How to Get PR Packages From Brands in 2026 (Even With a Small Following)
You don't need 100K followers to get free products from brands. Creators with as few as 1,000 engaged followers are landing PR packages right now — and brands are actively looking for more of them.
Micro influencers drive higher engagement rates than big accounts, and brands have caught on. A creator with 5K followers in a tight niche (kids crafts, family activities, homeschool) is often more valuable than one with 200K followers and no clear audience.
Below: what PR packages actually are, how to get on brand PR lists, and what content to create once a package shows up at your door.
What PR Packages Actually Are (and What They're Not)
A PR package is a free product a brand sends you — usually in exchange for content, a review, or social media exposure. The brand covers everything: product, shipping, sometimes extras like branded packaging or a handwritten note.
What PR packages are not:
- Not a paid sponsorship. You're receiving product, not a fee. Some collabs add commission on top, but the package itself is the "payment."
- Not obligation-free. Most brands expect at least one post. Even when they say "no strings attached," they're hoping you'll share it.
- Not exempt from disclosure. FTC rules apply. If a brand sent it to you for free, tag it with #gifted, #ad, or disclose in your caption. Every time.
Brands send PR packages because authentic content from real people outperforms polished studio ads — especially with parent communities and younger audiences who can spot a scripted review from the first frame.
Why Brands Are Sending PR to Smaller Creators
The "you need a huge following" thing hasn't been true for a while. Here's what actually changed:
- Engagement rates drop as follower count goes up. Micro creators (5K–50K) routinely hit 3–8% engagement. Mega influencers often hover around 1–2%.
- Niche audiences convert better. A mom creator with 8K followers who all have toddlers is more valuable to a kids' craft brand than a lifestyle creator with 300K mixed followers.
- Content volume matters. Brands want lots of content from lots of creators — not one expensive post from one big name. Ten micro creators posting the same product creates the illusion of a trend.
- Shopify Collabs and similar platforms have made it operationally easy for small brands to find, vet, and manage micro creators — no agency required.
If your audience is real, engaged, and in a clear niche, your follower count matters less than you think.
5 Practical Ways to Start Getting PR Packages
1. Pick a niche and stay in it
Brands search for creators by niche, not by follower count. If your feed is a mix of food, fitness, parenting, and memes, you're harder to categorize — and harder to pitch to.
The narrower, the better: "toddler activity ideas" is more pitchable than "mom content." "Homeschool crafts" beats "family creator."
2. Create proof-of-concept content first
Before any brand sends you free product, they want to see that you can make good content about a product. You don't need a brand deal to show this — film an unboxing, review, or tutorial with something you already own.
A few examples:
- "5 craft kits I bought this month, ranked"
- "Unboxing a [product you ordered] — honest thoughts"
- "This product kept my toddler busy for an hour"
This shows brands what a collaboration with you would look like.
3. Make yourself findable
Brands and agencies search Instagram bios, TikTok profiles, and creator platforms every day. Make it easy for them:
- Put your email in your bio. Not a Linktree — your actual email.
- Open your DMs. Some brands reach out via DM first.
- Join Shopify Collabs. If a brand runs its creator program through Shopify, having a Collabs profile means they can find and invite you directly.
- Use niche hashtags consistently: #kidsactivities, #toddlercraft, #homeschoolmom, #screenfreekids — whatever fits your content.
4. Pitch brands directly (short and specific)
Cold pitching works — if you do it right. Most creators write paragraphs about themselves. Don't do that.
A pitch that works is 3–5 lines:
- Who you are + your niche + your follower count
- A specific product of theirs you'd create content about
- What type of content you'd make (Reel, TikTok, Story series)
- A link to your profile
That's it. No life story. No "I've always loved your brand." One clear idea, one easy yes.
💡 Pro tip: Reference a specific product by name. "I'd love to film an unboxing of your [specific product] and show how my toddler uses it" works 10x better than "I'd love to collaborate."
5. Start with commission-based programs
Here's the path most creators miss: you don't have to wait for a brand to send you free stuff. Many brands offer affiliate or commission-based programs where you earn a percentage on every sale through your link — and the best ones will send you free product once you're approved.
This is the lowest-barrier entry point. You prove you can drive sales, and the brand upgrades you to gifted product, higher commissions, or both.
Look for programs that offer:
- Commission starting at 10–20%
- Free product after approval or after your first few posts
- An exclusive discount code for your audience
- Tracking through a platform like Shopify Collabs (so you don't have to chase payments)
What Brands Actually Look For in Your Profile
Before you pitch, do a quick self-audit. This is what brand managers check:
- Real engagement. Comments that sound like real people ("Where did you get that?", "My daughter would love this") beat generic emoji reactions.
