How to Send Products to Influencers Without Wasting Inventory
Stop sending free samples to creators who ghost you. Learn how to evaluate influencers using post rates, GMV data, and creator analytics before shipping products for your TikTok Shop affiliate program.
The Problem with Sending Products to Influencers
Every TikTok Shop brand has experienced it: you send free products to creators, and they never post. Or worse, they post once and disappear. You've just wasted inventory, shipping costs, and time on creators who were never going to deliver results.
The truth is, most brands approach influencer product seeding completely wrong. They send samples based on follower counts, vibes, or whoever requests them first. That's a recipe for burning through inventory with nothing to show for it.
How to send products to influencers the right way comes down to one principle: qualify before you ship.
Why Most Product Seeding Fails
Before we dive into the solution, let's understand why sending products to influencers fails so often:
No qualification process: Brands approve every sample request without evaluating whether the creator will actually post.
Wrong metrics: Focusing on follower count instead of actual sales performance and posting consistency.
No tracking: Once products ship, brands have no system to follow up or track whether content was created.
Ignoring red flags: Not reviewing a creator's existing content or past performance with similar products.
The result? Brands report that 40-60% of product samples never result in content. That's not a creator problem—it's a process problem.
The Metrics That Actually Matter
When evaluating whether to send products to an influencer, forget followers. Here's what you should actually look at:
1. Post Rate (Most Important)
Post rate tells you one thing: does this creator actually post about products they receive?
A creator with a 90% post rate and 10,000 followers is infinitely more valuable than a creator with a 10% post rate and 100,000 followers. The first creator will almost certainly post about your product. The second one probably won't.
What to look for:
2. GMV Over Rolling 30 Days
GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) is the total sales a creator has generated on TikTok Shop in the past 30 days. This is the single best predictor of whether a creator can actually sell products.
Why 30-day GMV matters:
Benchmarks to consider:
3. Average Video Views
While views don't equal sales, consistently low views mean limited exposure for your product. Look for creators whose videos regularly get seen.
What to evaluate:
4. Content Quality and Relevance
Numbers don't tell the whole story. Before sending products to any influencer, you need to actually watch their content.
Ask yourself:
5. Comment Sentiment
Comments reveal audience trust. Read through recent comments on their product-related videos:
Green flags:
Red flags:
How to Evaluate Creators Before Sending Products
Now let's put this into a practical workflow for evaluating creators.
Step 1: Filter Your Creator Database
Start by filtering creators based on hard metrics. If you're using a TikTok Shop creator outreach platform like Hubfluence, you can filter your creator database by:
This initial filter eliminates creators who are statistically unlikely to perform before you spend any manual review time.
Step 2: Review Creator Analytics
For creators who pass your initial filters, dive deeper into their analytics. On Hubfluence, you can click into any creator's profile to see:
This data helps you understand not just current performance, but trajectory and fit.
Step 3: Watch Their Recent Content
Before approving any sample request, watch at least 5-10 of their recent videos. This takes 10-15 minutes but saves you from costly mistakes.
Evaluate:
Step 4: Check Their Product History
If possible, see what other products they've promoted:
Step 5: Make the Decision
Based on your evaluation, creators fall into three categories:
Approve immediately: High post rate, strong GMV, quality content, relevant niche. Send the product.
Conditional approval: Good metrics but some concerns. Consider sending product with clear expectations about posting timeline.
Decline: Low post rate, poor content quality, or red flags in comments. Politely decline and move on.
Setting Expectations Before Shipping
Even with qualified creators, setting clear expectations improves post rates:
Communicate Posting Timelines
When approving sample requests, communicate your expectations:
This isn't about being demanding—it's about being clear. Most creators appreciate knowing what's expected.
Provide Content Guidance (Not Scripts)
Help creators succeed by sharing:
Avoid sending word-for-word scripts. Authentic content outperforms scripted content every time.
Follow Up Strategically
After products ship, have a follow-up system:
Track all of this in your creator management system so nothing falls through the cracks.
Managing Sample Requests at Scale
As your TikTok Shop affiliate program grows, you'll receive dozens or hundreds of sample requests. Manual evaluation becomes impossible. Here's how to scale:
Use Technology to Filter
Platforms like Hubfluence automatically surface creator metrics when they request samples. You see GMV, post rate, and content history without manual research.
This turns a 20-minute evaluation into a 2-minute decision.
Create Clear Approval Criteria
Document your minimum requirements:
When criteria are clear, anyone on your team can make consistent decisions.
Track Everything
For every sample sent, track:
This data helps you refine your criteria over time and identify which creator segments deliver the best ROI.
Red Flags to Watch For
Beyond metrics, watch for these warning signs:
Creators Who Only Want Free Products
Some creators apply to every affiliate program just for free stuff. Signs include:
Inflated or Fake Metrics
Unfortunately, some metrics can be manipulated:
When something seems off, trust your instincts and ask for more information.
Misaligned Audience
A creator might have great metrics but the wrong audience:
Always verify audience alignment before shipping.
The ROI of Proper Qualification
Brands that implement proper creator qualification see dramatic improvements:
The time invested in evaluation pays for itself many times over.
Using Hubfluence for Sample Management
If you're managing TikTok Shop creator outreach at scale, Hubfluence's Sample Manager streamlines this entire process:
Filter before you approve: Set minimum GMV, post rate, and other criteria so unqualified requests never reach your review queue.
See all metrics in one view: When reviewing a sample request, see the creator's full profile including GMV history, post rate, recent content, and audience data.
Track sample status: Know exactly which samples are pending, shipped, delivered, and whether content was posted.
Automate follow-ups: Set reminders to follow up with creators who haven't posted yet.
Measure ROI: See which creators generated the most sales from samples you sent, so you know who to work with again.
Key Takeaways
Sending products to influencers doesn't have to be a gamble. Here's how to do it right:
Stop wasting inventory on creators who won't post. Start qualifying creators before you ship, and watch your TikTok Shop affiliate program become dramatically more efficient.
