PR vs Social Media? How about a bit of both?
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Exclusively for Retail Revealed, Top Drawer exhibitor turned leading PR mentor and agency founder Amanda FitzGerald shares why it’s time to make PR a powerful part of your next promotional push.
I learnt how to do PR with the school of hard knocks.
It’s true - I am self taught, and now I share my experience and knowledge gained in my ‘knitwear years’ with other retailers and service providers (such as coaches and consultants).
At the time of running my small luxury knitwear brand (back in 2008 to 2012), I needed to reach more customers so I sold at markets and pop up shops in order to boost the e-commerce sales.
Twitter (as it was originally known) was in its infancy, as was Facebook. I remember going to training workshops to learn how to use these platforms - someone referred to social media a ‘black art’ when I was chatting to them at Top Drawer a decade or so ago when I was doing my research to see if I would take a stand there.
At the time everyone was looking at new ways to reach a wider audience…. And now 17 years on, social media is possibly the number one method business owners use to attract new customers.
Think TIktok and think Instagram.
For Instagram, think stories, reels, posts. And for Tiktok, you’re putting up daily posts. Your content should be geared to doing product demos, clients sharing their unboxing videos and reviews, behind the scenes at the factory shots, interviews with the makers and of course storytelling to share product provenance, inspiration for the designs or collections, packing orders ready to send out, customer gallery with your happy customers wearing or using your products.
So people may still refer to it as a black art!
Now I want you to think of a totally ‘new’ way of showcasing and promoting your products.
PR.
Publicity.
Public relations.
Okay, it’s not new but it’s super effective in capturing the attention of prospects way beyond your social media reach.
As you know, social media reaches your followers. But only the followers that the ‘Algo of the Day’ decides it will reach. So let’s say you have 10k followers on Instagram, your post will ordinarily reach only 2% to 10% of the 10k, meaning your reach is anything between 200 to 1000 people (and all this algorithm dependent).
Imagine if a product review or product mention along with a cut out (image of product on white / transparent background) is included in a top ten round up in a magazine online and or in print, or is talked about in a podcast, or it’s included on TV or your dream media outlet, you could be looking at views or listens in the thousands if not millions, depending upon which outlet you’re mentioned in.
Getting press coverage means you are skipping the attention queue and are being placed right at the front, ahead of adverts and social media posts as you’re receiving third party validation. Instead of you talking about your products in ads or posts, a journalist is talking about you, which gives you instant credibility.
The best possible outcome is a sales surge as everyone rushes to get the latest must-have product as the shopping editor has tried, tested it and raved about it.
But even if a sales surge doesn’t happen immediately, you’ll still see powerful benefits:
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SEO with valuable backlinks to your website from the media outlet
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A major confidence boost as your products have been chosen and featured!
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A PR Buzz: as you share your “As seen in” press coverage with your audience and across social media. (Just remember to share the link to the article, not a PDF or photo of the newspaper or magazine.)
Have I convinced you to have a go at going beyond your social media reach? I hope so.
Here are 3 Ps, the essential elements you should be aware of when pitching your products to the press:
1. Photos
High quality images are non-negotiable. You’ll need both lifestyle shots (your product in real-life settings) and cut out images so editors can use them across different features.
Create a PR folder with both high-res and low-res versions. Host it in your website’s press room or a shareable Google Drive link. This saves time and makes it easy for journalists and shopping editors to access without clogging up inboxes with bulky files.
Craft a snappy, eye-catching headline that’s relevant to both the time of year and your product.
In the body of the email, don’t just say, “Here’s my amazing cobalt blue cashmere top, RRP £49.”
Instead, say something like:
Your audience will love this ethically produced cobalt blue cashmere jumper made with a reduced carbon footprint and inspired by [add your inspiration]. It’s perfect for [current season/event] styling.
Be sure to always frame your pitch around why the product is relevant to their audience and the season/ event.
3. PlanTiming is everything. Glossy magazines often work 3 to 6 months ahead, so pitch early to avoid missing out. I once missed a “bright coloured hats” feature because I was four weeks too late! So don’t miss the pitching boat. You may have heard of Christmas in July - that’s when many magazines are doing the December issues!
So to make this easier and unmissable for you, download our 2025 PR Planner, it is packed with over 70 key dates you can tie your pitches to, like Wimbledon, Back to School, and even Bring Your Dog to Work Day! We even have the pitching windows listed so you’ll never miss another deadline again.
Here’s your link to grab the planner: https://www.amandafitzgerald.co.uk/prplanner
Good luck and I look forward to seeing your products listed in your dream places! Let me know how you get on!
Amanda FitzGerald