Blogger Outreach Email Templates for Reviews and Sponsored Posts

FTC staff say a line like "I was given a free [product] to review" should probably be clear enough to disclose a gifted review, while "gifted" on its own is likely ambiguous¹. They also say the disclosure has to sit near the review, not on a home page¹. Most brand pitches to bloggers never mention any of this, and that's how a good review turns into a problem.

This page gives you four blogger outreach email templates you can copy today. A product review offer, a sponsored post rate request, a gift guide pitch and a follow-up. Each one carries the disclosure ask, the link rule and a signature that keeps you inside commercial email law. You'll also get subject lines, a send schedule and the mistakes that get brand emails ignored.

Facts and prices checked November 11, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.

Key takeaways

• A good blogger outreach email names a post you read, says exactly what you offer and leaves the verdict to the blogger.
• FTC staff say "I was given a free [product] to review" should probably be a clear disclosure, but "gifted" alone is likely ambiguous, and the label must sit near the review¹.
• The FTC's reviews rule bans compensation or incentives conditioned on a review being positive or negative².
• Google treats a product sent in exchange for a post with a link as link spam unless the link carries rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow"³.
• Treat a sponsorship email as commercial email, include your postal address and an opt-out, and honor opt-outs within 10 business days⁴.

What bloggers want in the first email

Independent bloggers get pitched all week. Most pitches are vague, ask for something for nothing, or want a followed link. Yours has to show in a few lines that you read the blog, you have a real offer, and you'll play fair.

The six parts of a blogger pitch

1. A real greeting. Their first name, not "Dear blogger."
2. Proof you read it. One post you liked and why it fits your product.
3. The offer. Product only, or a fee plus product. Say which in the first email.
4. Freedom to say no or be critical. This is the line most brands skip, and it's the one that builds trust.
5. The rules in one sentence. A clear disclosure near the post and rel="sponsored" on any link.
6. One easy next step. "Want me to send one?" beats "Let's hop on a call."

Short and personal matters. In Backlinko's study of outreach emails, only 8.5% got any reply, and emails with a personalized body got 32.7% more replies⁵. That study covered general outreach, not blogger reviews, but the lesson carries over.

For the bigger picture of running a program, see our guide to blogger outreach for brands.

Which blogger template to send

Pick the template that matches what you want. Don't mix a review request and a paid post in one email. Bloggers price them differently and treat them differently.

The follow-up timing follows the same logic as most outreach. In Backlinko's study, one follow-up lifted replies by 65.8%⁵. More than two can start to feel like pressure.

Template 1, the product review offer

Use this when you want an honest review and you're offering product only. It's the most common blogger pitch, and the one most likely to go wrong on disclosure.

Subject line
Want to try [Product] for [Blog Name]?

Hi [First Name],

I'm [Your Name] at [Brand]. I read your post on [specific post] and liked how you [specific detail]. We make [Product], which helps [audience] [result].

Would you like one to try? There's no fee and no obligation to write about it. If you do review it, the verdict is yours, good or bad.

If you post, we'd only ask two things. A clear note near the review, like "[Brand] sent me this [product] for free to review," and rel="sponsored" on any link to us.

Want me to ship one? Just send the address.

Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Title], [Brand], [website]
[Company, postal address]
Not a fit? Reply no and I won't email again.

Why it works

• It names a real post, which shows you read the blog.
• It says the review can be negative. The FTC's reviews rule bans tying any incentive to a review being positive or negative².
• It gives the disclosure line. FTC staff say free products given with an expectation of promotion must be disclosed, close to the review¹.
• It asks for rel="sponsored". Google lists sending a product in exchange for a post with a link as link spam unless the link is qualified³.

Want the full review process, from shipping to handling a mixed verdict? See how to get bloggers to review your product.

Template 2, the sponsored post rate request

Use this when you want a dedicated post and you'll pay for it. Ask for their rate instead of naming yours. Many bloggers have a rate card, and the ones who don't will tell you.

Subject line
Sponsored post on [Blog Name] in [Month]?

Hi [First Name],

I lead partnerships at [Brand]. Your readers look a lot like our customers, especially after your post on [specific post].

We'd like to pay for a sponsored post in [Month]. It could be a [recipe, tutorial, review or roundup] built around [Product], in your voice. We'll send product and a one-page brief.

Could you send your rate for a dedicated post, plus any rate for adding social posts? If you share a media kit, I'd love to see it.

