Marketing/pr advice?

[DiviClothingCompany]

Hey everyone, I have some questions / need some feedback and hopefully i've come to the right place.

I'm a partner in a start-up clothing line - Divi Clothing Company, that was launched over a year ago. We have been in business and have been to various events around the Texas area trying to get the name out there and promote our company. Some venues and events have proven more successful then others - thanks to one, now Mike Jones, famous Houston rapper, has one of our products.

We've now redesigned the website and have all of our products up for both guys and girls, and will be releasing a fall line coming soon for the winter season.

According to google analytics the visits to our website from Sept 5th to Oct 5th was 700+. However the conversion rate from visitors to actual customers is lower.

However, in regards to off the internet - my feeling is that a PR stunt can go a lot further then just straight advertising. I read a story of the owners of a small company, who went to the top of one of the buildings in the city and proposed to drop $1000 off the building, this made such a hype between the city, the people, the media, that their name and company became a household name from the exposure- which was free (just the stunt they happened to be performing involved money).

Basically my questions that I would like advice on can be broken down into 3 parts:

1.) What could a successful PR stunt be for a clothing company to help their publicity and to spread the word

2.) What about our site (if you get a chance to view it) would possibly not make a visitor become a customer.

3.) What ways are the best to drive users to your website? Has anyone had success they could share?


I greatly appreciate everyones input and thanks in advance!!

[Businessman101]

1.) Get Mike Jones to do a short rap about your cloths... Post to youtube... Profit.

[entrepreneurrebel]

Just an FYI, when you come to these forums do not post your company name or url. It is bad marketing if a customer comes by this post. Most of the time these forum posts will make into the top ten and makes you look unprofessional.

Also I haven't heard about Mike Jones since I was in Marines back in 2005. I practically bunk with the whole state of Texas.

By looking at your clothes they stand out. They are not the plain and everyday clothes I see in IL. I am sure you wear your clothes all the time (if not do so). Clothes are one of the top conversation starters. Also if you are able to give out samples than search for known bloggers and not so well known bloggers. Give them some of your product and let them talk about it. Look for small fashion magazines and give them product or pictures. These can be local magazines or online only magazines. If the guys in the photos are your partners and you than I see you aren't photo shy.

To end we buy with our eyes before any other sense. The more your get your images out the better. Bloggers have followers and normally these followers listen to them.

Do you own this product line?

[shariROCKS]

I would recommend Iwearyourtshirt dot com. He will wear your t shirt and market the heck out of your company. He sold out for the first half of 2010. He has an unique marketing approach and investment is low.

Second...how are you tracking those 700 that are coming. You don't seem to offer or have anything for visitors to sign up for on your main page. Maybe you should do something to get those visitors to spend a little more time hanging around your site. Get your shirts into the hands of people that are big influences in clothes: athletes and artists..do you have a street team in your local colleges?

[MarketYourStartup]

Hey there,

I had a look at your website and I would strongly suggest to put content up there. You barely have any indexable content on your website. Google and other search engines cannot "see" pictures, you have to include text with your website that Google can rank, index and display in its search results. You can include a blog, write descriptions about your clothing line, the designers etc.

Remember to keyword optimize your content though! This is very important to get indexed for the right kind of search terms.

But if you do decide to go with more text, choose a lighter background for the text pages (while for your image pages, the black makes the images pop, so good choice there).

Please DM me if you have more questions regarding this, I would be happy to help!

Regaring your contest: As your slogan is "Stand out and be seen", why don't you hire some stiltwalkers, have them wear your shirts and send them to a crowded place to promote your business? Just and idea...

[JBasaurus]

I can't approach from an internet marketing perspective because that is my area of knowledge; however i can offer some advice regarding marketing as a science.

I open your website to see your mantra "STANDOUT AND BE SEEN." I was thinking nice, gonna get in my face and make me crave individualism...This wasn't the case unfortunately. I understand your minimal content type approach; however it isn't relative to street culture...make it loud!

Network with some unsigned bands and market their gigs on your webpage, while in return get them to wear your prominently branded t-shirts during their gigs. Or produce one off t's designed by both yourselves and the bands to wear, thereby promoting you both.
Perhaps target some prominent high traffic or 'trendy' places in the center of towns and give out some free t-shirts...however with the condition that people must put them on from the point of receiving them and be sure to film what happens and then youtube it and be sure to include it on a prominent page of your site.

Really the options are endless..have fun with it
JB