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This post is about How to Use LTK for Desktop (aka LiketoKnow.it). A Get Started Guide for Content Creators
I am fairly new to the LTK platform and while I was trying to get things set up. I could not hardly find any blog posts or YouTube videos giving detailed step by step instructions on how to use LTK for desktop. There was definitely a learning curve for this and I figured if I had a hard time navigating through the process, maybe there were others who were struggling too! So this post is going to be a very detailed getting started guide for content creators!
HOW DOES LTK WORK
So, you’ve probably seen your favorite Instagram creator tagging their outfits, cleaning supplies and home decor right? Well, many of your favs are using an app called LiketoKnowIt (LTK) and they’re making money from it! I always wondered how the entire process worked. So I did my own research, was accepted into the program and it turns out, it’s not THAT hard to figure out. So let me spill the tea and tell you all about LiketoKnowIt. I’m going to guide you through everything you need to get started as a new creator on the platform with a small following. If you’re as curious as I was. This post is going to share with you everything I discovered as a new creator on LTK with a super small community.
If you follow any Influencer on Youtube, Tiktok or Instagram. I’m sure you’ve come across a link or a post featuring LikeToKnow.It or LTK. The LTK app was previously known as the rewardstyle app and many influencers use it to direct their followers to different product links from their stories, link in bio or YouTube description.
But exactly what is it and how does it work?
LTK or LikeToKnowIt, is a shopping and product app that allows content creators and influencers to link to shoppable images and videos. The way the process works is a content creator makes a post, reel or Tiktok around a trendy or favorite item. They post about it on their social media pages, or email list, add in their LTK links, and this allows them to direct their followers to the things they are showing, wearing or talking about.
When someone clicks on the link and purchases the product or item mentioned, the content creator earns a commission from each sale. Within the LTK app they provide a ton of resources for creators to promote special sales throughout the year, or to highlight various brand offers around the holidays or Black Friday. The LTK app is a great way to begin earning income from the content you create online and to provide a quick and easy way for you to help your followers know exactly where they can find the items and products you love. It keeps you from having to send the SAME response over and over again, when people ask, “where did you get those shoes?,” or “what paint color is that?”, or “where are those mugs from?” You can link directly to your LTK page.
LTK CREATOR APPLICATION
LTK is a way to begin making passive income as a content creator. As you could imagine, the more engaged your audience is, the more commission you can make when someone makes a purchase using your link. This is called an affiliate sale, and your special link is called an affiliate link. To get started making affiliate sales you have to apply to become a LTK creator. LTK encourages content creators to apply and also has a referral program for current creators to refer new content creators to the LTK platform.
The application process is pretty straight forward. You simply need to include basic information about yourself and the platform(s) that you want them to review for your application.
LTK CREATOR REQUIREMENTS
To become a LTK creator you have to meet the following requirements:
- Clean editorial design
- At least 4 months of consistent, quality, and original content
- An engaged and growing audience
I’ve been using LikeToKnow.It for about 2 years and I consider myself to be a nano content creator. I was SO excited when I was accepted and knew that this was a way that I wanted to increase my income as a content creator. At the time I did have about 3,000 followers on Instagram and 20K YouTube subscribers.
HOW TO USE LikeToKnowIt
Because I mostly use LTK for my Workwear Wednesday videos and Self care Sunday posts and videos. I wanted to make sure that my audience could easily access the items they may need for an interview or to practice better self care. I recommend creating a posting schedule so that you can stay consistent on the platform. Workwear Wednesday reminds me that every week. I need to take my IG reel and repurpose it on the LTK platform. I would also recommend sharing details about your style. Dress and shoe size so that your followers have an idea of your body type. Whenever I create a post on Instagram, I will mention that the links to what I am wearing can be found on my LTK page. I then have a Link in Bio set up using Campsite.bio. And this directs followers straight to my LTK profile.
If you are new to LTK there is a bit of a learning curve as you have to become familiar with where all of the links and buttons are located. And if you are a new content creator like me, your followers may not be as familiar with the platform and may not have an account set up. That’s why I wanted to create this post to give you a quick start guide as a new content creator. I’m also going to show you how I use LikeToKnow.It on my blog and on Instagram.
LikeToKnowIt
It’s important to know that there are two different experiences you can have with the platform, one as a content creator with your own profile and dashboard, and the other as a shopper where you can search for influencers and save your favorite products or shop posts directly. I’ll go into this in more detail below so whether you’re using LikeToKnow.It as a creator or as a shopper, you’ll know exactly how to navigate the platform!
