agree disclosure upfront.

• Not labelling ads on social media: the ASA mistake

How do you measure gifting results?

Give each creator a unique discount code or tagged link, and record posts, reach, clicks and sales. Ask for permission to reuse their content in your own posts or ads, which often provides more value than the original post.

• Creator usage rights: what paid reuse of content costs

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a brand posts products to dozens of creators without asking first, and few post. Contacting creators first, sending to those who agree and using codes usually raises the share who post and shows which ones bring sales.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Gifting checklist

• Budget stock, postage and time.
• Ask creators before sending.
• Agree disclosure wording.
• Use unique codes or links.
• Ask for permission to reuse content.

• Ad placements: where a small budget goes furthest
• Franchise social media budgets: brand fund vs local

Next step

Shortlist ten creators whose audiences match your buyers. Work out the full cost of gifting to them, then message each before sending anything.