The post would be labeled as sponsored near the top, and any links to us would carry rel="sponsored".

Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Title], [Brand], [website]
[Company, postal address]
Not a fit? Reply no and I won't email again.

What to expect on price

Productive Blogging's 2026 survey of 129 bloggers found average sponsored post rates of $208 under 10,000 monthly pageviews, $310 at 10,000 to 49,999, $938 at 50,000 to 99,999, $1,674 at 100,000 to 299,999 and $1,800 at 300,000 to 999,999⁶. The author says rates vary a lot within each band, and social following seems to move them too⁶.

The real work is the list

Rates vary so much that you need replies from many bloggers to find the fair ones. That means sending this email to 30 or 40 blogs to land 5 to 10 deals. Finding that many good fits in your niche, each with a contact email, is the slow part. Writing the email isn't.

Template 3, the gift guide inclusion pitch

Gift guides are roundups. The blogger picks the products. Your job is to make yours easy to include and easy for readers to buy. Pitch well before the season so the blogger has time to try it.

Subject line
For your [holiday or season] gift guide, [Product]

Hi [First Name],

I saw your [year or season] gift guide for [audience] and loved the [specific pick]. I think [Product] could fit this year's list. It's [price], and [one reason a reader would want it].

Happy to send a sample so you can see it first. I can also share product photos and a reader offer code if that helps.

No pressure to include it. If you do, please note that we sent it for free, and use rel="sponsored" on the link.

Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Title], [Brand], [website]
[Company, postal address]
Not a fit? Reply no and I won't email again.

Why it works

• It points to their past guide, which proves the fit.
• It gives price and a reason up front. Those are the two things a guide needs.
• It offers photos and a code, which save the blogger time.
• It covers disclosure. A free product in a guide is still a material connection¹.

If you pay a fee for guaranteed inclusion, say so, and expect the guide entry to carry a clear sponsored label.

Template 4, the follow-up

No reply is not a no. Bloggers are busy and inboxes are full. Send short follow-ups in the same thread so the first email sits right below.

Follow-up 1, day 5

Subject line
Keep your first subject line and reply in the same thread

Hi [First Name], bumping this up in case it got buried. Still happy to send [Product] your way, no strings. Want one?

Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Company, postal address]
Not a fit? Reply no and I won't email again.

Follow-up 2, day 12

Subject line
Keep your first subject line and reply in the same thread

Hi [First Name], I'll close this out after today. If it's not a fit, no problem at all. If it is, a one-line reply is all I need.

Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Company, postal address]
Not a fit? Reply no and I won't email again.

Keep each follow-up under 50 words. Don't add new asks. Stop after the second one. For more on timing and tone, see how to follow up without burning the contact.

The disclosure line to include

Put the disclosure ask in your first email, then repeat it in the brief. The FTC holds the brand responsible too. Its staff say advertisers need reasonable programs to train and monitor the people promoting them, and handing the work to an agency doesn't remove that duty¹.

A line you can paste into every brief

Please add a clear note near the top of the post, such as "[Brand] sent me this product for free" or "This post is sponsored by [Brand]." Please add rel="sponsored" to any link to our site. Your opinion is your own.

The link half comes from Google. It introduced rel="sponsored" on September 10, 2019 for links that are part of ads, sponsorships or other compensation agreements⁸. The full rulebook is in our sponsored post disclosure rules.

Subject lines and send schedule

A blogger outreach subject line should say what the email is about. Use the blog's name. In Backlinko's study, personalized subject lines got 30.5% more replies⁵.

Subject lines that work

• Want to try [Product] for [Blog Name]?
• Sponsored post on [Blog Name] in [Month]?
• For your [season] gift guide, [Product]
• [Brand] would love to send you [Product]

Subject lines to avoid

• Collaboration opportunity!!!
• Quick question
• Guest post request (reads like a link seller)
• Anything with a fake "Re" on a first email. CAN-SPAM bans deceptive subject lines⁴.

More examples are in our guide to subject lines that get read and the ones that get deleted.

Send schedule

• Day 0. Send Template 1, 2 or 3.
• Day 5. Follow-up 1 in the same thread.
• Day 12. Follow-up 2, then stop.
• Season plus. For gift guides, start well before the season and give the blogger time to try the product.

Send on weekdays. Backlinko found weekday emails got 23.3% more replies than weekend ones⁵.

