Doing Things My Way–My Journey with LIKEtoKNOW.it

Shop the Post:

Dress:  J.Crew Factory (mine is from a few seasons seasons ago)  |  Sandals:  Target (old) |  Tassel necklace:  Vineyard Vines  (old)|  Handbag:  J.Crew (similar here & here)

LIKEtoKNOW.it, rewardStyle, “swipe up for links!“, emails, screenshots, “download the new LIKETOKNOW.IT app & follow along…no liking necessary!“

Maybe I should back it up, for a moment and start (somewhat) from the beginning…

Grab a cup of coffee or your beverage of choice, and get comfy–it’s kind of a long story!

A Brief History of rewardStyle Affiliate Network

A few years ago, a company called rewardStyle was launched to help bloggers (which has since expanded to include “Influencers”) track and monetize sales made through the influencer’s blog or Instagram page.  A lot of businesses, at the time, had no idea just how much sales were being driven by influencers to their companies, so this affiliate platform was born.  It helped influencers track how much business (sales) they were generating for their favorite companies, and depending on the number of sales, influencers would be able to collaborate specifically with that company.

On an influencer’s blog, they would link to products from, let’s say, J.Crew Factory, through rewardStyle, and if a reader clicked through to the website and either purchased that specific item or something else from the site, the influencer would be given a small commission.  This commission could be as little as 5% or all the way up to 20% of the cost of purchase, and was paid by the business as a finder’s fee.  This commission was not (and still is not) an extra cost put on the customer, and does not in any way change the price of the item(s) purchased, it is solely a cost incurred by the business.

Think of the process of buying a house–buyers can either work alone, without the help of a buyer’s agent, or they work with a buyer’s agent.  The buyer’s agent will do all the legwork of searching for something that suits the buyer’s tastes, set up house showings, fills out all the paperwork for negotiating with the sellers, etc.  Once the house is purchased, the buyer’s agent is given a commission based on the cost of the house, and that commission is paid by the sellers.

For influencers, it’s the same way–we search for products that we think will interest our readers (and that we ourselves have come to love, or something that is as close as possible to our favorite item if it’s sold out), and we share it through Facebook, blog posts, etc.  If a reader purchases the item, we receive a small commission determined by each company.  No additional cost to the person who purchased the item.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and LIKEtoKNOW.it was launched, as a tool of rewardStyle, to do the same thing, but specifically through Instagram and the liking of photos.  Influencers could link to products in their Instagram post, and if their followers had a LIKEtoKNOW.it account, they would receive an email with links to the products upon liking said photo.

Many (maaany) more updates and changes came along after that to both LIKEtoKNOW.it (Hello, LTK app!) and Instagram, but today I just wanted to focus on my own journey with this affiliate platform, some lessons I have learned along the way, and where I plan to go from here.

My Journey with rewardStyle/LIKEtoKNOW.it

When I first started blogging back in 2012, I began it as a hobby.  I loved fashion, enjoyed putting together outfits and experimenting with my style (just look through the archives; I had some pretty…creative outcomes!), I wanted to connect with other people who enjoyed fashion just as much as I did, and I found that I could help empower other women by sharing styling tips!

Those first couple years of blogging were the best, I met so many awesome bloggers IRL and made many life-long friends (love you Steph, Preeti, Yackira, Jordan, & Lisi!!), and I got to have some pretty neat experiences like attending a fashion conference in NYC, meeting two amazing designers, attending the Kentucky Derby VIP style (still pinching myself over that one), and so on.

I used rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it because I thought it would be fun to be able to make a few dollars, here and there, and it also made it really easy to share the exact pieces, or lookalikes, with you all!

But then something changed, a couple years ago, and I started feeling pressure to perform better–I began to feel like my content and what I had to say wasn’t good enough.  I started looking at what the big bloggers were doing (and getting noticed for), and thought I had to do the same thing in order to be successful.

For some reason, I started measuring my worth against rewardStyle’s measuring stick.  I felt pressure to have the latest “must-have” item, to have the newest clothes and accessories.  Let’s face it, you can’t make commission off an item that is from a previous season, or sold out.

And more content…that was the advice I was given, in order to increase my affiliate commissions was to churn out more content (forget that I had learned at a conference that quality over quantity was best, and that I had a full-time job, etc.). 

Initially, when I was accepted into the program, I was given a personal contact with whom to work, ask for advice, etc.  Shortly after receiving the advice about needing to churn out more content, I was dropped from my contact, and given a generic support line.

Without warning.

I later found out (from other bloggers, and not from rS themselves) that bloggers who made less than a certain (undisclosed) amount in affiliate commission were dropped down to a generic contact.

That was a huge blow to my self-esteem.  I felt like my content wasn’t deemed worthy enough, that I didn’t fit the mould of what they were looking for, and I was no longer important enough to help.

So, I started running harder on the hamster wheel.  “Maybe if I stepped up my game, the powers at rewardStyle would notice me, and pick me back up!”, I thought.

• I followed a ton of bloggers who were being regrammed by rS to see what made them successful (most of them are total bossbabes, and very much deserving of the success they have!).
• Maybe my outfits aren’t trendy enough?
• Maybe my life isn’t as glamorous as these bloggers, who get to travel?
• Ooo, this blogger only talks about fashion-related topics, nothing too personal, so I should do that, too.  Be more professional.
• I should only post about sales and the latest pieces from J.Crew, my clothes from last summer are SO last year!

To be fair, there were a handful of positives that came from being surrounded by the rewardStyle community; we upgraded from using an iPhone to a DSLR to shoot pictures, I got pretty good at editing photos and putting together product collages, I picked up some marketing and branding skills, as well as how to create and maintain relationships with brands.

But I really lost myself with trying to keep up.

After a couple of years, I didn’t know who I was as a blogger, anymore.  I didn’t recognize my writing.  I no longer enjoyed writing blog posts or shooting and editing photos.  It became a chore trying to put together an “Instagram-worthy” outfit, instead of an outfit that truly inspired me.

In the end, I started looking and sounding like everyone else.

I had lost my identity.

I was burnt out from trying to keep up, spending countless hours on things that I thought I should be doing to be successful, instead of spending time on the things that I enjoyed doing.

My creativity was completely gone.

What was once my creative outlet, something that invigorated me and brought me joy, now had become a burden, and another thing in which I didn’t measure up.

And guess what, when you aren’t being true to yourself, others notice.  Not only did I become bored with my content, but you all did as well!  My readership plummeted to basically nothing, I was no longer connecting with people on Instagram because I was too busy trying to create content to put on said social media (SOCIAL supposedly being the operative word), and all of that crazy amount of time I spent focusing on Instagram and affiliate linking nearly killed my blog, entirely.

Five Things I’ve Learned Along my Journey

So now that I’ve shared with you what my journey has been like (and if you’re still with me, thanks for hanging in there!), I want to share with you a few things that have really stuck with me.  I hinted above that there were a handful of positive outcomes from working with rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it, and in the end, I am very grateful for all of the experiences I have had.

• Being true to myself is key.  Becoming just another copy of someone else makes me just that, a copy.
• I learned valuable photo editing and blogging skills by following other successful bloggers.  The biggest reason for their success is the quality of their content, and I learned how to improve my own skills.
• If I truly want something, I have to make a plan and stick with it.  If I don’t have directions, will I arrive at my destination?  Maybe, but the journey will be more clearcut with a plan!
• Don’t be afraid to fail.  Try something new because I want to, and if it doesn’t turn out the way I had envisioned it, I could either tweak it or scrap it.  At least I tried something new!
• Even though I sometimes copied other bloggers’ styles, I experimented with my own personal style and enjoyed it!  I got out of my comfort zone and tried new things, discovered some things I liked and didn’t like.  It forced me out of the cozy preppy box I had put myself in, and while I truly do prefer the more classic style, I am not afraid to try something that doesn’t fit the mould. 🙂

Where I Will Go from Here

SO, now that you have heard my story in a (rather large) nutshell, where will I go from here?  As you can see, I am still using affiliate linking, as it is the most convenient way to share my favorite products on social media, etc., and as a way to effectively show potential brands that I have something to contribute.

But affiliate linking is taking a back seat.  It will no longer be my focus, and I am done running on the fast track to nowhere.

First of all, I am back to creating content that I find inspiring.  My style.  Not trying to push the latest “it-bag” or “must-have” shoe of the moment (although I lucked out with purchasing my straw circle bag, last summer—it really turned out to be the “it-bag” of the season!).  I am no longer tirelessly chasing trends to shove them in front of your faces, in hopes of making a buck or looking like the trendiest blogger out there.  If I wear or purchase something that you all happen to fall in love with, that’s great!  If not, that’s great, too.  I will not change my personal style to fit a certain mould.  Do I fit the preppy mould?  For the most part, heck yes!  But that’s my choice and my taste in style.  I prefer the classics, the closet staples, and paying a little bit more for something that will last longer.  (Fast fashion is more lucrative, but that’s a story for another day!)

But not only am I going back to focusing on what inspires me, I also want to focus on bringing content that will inspire YOU–the reader.  Without you, my blog would be just a silly diary full of pretty pictures.  When I talk with you all on social media, I feel like we are sitting down for a cup of coffee (or wine) and a chat!  I have really enjoyed the community that I have slowly built over the years, and I want Classy Sassy to be a place that is inspiring, colorful, creative, and a place where we can connect.

So let’s connect!  Find me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, or shoot me an email whitley@classysassyblog.com and let me know what is inspiring you, lately!  Whether you’ve got a fun beach vacation coming up, or are in the mood for some home decor refresh, I’d love to chat all about it!

Stay Classy!

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