With so many brands trying to make their mark in the influencer marketing space, even seemingly tiny gestures can pack a real punch. Mastering the art of influencer gifting notes can be the difference between your PR box landing in a pile with the rest, or making an influencer stop and take notice. We'll be outlining how these little notes forge genuine connections between brands and influencers, and in turn have the ability to transform campaigns into captivating conversations. Plus, we’ve included a handful of templates to help you get on the right track.
What is an influencer gifting note?
An influencer gifting note is a personalized message or letter sent by a brand or company to an influencer as part of a gifting or product collaboration. This could be as part of a product seeding kit, a pre-arranged product exchange for a campaign, or even just as part of a spontaneous gift drop that you’ve decided to share.
When brands decide to send products to an influencer for promotion, they often include a gifting note along with the package. More than just a tag addressed to the influencer in question, they’re an opportunity to speak to the influencer and can help brands position themselves positively in the creator’s eyes.
Why should brands send influencers gifting notes?
Brands send influencer gifting notes for several reasons, as these notes serve various important purposes in influencer marketing collaborations. While not all of these may be applicable in every scenario where a note is sent out, here are some key reasons why brands should consider sending influencer gifting notes:
Personalization: A gifting note adds a personal touch to the collaboration. It shows that the brand values the influencer as an individual and appreciates their work, making the influencer feel more valued and invested in the partnership.
Relationship building: Gifting notes help foster a positive relationship between the brand and the influencer. By acknowledging the influencer's efforts and expressing gratitude, the brand can strengthen the bond, leading to more long-term and fruitful collaborations.
Brand representation: Notes can help further represent a brand's voice and personality. It allows the brand to communicate its values, mission, and unique selling points directly to the influencer. This ensures that the influencer aligns their content with the brand's identity, creating consistent and cohesive message.
Content direction: Another benefit gifting notes add is providing guidance to the influencer regarding the type of content the brand is looking for. It may include suggestions for specific features or benefits of the products that the brand would like the influencer to highlight in their posts.
Enhancing authenticity: A well-crafted gifting note can encourage the influencer to create more authentic and genuine content. When the influencer feels appreciated and trusted, they may be more likely to invest effort into the collaboration, which resonates better with their audience.
Encouraging promotion: The gifting note can serve as a gentle reminder or encouragement for the influencer to promote the products. It may outline any specific posting requirements or timelines agreed upon for the collaboration.
Communication channel: The gifting note provides a clear and direct communication channel between the brand and the influencer. If the influencer has any questions or needs further information, they can reach out to the brand through any contact details they may have included in the note.
In general, influencer gifting notes contribute to a more effective and enjoyable collaboration experience for both the brand and the influencer. It helps the brand establish a positive brand perception and achieve its marketing goals while empowering the influencer to create content that aligns with their audience and brand values.
What goes into an influencer gifting note?
First things first, the influencer’s name. Personalization (as opposed to “Hey babe!” or “Hey there!”) should be the bare minimum here to make the recipient feel considered by the brand. Next up, there should be some kind of message of appreciation, thanking the creator and hoping that they enjoy your product offering.
While this isn’t mandatory, a brand may want to include an encouragement for promotion. They might gently nudge the creator to showcase the products in their social media posts, stories, or videos, depending on anything that may have been discussed beforehand or the nature of the items that were sent. Clear collaboration expectations should be included if there are any specific requirements or guidelines for the influencer's promotional content. This may be the case if the product drop was pre-agreed upon as part of a major campaign.
Next up, the brand might want to list off a few crucial contact details. This may include their social media handles, a direct email address, or contact information of the brand's marketing or PR representative, allowing the influencer to get in touch if needed. Finally, some notes may necessitate a call-to-action, urging the influencer to share their thoughts or tag the brand in their posts. This might be coupled with the right social media handles to tag as well as any relevant hashtags that are associated with the brand or the products in question.
Templates for influencer gifting notes
It's essential for brands to craft these gifting notes thoughtfully as they play a part in setting the tone for influencer collaboration. However, for brands that are just starting out, it might be tough to determine exactly how to create the perfect note for the influencers you’re engaging with. To help alleviate your struggles and any potential writer’s block you may have, we’ve compiled some basic free templates to kickstart your influencer gifting note drafts.
General note
Hey [Influencer's Name],
Thank you so much for your continued support and collaboration – we’ve enjoyed working with you so far and can’t wait for the journey ahead.
As a little token of our appreciation, we’re sending you our latest product, [Product Name]. We hope you love it and look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Cheers, [Brand Name]
Personalized note
Hey [Influencer’s Name],
We absolutely loved your entry for the [Campaign Name] campaign! We thought we’d send you a little something to keep the inspiration flowing (and to thank you for your hard work).
Keep creating magic!
Cheers, [Brand Name]
Post request note
Hey [Influencer's Name],
We hope this note finds you with a smile!
Your authenticity and passion have been an inspiration to us, so we've prepared a little surprise for you: inside this package, you'll find some of our favorite products, carefully curated with your unique style in mind.
We’re thrilled to see what you’ll come up with, so feel free to tag us in any of your creations @[Brand social media handle]
Enjoy the goodies!
Best, [Brand Name]
Conclusion
Feeling inspired yet? We hope that this article has enlightened you and given you some extra motivation to make your next influencer gifting note count – the content creators you collaborate with will certainly appreciate it, and your campaign can only be better as a result.
