Ever wonder how to get free stuff as a beginner food blogger & get companies to sponsor you and give you all these free things to advertise on your social media and blog? Well, I am here to reveal all the secrets that no one else is telling you!

I have been blogging for a little over a year now and my dream was and still is to have a lifestyle blog that can reach many many people and help give new ideas to them. Part of that dream was to be able to make a full-time income from my website, but that is still in the works.

How to get free stuff as a food blogger (beginners)

How to get free stuff as a beginner food blogger?

So first things first, after doing it a whole lot of research I noticed that many people have a very similar question in mind; How can I create a blog and get FREE stuff? Well, this is a pretty good question given then it will clarify a lot!

First off, when we say FREE stuff it might sound super appealing but you have to keep in mind that it is not free at all! When a company sends bloggers FREE items, it is with the sole purpose of reaching a bigger audience. This allows them to get their products out there and seen by as many people as possible.

As a food blogger, after receiving your FREE product you will have to put in a large amount of time writing the post, shooting the product, editing the photos, editing the article, promoting it… This should show you how much work goes into this so-called FREE thing you received. So keep that in mind when calling these items FREE because in reality they really aren’t.

Can I get freebies right off the bat?

As a beginner food blogger, or even a blogger, in general, you need to have some sort of influence to get accepted in different campaigns. So for those who are just starting, think about having at least 15-20 articles up and a good follower base before you start requesting free products in some of the websites that I will mention below!

This is the harsh reality but it is better to know this at first and focus on what’s important rather than waste your time on something too early on.

So what are these tips to get FREE stuff?!

Focus on building your blog’s audience and traffic

The truth that no one ever wants to hear is that if you don’t have any blog visitors/viewers you will not be able to get anything for free! This is a simple concept given what I have said above.

If you have no influence, why would any company spend money on giving you their own product? The intention for them is to always reach more and more people so by you having a decent amount of page views and followers you would be setting yourself up for success.

As a beginner food blogger, you will be able to get free things only if you can show that you have some sort of an impact on the people of the internet! So focus quite a lot of your effort on growing your audience.

Purchase some unique products from your local grocery stores and highlight them in your own blog posts

By doing this, you are giving all the companies that might want to work with you in the future a preview of what you can do with their products. This will allow them to notice you and your work and could be your ticket to getting free stuff!

Last year, I received a vox box containing the avocado oil buttery spread from Pure Blends through influenster. I did not have to post a recipe about it or anything but instead, I made my Healthy homemade strawberry chia jam (no sugar added) and in the photo itself I put in the butter I received. ( you can tell that the quality is not that amazing, this was taken with my cell phone before I purchased my Canon t6i.)

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After posting that photo on my instagram I was noticed by @Influenster.eats and I was reposted on there! This is a great way to get exposure and be seen by bigger brands!

It was a simple thing that I tried out and I worked so make sure to sign up for influester and start reviewing items you use to land you some FREE stuff!

By setting up different product in you shots You will show companies what your work will look like and what it will bring to the table.

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In the photo above, I did not get paid or work with Simple Truth Organic but I still took a photo showing their product in my The Best “Gluten Free | Vegan” Tahini Sesame seed cookie you’ve ever had. I was able to show the product I used to my readers and I was also able to create a portfolio to show companies in the future.

Use websites like tomoson and influenster to get the chance to work with some amazing companies

Influenster: This was the first ever website I used to receive free products. I actually have been using this for longer than I have been blogging. I received many things, most of them were beauty related but now that I am reviewing much mainly food products I get a bigger chance to receive something food related.

Influenster will send you surveys through your email if you are being considered for a free product, make sure to take the survey and wait to see if you were accepted in the campaign or not!

Tomoson: This was a website I found randomly and did not like as much at first but eventually I figured out how it worked and I enjoy it quite a lot!

Through Tomoson you can actually find paid opportunities, where the company will send you their product and you will have to either write a blog post or post about it on some social media accounts and eventually get paid for the work you have put in.

Here are some of the things I have received:

I was paid for the two most recent ones, and I am working on a third one right now as we speak!

This is is a great way for beginners to work with companies who are looking for bloggers and influencers before moving on to bigger companies.

So this is one of the websites like Influenster. They will send you product in exchange for you to post it on social media accounts.

Choose the companies that you collaborate with and the products that you might accept for free carefully!

When it comes to working with certain companies or accepting certain free products you have to be picky! By that I mean, make sure that this product fits your blog, as well as what your audience wants to see.

An example of this would be maybe accepting something that you don’t believe in 100% even though it has to do with food blogging. By doing this it shows your readers and followers that you are willing to do anything for free products and this is how you lose their trust.

Another example of this would be accepting a hair styling tool when you’re a food blogger! This is a more broad example but you get my point. Just don’t do it. ( This is an ironic example for me to given seeing that I did receive a free hair straightener. But if you look closer, I received it in 2017. That was way before I started this blog!)

Only accept the products and opportunities that you will enjoy using and working on. Trust me your passion will radiate and it will create a beautiful photo/article/post in the end

Some additional tips to receive some FREE stuff for food bloggers

Do not be scared to put yourself out there! 

As a beginner blogger, most of the time the companies do not come to you. You have to go to them and tell them why you think them giving you their products to write about or use on your blog will bring them value.

So get out of your comfort zone and contact them. You might just end up with some free stuff!

What’s the worst thing that could happen anyway? They say no, well at least you tried.

As always, make sure to follow me on Instagram at @Chahinez_tbt  and Pinterest.

If you enjoyed this different from the usual post let me know in the comments down below! I am really thinking of broadening what I write and post about 🙂

Have an awesome day and make sure to pin this for later.

XO, Chahinez

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