Since the birth of online journals, fashion-centric bloggers have become editor-in-chiefs of their own, creating a grassroots genre of "fashion blogging" that features things such as what they believe are the latest trends, shopping tips and advice, and a unique lookbook of outfit ideas. From blogs such as The Sartorialist, where photographer Scott Schuman has made a career taking inspirational street-style snaps throughout New York City, to more personal fashion blogs such as the famous Parisian blogger Betty who takes pictures of herself and lists down what she is wearing (sometimes even down to the brand of her nail polish), it is pretty remarkable how aspirant members of the fashion industry have taken advantage of the World Wide Web.
While fashion blogging may have its narcissistic roots (just like the industry itself), it is amazing how this phenomenon has revolutionized how the business operates today. After all, from the vantage point of an up-and-coming fashion designer or retailer, what better way to get free publicity than through the eyes of a popular fashion blogger? As a browser of fashion blogs myself, I have witnessed the ingenious evolution of fashion blogging and how the fields of PR, blogging and marketing have subtly formed a symbiotic relationship of their own. Confused yet? Let me explain how this works.
First, you take a prominent fashion blogger (as an example, let's feature popular San Franciscan architect/blogger Aimee Song of Song of Style):
Next, cross your fingers and hope that Aimee will someday purchase something from your store and feature them in one of her blog entries. Once you've realized that your wishful thinking is probably in vain, approach her with some free samples of your products and have her put her own trendy spin on it. If your clothes/shoes/accessories complement the blogger's personal style, it's *that* easy to forge a solid business relationship! See retailer Bebe's work with Aimee below:
Another approach would be to have the blogger sponsor a free giveaway of your product to his/her loyal readers. In the fashion blogging world, this is actually done quite frequently! All you need to do is provide blogger with product and shipping costs, and presto! Instant plug for your products AND her blog.
Another trick? Invite said Blogger to your next fashion show, clad with front row seats located within an arm's reach to the hottest celebrities and fashion designers. They will LOVE you forever, and will no doubt blog about how much they do! It's reasons like this why bloggers have joined celebs, designers, journalists and photographers as a staple in the audiences of every fashion show.
Its easy to see why the benefits of the blogger-designer relationship are priceless. 1) It's low-cost (no need to hire a stylist, models or purchase a page-long advertisement in Vogue), 2) it's dynamic and interactive (users can comment on what they think of the product or the design), 3) in a world where we're inundated with too many ads, it's an extremely refreshing change of pace, 4) it can be done across borders within seconds, and 5) and its extremely viral--these girls get thousands of hits a day! Furthermore, this simple equation (established blogger + PR team = free publicity!) can be applied to almost any industry that has a blogging community. This innovative partnership has proven that the blogosphere is no longer about your daily rants and raves--in many ways, it has become a fundamental way to get ahead in the marketing world.
So are you ready to be the next Anna Wintour or Heidi Klum? Grab your camera and turn your blog into the next big fashion blog today!
