It’s been so exciting to see how much blogging has changed over the years. It has become a thriving industry, and these ladies and gentlemen aren’t just bloggers anymore; they’re influencers, all over the globe. When it comes to monetizing a blog, one of the main ways to do so is through affiliate links. One of the largest and most well-known companies out there for monetizing your site is none other than rewardStyle. Founded in 2011, rS is an invitation-only end-to-end content monetization platform for top-tier digital style influencers and brands around the world. And one of the gals behind this incredible company is Kristen Kassab, who is the
Directer of Influencer Development. She leads the team that works directly with rewardStyle Influencers every day to help them grow their earnings and brands. No two days are exactly the same for Kristen, and every day poses new and exciting challenges. Keep on reading for what she loves most about her job, her advice for new bloggers, tips on working with brands, and much more.
How long have you been working at rewardStyle and what were you doing prior?
I just celebrated my 4 year anniversary as part of the rewardStyle family. Prior to rewardStyle, I worked for a venture capitalist who had recently started two early stage start-ups in the digital marketing space. After two years, our CEO decided to move on to his next venture and I found myself interviewing at rewardStyle!
As Director of Influencer Development, what do your day to day tasks include? What does your job entail?
As Director of Influencer Development, I lead our client facing team of Account Consultants. At rewardStyle, making our Influencers as economically successful as possible is our ultimate goal. The Influencer Development team is the front lines of our company, working directly with our influencers every day. Each day at rewardStyle is different because of the extremely fast paced nature of our company and our industry. My days are never the same and that is what I love about what I do. Most of my day is spent meeting with my team and all the other teams across our organization assisting with strategy development, product planning, goal setting and execution, marketing and communication, and even sometimes event planning. Our Influencers are the center of what all the teams in our organization are working on, and I am responsible for representing the interests and needs of our clients.
What’s your favorite part about your job? Most rewarding? Most challenging?
My favorite thing about my job is the people I work with and the way it challenges me every day. rewardStyle is a company of so many unique, intelligent and highly motivated individuals. Everyone comes to the table with 110% every day. At rewardStyle, everyone is so invested in what we do that we often spend more time with our co-workers than we do our family and friends, which has led to what we call #rStheFamily. The bonds I have formed with the people I work with are for a lifetime and they are my ultimate support system. They are the reason I can come to work and give 110% every day. rewardStyle has challenged me every day since the day I started. In 4 years, I have grown so much both personally and professionally. I can truly say I have never been bored since the day I took the job offer to be an Account Consultant at rewardStyle back in 2013.
In the ever-changing world of blogging, it can be tougher to start out these days than it was years back – what advice would you give to someone just starting a blog? Do you believe there’s room for everyone or is the industry just too saturated?
It is amazing to see the way blogging and our industry have evolved. We don’t even refer to our clients as bloggers anymore; we call them influencers. The market has become highly saturated, but I think there is room for everyone; you just have to find your unique voice and perspective. Too often, I see people replicating other Influencers and I do think that might get you somewhere in the short-term but if you want this to grow into a true business and brand, you have to offer a unique view on whatever it is you want to talk about. If you look at some of the influencers that have been around since blogging first took off, they all have something unique about them that sets them apart.
Social media has also changed a lot, especially lately, with all the talk of the various algorithms on different platforms, and thus, it’s harder for posts to be seen, which can lead to lower engagement rates. What are your thoughts on all of that? Do you think social media is going to stay just as important as it has been for the growth of one’s blog/brand?
Social media is still just as important, if not more important than it used to be. In today’s world, social media is the way people consume all of their information. However, recent updates and changes to platforms like Instagram are a good reminder that your blog or website is truly the only owned platform you as an influencer have. We always remind our clients of that and encourage them to leverage social media to build their brand and drive traffic back to their website. With social media, tomorrow is never promised so it is important to diversify and always be looking ahead to the future.
What advice would you give to a blogger who wants to work more with brands? Do you recommend they pitch these brands? Wait until the brand comes to them? I know it’s important to already be writing about all the brands you love in an authentic way, so when it comes time for a possible partnership, the brand will see you’ve already been writing about them for a while. What tips do you have on this?
This is a popular question, and I have a few pieces of advice. First, put together a professional looking media kit. It should represent your brand well and highlight your biggest areas of achievement. Also, be flexible with your rates and be sure to note that on your media kit. You never want to accidently price yourself out of a collaboration.Taking a lower flat fee or even gifting can be what you need to get your foot in the door and start working with a brand. Last, when you do get a collaboration, go the extra mile. Be on time with your obligations and if you can, exceed the obligations of your contract. Brands often are very focused on ROI and adding a few extra links or posts on Instagram could make a campaign extremely successful. Brands will take notice and most likely want to work with you again.
It must be so exciting to be apart of such an innovative company like rS that just keeps growing – what’s been the biggest ‘pinch me’ moment of your career, thus far?
This is such a hard question because there have been so many “wow” moments over the years. I think a big one for me was when LIKEtoKNOW.it hit 1 Million followers. That was the day we all knew the sky was the limit for LIKEtoKNOW.it and that we had truly changed the game for our influencers.
What’s next for rS? Anything you can share?!
At rewardStyle, we are always thinking about what’s next. I can’t share details but I can say that this will be a big year for the rewardStyle brand. Stay tuned!
What inspires you?
People and music. From my family to my mentors and friends, people are what inspire me every day and push me to become a better version of myself. Also, music. I have deep love for music of all genres. For me, my musical tastes change with my mood but it is often what I need to feel inspired or motivated. If you ask my team, when I’m not in meetings you can usually find me with my headphones plugged in at my desk listening to Spotify.
What motto/quote do you always try to live by?
That is a hard! Since I was young, I have kept a notebook where I jot down quotes and phrases that inspire me so it will be a challenge to narrow it down to one. I will leave you with a few that I use as reminders for both my personal and professional life.
- “If you do please everyone, you are not making enough progress.”- Sheryl Sandberg
- “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that; fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” – Jim Morrison
- “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” Coco Chanel
Thanks so much, Kristen!
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See past interviews here.