- Content that could feature a product naturally. If your feed is all selfies, it's hard for a brand to imagine their product in your content.
- Repeatable formats. Brands want more than one post. If you already do a recurring series ("craft of the week," "activity of the day"), you're much more attractive.
- Audience geography. If a brand ships within the US only, they need your audience to be mostly US-based. This matters more than most creators realize.
Products That Are Easier to Get PR For
Not all products are equal when it comes to PR content. Some products sit on a shelf and look pretty. Others are the content themselves — meaning the process of using the product is inherently filmable.
This matters because brands that sell "content-native" products are more likely to send PR packages. They know the creator won't just hold up the product and say "use my code." They know the creator will film the entire experience — and that's worth way more.
Examples of content-native products:
- Craft kits and art supplies — the creation process is satisfying to watch
- Personalized or customizable products — the ordering/design process is unique each time
- Before-and-after products — anything with a visible transformation
- Activity-based products — things you do with your kids, not just give to them
If you're a family, craft, or activity creator, prioritize brands that sell these kinds of products. Your content will be better, and brands will be more eager to work with you.
4 Content Ideas to Film When Your PR Package Arrives
Once a brand says yes, you need a plan. Here are four formats that work across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts — and you can film all four from a single product.
🎬 1. The Full Journey (Order → Unbox → Use)
Screen-record the ordering or design process, then cut to the unboxing, then show yourself actually using the product. This format works because it builds anticipation and shows the complete experience.
🔄 2. The Before-and-After Transformation
Start with the product in its blank or default state. Show the customization or creation process. End with the finished result. This is especially powerful for anything craft-related — coloring, painting, personalizing.
👨👩👧 3. The Activity Moment
Film yourself (or your kids, or your family) actually doing something with the product. Not just posing — doing. If it's a craft product, film the craft. If it involves markers, film the coloring. This is evergreen content because you can repeat the format every time with a new design.
🎁 4. The Gift Reveal
If the product is giftable, film the recipient opening it. Grandma's reaction to a personalized blanket? That's the video. The emotion is authentic, the product looks great, and the audience sees real use-case validation.
⭐ Why this matters: Brands don't just want a post. They want repeatable content. If you can show that one product gives you 3–4 different videos, you're a much more attractive creator to work with.
One Program Worth Looking At
If you're a family, craft, teacher, or kids' activity creator, DaVinci in You runs a creator program built around a genuinely different kind of product.
Here's the short version: you upload a photo (your kid's drawing, a family photo, a pet picture) and the AI transforms it into a coloring page or cartoon printed on real apparel and blankets. Fabric markers come included in the box. That means the product arrives ready to color — and the entire process (ordering, unboxing, coloring, revealing the finished piece) is filmable content.
Program details:
- Commission starts at 15% on every sale through your link
- Free product after approval
- Exclusive discount code for your audience
- US shipping
- Runs through Shopify Collabs (easy payouts, automatic tracking)
It's not a one-off ad. The format is repeatable — new design, new product, new video — which means evergreen content for your channel.
Interested? Check out the Creators page and apply →
Disclosure: This section describes our own creator program. All other recommendations in this post are independent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many followers do you need to get PR packages?
There is no fixed minimum. Some brands work with creators who have as few as 1,000 followers — as long as the audience is real and engaged. What matters more than follower count is niche relevance, engagement quality, and the type of content you create.
Do you have to post about every PR package you receive?
It depends on the agreement. Some PR packages are "no strings attached" — the brand hopes you'll post but doesn't require it. Others come with clear expectations (one Reel, one Story, etc.). Always clarify before accepting. If the brand is paying commission or tracking through a platform like Shopify Collabs, there's usually a minimum content expectation.
What's the difference between a PR package and a gifted collaboration?
They're closely related. A PR package is typically a one-time product gift, often sent to many creators at once (like a product launch). A gifted collaboration is usually a more structured relationship — the brand selects you specifically, you agree to create certain content, and there may be additional perks like commission, discount codes, or future paid work. Many creator programs start as gifted collabs and grow from there.
Can you get PR packages on TikTok with a small following?
Yes — TikTok is arguably the best platform for small creators to land PR because content visibility is algorithm-driven, not follower-driven. A creator with 3K followers can get a video seen by 100K people. Brands watch for this. If your content consistently reaches beyond your follower base, that's exactly what brands want to see.