I recently posted an #ad for JCPenney. The ad was for a pair of tall jeans I had found that felt like butter on. One of you guys commented on it and tagged a friend that they needed to check them out and then that friend replied that she didn’t trust that they were great because it was a #sponsored post. Something along those lines… I was so disappointed/frustrated/confused/hurt reading those words. It was just all wrong.

But you guys may not see why it was so wrong. So today I am removing the stigma around #sponsored posts.

#sponsored

Let me start by saying I could not have this job without sponsored content. I used to post 4x a day with LiketoKnow.it just pushing content out there for you to buy. It just wasn’t for me. I would much rather share specific pieces I love and tell a story around the item/brand. This is where sponsored content comes into play. (I still do my try on sessions so you guys can get your fashion fill from me!)

-Also, please know that gifted items are completely different from #sponsored content. I do not guarantee a post if something is gifted and half of the time things are sent at random that I don’t even get to pick. I only share gifted items if I really love the item, brand, etc. You will see tons of gifted items that I post from brands like Beaufort Bonnet Company, Cuddle + Kind, Tubby Todd, Ettika, Tiare Hawaii, Becca Swim, Spell & Gypsy, One Teaspoon, etc. These are brands that do not pay me. They gift me products that I use/wear daily!

You probably think that a brand reaches out to us and offers us money if we promote a specific product. While that may be true for a small amount of campaigns, it is usually NOT the case. Let me share what the process is for #sponsored posts.

I have an agent. My agent is with Aperture Talent Agency and she handles all of my collaborations (aka #sponsored posts.) I give my agent a list of brands I would love to work out, along with stories that would go with the post, and she reaches out and pitches to said brands. If they accept, then yes, I get paid to post for that brand. Most of the time I have already worn or talked about the brand before. Now I just get to get paid for sharing a brand a love while keeping my business afloat.

A lot of brands also reach out to me directly to work together. I first ask myself if it is a good fit for The Miller Affect. Then I ask myself if you guys will like the brand/product. Once we say yes to the brand I ask for two weeks to review the item for clothing and a month to review the item for skin care. The contract always states that we can back out at any point if we decide the product is not the right fit.

*Most of the time, the retailer has a generic thing they would like for us to cover and we have free range over their website to choose the items we like best for the project. For JCPenney, I picked those jeans out of everything on the entire site to feature. Why? Because once I tried them on I HAD to tell you guys about them. And guess what? I get messages every day from you guys on how much you LOVE those jeans. They will now always be one of my favorite pairs of jeans.

I did a #sponsored Nordstrom post last week for swimsuits and cover-ups. I got to pick the swimsuits I wanted to cover from the entire website. I could have only picked one swimsuit to feature for the post, but I loved everything I ordered, so I shared all five pieces.

*For skin care, we are usually given a specific product to feature. In my contracts, I get 30 days to review the item before posting. My entire skin care routine came from sponsored content. I would have never found Tula or Skinceuticals without them reaching out to me to work together. Now my face is a total mess without these products. They have completely changed my skin. And I am always honest about the products that didn’t work for me. I have always stated that I do not like Tula’s cult favorite Day & Night Cream and I tell you guys in my Skin Care Highlights now to waste your money on Skinceuticals Eye Cream.

YOUR TRUST IS EVERYTHING. The moment I suggest something that you buy something that you get in and hate I break that trust and I lose you. I cannot have that! Of course you may get something in and it doesn’t fit you right or your skin may not agree with it. But I promise you it will never be because it is a bad product or something cheaply made.

Here are some #ads and #sponsored posts I have done, that I wouldn’t even be myself without (fashion sense, skin care, etc.):

-Ann Taylor. Remember when I posted to Ann Taylor every other week? I miss that SO MUCH. That stopped when I moved from rewardStyle, but I am still so obsessed with Ann Taylor and I miss conversing with their team… they are the best! I moved away from LOFT and Ann Taylor since I had Miller, but don’t worry.. I will be posting from those brands again really soon.

-Nordstrom. One of my favorite stores and I get to do #sponsored content for them a few times a month. I consider myself sooo lucky to be working with them.

-Tula & Skinceuticals. You have no idea how many skin care brands reach out to me daily. You also have no idea how many skin care and hair care brands I have tried that never make it to the blog. Around 100 at least. Tula & Skinceuticals came from sponsored posts that I loved so much that I still use their products every day in my skin care routine.

-OLAY. I love this brand so much and every thing they come out with. It is so fun getting to try the products out before anyone else. Right now I am using their daily facials and clay stick masks weekly.

-Marks & Spencer. I would have never found the gold mine of kids clothes if Marks & Spencer had never reached out. Now at least 50% of Miller’s wardrobe is M&S. They have the cutest, most affordable clothing for kids!

-Walmart. I was always hesitant to work with Walmart. I turned them down twice before deciding to work with them. Now I will never look back. I cannot believe how cute their clothes are. Did you see THIS POST and THIS POST?!?! You need everything I am wearing in those guys!!!

-Smilo Baby. Through this sponsored post we found the ONLY lounger that Miller would lay in.

-Hatch. Our Hatch collab gave us peace of mind with the scale. We were worried about milk supply and with the scale we knew she was getting what she needed. We also use it every day now for a changing table and we use the Hatch Rest every day and night for her sound machine.

-Macys. I have worked with Macy’s a lot. They have been there through my wedding process, baby, travel, etc. I love every time I get to work with them.

-Mizzen + Main. Troy’s entire closet is filled with Mizzen + Main and I didn’t even know about them until I met him. Now I get to work with them. This is HIS favorite collaboration for sure haha! They are an awesome company and more men need Mizzen in their closets!

-Dr Pepper. I got to work on a Dr. Pepper campaign while in Hawaii. My favorite drink EVER. When they reached out I thought I had finally made it. I was in shock!

-Kate Spade. Another pinch me moment is every time I get to work with kate spade ny. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that would be possible.

-Bed, Bath & Beyond. Another company that has been with me through everything. They worked with me on my wedding registry, my new home, and then my baby registry. All of the warm feels for this company.

-Kendra Scott. While I don’t wear a lot of jewelry, I have found some of my favorite pieces from Kendra Scott. I also just love everything they stand for and the stories they let us create.

There are sooo many more I could talk about. The list goes on and on and on. I love EVERY sponsored post. Not because I get paid. That is just an added bonus. I love them because I got to choose the products, try them out for awhile, and then I got to share my love for them with you.

I would love to hear what you have bought from one of my #sponsored posts that you love! Please leave a comment below!

Next time you see something #sponsored, hopefully now you have peace of mind that the product is amazing. It is amazing because I got to pick it out and I got to review it myself before posting it online for you guys.

xox Amanda