First I want to provide a guide on how to use LTK as a creator. You can scroll below to learn more about how to use the platform as a shopper.
Once you are approved as a creator, you want to log into your creator account:
LikeToKnowIt 5 Step POSTING PROCESS
The driver behind your success on LikeToKnowIt is trending CONTENT. You have to create posts, reels or YouTube videos that send your followers to your links. I like to follow the process of:
- Create It
- Find It
- Posts It
- Share It
- Link It
You will want to find the process that works best for you, but I’ve found this to be fairly simple to follow each week.
The process in detail is:
- Once you create the content, meaning you have recorded the reel, edited the picture or created the graphic in Canva
- Then you want to find the products that you want to link to in your post
- Next you post the content on your LTK page. After you have posted it to your LTK page
- Then you want to go into your social media platform and share your post.
- After you have written out your caption/description and shared the post, then you want to link directly to your LTK post.
Then repeat this process for every post you want to add.
After you create your post in LTK, the platform does give you the option to share the post directly to your social media accounts. This can be another option for you to use.
-
Create It
I created this reel on Instagram for Self care Sunday.
and then went into Canva and created this post
2. Find It
I went to my desired brand sites and found the same products or similar products that I used to create the reel. For this example it was a cast iron dutch oven from Amazon.
3. Posts It
I posted the image to my LTK page and linked all the brand products that I wanted to feature
4. Share It
I shared the reel and the image on my Instagram stories
5. Link It
And then I linked to my LTK post
HOW TO POST ON LTK
Let’s go into more detail on how to use to 5 step process to post on LTK. Once you have created your content you are ready to post on LTK. I use a combination of the LTK creator app and my desktop computer or MAC book for this process. You will need to be prepared to toggle between the creator app and your desktop.
As a creator, LTK makes it easy for you to find the items that you want to posts, as long as the brand is supported by the platform. LTK has over 1 million brands and 7,000 retailers supported on the platform.
For example, here is a beautiful modern Boucle accent chair from Big Lots. If you’ve purchased this chair and wanted to add it as a post in LTK. Big Lots is not currently a brand that is supported on the platform. 🤔 If you have a product that you want to share or promote that is not supported by the platform, you will see this error message.
So, in order to post on LTK I would recommend first installing the desktop products link plug in. You can learn how to install that here.
HOW TO FIND MY LTK LINK
It is not very intuitive on where to look to find your LTK link. I have found two ways to find my LTK link, one for the desktop and one from the creator app. I have not found that there is a way to access my LTK link from within the creator platform for desktop. But it seems that all creator accounts follow the same path:
https://www.shopltk.com/explore/profilename. So in my case, my LKT link is https://www.shopltk.com/explore/Manickathomas/
It was much easier to find my LTK link in the creator app. Within the creator app you want to click your profile image and name in the top left corner. This will open another window with three dotted lines on the right side. Click the dotted lines and this is where you can find your LTK link. Click on “share shop” and you can copy your link into your notes to save it.
How To Use LikeToKnowIt As A CREATOR
LTK really takes the guesswork out of how to use LTK as a creator. You will want to go into your creator dashboard and familiarize yourself with all of the tools under the resources tab.
To use LikeToKnowIt as a creator, I highly recommend setting aside a few hours to review the resources in this tab and to plan out your content strategy. You have access to the content planning hub, the get started videos and posts and LTK how to videos. You can also learn which brands are having sales and you can create your content calendar to plan ahead for promotions.
There are a ton of content ideas already available for you to use. There are holiday checklists and guides and a list of top selling products by category. If you stay consistent on the platform, there is a huge opportunity for you to begin creating income within a few months.
HOW TO SIGN UP AND SET UP AN ACCOUNT AS A CREATOR
Any content creator can apply to become a LTK creator and you don’t need a huge following to get accepted. You can apply on your own, or you can be referred by another creator.
Before you apply, you want to ensure that you have been posting consistently and have a general idea of the type of items you will promote on the platform. After you submit your application, you will wait to hear back on a decision.
Applications can take a few weeks up to a month for approval, so just be patient if you don’t hear back immediately. The platform does give some criteria to being approved on LTK. I did not get approved the first time applied. I started making content on a more consistent basis, reapplied and was accepted.
Here are the requirements that LTK lists out for becoming a new creator:
- Clean editorial design on social media
- At least 4 months of consistent, quality, and original content
- An engaged and growing audience
- A public social media profile
- An engaged social media following on at least one platform.