Rules every blogger email has to follow

Three sets of rules touch every pitch you send. None of them are hard to follow.

Commercial email rules

Treat a sponsorship email as commercial email and follow these rules. Don't use false header details or deceptive subject lines. Include a valid postal address. Tell people how to opt out and honor opt-outs within 10 business days⁴. The FTC says each email that breaks the CAN-SPAM Act can cost up to $53,088⁴. Every template above ends with a signature that covers the address and the opt-out.

Review rules

The FTC's final rule on reviews and testimonials, announced August 14, 2024, bans buying positive or negative reviews, meaning compensation or incentives conditioned on a review's sentiment². It also lets the FTC seek civil penalties from knowing violators². FTC staff add that an endorsement must reflect the endorser's honest opinion¹, and a blogger can't describe experience with a product they haven't tried⁷.

Link rules

Google says paid links are fine when they carry rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored"³. It lists exchanging money, goods or services for links, and requiring a link in a contract without letting the site owner qualify it, as link spam³. So never make a followed link part of the deal.

Send these templates to the right bloggers today

A template only works when it reaches bloggers who write for your customers. Media List gives you the list, and on Professional the sending too.

• Find the bloggers. Search 28,000+ blogs by category, country and language.
• See who to email. Emails unlock from your plan's allowance, no bot checks.
• Save a shortlist. Keep 30 to 40 bloggers per program in a saved list.
• Send from built-in campaigns on Professional. Paste Template 1, 2 or 3 into a campaign, fill each blogger's first name and blog name, and send the follow-ups from the same place.

Media List doesn't list blog traffic or rates. Bloggers reply with their own numbers.

Basic at $99 a month covers search, saved lists and exports. Built-in email campaigns come with Professional at $399 a month. Start a 3-day trial, $0 today, and cancel anytime. Compare plans on the pricing page. Buying newsletter placements too? Use our newsletter sponsorship email template, and see how to find bloggers in your niche for more ways to build the list.

Questions, answered

How do I write a blogger outreach email?

Use the blogger's name, mention one post you read, say exactly what you offer, and say the verdict is theirs. Add the disclosure and rel="sponsored" ask in one sentence, then end with one easy next step and a signature with your postal address.

How do I ask a blogger to review my product?

Offer to send the product with no fee and no obligation to post. Say the review can be good or bad, and ask for a clear note near the review saying you sent it for free. Follow up once or twice if there's no reply.

How do I ask a blogger for their sponsored post rate?

Say you'd like to pay for a dedicated post in a given month, describe the post in one line, and ask for their rate and media kit. Ask for their number instead of naming yours.

What should a blog sponsorship email include?

Who you are, why this blog, the offer, freedom to be critical, the disclosure and link rules, one next step, and a signature with your company, postal address and an opt-out line.

How many times should I follow up with a blogger?

Twice at most, about day 5 and day 12, in the same thread. Keep each follow-up under 50 words and then stop.

Is "gifted" enough as a disclosure?

FTC staff say "gifted" on its own is likely to be ambiguous. Naming the brand, or saying "I was given a free [product] to review" is clearer, and it should sit near the review.

What is influencer outreach?

Influencer outreach is contacting creators, such as bloggers, YouTubers or podcasters, to feature your product. Blogger outreach is the version aimed at people who publish on their own blogs.

Related guides

• Sponsored Blog Posts for Brands and How to Buy Them Right
• Sponsored Blog Post Rates and What Bloggers Charge in 2026
• How to Get Bloggers to Review Your Product the Right Way
• How to Find Bloggers in Your Niche and Their Contact Emails
• Sponsored Post Disclosure Rules for FTC and Google Compliance

Sources

1. FTC, FTC's Endorsement Guides, what people are asking, checked 2026-11-11
2. FTC, Federal Trade Commission announces final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (Aug 14, 2024), checked 2026-11-11
3. Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search, checked 2026-11-11
4. FTC, CAN-SPAM Act, a compliance guide for business, checked 2026-11-11
5. Backlinko and Pitchbox, Email outreach study (Apr 2019), checked 2026-11-11
6. Productive Blogging, How much do bloggers really earn in 2026 (updated May 28, 2026), checked 2026-11-11
7. FTC, Disclosures 101 for social media influencers (Nov 2019), checked 2026-11-11
8. Google Search Central Blog, Evolving nofollow, new ways to identify the nature of links (Sep 10, 2019), checked 2026-11-11