How to Get Free Products from Brands: A Guide for Influencers & Creators

@mikemonnette How to get brands to give you free products #mensstyle #fashion #ugc #ugccreator #styletok #free #freegame ♬ original sound - Mike

If you’ve ever wondered how influencers, creators, and even everyday people get free products from brands, here’s the inside scoop. As both a brand owner and a creator, I’ve seen this process from both sides. Brands want publicity, and they’re often willing to give out products or form partnerships—but only if you know how to ask the right way.

The Wrong Way to Approach a Brand

Here are some common mistakes that will almost guarantee your request gets ignored:

• Sending a mass message – If it’s a copy-paste pitch with no personalization, it’s an immediate red flag.
• Not following the brand or engaging with them beforehand – If you’ve never interacted with the brand, why should they care?
• Not fitting the brand’s niche – I run a clothing brand for shorter guys. If someone well over 6 feet reaches out for a partnership, it’s clear they didn’t do their homework.
• Being vague about the collaboration – Messages that just say “Let’s collab” put all the work on the brand to figure out what that means. Brands get tons of these, and they usually go unanswered.

The Right Way to Ask

If you want to maximize your chances of getting a yes, follow these guidelines:

• Send a customized message and build a pre-existing relationship – The best outreach isn’t cold. If you’ve engaged with the brand’s content before, your name will already be familiar.
• Offer a transaction – Instead of asking for free stuff, explain what you’ll give in return. Brands aren’t charities; they want value in exchange.
• Be specific about what’s in it for the brand – If you can articulate exactly how they’ll benefit, your offer becomes much more appealing.

Three Key Takeaways

1. Show sincerity – Follow the brand, engage with their content, and build familiarity before making an ask. Comment, tag, and interact so they recognize your name.
2. Make it transactional – Brands aren’t just giving things away for fun. There’s no shame in being clear that you’re offering something in return. You don’t need a huge following to make this work—many brands are looking for user-generated content (UGC) for ads. If you can create high-quality videos or photos, that’s valuable.
3. Offer specifics – A strong pitch includes:
   1. Examples of previous work
   2. How you plan to feature the product
   3. A timeline for when you’ll deliver the content

Brands want publicity, and they’re open to giving away products or forming partnerships—but only if you approach them the right way. Put in the effort, be clear in your offer, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting a yes.