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NICOLE RICHIE | ROCK CHIC http://lefashionimage.blogspot.com/2013/06/nicole-richie-rock-chic.html (Via Bloglovin’)

The bare elements of design - http://bit.ly/18hTDcB

With so many bloggers entering the blogosphere daily, how do you ensure your voice is heard? David Meerman Scott in his book “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” explains how those of us who take the time to understand the “New Rules” of marketing in the online/social media world have a decidedly greater edge.

Social media has significantly changed how brands market themselves and the ways in which they choose to communicate with the public. “The web has transformed the rules, and [brands] must transform their marketing to make the most of the web-enabled marketplace of ideas,” explains Scott. The New Rules tell brands to “stop advertising and instead get their ideas out there by understanding buyers and telling them stories that connect with their problems.” As bloggers we are poised to take the most advantage of this as the majority of our time and effort is spent creating online content for interested readers and engaging them in conversation. “People read blogs because they want to find an honest voice speaking passionately about a subject,” says Scott. Which makes bloggers a valuable resource for brands.

But it is just as important for bloggers to gain a deeper understanding of their readers. Scott insists that for companies “the first step and probably the single most important thing that you will do” in creating a strategy will be creating buyer “personas”. For bloggers, we need to consider: Who are our readers? What topics are most important to them? Where are they on the web and what tools are they using to connect with others? Secondly, we must create credible content that will connect with our readers in a genuine way. This is clear in the two ads above for Victoria’s Secret and Dove. Similar campaigns, but very different buyer personas. Which version would your readers most associate themselves with?

Smart brands know their buyers, and this gives them the edge over their competition. So too, bloggers who effectively combine substantial knowledge of their reader-base and meaningful content will not only gain the “edge” but will also gain credibility and loyalty.

David Meerman Scott’s BusinessWeek bestselling book “The New Rules of Marketing & PR” is being published in 24 languages and Scott is a well-known social media speaker, having presented in dozens of countries. www.davidmeermanscott.com

For most, February is a time to dream of romantic getaways to Paris or to escape the snow and cold on warm sandy beaches.  But while others are focusing on how to escape the chill in the air, the fashion elite are celebrating…well, fall.  February 8 signaled the first day of New York Fashion week (aka NYFW) and the grand unveiling of autumn 2013 fashion.  Months before September’s enormous issues will be on stands, thousands flock to the Lincoln Center in New York to marvel at the walking art shows.  Designers would not disappoint.  Runways were transformed into glittering fantasies, both dark and luminous.  Jeremy Scott’s models were clad in citrine colored furry ‘monster’ suits with eyes peaking back at patrons, while Thom Browne’s models, though impeccably dressed in crisp tailored versions, strutted around men lying completely still, eyes covered and tied to cots placed in fabricated streetscapes.

Those of us unable to attend due to the terrible weather (and because well, we just didn’t have tickets) were still able to watch from a distance via our Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr feeds, fashion blog feeds and the very excellent Style.com website.  We watched as the glitterati like Arianna Huffington, Drew Barrymore and Sarah Jessica Parker arrived at the important parties and examined what they were wearing with our ‘fashion editor’ eye.  We checked our Pose account (frequently) to see what daring coat and boots the ‘street stylists’ were wearing and then quickly logged on to the Popsugar and Top Shop sites to purchase them before spring comes.

So we make NYFW our Valentine this year.  We thank it for the inspiration and education it provided and raise a glass (of whatever this stuff is in our juice fast mix) to the designers whose creations make our lives more chic and more fun.  We are also thankful that before February ends its short life, it will also bring us the Oscar Red Carpet.  Ah, c’est l’amour!

[Infographic via Glamour.tumblr.com]

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Journalism: A career that still matters - http://bit.ly/Wy3Xbs