Ever feel like your brand is missing out on the benefits of influencer marketing?
You’ve heard so much about how influencers can boost sales for brands and bring massive exposure. You’re hungry for that kind of growth. And yet, it’s not happening.
Maybe you’ve never tried influencer marketing before. Or you’ve tried it but struggled to get deals with high-quality influencers – you know, the influencers who make incredible content people love to see, and have the engagement rates to prove it.
How do you get those top-tier influencers to work with you? It’s all about wooing them and winning them over. And the way to do that is by giving them the PR package of their dreams.
What is a PR package?
A PR package is a collection of products sent by a brand to an influencer or media personality as a gift. These gifts increase brand awareness and build the brand’s reputation.
PR packages are often carefully personalized for the recipient and have eye-catching packaging and containers. That’s because the brand hopes the recipient will take videos or pictures of the package to post on social media.
This means a PR package is designed for two things: to make a positive impression on the recipient, and to make a positive impression on the public. (This is public relations, after all.)
When to use PR packages for influencers
Let’s be honest. PR packages take time and effort to create, plus they involve giving lots of stuff away for free. So are they really worth it?
The answer is yes… in several ways!
Gifted campaigns
The most common way brands use PR packages is as part of a gifted campaign strategy. The idea is that you’d find an influencer who would be a good fit for your brand, introduce yourself and let them know why you’re interested in them, get their address, and send them a PR package in hopes that they’ll show it off to their audience.
This is different from a paid collab, because in that case, a brand and influencer make an agreement: The brand will pay the influencer and send them a certain product, and the influencer will create content about the product in a way that aligns with the brand’s expectations. Unlike that kind of collab, a PR package is sent with no prior agreement that the influencer has to post about it.
But if your PR package is really well done, you raise your chances of the influencer making a post. And when that happens, suddenly your brand is put into a very good-looking spotlight.
Paid collabs
You can also use PR packages with influencers who do paid collabs. One way is to use the packages to incentivize influencers to hit special milestones. This means the package is only sent after the influencer reaches a certain milestone like sales goals, engagement numbers, or working with you for a certain length of time.
In addition, PR packages can be used to sweeten the deal during contract negotiations for paid collabs. This is crucial when you’re trying to work with large influencers who have many brands fighting for their attention. These influencers have options, so if you add a nice PR package to your deal, they’re more likely to say yes.
Long-term relationships
PR packages can help you build long-term relationships with influencers. That’s a huge win-win because the influencer gets reliable income from a brand they love, and you get a reliable partner who understands your brand. And the more times your brand is promoted to that influencer’s audience, the better the audience will know your brand and trust it.
To create these long-term relationships, you have to do the basics like communicating clearly and paying on time… but you also have to show you care. For an influencer to want to work with you long-term, they need to feel appreciated. Sending a PR package as a sincere gift is a way to make their day and thank them for their efforts.
Tips for creating the perfect PR package
Do your research.
Take the time to research an influencer before sending them a PR package. Look closely at their content, website, etc. This will help you have a better understanding of their personality, interests, and values. The more you research, the more you’ll be able to design a package the influencer will love.
For example, let’s say you’re researching an influencer and you notice they happen to have a dog, but the dog rarely appears in their content. You can give the influencer a package with products for them but also a small gift for the dog. The influencer will be impressed that you looked at their content so carefully that you noticed their dog.
Personalize the gift as much as possible.
Don’t make the mistake of sending the exact same package to multiple influencers without personalization. Sure, it’s efficient, but it’s not the most effective strategy. It’s better to personalize your packages (that’s where that research comes in handy).
To add personalization, you can do things like putting the influencer’s name on the items, incorporating colors or symbols they like, writing thoughtful handwritten notes, and choosing products based on their specific needs and interests.
Put extra effort into your packaging.
If your PR package is just a boring brown box with bubble-wrapped items, you’re missing a chance to create a unique experience. High-quality influencers have tons of brands sending them gifts, so if yours doesn’t stand out, the influencer may not post about it.