I am glad to see that there is more diversity on the platform since I first learned about LTK. But there is still a HUGE under representation of Black women on the platform. I think it’s because the world of affiliate sales is new to many of us and we have not been exposed to the various ways to make money online. So I am always excited to follow another Black woman on LTK.
I don’t know how LTK makes their final decision on who to accept on the platform, but until I was approved, I posted the kind of content that I would post as if I was already accepted as a creator. I continued to tag brands, to share links on my Campsite.bio, as well as book and product recommendations even when I wasn’t receiving any affiliate commissions yet. When I finally was accepted, I added all of those posts to my LTK profile and linked to the products I had previously mentioned, so that I could begin making affiliate sales. And it worked!
Process to Use LTK Creator App
As I mentioned before, there is a slight learning curve when using this platform. One is learning that there is an app for shoppers and and a separate app for creators. The app for shoppers is white with a black logo, and the app for creators is black with a white logo.
I would recommend downloading both, so that you can view your profile from the user’s end and you can also check your analytics and earnings from the creator end.
Once in the creator app, you will click the big plus sign to add your photos or video from your camera roll, to add your captions and your products. You will click the publish button on the next screen to upload your post to your profile. If you are not ready to post quite yet, you can save as a draft or schedule the post for later.
HOW TO USE LTK FOR DESKTOP
Starting from the desktop, I would recommend looking for supported products. Once you find a product that is supported, you will click on the LTK link button in your browser. You will be asked for your log in details and it will auto generate a pop up box with the following item details:
- The LTK logo (this ensures you are linked within the LTK platform)
- The item name
- Item price
- Commission rate (this is the affiliate sales commission you have the potential to earn)
- An image of the item (with 4 small boxes to select a different image)
- A share link
- A favorites link (the heart icon)
- A description box with up to 120 characters
- A copy link button
I would recommend creating categories of “Favorites Folders” for the type of content you will be creating. You can do this inside your creator account. Once you have your folders created, then you click the heart icon (favorite) and add your product into the designated folder. This will keep your items sorted by type and make them easier to find when you are ready to post.
Once you have added your product from the desktop, you will finish the posting process from the creator app. You can go into your folders, from your desktop or the creator app to add the desired products to your post. Below is what the folders look like from the desktop.
Once in the creator app, you will click the big plus sign to add your photos or video. To add your captions and your products. You will click the publish button on the next screen to upload your post to your profile.
HOW TO USE LTK PRODUCT LINK ON DESKTOP
If you’re new to LTK you may be wondering how to generate your product links. To generate your product links you will follow the steps in the How To Use LTK for desktop section of this post. This is by using the Product Link button. This is my preferred way to generate my links. I recommend bookmarking the tab so that it is easy to generate your links.
HOW TO GENERATE LTK PRODCUT LINKS ON THE CREATOR APP
There is also another way to generate links and this is through the LTK Creator app. I think this way is more helpful when you already know the product(s) you are looking for. I wouldn’t recommend using this step if you are searching or sourcing products. But, you have to do what works best for you.
- Click on the link icon at the bottom of the page.
- From here you want to search for the brand or retailer. For example, the cast iron dutch oven I wanted to link to was from Amazon, so I would search that retailer. I would then click on the Amazon button and it will take me to the retailer’s page. If the brand is listed under “Trending Brands” you won’t need to search for it!
- Type in the item name you are looking for, and then save the item to your LTK folder.
Now you’re ready to add this product to your post. You can add up to 16 products to each post, but I wouldn’t recommend adding that many unless it is the exact product. LTK gives you the option to tag a product as the “exact product” or “similar products.” I think it’s more helpful to shoppers to tag as many exact products as possible. Also, with similar products, you want to be mindful of price points. You don’t want to tag too many products that are significantly more expensive than what you paid or are willing to pay for a product.
HOW WRITE GOOD CAPTIONS FOR YOUR LTK POSTS
You want to help the buying process go as smoothly as possible for potential shoppers. That means that you want to eliminate any points of friction that would keep them from moving forward on a purchase. So you want to be sure to include:
- Your size details: your height, body type (petite, athletic, plus size), the size you are wearing, your typical size and if an item runs big or is true to size.
- Keywords relate to the post. You want to think of search terms or words that potential shoppers will be looking for (ex, white cast iron dutch oven)
- Any sale, details or promotions
- Up to 3 relevant hashtags that are pre-populated by LTK in the app
The Process of Sharing Your Post on Social Media
After publishing your post to LTK, you should continue the next steps of the 5 step process. To share, LTK gives you the option to promote your LTK shop on social and to copy a link to the post. You can also post the link, post the caption or a promo package. Select the social media platform where you have the most engaged following and publish the post with an engaging caption and CTA (call to action).
