Twitter Fashion
Through my recent experience interning at a fashion brand in NYC, I’ve come to realize that many brands know they need to be on Twitter to but don’t necessarily have a strategy laid out to how they can best use it.
I came across a great group on LinkedIn called nonetheless, “Twitter Strategies“and the below article “7 Insanely Useful Ways To Search Twitter for Marketing” which can be applied to any brand.
There are current a few fashion brands that use Twitter well, such as DKNY and DVF, but there are a few (not going to mention names) that hardly engage with their following at all. One key insight I found in the article was competitive eavesdropping. Eavesdropping on what the Twitter-sphere is saying about competitor brands or about your brand, is key to shaping how you interact with the community.
I especially enjoy when I talk about a brand in my tweet, such as DKNY and without even “@” replying them, they searched for the brand name and engaged in a quick DM (Direct Message) with me. That kind of personal touch goes a long way for brand advocacy, and I definitely value it as a consumer. Skim through the article below and find some ways how Twitter can help your brand whether it be a fashion blog, small boutique, or large brand!
from Crosby at PRCouture | April 14, 2009 to read the full article visit PRCouture.com
The Marie Claire Twitter account not only participates regularly on Twitter but actually (gasp!) engages directly with their following, has been known to look for writers from their Twitter community, and even recently charted, or is that tweeted, a blind date in real time.
PR Couture was lucky enough to get some time with Senior Web Editor Ashley Parrish and Web Associate Diana Vilibert to learn more about Marie Claire’s Twitter Strategy as well as some Marie Claire pitching tips for fashion PR’s on Twitter. For more information on Twitter strategy, check out the recent PR Couture post, “5 Tips for a Successful Twit Pitch” in addition to our list of fashion aficionados on Twitter in the comments for “Fashion PR Agencies, Designers and Bloggers.”
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PR: One of the things I thought was great was using Twitter to mine for potential stories and writers, do you plan on continuing to do this?
MC: We definitely plan on doing this more! There’s a community for everyone on Twitter, and it’s such a great resource to tap into for potential stories, writers, and PR contacts that we might not necessarily have connected with otherwise.
PR: What are the key components of a successful Twitter strategy?
MC: For us, it’s a combination of providing information and engaging in conversation. We aim to post links to articles on our site that appeal to both the largest range of users (like topical/newsworthy articles and blogs or career/job-related articles), and also articles that might appeal to smaller niches in the Twitter community. I think this kind of targeting is why we’ve been so successful–even if you’re just posting a link, editorializing how you present it or asking a question will engage more people than using your Twitter account as an RSS feed. But aside from being informative and interesting, Twitter is not the place to go to talk AT your readers, so it’s equally important to start and join conversations, to answer questions, and to retweet our followers when they post something interesting or relevant.
PR: How does Twitter integrate or support additional MC online tactics? What are some of the other ways Marie Claire is involved in Social Media? Why is it important for print magazines to embrace the online space?
MC: Print magazines don’t exist in a vacuum, and neither do their websites or Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace accounts, so all of those components need to work together. We go where our readers are, and our readers are flipping through the magazine at home, they’re reading our blogs and articles on marieclaire.com, and they’re talking about it on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. Print magazines now have an online presence whether they want one or not–if you’re not using social media to promote and talk about your brand, your readers will still be talking about it without you, so it’s in your best interest to join the conversation.
PR: How are you measuring and reporting your Twitter success? Do you monitor for brand mentions?
MC: We measure by referrals from Twitter. Referrals increase as we got more involved with the platform. We had 21.8K referrals from Twitter in March, compared to 5.7K in February. We also search for mentions of Marie Claire (vs @ replies to @marieclaire) by people that might not necessarily know we’re on Twitter and address their comments–like pointing them to an article they remember seeing in an old issue or looking up where they can buy a product they like.
PR: Do you accept “twit-pitches?” what is the best way for someone to submit something for potential coverage on MarieClaire.com?
MC: Yes, twit-pitches are welcome. We tweet an email address to reach us at whenever we’re looking for tips or info from our followers, but tweeple are also always welcome to @ or DM us and ask a question, or to ask for an email address to send a longer pitch too.
To view the full interview with the Marie Claire Twitter crew visit PR Couture
