12. Tina Craig and Kelly Cook, Bag Snob
www.bagsnob.com
When Bag Snob launched in 2005, “our dream was to one day buy Kelly a Birkin,” says Craig. “Little did we know we’d be able to make enough to buy her one within six months thanks to affiliate income.” Today, Bag Snob is known within the industry as a site whose recommendation counts: If Cook and Craig endorse a bag, it sells well. Affiliate income is the main bulk of their business, unlike most of the other sites mentioned, which still rely heavily on banner ads and brand partnerships. (Although Snob Media does plenty of that stuff, too.) Another differentiator: While they do use affiliate marketing programs like ShopStyle and RewardStyle, most of their referral commissions are negotiated brand-by-brand.

In the coming months, Craig and Cook will roll their secondary sites—including Beauty Snob, Tot Snob, Shoe Snob and Couture Snob—into Snobessentials.com. Bag Snob will remain independent, although some of its content will be syndicated on Snob Essentials. “We just think it will feel more organic,” says Craig. “It’ll be easier to run the two sites instead of six—-we would like to spend more time with our kids.”