A good PR package should look “Instagrammable.” Think colorful, shiny, unusually shaped, unusual materials, big and bold, etc. If you need inspo, keep reading to see examples of well-designed PR packages.
Think of the user experience.
Or influencer experience in this case. Imagine how the influencer will feel as they get the package from the front door, open it, choose what to take out first, etc. What details will the influencer notice? What will they say about the items if they make an unboxing video? What will they be most excited about?
Avoid unattractive packaging, packaging that’s confusing or is hard to open, and items arranged in a way where small things get covered and overlooked.
Include info about the products.
Be sure to include written info describing the products. This can be done with a handwritten note or a brochure (or both). The point is to highlight specific, unique features of your brand’s products so the influencer will understand why your brand is different – and can share that with their audience.
This info can be personalized, too. Think about the influencer’s personality, interests, and life situation. How can you communicate details about your products in a way that’s relevant to that influencer? One example would be mentioning the eco-friendly features of your products to an influencer who cares about the environment. Whatever makes your products special, write it out.
Experiment with different types of PR packages and tiers.
Don’t be afraid to get creative. Experiment with different combinations of items and different ways of grouping them together. You can even create tiers of packages (basic, VIP, etc.) for different levels of influencers, with higher-tier packages containing more elaborate items.
Keep track of which types of PR packages have the best results in terms of how many influencers choose to post about them. Also keep track of which of those posts gets the most engagement. As you keep creating more PR packages, you’ll have a clearer idea of how to design packages to get the best results.
Influencer PR package examples
Evie Sterling
PR packages are great for holidays, so keep that in mind as you’re planning when to send them out. What makes this package so good is that while it’s meant to promote author Evie Sterling’s book, there are also several other things included besides the book. When you’re designing PR packages, it’s smart to consider extra things you can add to go along with your product.
EOS
Here’s another holiday PR package, and like the last one, this one is very Instagrammable. EOS made this package cute and colorful, even going to far as to personalize it with the influencer’s name in textured multicolored letters. The handwritten note is another nice touch to make the influencer feel special. Now that’s a winning PR package.
DeMellier
@sequinnedstars this is really your sign to just start posting 🤝🏻 i would never have imagined receiving a pr package from @DeMellier, so so thankful i’m gonna use this bag to bits!!! 🖤 #bag #bagtok #luxurybag #luxury #quietluxury #unboxing #bagunboxing #prunboxing #sgfashion #leatherbag ♬ lazy – PonPieHi
PR packages come in a variety of sizes, including bigger ones like this. A bigger box is more attention-grabbing on camera, and in this case, the gift inside the box does not disappoint either. This influencer puts her items in her new bag to show how many things fit in it, showing that the bag is not just elegant, but functional.
L’Oréal Paris
@noordinarynoire We love a fab PR package @L’Oréal Paris 😘😘 #fyp #prpackage #lorealparis #foryoupage ♬ Moonlit Café – Sui cafe
L’Oréal Paris got more than a little creative with their PR package. This one involves an icebox, a golden hammer, and a guy in a suit. What does all that have to do with makeup? Nothing, really. But it doesn’t matter. When you can create fun, unexpected experiences like this with your PR packages, you’ve nailed it.
School Spirits
@louislevanti THE BRIEFCASE OMG 😱 @School Spirits #schoolspirits #paramountplus @Paramount+ ♬ Yacht Club – MusicBox
PR packages don’t have to be about physical products! This one is promoting the Paramount+ show School Spirits. To spread the word and remind people about each new episode, Paramount+ sent multiple packages to this influencer, each one representing a different episode. The items here are meant to get people speculating about the episode, which is exactly what’s happening in the comments.
Key takeaway: If you need ways for your brand to stand out and get attention, create PR packages.
PR packages are an amazing way to get attention for your brand and build relationships. But you have to build them carefully.
If you quickly put together basic boxes without much thought or personalization, your brand will look boring – which is not what it deserves.
If you go the extra mile to make your packages creative, personalized, and wow-worthy, you’ll hit the jackpot. Use PR packages to not just show off your products but to create a mood and vibe for your brand. That’s what makes each PR package the gift that keeps on giving.
