Chicks and Salsa may be the longest ‘job’ I have held. 296 blog posts and 1240 Instagram posts later, here we are! Starting my own small business in 2016 has led to many meaningful opportunities. I have fostered relationships crafted 100% by hard work, consistency, and you all – my readers, followers, friends, and family. Thank you to many of you who were there when I started and are still here. I see you, and I appreciate you.
I have written about why I started and shared some of my early partnerships in previous posts. Today I wanted to share why all the hard work was worth it. There are big partnerships I have been lusting after that have (finally!) recently come to fruition, but the WHY I am still doing it is not about partnerships.
Starting Chicks and Salsa was always about learning. Learning to write, learning to network, learning to create, learning to be vulnerable, and learning to commit. It was about so much more than the clothes, the makeup, and the events. It was about finding my tribe in person and online; it was about learning by DOING.
I made my first website, created my first LLC, learned photography essentials, and took numerous courses online to learn the in’s and out’s of ‘having a blog.’ Since starting, things have changed, and Instagram‘s influence on our e-commerce culture has skyrocketed. We also have TikTok as a new place to learn new things and find inspiration. Every few months, there are new things to keep up with and learn. I love the variety that creating Chicks and Salsa offers; it is flexible and ever-evolving.
In 2018, I launched MVP Media, a social media management company that has allowed me to convert what I do for Chicks and Salsa for small brands and businesses. To date, I have worked for dozens of companies to help elevate their social media presence.
With no end in sight, I plan to keep creating fun, entertaining, inspirational, or educational content.
This post is about gratitude. I am genuinely grateful to have found a small corner of the internet to call my own, thanks to you. As always, thanks for your time and your love.
Stay tuned; there is more to come! Your Chick, Rina
When social media first took footing it was very easy to judge, especially coming from a conservative Indian culture. I remember being a part of the beginning stages of platforms like MySpace and Friendster.
Now, in my late 30s, I respect those who had put themselves out there from the very beginning. It takes time to learn who you are and what you stand for. It also takes time to learn to let go of the judgment.
In the beginning of our blog I was nervous to put myself out there. I was nervous about the judgement, to be more specific. What were followers going to say, you’re not fashionable? You’re not pretty? You don’t have the perfect life?!
Whatever my fears were, they have been conquered.
I’ve learned that being a part of any social media platform, you are often forced to read the good, the bad, and the ugly about yourself. I’ve learned you can’t satisfy everyone. Some people will love you, and some will hate you. When you fall somewhere in a space where YOU are comfortable, it no longer matters what anyone thinks about your journey.
Whatever journey it is you choose, I hope that you find peace in knowing it’s about YOU and no one else.
Social media has given an opportunity for non-multimillion dollar backed celebrity endorsed products to be promoted on a genuine platform.
If you are reading this, you likely follow @chicksandsalsablog, and for that we are thankful for your support and love in this journey that we call, our blog
This post has been a long time coming for two reasons:
It was the question we were trying to answer when we started Chicks And Salsa.
It is the number one question we get asked.
When we started this journey, it was more about curiosity and what was behind influence and what that meant. In a very small part of the internet where Chicks And Salsa has lived for three years, we are starting to reflect and put the pieces of the puzzle together for people who may just now be thinking about starting a blog.
So lets get right into the knitty gritty of how Chicks And Salsa has managed to stay out of the red since we started.
Sponsored Posts
Once we gathered a small, but meaningful audience, we were starting to get some interest from brands who were interested in our niche. When I say small, I mean about 300 followers on Facebook and nearly 2000 followers on Instagram. We developed a media kit based on industry standards as set by FOHR and moved forward. Here is a look at our very first sponsored post, . We are so grateful to all of the brands who have taken a chance on Chicks And Salsa. We have learned a lot along the way and could not have done it without those opportunities.
This topic is very complicated and if there are some specifics that you would like from us, please feel free to leave a question in the comments below. Generally speaking, Chicks and Salsa started out with two affiliate platforms, Amazon Associates, and RewardStyle (aka LikeToKnow.it). There is a wealth of information about both of these available on YouTube and if you are interested in a referral to RewardStyle, shoot us a DM and we will be happy to put that in.
Amazon Associates generally has VERY low commissions, but since everyone shops on Amazon it is a quick way to capture data about what your audience likes and what price points are most effective.
Rewardstyle is the GO-TO destination for all your favorite bloggers. Also known as LikeToKnow.It, affiliates can create links for most top brands, and commissions can be up to 20% during peak seasons. They have many tools that make posting looks to Instagram and your blog (and Pinterest!) super easy. Inserting affiliate links into pins on Pinterest, is a pro tip to getting more likes on the app and hits to your website. Since joining RewardStyle I have made over $2000 in commissions- that definitely helps me offset some of the expenses associated with running the blog.
