Whether your beauty brand launch budget is small or large, you’ll still have to decide how to spend your money. In a tight race between marketing and PR, where would you focus your launch budget? I think the answer to this question lies in the chief aim of the brand. For the sake of this post, let’s explore the working definition of each.
Simply put, marketing is you telling your audience about you. Public relations is someone else telling your audience about you. Which do you think holds the most credibility from your audience’s perspective?
Today, some of the best, most effective marketing strategies can be implemented for little to no money. Social media has opened the door for your marketing material to be presented globally. The important thing here is to have great visuals and well-thought out campaigns. Working with a great graphic designer will go a long way in your marketing efforts. What brands have you come across that did this well? Two brands that come to mind for me are The Lip Bar and Mischo Nail Lacquer. Take a stroll through their Instagram pages and you’ll get an idea of what I mean.
Public Relations is a little more tricky because it involves properly drafted press releases and solid relationships. If you’ve been proactive about building relationships with beauty bloggers, vloggers and editors then you’re already a little more than halfway there. There’s plenty of info out there about how to write a press release, pitch to the media and how to follow up. You just have to find it, perfect it, and put it to good use. Just keep in mind, PR is a lot of hands on work and it takes time. You may be better served hiring a professional so you can focus on other administrative tasks of building a beauty business.
If you have the budget to pay for marketing AND publicity I highly suggest you hire a professional for both. Otherwise, don’t be afraid to research and try some things for yourself. You need to know a bit of everything to be a good leader for your glam biz anyway.
What beauty brands have you seen utilize low cost marketing the best? Which is more valuable to you marketing or public relations? Do tell.
Here’s to the Glam Life!