Fashion public relations is incredibly important to your brand. But don’t let it overwhelm you; it’s something you have control over. If you have a smartphone, then you are able to spread the word about your brand via apps such as Instagram and Snapchat. PR professionals like to make designers and small brands believe they can’t handle their own public relations, but that’s simply not true. In today’s connected world, nearly any brand has the potential to be the next Kylie Jenner. Well, perhaps not an overnight billionaire success, but very close. We need to remember Jenner already came from a famous family and even before she launched her first lip kit, her fanbase was in the millions. I mention her fame because Jenner had a huge audience before even launching a brand. So if you are just launching your brand and have a newly opened Instagram account for said brand, don’t panic that you haven’t racked up millions of followers.
A newly launched brand can easily handle their own initial fashion public relations with ease. Instagram is the number one social channel for brands and for attracting potential customers. One area where it’s important to hire a public relations firm or PR freelancer is when you need more formal information written- such as a press release or articles. Articles are content which is important for the SEO of your brand. You want your brand to easily pop up on the first two pages of Google; that’s the most simplistic explanation of SEO. A modern fashion public relations firm has a firm grasp on SEO and realizes content (well written articles) propels your brand forward in search results. A well written article strategically posted online can move one or two of your brand’s keywords from page 10 to page 2. Some content and web development agencies charge as much as $1,200 for a well-written article. Of course we think that’s too much, but it goes to prove how important good content is in relation to your brand and Google ranking.
As a fashion PR firm ourselves, we suggest doing a lot of the social media work on your own, without paying someone. Only you know how to properly describe certain shots and the best way to photograph them. We do recommend not posting quotes. Quotes have ruined social media and they are overused to the point of annoyance. I often say quotes ruined social media; don’t post them. Don’t be the a-hole that posts quotes on your brand’s Instagram feed. But when you need more formal information written about your brand, that’s when to reach out to an informed fashion public relations firms. We will create a great press release about a new launch or collection and then also form good pitches to reach out to influential editors and social stars. In public relations, there is a good balance between doing all of the PR yourselves and also working alongside a firm or freelancer.