Influencer Business: A podcast by Trove

Lindsay Alesso, a Senior Client Development Manager at CJ Affiliate, on how to approach the intricacies of affiliate marketing with clarity

In our very last episode of Season 5, we sit down with Lindsay Alesso to discuss the intricacies and tactics of affiliate marketing. Lindsay is a Senior Client Development Manager at CJ Affiliate who has worked with global brands in the travel, retail, fashion, and sportswear space on their marketing objectives to create and execute short and long-term affiliate strategies. She’s been a panelist for many affiliate events that are focused on the value of content, and has received recognition and accolades for her own work in content strategy. Some Takeaways from our time together: * Platforms change and that changes the way creators interact with their followers (which is important for the brand to know) * To understand how strong your commission structure is, ask content creators! * Before starting any campaign, before deciding any platforms you want to activate on, Define your goals and what your KPIs are for your efforts. For more on Lindsay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayalesso/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayalesso/] For more about Trove: @trovebusiness [https://www.instagram.com/trovebusiness/] www.trovebusiness.com [http://www.trovebusiness.com] For more about Gush & Grow: @gushandgrow [https://www.instagram.com/gushandgrow/] www.gushandgrow.com [https://www.gushandgrow.com/] A big thank you to our season's sponsor, CJ Affiliate (@cjnetwork). CJ is the affiliate network of choice for influencers and content creators. Through CJ you can get direct access to over 4,000 top brands, with the support, tools, and data to make your dream partnerships a reality. Learn more at cj.com/trove.

Amy Romfo (@thecoastaloak) on going viral with reels, increasing her email list by 10x, and why it’s important to be nimble as a content creator

Amy Romfo (of @thecoastal oak) is a DIY blogger and content creator based in Charleston, SC. She talks candidly about pursuing content creation full-time with three young kiddos underfoot, flipping furniture, and pursuing home construction projects, all while taking her audience along for the ride (including the flops!). In this episode, Amy and I talk through: * The makeup of a compelling reel * Her reel that went viral * The downsides of viral content * The value of being able to reach your audience outside of social and direct them to a platform that you own * Why you have to be prepared to change your content strategy * And more For more on Amy: @thecoastaloak [https://www.instagram.com/thecoastaloak/] thecoastaloak.com.com [https://www.thecoastaloak.com/] For more about Trove: @trovebusiness [https://www.instagram.com/trovebusiness/] www.trovebusiness.com [http://www.trovebusiness.com] For more about Gush & Grow: @gushandgrow [https://www.instagram.com/gushandgrow/] www.gushandgrow.com [https://www.gushandgrow.com/] A big thank you to our season's sponsor, CJ Affiliate (@cjnetwork). CJ is the affiliate network of choice for influencers and content creators. Through CJ you can get direct access to over 4,000 top brands, with the support, tools, and data to make your dream partnerships a reality. Learn more at cj.com/trove.

Molly Fienning, Co-Founder + Co-CEO of Babiators and Co-Founder + CEO of Red Clay on entrepreneurship and growing Red Clay 3-4X year over year

Molly Fienning is the co-founder and CEO of Red Clay, a fast-growing, Southern food business, crafting delicious hot sauces, hot honeys and specialty salts. And when I say fast-growing, they have grown 3-4X year over year in gross revenue these past three years and have rolled Red Clay out to The Fresh Market, Whole Foods Market, Publix, Food 52 and more. Incredibly impressive! Prior to Red Clay, Molly was Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Babiators [http://babiators.com/], one of Forbes' 100 Most Promising Companies and the leading sunglasses brand for babies & kids (with 4+ million pairs sold). In this episode, Molly shares her experience and advice for the marathon that is starting and successfully growing a product-based business. We cover: * The different avenues for starting a business and the one thing they all have in common * Why the “Irrational Offer” works * Raising capital and the different ways to view it * Ways Red Clay pivoted quickly to reach their revenue goals during the pandemic and how they ended up surpassing them * Her most valuable advice to early stage entrepreneurs * ...And so much more (as always)! For more about Molly: @mollyfienning [https://www.instagram.com/mollyfienning/] @redclayhotsauce [https://www.instagram.com/redclayhotsauce/] redclayhotsauce.com [https://redclayhotsauce.com/] @babiators [https://www.instagram.com/babiators/] babiators.com [https://babiators.com] For more about Trove: @trovebusiness [https://www.instagram.com/trovebusiness/] www.trovebusiness.com [http://www.trovebusiness.com] For more about Austin (Host) and Gush & Grow: @gushandgrow [https://www.instagram.com/gushandgrow/] www.gushandgrow.com [https://www.gushandgrow.com/]

Bonnie Knobloch, Head of Business Development, on Equilibria’s (@equilibriawomen) highly relational influencer marketing strategy

Equilibria is the premium CBD brand that you’ve likely seen scrolling through your Instagram. While still a young company (not even 3 y/o yet!), they have seen incredible growth during their lifespan, in large part due to their partnerships with content creators. Bonnie Knobloch, the Head of Business Development at Equilibria, joins us for a transparent conversation about their highly relational approach to influencer marketing. We talk about: * Their generous commission structure * Why she would rather invest in influencer marketing than Facebook ads * Their recent advisory board and how they lean on influencers to help with efforts from product development to marketing * Why content creator account size isn’t everything * Advice for brands who are just beginning to work with content creators * ...and so much more (as always)! Before joining Equilibria as one of their first employees, Bonnie was the Senior Director at Beauty Counter. She has 15 years in the beauty industry and is passionate about mission driven brands and products that create a cleaner, safer, and healthier society. For more about Bonnie: @bonnieknobloch [https://www.instagram.com/bonnieknobloch/] For more about Trove: @trovebusiness www.trovebusiness.com [http://www.trovebusiness.com] For more about Gush & Grow: @gushandgrow www.gushandgrow.com [http://www.gushandgrow.com] A big thank you to our season's sponsor, CJ Affiliate (@cjnetwork). CJ is the affiliate network of choice for influencers and content creators. Through CJ you can get direct access to over 4,000 top brands, with the support, tools, and data to make your dream partnerships a reality. Learn more at cj.com/trove.

Emily Chan, Director of Affiliate Marketing, on how Our Place (@ourplace) approaches partnering with content creators

We continue our streak of a dynamite Season 5 guest line-up with Emily Chan, Director of Affiliate Marketing at Our Place (@ourplace), a kitchenware and cookware brand that believes in connections made across the kitchen table. She has played a key role in developing the affiliate program from the ground up, partnering with a large network of influencers and top tier publishers aiming to drive impactful revenue for the brand. Prior to joining Our Place, Emily was leading affiliate at DTC clothing brand, Everlane for several years. In this episode, we discuss how Our Place approaches influencer marketing and what content creators can do to create a successful brand pitch. Emily shares: * What she looks for in a content creator * The common mistake influencers make when pitching to work with Our Place * Why Our Place employs a multi-month campaign approach * Advice for brands who are just beginning to work with content creators * KPIs for a successful influencer partnership * ...and so much more! For more on Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilydchan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilydchan/] For more about Trove: @trovebusiness www.trovebusiness.com [http://www.trovebusiness.com] For more about Trove Partner Gush & Grow: @gushandgrow www.gushandgrow.com A big thank you to our season's sponsor, CJ Affiliate (@cjnetwork). CJ is the affiliate network of choice for influencers and content creators. Through CJ you can get direct access to over 4,000 top brands, with the support, tools, and data to make your dream partnerships a reality. Learn more at cj.com/trove [http://www.cj.com/trove].