Brand ambassador: long-term partnership, a discount code and what not to agree to

A one-off sponsored post is an order. Ambassadorship is a relationship: you show the same brand for months, your followers get used to it, and you know how much you will earn next quarter. That is why a long-term partnership is the goal for many creators. The trouble is that the word “ambassador” is used both for a serious contract and for a message saying “become our ambassador – just buy the starter kit”.

In this part of the guide – what a real ambassador programme looks like, how a discount code with a commission works, how to pitch yourself to a brand and which offers to turn down straight away.

How ambassadorship differs from a one-off post

A long-term partnership works only when the product fits your topic and you use it yourself. Followers quickly notice when the “favourite” cream changes every three months.

What ambassador programmes look like

• An open programme with a code. The brand or an affiliate programme gives a personal link or discount code to everyone who signs up. The remuneration is a commission on sales. There is no selection and there are few obligations.
• A selected group. The brand chooses a handful to a dozen or so creators and gives them products, a code and sometimes a fixed fee. There is a content plan.
• An individual contract. One or a few faces with monthly remuneration, exclusivity and rights to use their content in advertising.

For a beginner creator the first form is the most accessible. It does not provide guaranteed income, but it lets you show a result with which you can later negotiate for the second or the third.

A discount code with a commission: how it works

1. You receive a personal code or link.
2. A follower buys with the code and gets a discount, or arrives through the link.
3. The sale is attributed to you and a commission is credited.
4. The commission is held for a while – because of returns – and then paid out.

Before agreeing, find out:

• What the commission is calculated on – the price with or without VAT, with or without delivery.
• How long a click remains valid and whether the code takes priority over the link.
• When the payout is made and what the minimum payout amount is.
• What happens after a return – the commission is usually cancelled.
• Where you can see your sales. If they do not show you the statistics, you will not be able to check anything.

When you share a code for which you receive a commission, you must label that too: the State Consumer Rights Protection Service (VVTAT) mentions discount codes among the forms of advertising that must be labelled.

How to pitch yourself to a brand

Most small and medium-sized brands do not look for ambassadors – they reply to those who write to them. The email must be short and specific:

1. Who you are and what your audience is – two sentences and a screenshot of your statistics.
2. Why this brand in particular. The best argument is a post in which you already showed its product on your own initiative.
3. What you offer: a specific plan for three months, for example, two videos and four series of Stories a month.
4. How you will measure the result: a personal code or link and a monthly report.
5. What you are asking for: the form of remuneration and a trial period.

A trial month or three is useful for both sides. The brand sees the numbers, and you see whether you yourself enjoy working with it.

What not to agree to

On the third row the law is clear. The Law on the Prohibition of Unfair Business-to-Consumer Commercial Practices names, among practices always considered unfair, the establishment, operation or promotion of a pyramid promotional scheme – where a consumer pays for the opportunity to receive remuneration primarily for bringing other consumers into the scheme rather than for the sale or use of products. By advertising such a scheme you risk not only money but also liability.

What to put in a long-term contract

• Duration and termination: how long it is valid and how much notice is given.
• Content plan: how many posts a month and of what kind.
• Remuneration: the fixed part, the commission, the products and their value.
• Exclusivity: which competitors and for how long after the end of the contract.
• Content rights: where and for how long the brand will use it.
• Ad labelling in every post.

Products received are, according to the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI), income in kind, so in a long-term partnership their value adds up to a tangible amount over a year. It has to be accounted for together with the monetary remuneration.

Frequently asked questions