How to Get Free Products to Review

Co-authored by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: December 18, 2023 Fact Checked

If you've always wanted to review a product on YouTube or on your own blog, it's possible! There are many reviewers who make a living (or just enjoy) reviewing products and you can join their ranks with a little research and preparation.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Utilizing Online Panels

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1
Choose an online panel. One of the best ways to begin testing and reviewing products is by joining various online panels that specialize in this kind of activity. Sometimes these panels pay you for participating, but you almost always get to keep the sample products. Join one or join several!
- Try signing up for Influenster, Smiley360, Opinion Outpost, I-Say Panel, or Global Test Market.
- Each online panel specializes in different kinds of products and offers different reward options, so look into a few to figure out which one is right for you.
- For example, Global Test Market and I-Say Panel both specialize mainly in household goods, while Smiley360 has a variety of categories like beauty, home, fitness, etc.
2
Select your products. Once you have chosen your online review panel, decide which products you wish to review for them. Most of the online panel platforms allow you to choose the products you are most interested in from some available options. ^{[1]
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- Try to consider which items will be the most popular (making your review more valuable), but also choose things that you will genuinely be interested in. You will probably write a better review if you enjoy what you are doing.
- Some sites will send you a sample or trial size of the product, while others will send you a full-sized version of the product.
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3
Write and submit your review. The online panel platform will ask you to review the product and send them your thoughts. You should be sure to write your review in a way that is thorough and thoughtful, addressing any potential concerns other consumers may have. ^{[2]
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- Try to include things like how the product works, what the packaging is like, how efficient the product is, whether or not you were pleased with the outcome, etc.
- The more thorough your review, the more products (and the higher quality) the panel will send to you.
- Sometimes these panels will also ask you to participate in community discussion posts.
- But remember that you can also use the information for your own blog or other social media product reviews if you wish.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Establishing Your Online Presence

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1
Be active on social media. One of the first things you need to do in order to get companies to send you free products to review is to create an online following. If you aren't active on social media platforms, you won't have an audience to watch or read your reviews. This means you won't be as valuable to companies who want to encourage reviews of their products. ^{[3]
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- Use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, a personal blog, or any other social media platform available to create an online name for yourself.
- Try to post stimulating content that others will be interested in and want to follow.
2
Review products you already own. If you want to get into the game of reviewing products online, the first step is to create some reviews that will entice companies to send you their products. The easiest way to do this is to do reviews of products you already own. ^{[4]
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- Review as many products as you can to create a good base of material moving forward.
- Truthfully discuss the pros and cons of each product so that you can provide valuable information for other potential customers. This will attract a wider audience for you.
3
Work to grow your following. Once you have started posting, try to spread the word about your online reviews. Promote your reviews through various venues. Try to get more followers on social media platforms.
- Leave comprehensive product reviews on popular consumer sites like Amazon.
- Use hashtags for companies on products you review online. Link directly to the company or product websites.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Choosing Products to Review

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1
Find your niche of products that you'd like to review. Choose something that interests you and that you would like to spend some time investigating and playing around with the products. Even if you don't get to keep the products in the end, it is still a good practice to choose something you'll enjoy doing.
- For example, you might choose to review smartphone cases.
2
Be original. Try to choose a product that doesn't already have a lot of people reviewing them online. Spend some time browsing the internet to see what kinds of reviews people are already doing. ^{[5]
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- It will be harder to get companies to agree to send you their products if a lot of other (possibly more experienced) people are already doing similar work.
- Try reviewing a product that has just been released.
- You might also consider reviewing a product that is somewhat hard to get – like a product that can only be ordered from overseas. This type of product would be a good choice because customers might be hesitant to order something that takes a long time in delivery, or costs a lot in delivery fees – especially if they are unsure of the product quality and function.
3
Search for manufacturers. Find companies that produce the product you're interested in reviewing. Make a list of manufacturers that you find and keep notes about any information you find relevant to that company. Do they have a lot of Amazon product reviews? Do they have a professional looking website?
- Try searching on sites like Amazon for lists of companies that produce the particular product you are interested in. Find companies that manufacture and sell smartphone cases, if that is what you've chosen to review.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Contacting Companies

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1
Shorten your list of manufacturers. Now that you've found some companies that sell cases for smartphones, try to shorten your list to only include smaller companies. You can get an idea about how large the company might be by looking at their website. Most small time case makers will have a mediocre website that looks a little less professional or is a bit harder to navigate. As a first time reviewer, these kinds of companies may be your best bet. ^{[6]
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- Avoid name brand companies that you already recognize – at least until you've established yourself a bit more in the field of reviewing.
2
Gather contact information. Get each of these companies' contact information so that you can get in touch with them. You should be able to find most of this information directly on the company's website. ^{[7]
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- You'll need either their email address or their phone number, maybe both.
3
Make contact with the company. First, you'll need to email each of these companies asking if it would be possible to review some of their products on your blog or YouTube channel. Make sure to include all of the relevant information in your first email so you seem professional and prepared. ^{[8]
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- Provide them with information about your channel like how many views it has, how many subscribers you have, how long you've had the channel, the daily average views you receive, what kind of channel it is, and what kind of feedback you get in the comments of your videos.
4
Wait for a response. Now that you've sent out those emails, just wait a few days. It usually takes 3-5 business days to hear back from a company in a situation like this. If you don't hear back within a week, feel free to send a follow-up email asking for an update on your previous request. ^{[9]
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- Be sure to send a thank you reply for sending you the product. This shows them that you are courteous and professional, which will reflect well on their impression of you.

Community Q&A

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Question

If I just start a brand new channel and haven't done any review clips, can I ask a company to get free products?

Community Answer

I think a handful of reviews of products that you have tried before from your own pocket would be the "seed" that started the "tree" so to speak. If you review 3-4 things from your stuff, then it gets the wheel greased.

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Question

What happens if someone tells a company that he's going to do an unboxing or review and doesn't do it?

Community Answer

It would depend on whether there was a signed contract. Even if there was no official contract, by accepting the free products to review, the reviewer binds himself into an unofficial agreement. Receiving more free products to review in the future depends on the reviewer's reputation, so reneging on an agreement may prevent the reviewer from working with the company again.

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If I have a review unit, do I have to return it or not?

Community Answer

This completely depends on the agreement you come to with the company ahead of time.

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Tips

If you're having luck with companies sending you things, try stepping it up and asking for products from bigger companies. Use your current reviews as leverage for getting better products.

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Most of all, have fun with it. Order fun products that you yourself would love to test out. It's your channel so make it something you'll enjoy.

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At no time should you say anything bad about the company if they do not agree to send you a product. The decision is ultimately theirs and it may just be because your channel doesn't meet their requirements. Simply thank them for their consideration and move on to the next company.

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How to Get Free Products to Review

Steps

Utilizing Online Panels

Establishing Your Online Presence

Choosing Products to Review

Contacting Companies

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Warnings

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