Affiliate Q&A with Kate

Some people literally make their living for advertising awesome products and I think that is so neat! Have you ever thought about making money through affiliate marketing? Kate, aka @thekeybykate on Inta and Poshmark, has done tons of affiliate posts, so I wanted to get the tea!🍵 Previously, I have personally only been involved with the Poshmark Affiliate posts, so I was so intrigued and excited to learn more. What got you interested into affiliate advertisting?

I got into affiliate or collaboration type posts on a small scale back when my page was mainly focusing on working from home as a posher! I started seeking out brands I felt fit me and my vibes on Instagram mainly. It never really came as a “time to be an influencer!” moment. It still doesn’t feel that way. Even then, it’s always been about recommending things I would recommend to my mom or my best friend.

What was your first affiliate post?

So this may not have been my absolute first, but one of my firsts ever was for Touchland hand sanitizers. They are fabulous lil’ scented spray hand sanitizers and I was obsessed after finding their page! They were super responsive to my comments so I decided to ask if I could work with them in some facet. My mother in law still uses them because of the recommendation from way back when.

How do you decide which brands you would be interested in representing?

Picking brands is a weird practice. I try to focus on mutually beneficial relationships. I hope to bring a new angle to a brand and hope the brand brings something special to the people following my page! You have to find a brand that: You like to use (or would try) Your followers + friends would like to try or see Their brand values match yours You fit their needs too and can provide something worth getting freebies/payment for Continued thoughts: I currently am focused on body positivity + mental health, fashion trends esp regarding plus size style, and a bit of lifestyle vibes too. For example, I worked with a business @ownyourstigma to help promote reducing the negativity surrounding admitting personal mental health struggles that one may experience. That collaboration felt very important to me.

Is there a minimum amount of followers needed for these programs?

For the number of followers needed to achieve a successful partnership with a brand, it usually is in the thousands. BUT I want to emphasize — there are a million things that enter the equation here. You can have less and do things still, and I’ve seen it. Some other things to consider instead of just follower count would be: Reach: how many pages you’re reaching with each photo (use Instagram business insights profile to access) Views: if it’s a video, you may not see as many likes as usual. Many will watch and move on without remembering to scroll back and like the video. So views would be more important than likes Website clicks: a brand may give you a link to direct followers to a shoppable site that tracks your progress — while ramping up for that, you can focus on seeing what garners more people clicking the link in your profile to seek more info Bookmarks: I’ve read a lot of research on Instagram trends, and because likes are becoming slowly less important (very slowly..), we’re seeing other metrics become more vital to a post’s success. If you can get a follower to bookmark your post, that means you’re becoming a solid resource worth revisiting

There are many ways you can contact a company - how do you find the right person to contact?

My ideal method for finding the contact info for collaborations is to check the website and Instagram contact information for an obvious email to use, which some brands provide! I prefer finding it this way if possible to get a direct access to the person in charge of marketing. If it’s hidden or not readily apparent, try to reach out via social media OR email support with the question “who is a good contact regarding partnerships?” included. The people who run the social media pages rarely make the call on hiring reps, but can point you in the right direction usually to the person who does.

Sometimes I receive comments on my insta photos about an affiliate post, how do you typically respond to those comments?

The comments that are brand reps seeking ambassadors for super vague sounding things, especially where they direct you to go reach out to the brand they represent? Super fake. Absolutely a scam. Usually highly marked up items that you pay for at a discount or they have you pay “shipping only” which happens to cost over $50. 🤨 If it feels slimy and scammy, it probably is. Check google, check the brands tagged posts, and check comments on recent posts to verify authenticity of a page.

Make a media kit if you’re interested in reaching out to brands! It’s essentially a resume for social media. It includes statistics and you/your brand’s story. Include some photos, some text info, and your best contacts for being reached. Also, don’t talk money or freebies in the first moment of the conversation. Focus on your value and theirs without mentioning what you physically gain, that comes later! To anyone wanting to try this: If you have questions, please reach out! I’m happy to help however I can. 💛

6 Reseller Time Saving Tips!

Time is MONEY, so invest wisely. 1. Save templates to your phone's clipboard! If you find yourself typing the same thing over and over, click that info to your phone's clipboard! For dresses I have a template for measurements and it saves me quite a bit of time! I also have a template for offer messages I send out. 2. Complete tasks in batches. Sourcing, all at once. Measuring, all at once. Steamig/cleaning all at once Photographing all at once etc. 3. Save to drafts and post when optimal. Doing something at the right time is so important. Saving to drafts then posting when you notice more action makes sense. The more views, the more chance it catches someone's eye- and KACHING! It's sold! 4. Stay focused! Social media can be very distracting and I find if I time myself, it keeps me focused. There are also apps that can help with that, like Forest. It will "grow a tree" for you if you leave your phone alone! 🌲 To do lists also help. I use an app called Listonic everyday for my to do list as well as a grocery list. You can even share the list, aka my hubby can add to it from the house 😜 5. Outsource! There are tools like List Perfectly that will crosslist your listings if you use multiple platforms. I have not tried it personally, but have heard it's great! There are also virtual assistants you can hire to share and relist for you! Prettibone comes highly recommended from some of my pffs! And remember bots are not allowed on Poshmark. 6. USPS PICK UP! Oh my gosh, y'all! On rainy days I would rush to the post office or ask my hubby to drop off, but you can schedule a pick up- or if you have an awesome person, leave a note for him/her in your mailbox.

8 ways to increase traffic to your Poshmark closet!

Use these tips strategically and see what works best for you!

1. Price Drop

Price drops are optimal during closet clear out aka "CCO"! Poshmark will pay for discounted shipping for your buyers if you drop your prices by 10% and it alerts everyone who has "liked" the item of the price drop.

2. Offers to Likers

Depending on your margins, give an exciting discount! Free shipping definitely gets my attention!

3. Share your closet

I like to share mine once a day. When you do this, it will show up at the top of the search list. It also shows buyers that are browsing that you are an active seller.

4. Share to parties

Blast share your items to parties (edit, next, list 20 times in a row). Optimal time for me is at the beginning of the party because there are less items, therefore more attention.

5. Share other closets

If you see a cute item in your feed, visit their closet and share 10 items. Not only is it fun to see other closets, but who knows - maybe they share yours as well or find something in your closet to buy!

6. Re-list items

It helps your items show up in the "just listed" category for that specific brand. It also refreshes the inventory, so to buyers it seems new!

7. Follow new people

I try to follow a minimum of 100 people per day. You can also follow people based on brand. ( Think: Targeted sales.If you have never heard of targeted sales, stay tuned! I will do a post in the near future!)

8. Social Media

If you are on Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest, link your poshmark closet! If someone searches google for something the result could link them to your closet! Later I'll post more about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) with tips on the best way to show up on Internet Searches.