The handbook
Influencer Guide
Welcome to the CALA. MIA affiliate program. We're so excited you're here!
This handbook was made to help you get started, by breaking down the program tiers and rewards, as well as legal guidelines and content tips.
Part one
The Program
01 · Benefits
Our affiliate program isn't just about sales; we're a small business that needs your voice to help us grow.
To some brands, growth means big ads and bigger budgets. We'd rather put that money towards you.
Commission on the sales you drive
Discounts on the products you purchase
Your account and content amplified in reposts and shared by our brand page (and sometimes our founder!)
Additional rewards as you grow
Potential opportunities for traditional paid partnerships and paid ad usage, for top performing content and creators
PR boxes, merch, and early access to new products
Content tips and coaching to help you level up — whether you're brand new or finding your stride
02 · Levels
Welcome!
- Your Share Code: 10% off for your audience, 10% commission for you
- Your Personal Code: 15% off your own purchases
- Tips to help you get started
The hardest part is behind you
- A welcome kit is headed your way, with exclusive merch and a personal note from our founder
3 people trusted your taste! That's worth celebrating
- $25 store credit on top of your earnings
Welcome to the big leagues!
- $50 store credit on top of your earnings
- On the PR list — first to try, first to post
- Commission increases to 15%
You're an integral part of the team — let's make it official
- $100 store credit on top of your earnings
- Additional earning opportunities
03 · Codes & Links
Your affiliate status comes with two discount codes. Here's what they do:
Personal discount code
IMWITHTHEBRAND
This code is strictly for personal orders. 15% off, no sales required. As long as your account stays active, so does your discount.
Must be signed in with your affiliate email
Commission code
YOURNAME10
This is your shareable code. The one to add to your captions, share in your stories, post in the group chat. This gives anyone who uses it 10% off, and you get a 10% commission.
Don't forget about your link!
Codes are great, but links last. If someone shops through your link, you'll get credit if they make a purchase within 90 days. Even if they close the browser. Even if they never use your code. Add it to your ShopMy, LTK, or link in bio.
calamia.com/YOURNAME10
04 · Earnings
The percentage is small, but the check isn't — 10% commission packs a punch.
Our most popular order is a Tank Bra and Hipster. That means you'll earn about $10 on average, per sale.
05 · Guidelines
Keep your claims honest and accurate. If we say it on our site, you can say it in your videos. Be sure to soften absolutes, or frame them as your own experience.
Quick drying (dries faster than cotton underwear, or typical swimwear)
Dries instantly
"I got out of the pool and I swear it was almost dry by the time I got to the car"
Withstands wear after wear
Indestructible / lasts forever
"I've worn mine constantly and it still looks brand new"
Chlorine, seawater & UV safe
Chlorine-proof / never fades
"I've worn it in the pool all summer and the color's held up"
- Commission codes are for your audience; the personal code is for your own orders. Personal purchases using commission codes are not allowed.
- To stay in the program, simply keep your account active. Accounts with 1+ sales will be closed after 6 months of inactivity; accounts with 0 sales will be closed after 3 months of inactivity.
- Wherever you share your link or code, you must also share that you're affiliated with the brand and may earn a commission — it's the law.
06 · Disclosures
Do
- Say you're an affiliate, in plain words, near your code
- Put it in the caption where people can see it
- Say it out loud and/or show it on screen
- Add "Affiliate link" text near links in stories
Don't
- Hide your disclosure deep in the caption or buried in hashtags
- Mislead viewers about your relationship with the brand
- Worry that disclosures make your content feel inauthentic
Disclosures don't mean stiff legal disclaimers. Take pride in your connection to the brand, and sharing it will come naturally. Give your audience, friends and family a chance to root for you on your journey as a creator. Here are some examples:
Watch · The hard launch
Announcing your affiliate statusWatch · Integrated disclosure
A natural, in-video disclosurePro tip
Badges like "paid partnership" or "sponsored" are not required for affiliate content. If you have a linktree or similar link-in-bio page, consider adding "may contain affiliate links" at the top of the page.
Part two
Making Content
07 · Content tips
Never underestimate the value of a clean camera lens and a bright window.
Content is a conversation. Ask for opinions, create openings for questions, and respond quickly to comments.
Stick to 1–3 features per video. One personal experience or demo about packing light, a snappy "3 things I love most about CALA. MIA", will connect more deeply than a rushed 20-feature list.
Positive comments are powerful. Reply with a video, and leave the comment on screen while you elaborate on the fit or feature they're raving about.
