From full-time fashion career to full-time creator, Jalil Johnson has carved out a personal brand defined by thoughtful curation, sharp styling, and honest recommendations. Since launching his newsletter in 2023, Jalil has built a loyal community around his personal style and content, with affiliate links becoming a key part of how he monetizes authentically. In this Q&A, Jalil shares how ShopMy fits into his creative process, the importance of staying true to your voice, and why data is everything when it comes to building a sustainable business as a digital creator.
Tell us a little about your journey as a creator. When did it all begin?
I started my newsletter in February 2023, but I didn’t really put a lot of energy into it until later that year. At first, I didn’t even know what affiliates were. Once I realized it was a way to make a little revenue off my recommendations, I thought, "this is fantastic."
I was using another platform at first, but it wasn’t the best fit. When I was introduced to ShopMy, I immediately fell in love with it—it’s so easy to navigate, it looks great, and I love the ability to communicate directly with brands. That’s such an integral part of ShopMy—removing the barrier between creators and brands. It’s also made gifting and product discovery so much easier.
What types of products do you link to in your content? How do you decide what to include?
Everything I talk about has to have a genuine tie to me and my brand. It has to be something I’m actually interested in, attracted to, or have purchased. I always start there.
If it’s linkable, great. But even if a brand isn’t on ShopMy, I might still include it because this is also a business. I’m interested in seeing what drives clicks or orders from my audience—that helps me decide what gets featured in my newsletter.
For example, I recently rediscovered a pair of shoes I had in storage. I posted them on Instagram just to test the waters—no one bought them, but they got tons of clicks. So now I’m adding them to the newsletter to see what happens. It’s all part of experimenting and learning what resonates.
Where do you typically share affiliate links? How does ShopMy fit into your content strategy?
Primarily on Instagram and Substack—those are the main places. I’ve started experimenting more with Instagram Stories. For a while, I was unsure if I should be posting affiliate links there, but now I’m finding a rhythm. I might dedicate one day a week to that kind of content. I’ve also used links in Substack Notes and Chat.
Most of my revenue from ShopMy is from affiliate links. I recently brought on a manager, and I share my ShopMy data with her so we know what’s performing. If a brand is converting well, I flag that—so we can pitch future partnerships. The data is really helpful.
Have you noticed any trends in what your audience is loving right now?
Sometimes I’m able to link to an exact item I’ve purchased, but often I’ll find similar versions. Fashion is all about references anyway—what I have might not be available, but I can usually find something in the same universe.
What advice would you give someone just starting out as a creator looking to monetize?
You have to just try. There’s definitely a science to affiliate linking, but you won’t figure it out until you experiment. I’ve learned which sites convert well because I’ve posted links over and over and tracked the results.
Sometimes you’ll post something expensive and think no one will buy it—and then someone places a huge order. I once posted a bodysuit on a whim, not knowing if anyone would care, and someone placed a major order through that link. You never know what will resonate. That’s why it’s important to just put your links out there and see what happens.
To explore more of Jalil's recommendations, check out his shop below:
