Seasonal roll-outs are really important to stay on top of. Be sure to find out when the tradeshows and market weeks are going on throughout the year for your particular product line and make sure you are approaching buyers accordingly.

The more experienced you "appear", the more seriously buyers will take you.  Each product line has it's own "life span"……do you follow traditional seasons, Hallmark Holidays, or major trends……perhaps you dip your toe in some or all? 

Whatever it is, you want to stay on top of it by marking all of these due dates in your calendar and then counting backwards to get to your official start date for each seasonal roll-out.

Here is a mini checklist to help you work backwards:

1. Date to show new collection
2. Get new line up on website
3. Create line sheets
4. Take photos
5. Receive final samples
6. Get samples into the works
7. Order raw materials
8. Research raw materials
9. Design new line
10. Research new trends, colors, gather research

How organized is your calendar?

Learning how to leverage good PR for yourself is a total MUST to keep any business afloat!  Once you have some PR, it will give you credibility which makes buyers feel more comfortable about buying from you – especially if you are a new brand. Staying on top of your media calendar is the key to a successful PR campaign.  Be sure to look at all the magazine websites and click on the media kit tab and make a calendar you can follow to pitch on target each month.

Getting products to celebrities can be very exciting! It can bring you major brand recognition, possibly get you on TV, attract wholesale buyers, boost online sales, start new trends, and give you awesome credibility! Choosing the right celebrity for your brand depends on who your target market admires, so be sure to approach celebrities that will entice your buyers.

Having a story behind your brand can be an important selling point when pitching your line. Think about why and how you came to develop your designs and weave that into your story to add interest and intrigue. When sales staff can tell your story and engage customers, they are more likely to close the sale.

Love to know your story……care to share below?

Dear Sarah,

Lisa    Studio Jewel

Who wants more media coverage, more website page views, bigger mailing list, more Facebook Fans and more Twitter followers?  I know I do and assume you do too!  If you had a chance to listen to my interview a few weeks ago with Megan from Blogger Black Book, you might already be on the blog review bandwagon….. looking for those lucky reviewers who get to sample your products and write a review for you.   Finding the "right" reviewers for your line can be a tedious job but if you google blogs and take the time to go down the rabbit holes and see who they like and so on…….you can build yourself a mighty fine and valuable list. 

I reached out to my Entreprenette Experts and asked them to give us some of their favorite blog that do reviews so you can check them out an add them to your list.

Some of my top favs that weren't mentioned below are:

http://www.stylecaster.com
http://mommyandmegiveaways.com
http://coolmompicks.com/
http://www.purseblog.com/

http://www.refinery29.com/

Love to know your favs too!

1. Power Mom Bloggers Rule!

Best blogs for reviews: When working with Mom Bloggers, I like to check out their stats. I use a combination of their Alexa ranking, Twitter followers and Facebook fans to decide if the fit is right! I love all of the mom bloggers that I have worked with in the past. At the moment, I am working with:

Mom Spark
A Mom's Take
Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous
Social Media Junkie
Homegrown Families

Thanks to: Christy Cook of Teach My.

2. Two tools sites with cool stuf

Best blogs for reviews: I check Cool Tools and Wirecutters in my RSS feed everyday, knowing that each could have useful or interesting things. Cool Tools defines "tools" broadly and recommends the best and cheapest items. Its writers review only items that they have used themselves and that they can rave about. Cool Tools provides links for purchase.

Wirecutter covers consumer electronics & gadgets. It is written by gadget experts whose research allows them to say that something is "best."

Thanks to: Susan Gainen of nanoscapes small friends.

3. Savvy Mom On Call

Best blogs for reviews: As a mother of five and Mom'Preneur, I am always perusing product reviews blogs. A favorite of mine is Savvy Mom On Call. They post excellent product reviews that are helpful for parents and expecting moms. They award products with their “Baby Planner Seal of Approval” which lets parents know what products and services are good to use to help with a new baby. Savvy Mom On Call is also an excellent resource to help promote your baby product or service.

Thanks to: Karen Barski of KB Designs/Woombie/Mod'Swad.