If you are looking for something easier for your followers to shop, consider joining RewardStyle. Referrals can help you get in the first time, so email me at [email protected] for a referral!
Via Share A Sale, Chicks and Salsa has become affiliates for a lot of amazing brands which basically means that we have been vetted and approved for high commissions from these brands in particular. We will be attending Think Tank next month to learn more about the affiliate marketing space and what is next for influencers.
We make about 25% of our income from affiliate links which
is kind of crazy in retrospect when I think about all the time I have spent
chasing down commissions.
Note: I just wanted to add a personal note about commissions; bloggers in all content areas work very hard to give you ideas that are of value to you. So if you like something you see on a friend/blogger, given them credit for that idea or purchase, it does not cost you ANYTHING to be supportive. I recently wrote a post about my favorite work out gear and rightfully credited a fellow blogger for the introduction.
Free Stuff
This is the fun part right? Truthfully, Sonia and I do not have boxes flooding our doorstep, but over the years we have had dozens of companies ask for feedback and shares of new products that have been fun to check out. As our platform continues to grow so do the opportunities. Lately it seems like we are being approached by more companies which feels great after creating thousands of pieces of content over the past three years week after week.
Also we are in the top 1% of reviewers in Chicago for TripAdvisor, so we have found ways to convert that into what I call ‘elevated’ restaurant experiences. I never ask a restaurant for anything, but I do let them know who we are and that we are coming to check them out and sometimes that translates into little goodies- why not!?!?
The Costs
The time it takes to create content is the true cost of blogging. The cost of hosting my site costs me less than $300/year, business registration for Chicks And Salsa LLC is $390/year, and I do use about $600 for Facebook Ads per year.
Answering What and Why?
In my case, I left my full time job to go all in on Chicks and Salsa and in doing so realized some things that I was missing. Last year, I started a social media management company, Digital Chicks Media, and have been fortunate to help out small businesses and brands deliver consistent content on their channels. Most recently, Sonia and I have also launched an e-commerce store , ChicksAndSalsaStore, to help get our followers good deals on practical fashion finds.
I hope you found this post to be interesting a thorough, I know I have wondered what all of this was really about and even though the money is important and feels good, the connections and friendships are why we blog.
I have shared before that I live in a small town, but thanks to social media, my reach is so much greater and I can learn so much from my phone every day.
Thanks for checking out this post!
Your Chick,
Rina
**These are all observations made purely by me and there are so many ways to ‘blog’ so everyone’s hustle may vary. The bottom line is, share what you love on ANY platform and you will get out of it what you put in.**
Growing up with many female influences in my personal life has generally made me gravitate towards smart, creative, and interesting women as a whole. Joining the Style Collective was one of those no brainer decisions I made after watching founder, Annie Spano, week after week hustle as hard to achieve her dream as I was to achieve mine. I knew that being around her energy would rub off on me. She not only recruited me, but many like me. These women were like minded motivated females all trying to change their story.
When the Style Collective announced that it would be having its first conference I dare say I was the first to register. I was thrilled at the prospect of being around other women, mothers, and bloggers that were all trying to navigate a new industry that allows women to authentically share themselves with the world.
Last month we all met up in the beautiful Cannon Room in the heart of Raleigh. NC! A beautiful space that inspired and enthused us. The agenda was filled with women that I wanted to hear and learn from and best of all, they were willing to share! Among many highlights from the conference, here are my top three.
The Venue
Cannon Room
Annie Spano Opening Remarks
Networking
Photobooth
Kendra Scott Display
Picture Perfect
The Cannon Room was named after the first female Mayor of Raleigh, Isabell Cannon. With that as a backdrop it was just the perfect vibe and space, intimate yet spacious and generously lit with its large windows. It made for an inviting space that made us want to network in. Lucky for us, this room has already been booked for next years conference!
The Influencer Panel
With our blog, we try to be open and honest about our journey as women and as mothers. At the conference, we were lucky enough to hear from mother to be Holly of @MakeTodayAHollyDay, Courtney of @CourtEInk, and Keke of @StyleYourSelfie and they were wonderful! Each shared their story, journey, and ideas generously with all of us. I recall chatting with Holly and discussing giveaway ideas! I really appreciated that!
The Agenda
Trolley Ride
Cocktails
The Details
Photobooth
Swag Bags
Networking
Generally we had a lot of information that we needed to cover during sessions, so by Sunday afternoon we were tired. The agenda, however, anticipated that we would need creative breaks. We had the chance to play in a live photo booth and network in a beautiful corner space. The agenda also included a cocktail hour on Saturday night and a trolley ride surprise on Sunday! Everything had been thought out and considered. The team at Style Collective did an amazing job putting it all together (Thank You!).
I, along with my fellow chicks, am truly grateful for the camaraderie and the learning and I am looking forward to next year. Here is a peek at all the fun!
Your Chick,
Rina Puri
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