By: Sarah Hardy
You’re scrolling through Instagram when you notice a post from one of your friends. They are announcing that they became an ambassador/rep for one of their favorite clothing brands. So what does this mean? Brands often have ambassadors or reps to help spread the message of the company as well as boost revenue. These reps often have personalized discount codes and are encouraged to post content regarding the brand on social media.
I've had the opportunity to be a rep and ambassador for multiple brands since I started college. Some have been more rewarding than others, but they have all been rewarding in their own unique way. Here are some of the perks I’ve experienced from being a rep for different brands.
Discount codes! Almost every brand I have worked with has given me a unique code that I can share with family, friends, and social media followers. These discounts usually range from 15-20% off items from the brand. Usually this is enough to cover the shipping (if it isn’t free already) of the product one is buying. Careful though! Brands don’t like their ambassadors putting codes up on sites like Groupon or other mass coupon sites, and this could result in termination from the program.
Getting featured! Brands love when you tag them in social media wearing/using their products. Often their social media posts feature customers, so if you post you might just hit the jackpot. I also was an ambassador for a brand that advocated for the environment and allowed for ambassadors to write posts for their blog. One of my articles is featured specifically on their clothing page dedicated to climate change.
Commission! Who doesn’t love a little extra dough for a minimal amount of work. With the addition of ambassador/rep codes, some brands will give their reps a portion of the sales used with their code through commission. These commissions are usually 10-15% of the sale. When you think about it, that’s money just for giving people your code!
Free products! Some larger brands (e.x. HerCampus) has their rep program as CampusTrendsetters. This role includes applying for different partnerships between the main brand and other brands. If accepted, you often get free products out of the partnership in exchange for social media posts and coverage of your use of the product. Other programs will offer giveaways exclusively for their ambassadors and reps through private social media groups and pages.
A new community! I have met so many new people throughout the rep programs I am involved in. This includes followers on social media, Zoom meetings and in-person meet ups with other reps, and even mass group chats with everyone in the program. It’s one thing to share you’re a rep, but it’s a whole new feeling to have the rest of the rep community behind you knowing you all share the same interest and love for the brand.
So what are you waiting for!? Is there a brand that you absolutely love and want to share with your friends? Hit up their DMs to see if they have an ambassador program or head to their website. Even if you don’t make a ton of sales, you’re still showing the brand support (and it’s really cool to your friends too!)
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