4. It's a bird...a plane....

Best blogs for reviews: NO! It's a SUPER reviewer!!

www.thebabybottomline.com
www.adventuresofathriftymommy.blogspot.com

Thanks to: Kelly Kinney of PowerCapes.

5. Simply On Trarget!

Best blogs for reviews: http://simplystacie.net Google PR 4 Ranking
Alexa Traffic Rank: 9,962 Page Hits per month: +118,000
Monthly Unique Visitors: +46,000 Blog Followers: +10,500
Facebook Fans: 15,751 Twitter Followers: +24,600
simplystacieblog@gmail.com

Thanks to: Maureen Ruble of Simply Stacie.

6. For fashionistas and creatives

Best blogs for reviews: Our favorites are createdbychicks.com and Cheapchicas.com

Thanks to: Alma Steger of Untitled Advertising & PR.

7. Healthy Lifestyle Review Blog

Best blogs for reviews: Looking for a blog to review healthy lifestyle products? Check out http://livinghealthystuff.com/. Submit your pitches and press releases to the email address published on the site's advertising page.

Thanks to: Mary White of MTI Business Solutions.

8. Product Reviews for Parents

Best blogs for reviews: DadDoes.Com has become a destination site for parents looking for brutally honest, informative and fun reviews. The site spends weeks testing out products and provides honest reviews, with videos for busy Moms and Dads. Dad Does believes that parents care about more than just diapers and strollers-they don't stop eating, drinking and playing just because they become parents. Parents do see things through a different lens and Dad Does provides reviews on everything, through that parent lens.

Thanks to: Dan Nessel of Dad Does .

9. Honest Reviews From a Mom

Best blogs for reviews: I follow Inspired by Savannah, which offers product reviews and giveaways, in additional to spotlight weekly mom entrepreneurs and their products/services. This mom writes honest and thorough reviews and you can tell she actually tries out each and every product she features on her site.

Thanks to: Enrique Ramirez of Inspired by Savannah.

10. Review for yourself!

Best blogs for reviews: It's my firm belief that in order to properly review a product, a blogger must review it for themselves first. That may seem like a no-brainer to some, but many bloggers use outside services that will pay them for a 'on a whim' review. This is unethical! Bloggers who review are like reporters looking for all sides to a story. I prefer bloggers who test the product out and provide negative AND positive reactions, since you'll never find a product that's 100% satisfactory. Honesty is respect.

Thanks to: Zlata Faerman of I Have Zlata Thoughts and ZlataPR.

11. Favorite Mom/Entrepreneur blog

Best blogs for reviews: Simple Mom, is one of the top 5 blogs that I actually read when I receive an email from them. The articles are written by many inspirational women, and they address various topics from packing lightly, home schooling, balancing work and personal life. They also do my favorite product reviews.
http://simplemom.net
http://simplekid.net

Thanks to: Elizabeth Del Rosario-Baker of WOMB Lifestyle.

12. Best Objective Product Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: Money Crashers is an awesome site that reviews a wide variety of products, including baby products, beauty products and recipes, meal-planning services, couponing tools, flight and travel products, smartphone apps, and online financial tools. Everything reviewed on the site has been used by its team, as they do not promote anything that they would not recommend. It's a refreshing set of objective reviews that serve as useful tools for those trying to decide how best to spend their money.

Thanks to: Andrew Schrage of Money Crashers.

13. Best Blog Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: 1. Love From The Oven - www.lovefromtheoven.com

2. Goodies For Gifts - www.goodiesforgifts.com

Thanks to: Kim Celano of KC Bakes.

14. Best Baby Blog!

Best blogs for reviews: One fantastic blog that does reviews on baby and toddler products is www.Ratedbymom.com. This site is the ultimate guide for any new parent who is looking for the most up to date products for their newborns. You cannot just trust word-of-mouth for every product you are going to purchase. Having a legitimate source for truthful reviews and articles is key to finding the latest and greatest products for the new members of your family.

Thanks to: Ian Aronovich of GovernmentAuctions.org.

