How do I get press attention for my fashion brand?

Once I’m published, sales will just start rolling in, right?

How do I drive customers to my fashion collection? 

I’m sure we’ve all thought this once or twice, “If I get published, it’ll be huge! People will start buying more, and I’ll be set.” The problem with that is that if you don’t choose the right publication if you don’t target the right audience, you won’t see that large of an influx in sales. Also, if you don’t help leverage the attention you are getting, you’re missing out on a fairly large opportunity. 

In this episode of the FastTrack Your Fashion Brand Podcast, I’m talking with Jennifer Berson, the President & Founder of Jeneration PR, a Public Relations & Social Media Marketing firm specializing in promoting beauty, baby & lifestyle brands. She’s worked with a wide range of clients, and she is here to offer advice as to where you should be focusing your efforts, how to pitch publications, and how to get into the proper mindset.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT

• Different types of press and where to focus your efforts
• Steps to take when just starting out
• Breaking down your pitch
• How to monetize and make the most of the press you’re getting
• Finding the right mindset

There are so many types of press, where should I focus my efforts? 

When you’re starting to look at different publications and trying to figure out which ones you should be inquiring with, it can be a bit overwhelming. So, with the hundreds of thousands of ads people are exposed to daily, how can I get them to pay attention to my collection? 

First, you need to figure out which publication will work best for you. Ask yourself these questions: 

• Who am I trying to sell to? 
• Who is my targeted customer? 
• Where are they reading? What are they looking at or watching? 
• Does my collection align with the messaging in this publication

You don’t want to just start inquiring everywhere, because it might now have the impact you expect if you are presenting your collection outside of your targeted group. So, you have to first identify your needs and go from there. 

What are the first steps to get started? 

Your PR expert, Jennifer, gave these simple steps for just starting out: 

1. Have great photography - both product and lifestyle images
2. Have your pricing set - be consistent
3. Know where you want to drive your customers
4. Know your pitch angle 
5. Timing is everything! 

You have to remember that when you are trying to get published, you are no longer working off of your timeline. You’re working off the editor’s timeline. 

Some print campaigns may take a few months, so you have to be aware of this when deciding which collection you want to drive traffic to. Other publications, such as online ads, may have shorter turnaround times. 

What is a pitch and what should it say? 

Jennifer puts it best when she says that the best mindset to keep when trying to get published is “the worst they can do is say no.” Always keep this in mind, because depending on how many you inquire with, not everyone will say yes. A no isn’t always a solid no; sometimes it is just bad timing. 

So, back to the pitch - this is how you sell yourself to editors to get them to want to feature your product, collection, or company. This is all about giving, and sharing before you ask to be featured. Get familiar with the editor in charge of publication you want to be featured in. 

Share and like their social media. Begin engaging with them. That way when your pitch finally comes across their desk, it is a familiar name, and they will be more willing to spend time reading it. 

Your pitch should be short and sweet and get straight to the point. But, it is also about selling your brand, yourself, and your story! 

How do I leverage the media coverage once I am actually published? 

Share, share, SHARE! Figure out which social media you are most comfortable with, and focus on this. But, share your releases! 

Leverage with common verbiage, like Forbes said “We’re a game-changer!” This helps build value in your company and your products. Don’t just think, I got published, and the payday is going to roll in any day now. 

What is the right mindset to have when trying to get published? 

Jennifer is the queen of PR releases, and her one piece of advice for you is to get into the right mindset. Know that you are unique, that no one can tell your story better than you can. Yes, you will make mistakes. People will say no. But learn from the no’s. 

Have the confidence to actually try, and keep at it!

EPISODE BREAKDOWN 

11:15-15:15 - Different types of press

15:30-19:10 - Getting started

22:00-25:40 - Breakdown of a pitch

26:20-32:30 - Leveraging media coverage

38:40-40:30 - Finding the right mindset

Meet the Guest

Jennifer Berson, Founder & President | Jeneration PR

Jennifer Berson is the President & Founder of Jeneration PR, a Public Relations & Social Media Marketing firm specializing in promoting beauty, baby & lifestyle brands. Jen’s retainer clients range from small and mid-sized brands to multi-billion dollar publicly traded companies, and everything in between.

Jen is also the creator of the Agency Accelerator, where she teaches entrepreneurs how to launch, grow & scale a profitable PR & marketing agency. She also recently launched Press Success, a PR Master Class for entrepreneurs to learn the step-by-step framework for executing a PR strategy that converts into massive media placements for their businesses. 

Prior to founding Jeneration PR in 2005, Jennifer was a lawyer and practiced civil litigation at a prestigious law firm.

Then, she “saw the light” and left to start her own business and pursue more creative endeavors (and she’s never looked back!).

Jennifer has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Inc.com, Business Insider, Yahoo! Finance, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, EOFire, CBS.com, PR Week, Fox News, and PR Web sharing her expertise, and was profiled on Apple.com as an “entrepreneur on the go” using Apple products to power her business. Jennifer was also selected by Babble.com as one of the 10 “Mompreneurs Who Made it Big!”

Grab a copy of Jennifer's Press Checklist

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