Repetition is a feature, not a flaw.
Most customers need to see a product 3× before they buy.
The first discovery
"That's cool. I'm intrigued"
Introduce the concept
The reinforcement
"It really solves a problem / looks cute / feels like me"
Prove it [Demo]
The tipping point
"Ok fine! I trust you when you say I'll love it, add to cart"
How it changed your life [Testimonial]
Reframe the same selling points through the lens of each stage. Talk about it like it's the first time they've seen it, and then again like it's the hundredth.
08 · Hooks, attention & algorithm hacks
Hooks
Standard reveal
"THIS changed my life" — talk about the product while drawing out exactly what this is until later in the video.
Reverse reveal
Show the result first, then show how it happened.
Intrigue
Hold the product in an unusual way or folded up, to get a few extra seconds of watch time while they try and figure out what you're holding.
Negative claim
"This isn't for you if you like bringing your whole wardrobe when you travel."
Motion hook
Setting down your phone, sitting down, applying lip gloss. Starting the video mid-motion is immediately more captivating.
Attention
Multiple angles
Talk to the camera, cut to a fit check, voiceover a zoom-in — keep it moving.
Change locations
Start at the airport, cut to the hotel, cut to the pool. One train of thought, while changing the scenery.
Real quick
Apply lip gloss and grab your bag while talking, so it feels spontaneous. Like an unplanned, last-minute thought. "My flight leaves in like 30 minutes but..."
Do literally anything else
Paint your nails, do your makeup, make your coffee, fold your laundry while talking to give the viewer something else to watch.
Algorithm hacks
Don't wrap it up
Don't reiterate, summarize, or sign off. End your video abruptly so viewers don't have a chance to scroll when they feel it winding down. The algorithm loves a video that gets watched to the very end.
Trial reels
Repost your top performing Instagram content as a trial reel to reach new audiences. Minor edits like a new audio, new caption placement, or small visual adjustments will likely pop off again, and allow you to test a few different iterations.
Engage
Be an active participant on your social media platforms. Meaningful comments, likes and shares not only build authentic connection, but tell the algorithm that you're not just here to post and ghost. Plus, a viral comment can grow your account just as well as a viral post.
09 · Video prompts
Getting started
- Hard launch: I'm officially a CALA. MIA affiliate!
- Why I wanted to be a CALA. MIA affiliate
- How I discovered CALA. MIA
Favorites & features
- 3 favorite features
- My favorite piece from CALA. MIA
- My favorite color from CALA. MIA
- Fit check
- The most comfortable swimwear
- The most versatile underwear
- What is swimmable activewear
CALA. MIA in action
- The hardest working pieces in my suitcase
- 3 things I won't travel without
- How I go from day to gym to swim
- Packing demo
- Packing comparison (before and after)
- Carry-on only packing hack
- 3 things that make packing light easier
The lifestyle
- Why I travel carry-on only
- The freedom of packing light
- Life hack: always ready for anything
- Underwear + Swimwear + Activewear = one less thing to overthink
- How to reduce your mental load on vacation
- The stress of a vague itinerary
- How my trips are different with CALA. MIA
10 · More ways to earn
Marketing usage
If your video performs well, we may want to use it for an ad! This is a separate negotiation dependent on where and how long this ad would run. However, a few things can make a video ineligible to run as an ad:
Other brands' logos or products in frame
We can't run an ad featuring another company's trademark.
Naming or comparing us to a specific competitor
Calling us out against a named brand creates legal risk in paid placement.
Other people who haven't agreed to appear
Anyone recognizable in a paid ad needs to have okayed being in it.
Another creator's content stitched or dueted in
We can only license your footage — not theirs.
Trending audio
Fine organically, but it usually can't be licensed for a paid ad. Keep a copy of your original video saved without the added sound, just in case.
Paid partnerships
For affiliates consistently creating high-performing content to an engaged audience, you may be selected for a paid partnership! This would allow us to work together to craft content as part of a campaign, and provide compensation just for posting, regardless of sales.
Ready for takeoff.
You made it to the end, which tells me you're exactly who this handbook is for.
Thank you so much for taking a chance on a small brand, and using your voice to help amplify mine. Your support means the world to me, and I'm so excited to grow together!
Now go take what you've learned and show 'em what you've got! I'll be cheering you on in your comments.
Melissa · Founder
If you've got questions, ideas, or just need a hand, you know where to find me. Hello@Calamia.com