For those of you who do not know, Sunshine Rewards operates its cash back program through affiliate marketing. Merchants pay us a certain amount to get us to get you to shop through them. We then split that amount with you, our members. However, there are a number of state legislatures that are trying to pass tax laws that will hurt the affiliate industry. Although we are not currently one of the states that would be impacted, we are lending our voice to the fight against the advertising tax so that our fellow coupon sites, reward sites, price comparison sites, and blog sites will not be in danger of losing their businesses.
Below is a quick video that I made explaining a bit about the tax (sometimes knows as the “Advertising Tax,” “Affiliate Tax,” or “Amazon Tax.”) If you are a blogger who makes any money from affiliate marketing or just someone who believes in our cause, I would encourage you to spread the word about issues. A more comprehensive post can be found on my personal blog at: Help Fight the Advertising Tax.
Every once in awhile a product comes along and you just look at it and think, “How simple this is and how practical, why has no one thought of this before?” That is what I thought about Zipit when I first saw them.
These awesome little bags are perfect for saving space in your luggage when traveling. With the high price that airlines are now charging for baggage, no one wants to even check a bag anymore, but you still want to be able to take extras with you. With Zipit, you can actually have several extra purses or beach bags with you that take up such a small amount of room, you don’t even know they are there. No need to take an extra suitcase on vacation with you and pay the extra baggage fees. Great for sending to college with your student.
See the new Skechers Shape Up Super Bowl Commercial. They advertise that you can buy them through Finish Line, and for a limited time you can get free shipping on select Shape Ups.
We’d all love to be able to get a good workout just by walking. Skechers claims with its new Skechers Shape Ups that you can improve posture, tone muscles, and lose weight just by walking. The shoes were designed to stimulate walking on soft ground. This forces you to use muscles that you do not usually use when walking. I can definitely say that running on sand in Florida was much different than running at home in Indiana. But does it make a difference in how much you tone your muscles? Skechers Shape Ups come in a number of different styles including traditional sneakers, flip flops, and even boots.
Crocs are big at Sunshine Rewards (thanks in part to so many Disney fans), and we have a new video that will show you why they are so popular. Jessica and her family showed off their purchases from Crocs.com, including shoes for mom, dad, and the kids. As you can see in the video review, Crocs come in so many different varieties now that there is something for everyone.
In addition, Sunshine Rewards offers cash back on Crocs plus great deals. Thanks, Jessica and crew, for showing us why you buy your Crocs through Sunshine Rewards!
January went by so quickly that this was our first podcast of the year. Just in time for February, we decided to review Valentine’s Day merchants. Cindy led most of the podcast because she has been knee-deep in planning the upcoming Sunshine Rewards Valentine’s Day promotion.
Show notes:
* Quick recap of Affiliate Summit and some of the benefits of attending this year.
* Flowers always work for Valentine’s Day and 1-800-Flowers has a lot of different options. Be sure to understand the difference between having your flowers delivered by FedEx and those delivered by local florists.
* Bath & Body Works and The Perfume Spot have good options for both men and women. I got my favorite new perfume (Pink Sugar) from The Perfume Spot. Bath & Body Works has a terrific new Godiva candle available only online.
* Crazy for Bargains is great for fun pajamas for women, men, and kids. Personally, I like the boxers for holidays. Romantic Gowns (new SR merchant!) actually has some great lingerie, including some cute pink and red sets that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day. (Here the mother/daughter podcast got a little bit awkward).
* Jewelry is traditional for Valentine’s Day and May Leigh has some nice options. Women seem to be wearing more jewelry these days, including multiple bracelets and necklaces at a time and mixing silver and gold. Things Remembered has both jewelry and other items available for personalization.
* You usually can’t go wrong with food (especially if the gift is for me). David’s Cookies makes homemade tasting cookies that can be ordered through the 10th. Ghirardelli is an impressive brand name with high quality chocolates.
* From the customer standpoint, these were all merchants that we personally like to shop through.
Lots of great Valentine’s Day gift ideas today. Hopefully a little something for everyone. And you can get cash back from Sunshine Rewards for shopping at all of them!
