Fashion retailer New York & Company has 2,947 followers on Twitter and 15,452 fans on Facebook. The brand, which targets sophisticated young women, has been building a solid social media following thanks to some smart moves on their part and partly in thanks to Carson Kressley.

They have used some ways to get word out about their Twitter and Facebook Page that I have not come across before. The company runs videos/commercials throughout their stores featuring Carson Kressley who invites everyone to fan the brand on Facebook. He even creates a sense of urgency at the end by making a quick exit to go read the new promotion that was just posted on the NY & CO Fan Page. Getting word out about their social media presence while people are currently engaged with the brand (shopping in the store) is a great way to capture consumers’ attention. Not only that but I think it’s a great way to have them hear and retain the message. The brand also utilizes their shopping bags to advertise their social media avatars. You’ll find phrases like “Follow our CMO on Twitter.com/NYStyle” and advertisements for their Facebook Fan Page on the bags which are carried around the mall for everyone to see.

On Twitter, you can interact directly with the Chief Marketing Office of NY & CO. Follow @NYStyle to learn about promotions, stay on top of deals, be entered for a chance to win clothing, and be informed as to what is going on on the New York & Company Facebook Fan Page.

On the Facebook Page, again, you can find out about promotions and deals, have discussions, read/write reviews, watch videos, get a sneak peek of looks for the upcoming season, and learn about job opportunities with the company. A lot of the videos include Carson Kressley and some good-natured humor.

Just by visiting the website, nyandcompany.com, you would not know the company has a social media presence which is a little odd. Some companies do this to try and keep their website and social media sites separate but that should be a thing of the past. Companies/organizations should now be working to integrate social media with their websites to create a cohesive strategy and increase overall brand awareness. A majority of people and demographics have taken to social media by now so it would be wise to incorporate social media into an already existing strategy (or create a new fully integrated marketing strategy) rather than running it as a separate entity.