A Step-by-Step Guide to Product Seeding That Doesn’t Suck
🪴 “Here’s a Free Gift!
📆 Thursday, 22 May 2025
Hey — It's Rhythm. Thrilled to have you back in Ecom Circle, where I spend my time scaling ecom brands & finding best growth strategies to share with you.
DEEP DIVE 💡Let’s be real.
There’s a fine line between product seeding and “influencer begging”.
Done right, seeding gets your product into the hands of the right creators—who end up giving you gold: user-generated content, brand trust, and sometimes, even real conversions.
Done wrong? It’s 30 DMs, 10 ghostings, and 5 unopened packages sitting in someone’s storage room in Iowa.
Been there. Still hurts.
So here’s a step-by-step playbook—not from theory, but from the trenches—on how to nail product seeding for your eCommerce brand.
Let’s get into it 👇
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🎁 Product Seeding vs. Gifting
Here’s the gist:
Gifting is a quick play—you send a product, maybe toss in a discount code, and hope for a post. Great for fast reviews and short-term buzz.
Seeding is the long game. No asks, no pressure. You’re building trust, letting the product do the talking, and aiming for real, lasting relationships that turn into long-term content.
Both have their place—just depends if you’re after quick wins or deeper, compounding returns.
The 7-Step Product Seeding Strategy
Step 1: 🎯 Find creators who already look like your customer
Forget follower count for a second.
Look for creators who:
Talk like your customers
Have the same aesthetic
Already use products like yours
You’re not casting for a Super Bowl ad. You’re finding someone your customer would trust.
💡Pro Tip: Use tools like Insense to filter by audience demographics, not just vanity metrics.
Step 2: ✉️ Craft a DM that doesn’t feel like spam
Please, don’t copy-paste “Hi, we love your profile. Want a free product?”
Here’s a better format that’s worked for me:
“Hey [Name], I’ve been following your content—loved your video on [relevant topic]. I run a small [product category] brand and we’re seeding products to creators who genuinely align with what we stand for.
Would love to send you [product]. No strings. If you like it, awesome—if not, totally okay too :)”
Friendly. Zero pressure. Honest. That’s the tone.
Step 3: 📦 Send with care (and creativity)
The packaging matters. This is the first impression of your brand in real life.
Use custom packaging (or at least a cute thank-you card)
Add a personal touch: hand-written notes win hearts
Include your IG handle and a hashtag (so it’s easy to tag you)
💡Bonus points: Include a QR code that links to a short “How to use” video or your founder story. Give them a story worth sharing.
Step 4: 🧘♀️ Don’t ask. Let them choose to post.
This is where most people fumble.
If you say “Please post once you receive it,” it immediately turns your “gift” into a transaction. You’ve added pressure.
Instead, say something like:
“No pressure to post, just hope you enjoy it!”
Here’s the kicker: the more relaxed you are, the more likely they actually post. Human psychology. Works like a charm.
Step 5: 🔁 Follow-up (but not like a creep)
Wait at least 7–10 days after delivery before following up. Keep it casual:
“Hey [Name], just wanted to check if the package made it to you. Hope you liked it! Appreciate you either way :)”
If they post, thank them publicly. If they don’t, no hard feelings—move on to the next one.
Product seeding is a volume game with heart. Play the long game.
Step 6: 🧠 Track it like it matters
Even if you’re not paying them, track:
Who you sent products to
When they were delivered
If they posted
What kind of engagement the post got
Whether any UGC is repurposable
Use a Google Sheet, Notion board, or something like Status to stay organized.
Step 7: ♻️ Repurpose UGC into ads, emails, and product pages
This is the real ROI.
That casual unboxing video? Can crush it as a TikTok ad.
A testimonial in IG stories? Turn it into social proof on your PDP.
A funny creator reel? Include it in your email welcome series.
Seeding gives you content with context—aka, creator-driven trust, not stock-photo fluff.
Final Thoughts:
Product seeding isn’t magic. It’s a system.
You won’t hit gold every time. But get your system dialed in, and suddenly:
You’ve got creators talking about you
You’re sitting on a pile of free UGC
Your brand feels… alive
And here’s the best part: It doesn’t need $10k/month agency retainers.
Just a good pitch. Great product. And human-level kindness.
Try it for your next product launch—and let me know how it goes.
—
🖤
Rhythm
Founder, EcomCircle