5 Ways to Run an Ethical Influencer Gifting Campaign
A gifting campaign at its core is pretty straightforward: A brand sends product to influencers in exchange for content. There are lots of benefits to a gifting campaign. The most obvious is original creator content promoting your product. This can lead to brand awareness and credibility among their followers. And, ultimately, customer acquisition!
That being said, there are a few things to consider if you want to run a gifting campaign that is both successful and also shows that you value the labor of creators.
We consulted Amanda Schulze, founder of Palm, as well as content creators on our team to identify five key components of an ethical gifting campaign.
Brands should consistently check in with creators throughout the gifting process. This can be through email, Slack, community platforms like Geneva, etc. This is a great opportunity to build a relationship!
Don’t ghost creators after they’ve submitted or posted their content featuring gifted products. Again, this could be the beginning of a beautiful brand-creator relationship. Follow up with a thank you and maybe even another opportunity. For instance, you can show off a number of different campaigns with different products/initiatives that a creator can choose from that most aligns with their values and vibe.
No posting requirements! By that, we mean no criteria or strings attached for gifting. Brands can make it a point to encourage natural, authentic integration into a creator’s content should they decide to post. It is worth noting, however, that certain product or service categories might require certain legal disclosures, especially if they are making certain health claims or attached to a financial institution, to name a few. Plus, it’s strongly encouraged and ethical practice to include a #sponsored #ad disclosure.
Don’t make it an obligation to post in exchange for product. Unless you’re paying them, of course. The industry term for this is no-obligation gifting. This is especially true for items that might not have a high value. Creators also might be turned off by brands asking them for a laborious amount of content for just one product. Brands can go a step further and build a relationship with gifting. For instance, they can ask if you need product refills or interact with your posted content.
Tag creators in reposts! Credit where credit is due. Remember, if this is a new relationship, this could set the tone for how it plays out. Show creators that you value their time, energy, and work by acknowledging their content and giving them full credit when shared in any form on any of your platforms.
This is certainly not an exhaustive list of all the things a brand can do to develop a gifting campaign that creators are stoked to be a part of and cultivate successful relationships. They are a great start, though, especially if relationship-building and getting a good rep among creators are important to you.
