Building Better Influencer Boxes

Ah, marketing. For many authors, myself included, marketing is the stickiest part of the publishing journey. Annoying as it is, it’s vital. As my book gets closer to publication, I find myself diving deeper and deeper into the uncharted waters of advertising, PR, and social media.
 
One piece of the marketing puzzle that I have surprisingly enjoyed is working with influencers. I’ve found this group to be hungry for content, keen on aesthetics, and open minded to collaboration even with debut authors like me. You may be asking yourself, “What should I be offering influencers? What do I put in an influencer box?” Let’s discuss.
 
What are influencer boxes?

Influencer boxes are curated marketing packages designed to showcase your book. The goal is for the influencer to unbox or feature the contents on their social media platforms, which hopefully translate into book sales and a boost to your own online following. There are a lot of other ways to engage with influencers besides book boxes, but for the purposes of this blog, we’re going to focus on this particular strategy.
 
Effective book boxes aren’t just a copy of your book in a box or envelope. They include themed gifts, printed marketing materials, and intentional packaging to get that “wow” moment when the box is opened.
 
How to get started

Start curating a list of online influencers that would be a good fit for your book. Maybe they’re genre-specific, or are aligned with other themes in your book. For example, my book takes place in a big state park, so I researched outdoorsy and hiking influencers. Once you have your list, begin engaging with their content. Like and comment on their posts, share their content to your own platforms, etc. Become authentically engaged in their online spaces. This doesn’t need to soak up a ton of time; start by dedicating 15 minutes a day to engagement.
 
How do I stand out?

While you’re building these relationships, start developing your boxes. These influencers get books sent to them all the time. Some post videos of them unboxing 20+ books they’ve been sent that week. In order to get the attention we want, we need to stand out. All of this is budget-dependent of course, but for an especially eye-catching box, I suggest including the following:
●      A gift box, not just the cardboard shipping box
●      A copy of your book
●      Information card (could be a bookmark)
●      An on-theme gift
●      2-3 smaller items (sticker, candy, etc.)
●      Short, personalized thank-you note
●      Colored packaging material, either tissue paper or shredded fill
 
As I mentioned, influencers care about aesthetics. We need to make our packages as visually interesting as possible to get screen time. Use intentional packing material to make sure items don’t get jumbled in transit, make sure everything is color-coordinated, and include a hand-written thank you note to show you appreciate them. This will go a long way!
 
Now that you have boxes and relationships, start sending out asks! Some influencers have guidelines on their profiles about how to send mail. If so, follow those to a tee. If not, send a nice DM offering to send them one of your boxes.
 
Hopefully this little how-to on influencer boxes helps you out! Do you have other ideas on influencer engagement? Lingering questions I didn’t answer here? Let’s keep the conversation going! Find me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
 
Eloise Corvo finds inspiration and peace of mind while skulking around her home library which her husband affectionately (?) says embodies an "Edgar Allan Poe meets Applebee's" aesthetic. Eloise has short fiction published in literary magazines like The Corner Bar, and her debut novel is set to release on April 29, 2025 through Level Best Books. The kindle version is available for preorder now. She loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, appreciates a good puzzle, and is terrified of clowns. To learn more, visit EloiseCorvo.com.