The fashion industry is constantly evolving, but for all the stressful challenges fashion brands are facing in the post-covid economy, the evolution of content marketing and the power brands have to take their products and their voices directly to consumers through social media stands out as one of the sparkliest of silver linings.
Social media is an especially powerful tool in the fashion sector, allowing brands the opportunity to reach billions of internet shoppers across the globe and directly marketing their wares to consumers. To make the most of this unique opportunity, fashion brands must create a competitive, meaningful content marketing strategy.
At its best, original content engages, educates and entertains current and potential consumers in an authentic way that not only increases brand awareness and generates buzz but can also increase sales. Here are a few of our best tips and tricks for brands wanting to create or improve their content marketing strategies with a clear and effective messaging campaign.
1. Be Consistent
“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.”
Consistency is key. Too often brands get excited but then lose steam or get overwhelmed with other tasks and don’t keep posting or engaging with their audience on socials. The best thing you can do for your brand is to keep showing up. Post regularly and frequently to keep your audience engaged and your brand on their minds. If you can’t post daily, that’s ok, but you still should find a schedule that works for you and stick to it!
When you do post, make sure that all of your content is working together to tell your brand story. The look, feel and tone of voice used in your content should be consistent across all channels, so that the content you post on your social media channels conveys the same message as the imagery and copy on your website, PR and marketing materials and wholesale materials.
2. Don’t Just Tell a Story. Tell your Brand’s Story
A good brand story allows you to build an authentic connection with customers. What that requires of you is to be honest and open and share your experiences. Customers want to get to know the people behind their favorite brands. Why did you start your brand? What makes you excited about the products you’ve designed for your label?
If your brand is new, don’t feel like your story has to be fully written in stone. Your brand story can and should evolve with the brand as it grows. As your brand’s story does change, share that with your audience so they can come along on your brand’s journey. What should remain the same from day one are your brand’s values and mission, so customers know they can trust your company and rely on you to deliver consistently.
3. Provide Value & Information
It may sound counterintuitive, but don’t make selling the call to action of every post your brand creates. Delivering value to your target audience will build trust, make your content more shareable, and help more people discover your brand. Motivational messages and quotes, collaborations with influencers, user-generated content (UGC) that offers a look into how current customers are enjoying your best pieces, how-to videos and tutorials that offer style advice incorporating your products, BTS looks at how your brand runs, and giveaways provide value to your audience and will help build consumer trust.
Adding value to your content requires you to know what your target audience wants and needs, so don’t be afraid to course correct as you determine which types of posts are most meaningful to your audience. Remember, content should educate, engage, and excite your target audience so you can best serve them, their needs and interests. As you learn more about your target audience, you can better serve their needs and provide content that will resonate with them.
4. Be Where Your Target Audience Already Is
There’s no question that e-commerce, web content, and social media are integral for fashion brands in today’s economy. Sometimes it feels like to be successful, a brand has to be everywhere to keep up, but it’s better to work smarter and not harder when it comes to content marketing. When determining which networks to use for your brand, you need to understand each platform’s purpose, how it relates to the content you will be sharing, and which platforms on which your current customers and target audience are most active.
The key to content marketing for fashion brands isn’t to be everywhere, but rather to find the perfect platforms and partnerships that can best share your brand message to your target audience. After you launch and create valuable content, make sure that you’re sharing it to the platforms where your target audience is already turning for content. As new social media channels or trends develop, don’t feel compelled to immediately jump on the bandwagon, but rather stay attuned to what’s going on and determine what changes or updates will best serve your customers.
5. Share Compelling Creatives
Fashion-savvy consumers will look at your content to understand your brand. What does blurry, out of focus, heavily filtered imagery say about your brand? What does crisp, clear imagery that showcases your product accurately in a flattering layout say about your brand? Creating content that describes your product and solves user queries starts with having crisp, clear image and video files that can be used to create your content and tell your brand’s story. Making sure that all the content you share helps and doesn’t hinder your strategy is a must!
From magazine-worthy product posts of your latest pieces to shots of today’s hottest talent wearing your best sellers to compelling reels that entertain, giving your audience a clear look at what you’re selling must be integral to your content marketing strategy. No matter what the angle of your content, make sure you’re telling your story with high-resolution, visually compelling imagery and video to improve click-thru rates and stand out from the competition.
A polished content strategy can make all the difference for fashion brands. Not sure where to start? Look at your comments section and the questions your brand is most frequently being asked by your customer base and start by answering the questions current and potential customers are already asking.
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