When Sonia and I started the blog, we had committed to creating content regularly, engaging with you all often, and also to keep learning.  We have attended conferences in the past, but this past year we have really amped up our affiliate game (see our post on How Blogger Make Money here).  We are starting to build relationships with brands that we shop often and truly love. Now was the time for us to understand what being a true brand ambassador means.

When we learned that Think Tank was happening in Chicago this summer we had to check it out. After two days of networking and learning, we want to share what we learned.

Brands Love Bloggers

This was a relief.  We met with so many brands that all agree that they are JUST NOW starting to really dig into using bloggers to do their advertising.  As publishers, bloggers work hard to create content and share it in a meaningful way.  It felt good to hear that brands find value in what we do.

Everyone is a Winner

Brands see usage of affiliate links as a win for them and for the publishers.  Bloggers can negotiate commissions with brands (via affiliate managers) that they are looking for a long term relationship with which makes the collaboration mutually beneficial.  The number one way to get registered as an affiliate is via Share A Sale. On that platform you can apply to thousands of brands’ affiliate platforms at one time.  If you want to know more about this comment below and we will get in touch.

Bloggers Can  Really Cash In

As I mentioned above, once you are an approved affiliate for a particular brand and have developed a track record supporting them, you can negotiate for higher commissions.  This makes sharing what you love so much more fun!  You can also negotiate how you prefer to be paid out; CPA (cost per acquisition), flat fee, hybrid models, and more.

Among affiliates, bloggers make up the largest group.  So this means that if we support each other and support people that truly inspire us to shop, it works for everyone.  If you would like to know more, let me know and I would be happy to share. 

As of now, Chicks And Salsa are affiliates for Spanx, Nordstrom, ChicWish, TULA, Civant, and Shein.  We are also publishers on RewardStyle and 21 Buttons (both of which I have written about here).

Thanks for your interest in this post.

Your Chick,

Rina