Involvement & Engagement
People like to feel like they are part of something. They like to feel included. They like to feel special! So it is important to get them involved in your social media. Replying to comments is very important to making followers feel important and will make them feel heard. Creating hashtags is a great way to get people involved. They can use the hashtags on their posts and will feel like they are part of something bigger. Creating contests and sweepstakes is another great way to get consumers involved. Contests will give them a chance to express themselves. Hashtags and contests can also lead to user generated content. Using this content will make these users feel extra special, and it will also show other consumers another side of the brand.Another simple and very effective way to create authentic involvement and engagement is to ask consumers questions. Asking questions about products, will make consumers feel like they are involved in helping make decisions about brand products, and will give great feedback for market research. You can also ask questions about current events or entertainment, just make sure not to ask controversial questions, or bring up controversial topics (IE politics etc).
For example, have consumers post a photo of themselves in a new outfit that they purchased from your brand, tell them to tag your brand, and use a specific hashtag. This will make them feel very involved. You can even give them a chance to win something and you will get even more user generated content! Katie Hope explains that “companies with higher levels of engagement on Instagram are tending to grow their online sales faster than their less clued-up rivals, turning the traditional fashion hierarchy on its head.”
Create A Lifestyle
Creating a lifestyle for your fashion brand is very important, and Instagram especially allows brands to create a lifestyle for the brand. “Think about how your products fit into a larger “experience (Nicole Kohler)” and showcase this experience and lifestyle through Instagram. Nicole Kohler explains, “If you sell athletic shoes, it might make sense to focus on a larger athletic lifestyle, including health food and exercise; if you sell high heels, focus on coordinating clothing, jewelry, or other aspects of fashion.”
Nicole Kohler: Social media takeaways from 5 formidable fashion brands
Behind the scenes
Make consumers feel like VIPs by giving them “behind the scene” looks. Letting them see what is happening backstage at a fashion show, or see a part of production, or scenes of a photoshoot being taken. Posting images or videos that are “not intended” for viewers is exciting for consumers, it gives them a look into the side of fashion that isn’t normally shown on television or in the magazines. For example, something Like Bureberry did, you can show outfits and collections on Instagram before they are officially debuted. Giving them these “behind the scenes” photos and videos make customers feel like “they’re getting a peek inside a famously exclusive and private world (Katie Hope).”
Keep them Guessing
It is important to mix up the content that is posted. Get creative. You don’t want to post the
same exact type of photos/content every time. You will become predictable and your followers will get bored. See what type of post works best for you, and incorporate those type of posts more frequently, but make sure that those are not the only type of content you post. From doing a brand audit on a couple fashion brands, I noticed that a common type of photo received a lot more attention than others. These photos included a complete outfit, laid out on the floor, with no model. (Top, bottoms, shoes, purse, jewelry and other accessories). This might be something to try If you haven’t tried this type of post before. Make sure to keep thinking of new ideas that will keep followers guessing, and keep them wanting more content from you.
Post frequently
It is important for your brand to be active on social media. Posting regularly and frequently will “help to keep the brand name on the social feeds of their followers (Matthew Foster).”
Invest
The high end fashion brand Burberry spent 60% of their marketing on digital and social media. And “The return on investment that has been seen from this, purely in social media presence, has made them one of the most followed brands in high fashion,” says Matthew Foster. You can only go so far with a great campaign. To get the desired results it is a MUST that you invest lots of time into your social media accounts. It is also important to have a healthy amount of the budget going towards social media marketing. Boost those posts when you can.
Closing Note: Keep in mind: fashion and technology are alike, in that both have their trends. So what might be in now (Instagram), may not always be the right platform in the future.