Zappos Expands Product Line

Zappos.com isn’t just offering shoes anymore. Recently, the online retail Web site expanded to fashion, beauty and home decor. The company is kicking off these additions in celebration of Mother’s Day by offering free shipping and even free overnight upgrades with a 365-day return policy.

Searching for new avenues and opportunities is a perfect example of evolving with the economy. Rather than keeping to one single product, Zappos is offering more to their already loyal customers and giving potential customers a new opportunity to shop with their company.

It’s important as public relations professionals to look outside the box and take off the blinders. Offering new business ideas and new opportunities will improve your clients bottom line while contributing to job security.

Thrift Store Sales Rise Above Economy

Thrift stores are thriving in this economy and beating out the competition of big name retail stores. As people go green and hoard their cash, thrift stores are seeing a boom in business!

The mndaily.com reports, “While other businesses are reporting decreasing sales, Goodwill stores have seen at least 10 percent increases in same-store retail sales compared with October 2007, Goodwill Industries International spokeswoman Lauren Lawson said.”

“the economy has not hurt donations, Lawson said. For the first nine months of the year, the number of donation drop-offs in North America increased by 9.6 percent over the same time period last year.”

The green movement has also sparked the rise of thrift store spending. MSNBC explains, “A growing ‘green’ ethos among American consumers has also propelled the industry. ‘People are really savvy now,’ said Angie Heidenreich, owner of LuLu’s Consignment Boutique in Fletcher, N.C. ‘With consignment you make money, you save money and you recycle. It’s a no-brainer.'”

You’d be surprised to find diamonds in the rough while searching through previously owned goods. Just a few days ago, my mother found a Dolce & Gabbana belt for a few bucks! One fashionista’s trash is another fashionista’s treasure!

Share your thoughts on thrift store shopping! Have you had big success? Any tips and tricks?

Baby Phat Engages Facebook Fashionistas

Baby Phat is holding its first ever Baby Phat “Fab Photo” Contest until April 22. Since April 8, Baby Phat Facebook fans have been styling and posting photos of their most fabulous looks.

Fans of the Baby Phat Facebook fan page are invited to submit a photo of themselves wearing their favorite Baby Phat outfit to contest@phatfashions.com.

One Grand Prize winner receives a $500 Baby Phat wardrobe and the opportunity to have their name and photo posted on the Baby Phat Facebook fan page! Please keep in mind that this contest is exclusive to fans of the Baby Phat Facebook page.

All entries must include their name, e-mail address, telephone number and include a close-up photograph of themself taken within the last 30 days. All photos should be in one of the following formats: .jpg, .pdf, .tiff, or .bmp. All photo entries submitted will also go into Kimora’s personal fan photo album.

So, get going and channel your “fabulosity!”

Measuring Social Media’s Return on Investment

Social media is the best tool to effectively communicate messages in the shortest amount of time, but it can be difficult to directly generate revenue. Measuring the success of a social media campaign can take some time and is very subjective. Of course, social media tools are free to use and need little to no investment, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to make a profit?

Advertising is one way to generate a return on investment, although, as PR professionals know, word of mouth marketing is more effective than placing an advertisement. So, how does one generate revenue and measure the success from disseminating messages through social media?

It’s simple, communicate exclusive deals and information to your followers, fans and readers. Give your audience an incentive to frequent the social media sites while opening shop online. In addition to creating an editorial calendar and tweeting the most up-to-date company news, brainstorm special offers and sales exclusive to online viewers.

The best way to measure the success of your social media campaign is to give the exclusive offers a significant promotional code. For example, tell your audience to mention a key word in order to redeem the special offer. Track every time a customer uses this promotional code and vuala! You will soon be able to measure the ROI on your social media campaign through the revenue it has generated.

Once a company has created a blog, Twitter account and Facebook page, the question of measuring the return on investment becomes of utmost interest. Your boss has only one thing in mind and that is making money, so be conscious of your ROI measurement.