One of the biggest trends spotted at Sep-tember’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York had little to do with what was be-ing presented on the runway, but more with how. The Twitter-sphere and fashion blogs were abuzz with live moment-by-moment Fashion Week updates, while streaming website feeds of designer presentations and real time commenting on Facebook brought the live show from New York to any mobile device or laptop near you. Social Media ruled both the runways and back-stage, de-mocratizing what was once Fashion’s most

exclusive affair by providing real-time ac-cess to the masses. This heralds perhaps one of the most exciting developments in Fashion & Retail – the increasing adoption of Social Media in the Marketing mix.

Almost 70% of Online Shoppers Are Social Media UsersSocial Media is not a flash in the Market-ing pan, but rather a form of communica-tion and connectivity that’s here to stay, A recent Future of the Internet study by the Pew Research Center stated that “experts

Build Your Brand and Boost Revenue Through Social Media Marketing

by Celeste Gudas

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Get Your Social Media Team Up and Running Today

24 Seven is the leading expert in providing top talent to Fashion and Retail companies, not only for tradi-tional fashion design, production and retail roles, but also strategic Market-ing positions, including Social Media. Through our Marketing, Interactive and Creative talent network across a variety of industries, we have access to the best and brightest, proven So-cial Media candidates to fill the fol-lowing roles and more:

A hot trend spotted at September’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York was the widespread use of Social Media by fashion designers and retailers.

believe Social Media usage will grow with younger generations as they mature… and move up the economic ladder”. To-day’s older generations are Social Media enthusiasts too, with another Pew study indicating that “social networking use among internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled—from 22% in April 2009 to 42% in May 2010”. And when it comes to Mobile marketing, Pew predicts the “rise of an apps culture”, with “some 35% of U.S. adults using software applications or ‘apps’ on their phones.”

Create Brand Fans and Drive Sales with Social MediaSocial Media is proving to be a way for Fash-ion & Retail companies to evolve online com-munications from a one-way “information push” to an active, dynamic two-way dialogue with consumers. Social Media, when used correctly and strategically, allows companies to connect more meaningfully with customers online, inspire brand evangelism, and nurture shopper loyalty. Active Social Media users are often progressive early adopters and key influencers among their peers. For retailers

and designers, connecting “socially” with these faithful brand followers will generate traffic in-store and online.

Unprecedented consumer engagement through Social Media not allows custom-ers to participate at the catwalk, but they are part of the virtual design room and mer-chandising meeting, too. From Ann Taylor Loft, to Lulu Lemon, Burberry and Diane Von Furstenberg, ‘straight from the street’ consumer insight via social networks is fu-eling innovation, product development and strategic business decisions. Addition-ally, designers and retailers can “talk back” with brand news faster than ever, building meaningful connections with consumers.

Specialized Talent Drives Social Marketing SuccessWhile many big name retailers and design-ers have jumped on the Social Media band-wagon, others are hesitating, overwhelmed and intimidated. To jumpstart their effort, companies must access talent who not only understand the medium and all its platforms technically, but can also quickly learn the company business to develop a

Social Media strategy that promotes the brand credibly and passionately. In addi-tion to Strategists, Social Media teams in-clude a variety of support players for each step of the Social Marketing life cycle. It takes more than a few people to manage the Facebook community, develop video content, monitor and respond to Tweets, regularly tend to blogs, all the while inte-grating with traditional Marketing programs that are running in tandem.

In an emerging practice area, there are so many candidates promoting themselves as experienced thought leaders and Social Media gurus. Companies need help vet-ting and filtering talent to identify those few with a proven ability to increase followers, build brands, inspire loyalty, generate rev-enue – in other words, deliver real results – by being “social”. Partnering with a stra-tegic recruiting partner to access all levels of specialized talent is often a crucial first step on the path of Social Media mastery. In a recruiting partner, companies should seek one who is connected across indus-tries, especially those that have been early adopters in Social Media, in order to ac-cess experienced talent and fill roles that run the Social Media gamut (see sidebar).

Remember that any Social Media endeavor will only be as good as the talent put in charge of leading it, so companies must choose a strategic recruiting partner wise-ly. A hiring strategist who stays on top of Social Media trends can predict where the market is moving and where the talent is. Select a partner with ready access to pre-screened, proven experts who are highly motivated to make their next career move. By taking these critical steps, companies will be well prepared to evolve their hiring strategy in step with their increasing Social Media sophistication, the newest revenue generating channel.

N E W Y O R K P H I L A D E L P H I A C H I C A G O D O W N T O W N L A S A N TA M O N I C A O R A N G E C O U N T Y S A N F R A N C I S C O S E AT T L E P O R T L A N D L O N D O N C A N A D A

With so many candidates promoting themselves as Social Media gurus, companies need help vetting and

filtering talent.

A strategic recruiting partner can find proven talent to increase brand followers, capture market share, inspire loyalty and

generate revenue by being “social”.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Celeste Gudas is a leading authority on workforce strategy for creative-driven companies. A distinguished entrepreneur and recruiting industry innovator, Ms. Gudas has grown 24 Seven from a single New York office to 7 US locations and internationally to London, and has expanded the industries the firm serves. Today 24 Seven is the go-to talent source supporting the world’s top teams in Fashion, Retail, Advertising, Marketing, Design, Interactive/Digital, Media, Beauty, CPG and Entertainment. A certified Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, 24 Seven is also a recipient of the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. For more information about how you can create a successful workforce strategy for your company call your local 24 Seven office or email President Celeste Gudas at cgudas@24seveninc.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 24 SEVEN, VISIT WWW.24SEVENINC.COM AND 24SEVENTALENT.COM

Social Media allows brands to connect more meaningfully with customers,

inspire brand evangelism, and nurture shopper loyalty.