15. Cruelty-free Beauty is Best!

Best blogs for reviews: My Beauty Bunny is one of my favorite blogs. They focus on cruelty free skin and hair products with great reviews and giveaways. The main blogger is super stylish, animal-loving Jen Mathews who writes honest and informative reviews!

http://www.mybeautybunny.com/

Thanks to: B. Bell of beatrixbell handcrafted jewelry.

16. Blogs on the Rocks

Best blogs for reviews: . http://cupcakesandcashmere.com: must-read if you're interested in fashion, home decorating, and cooking. Emily pulls many cute & innovating ideas, and makes it easy and quick to read
. http://womenonthefence.com: for all Women On The Fence in life, in love, and at work.. Erica helps them GET OFF THE FENCE and start living
. http://pinterest.com: the Place to Go to for consumer product reviews/ideas for babies, women, men, home, cute DIY concepts etc. Follow me http://pinterest.com/livejulie

Thanks to: Julie CROS of Post Planner.

17. AnyLuckyDay Product Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: AnyLuckyDay has been doing product reviews and giveaways since January 2009. Each day they feature a new company and product. They have an engaging video each day with a product overview, and then they giveaway the product in a random drawing at the end of the day. They've featured everything from jewelry, to clothing, to food, to electronics, to other quirky gadgets and gizmos.

Thanks to: Giancarlo Massaro of AnyLuckyDay, LLC.

18. How To Create A Smoky Eye

Best blogs for reviews: Everyone wants to perfect their holiday makeup look, simply and with panache. If you’re going for an intense smoky eye, you only need these three (3) beauty products: black liquid liner/waxy black eye pencil, lengthening mascara and false lashes. Darker shadows tends to hide your lashes, but the false ones will really make your eyes pop, whether they are blue, brown, green, hazel or somewhere in between! Adding a dark coal color in the crease of the eyes will make for a dramatic statement!

Thanks to: Emilie Yount of Fit&Fab Living.

19. Mom Bloggers Know Products!

Best blogs for reviews: These mom bloggers stand out for their awesome product reviews. We love Rave and Review for her innovative, thoughtful product reviews which always include amazing images. We love Reviewed by Mom for her always making sure she includes details any potential buyer would need to know. We love The Modern Mama for being super sweet, engaging and from the heart. We love In R Dream for her passion in sharing her 2 cents. We love Mama Ash for being the “mom in the know” for everything parenting.

Thanks to: Janine Streiter of Parent Tested, Parent Approved.

20. Unbiased Supplement Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: I write honest, science based reviews on dietary supplements. If it's on TV, radio, the web or in magazines I review it.

When a product has no research I dissect each ingredient and link to the actual scientific evidence for / against the ingredient so people can judge for themselves if a supplement is worth it or not.

Thanks to: Joe Cannon.

OMG are you as confused as I am at times with blog reviewers and if they are a good idea or not?  I just had to have a chat with my friend Megan over at Blogger Black Book and ask her to share her insider info with me (us) on how to best use bloggers to promote your brand.  As usual, Megan comes through with awesome info on how to find the right bloggers for your brand, how many to work with at a time, and how to get a blogger marketing strategy in place.  The most important thing, is to be clear with your objectives for having the blogger review your product – it is to drive FB fans, build your mailing list or direct sales to a certain retailer…….whatever the objective, be sure they are aware and can fulfill your requirements.  The other big take away for me was a great reminder – that the blogger must mirror your target market in order to be successful in reaching them!  Don't forget to register your blog for FREE at Blogger Black Book.

Megan is generously offering a 50% discount on her Blogger Black Book year long subscription for only $750 to get her monthly updated lists of bloggers.  Or, if you want to get her one-time download today, it's only $500.  Email Megan directly and be sure to mention ENTREPRENETTE for the discount.

So everyone wants awesome PR right? I know I do and am not ashamed to admit it…….but how does one get it?  When I had my handbag line, I worked with several PR companies until I hired my sister to come inhouse. Over the years, I learned many tricks of the trade, but my favorite is to look at the advertising editorial calendars (on the main website for the mag) to see what the magazines are working on so you know what to pitch.  Obviously pitching on-target is the most important thing. I'm not saying they won't look at something "unusual", but often they are just too busy and overworked.

There are some great tips in this list, so if you are looking for some new ideas……read on and become a star!