Visual social channels, those that emphasize images and videos, work best for fashion products. Pinterest is a good example.
Social media marketing can be unclear and confusing for smaller B2B companies. Fashion and lifestyle companies, in particular, often don’t understand why they need social media or the best way to use it.
Why Social Media?
There are five benefits to social media, in my experience.
- To build deeper relationships with existing customers and prospects
- To rank better in search engines
- To deliver faster and more personable customer service
- To establish digital credibility
- To create brand awareness.
Using Social Media
Channels. Visual channels, those that emphasize images and videos, work best for fashion products. Examples are:
- YouTube
- Facebook Groups
- LinkedIn.
There are many other social media networks worth checking out. KnowEm, which helps companies protect their brand names, lists over 500 popular networks.
Social media specialist. It may be worth hiring a social media specialist who can :
- Develop strategy and tactics
- Develop a content calendar for each channel
- Create the content — a mix of text, graphics, infographics, and videos.
A social media specialist can also promote content organically as well as through advertising. Even the best content needs to be optimized for YouTube, Pinterest, and hashtags on Instagram. Also, include social media links in email campaigns.
Repurpose content. Take the content you’ve created and rework it for various social media channels. This typically involves starting with a single blog post.
- Step 1: Write a keyword-based article for your blog
- Step 2: After the post is indexed on Google, use the same text on LinkedIn
- Step 3: Create Instagram posts from the same article with new graphics
- Step 4: Pin your Instagram posts on Pinterest using keywords and hashtags
- Step 5: Create a PowerPoint presentation and use it on SlideShare and similar sites
- Step 6: Convert your PowerPoint into a video for Instagram and YouTube.
Hashtags. Spend time researching hashtags. Create a list of branded and non-branded hashtag groups. Apparel wholesalers might have hashtag groups that look something like the following.
Non-branded
- Targeted customers (#boutiqueowner, #boutiqueowners, #storeowners)
- Products (#wholesaledresses, #wholesaletops)
- Location (#fashiondistrict, #sanpedromart).
Branded
- #nameofyourcompany, #nameofyourcompany+mainproduct.
Use a variety of hashtags, depending on the category of each post. Do not use the same hashtags for all posts, pins, and videos.
Promote social media content at optimum times for your business. And remember to communicate with engaged prospects and customers. This involves a blend of promotions, engagement, and customer service. Social media provides a more personable presence and facilitates interaction.
Traffic and sales. The benefits of social media go beyond generating immediate sales. I’ve listed five such benefits, above. Generally, however, social media should generate 2 to 5 percent of your total traffic and revenue. This number can increase dramatically if you invest in building a community of dedicated followers with high engagement rates.
Be sure to analyze your results regularly and implement new tactics based on performance.