Voices

Fashion & Finance: Social media savvy and style

[IMGCAP(1)]As e-marketing and communications specialist here at my firm Freed Maxick CPAs, I spend a lot of time using social media and digital tools. I use these tools to market our firm and services to clients, bring our unique brand to the marketplace, manage public and community relations, and communicate to our many publics, including clients, prospects, the community, employees and beyond.

I have become very familiar with lots of fun tech tools and how to navigate through the web quickly and efficiently, and have even used these skills to my advantage fashion-wise!

On Facebook and Twitter, I am the fan of dozens of brands, designers and fashion-oriented publications and blogs.  By doing this, I can easily and quickly learn about the latest trends, be in the know about fashion industry news and info, sales and promotions (sometimes exclusive to Facebook fans), and even interact in real-time with my favorite stores and style mavens.

Recently, while using my Twitter account @FreedMaxickPR, I exchanged a few words with some of my favorite fashion Twitter users, to get the inside scoop on some workplace wardrobe ideas. I also did a little bit of crowdsourcing of sorts, and am having someone help me with something I want to be on the lookout to buy.

What’s so great about social media is that you can interact with people you may not have had the chance to before, and it is in the brand’s or store’s best interest to react, respond and serve their customers as best they can, not unlike how CPAs should be treating their clients.

Here is an example of one of the exchanges I had with some of my fashion favorites, this one with luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman (@Bergdorfs):

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The info I received is perfect style advice for the corporate working woman from a trusted advisor; a great stylish and appropriate suggestion from someone very in the know and willing to help a customer. Love interactions like this!

One of the reasons I enjoy using Twitter to interact with my favorite fashion brands is because, ever since I moved out of New York City and ended my time working in the fashion industry, I have missed that piece of my life.

Social media allows me to keep up-to-date and in touch with all the things I love about fashion, in real time. I feel part of the mix; I feel included and part of the conversation. My exchange with Bergdorf Goodman keeps me connected to one of my favorite stores, and allows me to still feel as though I am one of their valued customers, even from over 400 miles away from their gorgeous flagship on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.

Their customer service skills shines through their interaction with Twitter followers, and it makes me personally feel valued and excited to check out an online promotion they may have or step through their doors the next time I am in the city.

Here’s another more local interaction between myself and @RustBeltThreads, a Twitter user located right here where I am in Buffalo, N.Y.  They describe themselves as “an eclectic variety of vintage goodness,” and have their own Etsy shop filled with amazing vintage finds. This user is quite a bit smaller than globally recognized brand Bergdorf Goodman, yet still offers the same one-on-one interaction that I appreciate.

 

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Excellent personal customer service is one of the reasons that I will be a repeat and loyal customer to certain brands and designers. The more digital tools created and larger the Web grows, the more opportunities we will have to interact with our favorite stores and brands.

So, let me leave you with this, a look at brand new spring styles (I found posted on Facebook!) of what’s currently available from one of my favorite U.K. designers, L.K. Bennett. Enjoy!

Emily Alexandria Burns is a State University of New York Fashion Institute of Technology graduate and started her career in New York City working for companies including Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni, Christian Dior and Jones Apparel Group. She is now e-marketing communications specialist for Freed Maxick & Battaglia CPAs in Buffalo, N.Y., and recently named the Association for Accounting Marketing's 2011 "Rookie of the Year." Follow her on Twitter @FreedMaxickPR or email her at emily.burns@freedmaxick.com.

 

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