Traditionally, fashion brands depended on a small group of high-status influencers and celebrities to determine what we saw as fashionable. But today, anyone can become an influencer or start their own clothing label.
This democratization of fashion has made streetwear more accessible. Moreover, it has created a new form of hype around products.
Influencers are the new fashion leaders
Influencers are changing the way that fashion is marketed. They have the capacity to sway an audience with hot takes on the latest trends, and they can be a valuable partner for brands looking to scale their audience profitably.
When it comes to high-quality streetwear, many influencers are creating timeless looks that stand the test of time. They are also able to evoke emotion and encourage their audiences to buy their coveted pieces.
In the past, celebrities and models were the go-to fashion inspirations for shoppers, but now a growing population of influencers is staking out their own place as trendsetters, pushing fashion boundaries by testing new looks and kickstarting trends. This shift has caught the eye of tech-savvy brands, who have jumped at the opportunity to work with these influencers to scale their audience and make more money.
Instagram, in particular, has become the primary channel for these influencers to communicate with their audience. They are able to share their experiences with the products that they wear, and they can also give advice on how to style their outfits.
These influencers can be anything from supermodels to industry experts. They can even be nano-influencers with a small number of followers but an expertly cultivated online reputation that makes them a valuable resource for brands.
To make it as a fashion influencer, you must understand your target audience and how to best connect with them. This includes knowing your brand’s values and creating content that aligns with those values. For example, Fendi has a mission to help people turn their dreams into reality. Harlow is a great fit for their brand because she also advocates for inclusivity, and her message aligns very much with the company’s values.
Moreover, you should always ensure that your content is authentic and credible. This is especially important if you are working with a high-end brand, as your followers may not be familiar with it.
The key to success as a fashion influencer is to be consistent, make your audience feel like they are being influenced by you, and give them a gulp of fresh air. This will encourage them to follow your social media pages and engage with your posts. This will lead to a more active and loyal following, ultimately what brands seek.
TikTok is the new Instagram
TikTok is the newest app to hit the social media scene, and it’s quickly catching up to Instagram as one of the world’s largest platforms. With billions of active users, it’s also quickly becoming a leading destination for trending music, fashion, and humor topics.
It’s also a great place for brands to reach new audiences and build brand awareness. The app’s short videos make it easy to share content that appeals to a wide range of people, from young and fashion-conscious teens to adults who enjoy carefree content meant to make them laugh.
Many fashion brands now take advantage of this growing trend and create their own TikTok videos. Some are making their version of the #Guccimodelchallenge, which has been incredibly popular, while others are using the platform to demonstrate their style and creativity.
But even though it’s a newer platform, there are still some kinks to work out when it comes to using it as a marketing tool. For starters, marketers must understand their target audience’s interests and goals before they can successfully use TikTok to promote their products or services.
To start with, brands should be sure that their content is entertaining and relates to the type of content that users are already engaging with on TikTok. This means avoiding over-produced content and focusing instead on sharing raw, organic, and authentic content.
Similarly, brands should make their video campaigns a little more interactive by responding to comments made by their followers. This way, they can answer questions, clear up misconceptions, follow their fans’ requests, and help to create a more community-focused experience for their followers.
Another key to success is to ensure that your video is of high quality. The app has robust editing tools that allow users to crop, flip, rotate, and change the speed of their videos. Moreover, it has an extensive library of filters and effects that can be used to add a splash of fun to their videos.
While TikTok is primarily a mobile-based app, it’s also available on desktop and the web. This allows brands to leverage the platform’s global user base, largely made up of a young and fashion-conscious audience.
Gen Z craves time spent with people in real places
While Gen Z may be glued to their devices, they also crave face-to-face time. They want to be able to have real conversations and feel like their friends are there for them. That’s why social media apps that allow you to connect with your friends and family in person are booming.
TikTok is one of these apps. It’s a video platform that offers many editing tools for users, making it easy to create short-form content. It’s a popular platform for Gen Z, and it has 70% of its users saying they would recommend it to others.
However, there are some nuances to the use of this app that marketers need to take into account. While it can be a great way to build brand awareness, Gen Z users aren’t necessarily in the habit of following every single account they see on the app, according to Dretsch. Instead, they tend to follow accounts that have a wide variety of interests.
In addition, Gen Zers aren’t necessarily in the habit of going out and spending money on things they see online. This is a change from past generations, which grew up during an economic recession and dealt with a world of war and political unrest.
This is why many brands aim to reach this generation through social media. They’re looking to get their products into the hands of this group of consumers who are already making purchases and have a strong affinity for brands that deliver authenticity.
While Instagram is viewed as a hub for a user’s social media experience, Gen Z prefers TikTok for its bite-sized entertainment. They believe that the videos they watch on TikTok are more spontaneous than the ones they see on Instagram. They also like that TikTok allows users to post videos without a caption, which they think is good for people with mental health problems.
Lastly, they believe that TikTok is a more organic place for brands to promote themselves. It’s a place where they can show how they’re making their products and give them a chance to tell their story.
Brands are using social media to drive traffic to stores
In the social media world, a brand can create a strong sense of loyalty with its consumers by creating relevant and engaging content. This kind of engagement can translate into a higher percentage of online purchases, leading to an increase in in-store sales.
To help your social media efforts stand out from the crowd, it’s important to have a plan that includes a variety of different channels and tactics that will increase your brand’s visibility. One of the best ways to do this is by integrating your social campaigns with your other marketing tactics and goals.
Many brands are using social media as a way to boost their in-store footfall. For example, Kellogg’s used an Instagram competition to drive awareness of their in-store offers. Combined with their geotargeted Facebook ads, they saw an uplift of 31% in in-store traffic amongst 22–25-year-olds and 11% for the 26-35 age group.
It is also a great way to reach new followers and promote special deals. You can also use hashtags to engage with your audience and get them to interact with your brand.
Another great way to grow your social media presence is to explore your competitors’ strategies. This will help you learn how they work and how you can better adapt your own campaigns to achieve the same results.
As a social media manager, you must understand your audience’s needs and behaviors to provide the best possible experience for them. This can be done by analyzing the types of questions your followers are asking, what type of content they like, and what their shopping behavior looks like.
This is especially important if you are looking to build a long-term social media strategy. This information can help you decide when to post content and what type of content you should create.
When it comes to social media, you need to have a consistent message and a way to measure its impact on your business. This is why developing KPIs (key performance indicators) that you can track over time is important. Then, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your social campaigns and determine whether you need to make changes.
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