After a creator receives a gifted product, confirm that it arrived and offer help with any problem. Keep that message separate from an optional request for feedback. If you want a scheduled post, propose a separate paid scope. For a gift sent with no posting requirement, avoid turning the delivery check-in into a content deadline.
Check what you agreed before you write
Read the invitation and the creator's acceptance. Was this a gift they could try without posting, or had both sides agreed to content in exchange for the product? These messages are for the first situation. An existing content agreement needs its own follow-up against the agreed scope.
Modash's gifting guide distinguishes gifts without posting expectations from product-for-content arrangements. It also discusses following up about the creator's experience without asking for content. That distinction should survive delivery: a thank-you reply does not give your team a posting date.
The sequence below is an editorial recommendation. Regulators do not prescribe this contact schedule. Their guidance becomes relevant if the creator makes a public endorsement, even when posting remains optional.
Before sending anything, check whether the creator already confirmed receipt or reported a problem. If they have, respond to that information. An automated "Did it arrive?" after "The box is damaged" ignores the message that needs an answer.
For the underlying shipment record, use tracking gifted products from approval to delivery. Keep the contact decision here focused on what the creator needs next.
Send a delivery check-in with one purpose
Use the original conversation so the creator can see why you are writing. Name the product. Ask about receipt without assuming the person has opened or tried it.
This hypothetical example concerns a gifted tote bag:
Hi Alex, the tote we sent is showing as delivered. Did it reach you? If anything is missing or damaged, reply here and I can help. There is no posting requirement attached to the gift.
If the creator has already confirmed delivery, shorten it:
Thanks for confirming the tote arrived. If you have any questions about it, reply here. There is no posting requirement attached to the gift.
Use that final sentence only when it matches what you agreed. If earlier messages were ambiguous, clarify the arrangement before adding requests.
Do not attach a content brief, shot list, discount code, required tags or launch deadline to this check-in. Each addition asks the recipient to make another decision. A delivery question should leave room for a delivery answer.
Avoid phrases such as "Can't wait to see your post" or "When can we expect your unboxing?" They treat publication as settled. Also leave out the retail value of the gift. Its price does not answer whether the package arrived.
Let the reply choose your next step
| Creator's reply | Useful response | What to hold back |
|---|---|---|
| "It hasn't arrived." | Acknowledge the problem and take ownership of investigating. | Feedback and content requests. |
| "It arrived damaged." | Ask what happened and arrange the appropriate support response. | Any request to photograph it for promotional content. |
| "Thanks, it arrived." | Confirm you are available if questions arise. | A request to commit to a posting date. |
| "I haven't tried it yet." | Let them try it on their own schedule. | A review deadline. |
| "It isn't for me." | Thank them for saying so and stop the promotional ask. | Attempts to negotiate a positive opinion. |
| "I'd like to discuss a paid post." | Ask whether they would like a separate brief for review. | Treating the gift as an agreed fee or deliverable. |
A support issue stays open until the team addresses it. Do not put the creator into a feedback sequence while that issue remains unresolved.
If there is no reply, avoid treating silence as refusal, approval or evidence that the product was used. The recommended default is to stop repeated check-ins once you have offered a support route, unless an unresolved delivery issue needs attention. This is a contact policy you can choose, not an industry benchmark.
Ask for optional feedback after they have had a chance to try it
Private feedback can help you understand fit, instructions or packaging. Ask one question that the creator can answer from their own experience. Make it clear that you are not requesting a public review.
For the same hypothetical tote gift:
Hi Alex, if you've had a chance to use the tote, was there anything awkward about carrying or opening it? A reply here is enough; we are asking for product feedback, with no request to post. Feel free to skip this if you haven't used it or would rather not comment.
This wording leaves space for criticism and for no response. It also avoids the vague "Thoughts?" that asks the creator to decide what your team wants to learn.
Send the question only when it makes sense for the product and the conversation. Do not claim there is a universal number of days needed to form an opinion. If the creator says they have not tried it, remove the feedback reminder rather than sending the same question again.
The FTC's guidance for influencers says creators cannot discuss an experience with a product they have not tried. It also warns against describing a product positively when that contradicts their experience. For US-facing endorsements, those are reasons to leave the opinion open.
Record a private reply as feedback. Before considering public use, consult how to track product feedback separately from endorsements. Avoid copying a positive sentence into an ad while your team is still treating it as a support conversation.
Keep a voluntary post's disclosure visible
Optional posting still needs a disclosure check. In US guidance, the FTC says free products can create a material connection. A creator who mentions a gifted product may need to disclose the relationship even if the brand never requested that mention.
If the creator says they plan to share, a suitable US-focused reminder is:
If you choose to post about the tote, please make clear that we sent it free. Put that disclosure with the endorsement where viewers can notice it. There is still no requirement to post.
Link the creator to the FTC guidance for the format they use. A private delivery email does not disclose the gift to their audience.
For UK-facing activity, ASA and CAP guidance calls for clear advertising identification and prefers an upfront "Ad" label. It warns that "Gifted" alone is unlikely to be clear enough. Use the guidance for the relevant market rather than assuming one label works everywhere. These are operational reminders, not legal advice.
Open a paid conversation separately
When the creator expresses interest and your team has a budget, make the change in scope explicit:
Thanks for sharing your feedback. We would like to discuss a separate paid tote collaboration. Would you like a brief with the proposed format, timing, usage and budget for you to consider? The gift remains separate, and you can decline the proposal.
Send this only if there is a real proposal to discuss. Do not promise future paid work to encourage a free post now. Use when to move a gifted creator into a paid partnership to assess that decision before asking for production work.
Open the creator's original thread now. If receipt is unconfirmed, send the delivery check-in. If they reported a problem, answer that first. If they have already confirmed receipt and need nothing, leave the conversation there.