HOW I USE LIKETOKNOW.IT ON A BLOG
How to use LIKETOKNOW.IT ON A BLOG, requires accessing the widgets and codes that LTK has made available to you in the “Tools” tab. Under the Tools tab you are able to access the LTK widget, shop this post, Lookbook, Boutique the money spot, and the LTK product link.
Below is a screenshot of how I use the LTK widget on my blog. I also use the shop this post widget inside of specific posts where I want to link directly to a product. You can get very creative with this and customize it to fit your blog style and brand.
HOW TO USE LTK ON INSTAGRAM
If you’re posting an LTK image on your Instagram post feed or reels feed. I have seen creators copy the promo package and paste it into the bottom of their caption on Instagram. This allows users to screenshot your post image. This will notify them that a new post is available to shop in their LTK app.
If you’re sharing a post to your Instagram stories, copy the post link and paste that into a link sticker. Instagram has a ton of LTK stickers, images and graphics to use for your stories.
HOW TO USE LTK ON PINTEREST
I haven’t posted this particular post to Pinterest yet, but when I do, I would post in one of two way.
- I would take the image post that I created in canva, write a keyword rich title and description. Select the appropriate board and add the link to this particular post on my LTK page.
- I would create a pin graphic in canva using the title of this blog post. I would again write a keyword rich tile and description, select the appropriate board and link to this blog post instead of to my LTK page.
Either one of these ways would need to aligned to your content strategy for whether or not you want to drive traffic to your blog or get more shoppers to purchase products from your links.
How to Use LikeToKnowIt as a Shopper
So let’s talk about how to use LikeToKnow.It as a shopper. I created a separate shopper account that allows me to save post ideas and products that I want to try or purchase myself. Like other social media platforms, LTK allows you to follow creators. You can also get notified when they post. What’s different is that you can save specific posts from a creator or items within a post. You can also search for specific items and shop directly from posts.
When you log into your shopper account, from the LTK app. You are able to toggle between the products you have saved, the posts you have saved and wishlists.
HOW SIGN UP AND SET UP AN ACCOUNT
First, you’ll need to download the LTK app with a white background and black logo. After the app loads, you will be directed to create an account. Sign up using your email address so that you can be notified of sales. Perks and when your favorite creators upload a post.
HOW TO SEARCH FOR A CREATOR
I don’t tend to use the search for influencer feature, because I’ve found that when I click on a creator’s LTK page from Instagram. It redirects me to LTK and automatically adds me as a follower to their account.
But if you do happen to use the search feature, you will start in the search bar with the magnifying glass. You will search the creator’s profile name and when it pops up, you will click “follow” next to their profile. This will allow you to see their future posts in your feed. You can search “Manicka Thomas” if you’d like to follow me for workwear ideas!
Conclusion
My experience as a LTK creator
IT MAKES IT EASY AND CONVENIENT TO SHOP
I LOVE LTK as a creator and as a shopper. As a creator, it makes it easy to search for trending items. And products I want to try before I promote them. As a shopper, it helps me find direct links to the items I want to purchase. So I don’t have to spend hours searching online. I love shopping, finding deals and sharing the things I love with my followers.
I really like following creators who are transparent with their shop links and are not linking to a ton of similar overly priced products. But are linking to the exact products they are using and wearing. When a creator does their best to post the exact product links, it makes me trust their recommendations more. Because I know they aren’t just trying to make a sales commission but are also using and wearing the products they are recommending.
IT SAVES ME TIME
When I want to make a new post or have purchased a new product. I can search the item on the app and quickly find the link and pictures to exactly what I am looking for. I can then create my canva images much quicker, because they are already posted in the LTK app!
Because I am linking to items I’ve already purchased anyway, it’s super easy to upload a picture and link to a few products without spending an entire day making a reel, adding sound and editing the videos.
IT’S CREATES AN ADDITIONAL INCOME STREAM
As a content creator, I am always looking for different streams of income that can help me meet my ambitious income goals. When I share posts on social media or on my blog. Not only am I helping someone in their life and professional career, but I get to earn a little extra while doing it.
Because the items I share are things that I actually use and love. I don’t feel icky or bad about sharing my links because I stand by everything I share. As I am able to grow my reach, I’ve noticed an increase in my earnings which is a GREAT source of passive income! My plan is to continue to post and grow on LTK so that I can continue to share these tips with others who are interested in getting started as content creators.
If I left anything out that you wanted to know or if you have any questions. Please leave a comment below and I hope you’ll join me over on LTK!
