Marketing Social Media

3 Tips to Authentic Fashion Marketing

3 Tips to Authentic Fashion Marketing

Struggling with marketing your business? Shy about being the face of your brand? It’s time to step out from behind the curtains. Big fashion companies want to be more like you, they want to be more transparent, create better connections with their customers and be nimble in response to new technology. But, they can’t, its too bureaucratic and there can be too much red tape. Here are 3 ideas on how you can beat the big brand competitors with authentic fashion marketing.

Your About Page. Talk about your brand, but also talk about you. Show pictures of your team. Give the behind the scene pictures that show how you do things and what inspires you. Creating an amazing about page will also help you sell more. Include product images and if you or your team is photographed make sure you are all wearing your brand.

I love how Hush UK combines the brand statement, the founder statement, lifestyle images and product shots onto their about page.

Hush_UK_About Page

  • Ask yourself:
    • What makes my brand so awesome?
    • How do my customers like to be spoken to?
    • Do I need to take more photos of the team or me?
    • Do I have behind the scenes pictures and products pictures that will look great?
    • If this was a landing page that ad traffic was coming to would I get enough about the brand to feel confident about making a purchase?

Your Instagram. Images tell your story. Are you asking yourself about what story you are actually telling every time you post? A combination of personal (relevant), behind the scenes, and lifestyle images are important. Be authentic about your brand and post images that will feel familiar when they come to your site. I suggest having a shop Instagram link on your site to showcase your Instagram feed and make it easy to buy or simply embed on your site.

  • Ask Yourself
    • Do I have an editorial calendar for the next 6 months that has product launches, merchandising themes and the newsletter mapped out?
    • How does my Instagram support my site? Do they say the same thing?
    • Does my Instagram account look like something I would follow? This is a big question. Most small brands I’ve noticed would answer no to this question.
    • Do I have a bank of images to use on a regular basis?
    • Do I need to edit or take more pictures of myself, or the brand?

Bellgray does an excellent job at curating a feed that is both behind the scenes, personal and all about product and lifestyle. At the time of this post they hadn’t even opened up their web store and they had 1200 followers!Bellgray_Instagram

PuraVida does an excellent job with integrating their Instagram images into their homepage. You can see where you hover over the image a shop the look button comes up allowing you to buy direct!

PuraVida_Instagram_Homepage

Your Weekend. Big businesses don’t do enough to get in front of their customers in an authentic way. Yes, they will sponsor events, and give out free things, but they don’t have the opportunity actually connect with their brand loyalists. Take advantage of your weekends to participate in selling events that actually get you in front of your customer. In Los Angeles two events come to mind: Echo Park Craft Fair and Unique LA. Both give brands an opportunity to sell to a captive audience who is ready to buy. By participating in these events you not only widen your exposure in person, but also digitally.

Gabriela Artigas, the jewelry brand based in Los Angeles will be showing at the Echo Park Craft Fair (ECPF). Check out the love they got from the ECPF Instagram handle. This doubles the impact that event will have for the brand since customers will have brand recognition when they walk into the fair. Not to mention that everyone loves Gabriela Artigas and that they have been around since 2003! If you go to one of the events you will undoubtedly see one of the designers and their staff- a great way to make a connection with your customer.

EchoParkCraftFair_Gabriela_Artigas

The next example is from a new brand, Clarke Collective. They are a boutique ceramics company that will be showing at Unique LA. Not only are they up on the Unique LA Instagram page, but Clarke also has the show up on their own homepage. This is an excellent way to drive traffic to the event in case customers have any hesitation purchasing online.

Unique_LA_CollectionUniqueLA_Craft

  • Ask Yourself:
    • Are there events that I can be a part of where my customers are?
    • Do some research into last years events in order to get an idea of what might be happening this year.
    • Do the event organizers have a strong social media following? Will they do enough to promote it? Don’t participate in events that don’t have a marketing plan.

Authentic fashion marketing is a genuine approach towards communicating with your customer. It’s about doing what the big brands can’t do which is to be transparent, nimble and getting in front of your tribe in an authentic way. It’s time to stop hiding behind the computer and get your face and brand in public.

Need help getting your authentic marketing strategy in place? Then it may be time to head on over for a consultation. Scaling Retail provides sales and marketing strategy for small to medium sized brands, just like you. I look forward to hearing from you! Email us at hello@scalingretail.com.