Social Media Marketing (SMM) is relatively a modernized form of digital marketing when compared with other models like Search Engine Marketing, Website Marketing, etc. However, that is not to say that Social Media Marketing is entirely an untapped newcomer. As far as 2004, Silicon Valley big guns touted a time when adverts will be tailored to match the individual needs of their audience, and a glimpse of such times thrilled us when they appeared in Sci-Fi movies. Now, fast forward to 2017 Social Media Marketing is a 36-billion-dollar market that has out-performed all established expectations.
Unlike websites, TVs, Radios, and Newspapers, where marketers have to depend on random emails and product sale records as the only feedback source, SMM provides brand executives the luxury of communicating live with visitors, clients, and customers to get up-to-the-minute reactions about current and future plans. In fact, some Social Networking Platforms have incorporated analytical tools that monitor, record and offer suggestions to business persons usually for some asking price.
When a fashion and apparel industry makes use of social networking websites or/and mobile applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc to improve brand presence and increase sales, it is known as Fashion Social Media Marketing and it constitutes about 70% of SMM.
It is true that the rapid availability of the internet and interconnected electronic devices have fueled the growth of SMM. Nevertheless, more than anything SMM’s ability to be used effectively to serve different roles in the entire operation of a firm has made it an indispensable marketing platform.
SMM means different things to different firms. Some firms use Social Media Networks to engage their audience exclusively, they listen and talk with their audience via social media websites. Others use Social media script to Increase brand awareness and reputation, simply by posting contents that appeal to their audience on social media platforms. Still others use Social Media websites as a monitoring tool to improve customer services, they mine analytical data and use the information to maneuver their operations where necessary. Whichever way you deem fit to use Social Media, it will do the task for a comparatively cheaper cost. It is this feature of SMM that has made it a delectable instrument in the hands of fashion entrepreneurs and brand marketers.
On top of that, fashion and social media share a common interest which is: Multimedia, especially images, animations and videos. You see, Social media agencies need an enormous amount of multimedia to keep their users engaged and attract new users, so they work hard to structure their networking websites into a multimedia-friendly database. Fashion brands, on the other hand depend on multimedia to showcase their colorful apparel to prospective buyers, so they create lots of multimedia contents and merge them seamlessly into the fabric of Social Media.
Many who have ventured into SMM blindly have had to deal with many distressing setbacks. Others have expended valuable time, money and effort to create and promote a Social Media Page only to have the page taken down by the Social Media Agency for reasons they do not know.
SMM is huge, with over 186 social networking websites today, selecting a website that suits your online need is a challenge. So how do fashion and apparel brand entrepreneurs thrive with SMM?
This is where our company, AIS Technolabs comes into the picture. Talk to our Fashion Social Media campaigning expert, tell them what you hope to achieve with marketing through Fashion Social Media and your proposed strategy. Our experienced SMM personnel will tell you the importance of thorough planning before embarking on a marketing project. Below are 5 steps that he will follow:
- Set a target : Our SEO expert will prepare a plan and suggest to you what platforms to use for different purposes effectively. E.g. Facebook works best when you hope to gather analytical data, Twitter is probably the best tool for customer engagement while Instagram and Snapchat can serve as brand promotional tools for a fashion industry.
- He understands the terms and conditions, restrictions and features of each one of the social media websites you intend to use. He also understands your target customers, what appeals to them and at what is the preferred time.
- Post valuable content frequently : You as a client, have to heavily invest on your content. Although your audience requires you to post frequently, they also would expect quality images and won’t settle for less. Our in house SEO team will be wholly dedicated to posting new images, infographics, animations or videos at least once every two days.
- Engage your audience : Having the option to talk with your customers and make out their reactions is probably the finest thing that has ever happened to the world of marketing. Our experts of marketing of Fashion Social Media will recommend that you structure a team which will be responsible for keeping an open line of communication between your company and your customers.
- Keep a record and embrace new platforms : Our SEO team will consistently monitor and keep record of your SMM campaign. Highlight what works, what doesn’t and why. Be flexible and maneuver your approach when there is a need for adjustments.