Birmingham, UK

HOW TO GET PR PACKAGES & EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'VE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BLOGGER MAIL

It's no secret that from time to time I'm sent 'free' products. Occasionally I'll receive skincare items, clothes, and even a gifted lunch here and there. The 'freebies' I'm sent often give me great content ideas and I love unboxing them on my Instagram stories too. While I don't accept every gift I'm offered, I have received an influx of PR packages recently which has caused my DM's to practically explode with questions.


Right now my inbox is flooded with a million queries about my blogger mail and that's understandable! So I'm going to let you guys in on the secret.


Grace is holding 3 boxes full of free PR products

How I get PR products and everything else you've ever wanted to know about blogger mail...



What is blogger mail?


Blogger mail is a fun little name for products sent by businesses to influencers in the hope that their product will get coverage. For brands, this is a very inexpensive way to advertise which is why it's so popular at the moment. But a word of warning - starting a blog or an instagram account just for freebies won't get you far. Bloggers and brands can spot it a mile off and besides that it takes real dedication to post regular content and build up quality following.


How I get my PR packages


The majority of my press packages are from big brands or PR companies who usually contact me over email. To make everyone's life easier, and to make sure I don't miss out on opportunities, I ensure my email address is clear and visible on all my platforms. While some brands are happy to slide in the DM's I still find the majority like to do business over email and they will be much more likely to get in touch if your email address is easy to find. 


From time to time I'll see that a brand I love is actively working with bloggers, and if I want a piece of that pie I'll email them first. I have secured a few goodies this way before but it's never guaranteed results. If this is a path you're considering taking just remember that while big companies often have a budget for gifting, it's not fair to ask smaller businesses for 'freebies'. 


Do I get paid?


Occasionally I will receive a PR product and payment, this usually happens when a brand has specific requirements. Many bloggers and influencers will be happy to accept products on the understanding that they may or may not receive coverage, but this isn't always the case. If a brand expects coverage or gives guidance on the type of content they expect to be produced to promote the product I would encourage the recipient to discuss payment. There won't always be a monetary budget for this but brands have got to start understanding that as amazing as their new skincare launch is, we can't pay our bills with a fancy pot of moisturiser.


Grace has opened one of the PR boxes and is looking at the items within


How to get on a brands PR list


There is no foolproof way to get a space on your favourite brands PR list, sometimes it's just down to luck! I do however have a couple of tips to help you on your way:


  • Interact with the brands you love on social media and tag them in relevant content you create, they might just notice you.

  • Check #BloggersRequire and #BloggersWanted hashtags on Twitter. Yes, these are often clogged up with other bloggers chatting shite, but PR teams often tweet about upcoming opportunities using the hashtags too!

  • Keep in touch with PR's after you receive a product, let them know you've received it and when you are going to mention it. It's also helpful to send over your engagement stats if you mention the product on social media. Be nice to you PR and they will remember you fondly for future opportunities. 


Beware of the scams!


Because gifting has become such a popular thing in the influencer world, scammers have picked up on it. Ever received a comment on your latest Instagram post that goes along the line of "Hey babe DM us for a collab!" Well, chances are it's a scam. They work by offering you a collaboration where you either buy the product and are later refunded after your post about it, or you pay the postage and are later refunded. The only problem here is that you will never get a refund. A legitimate company will never ask you to pay for any part of a press product. 



I hope this has answered a few of the burning questions you all have about PR packages and freebies! I know that not everyone likes or even understands the influencer industry, but for so many of us who have spent hours creating content and building relationships with brands, these are just little perks of the job.

 


Still have a question about how to get free press products or anything else? Feel free to leave a comment below or drop me a message on any of my social media accounts!


Thanks for reading!


If you liked this post don't forget to click here to follow me on Bloglovin!



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Grace is holding 3 boxes full of PR products, below her is text that reads "How to get PR packages & everything else you've ever wanted to know about blogger mail"


12 comments

  1. This was an extremely useful post, Grace! Thanks for the tips! :)

    I always wonder how these fake Instagram brands don't realise we know enough not to trust their schemes, especially when they're using bots to message us!

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    1. Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful! :)

      And unfortunately I do still see people, especially newer bloggers, falling for the scams! Hopefully people are wising up to them now!

      Grace x

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  2. Brilliant advice Grace! I love getting blogger post, although I’m waiting on like 4 things currently and it’s holding up my schedule that they just aren’t arriving.

    It’s definitely a perk I never thought about when I started out x

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    1. Thank you so much, I hope you found it useful! And yes PR stuff wasn't really a thing when I started blogging so it was a nice treat once I started receiving bits! Super annoying when you're waiting on it to create content though!

      Grace xx

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  6. Nice breakdown here Grace. I wondered how this process works.

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    1. Thanks! I've tried to cover as much as I can! :)

      Grace x

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  7. Hey Grace! I’m new to this and was wondering when a brand wants to send you packages, what address do you give them? I’m not totally sold on giving out my home address to every brand that asks for it- do you use something else?

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    1. Hi! So I totally get that you might be nervous about giving your home address to brands. I think it's important that you can verify the brands before giving out your postal address. In the past I have given brands my work address when I've not felt 100% confident about handing over my home address although again it's not ideal. It you start to get a lot of PR packages it might be worth looking into a PO box though I think they can be quite expensive.

      Hope that helps!

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