Source: GettyImages – Gallo Images ROOTS RF collectionAnna Bizon
Hey guys,
Two weeks ago we covered how to use social media to grow your business. This week,we’re going to talk a little more about the necessary preliminary steps to go about achieving that.
Like anything in business, the more thoroughly you cover the basics and foundations, the higher the chances of it becoming a success later on. Think of the story ‘The Three Little Pigs’ – you want to build your house – or in this case, your social media – out of bricks to ensure it’s longevity.
Thankfully, you don’t need a masonry degree in order to do this. In fact, with a little time and attention to detail, you’ll be able to build yourself a solid social media platform in no time.
Are your social media foundations built of brick or straw ? Consult our list below to find out.
Brand Identity
Do your Social Media accounts all have a direct link to your fashion brand ? By looking at them, can customers make a clear connection between your social and internet sites ? Social Media accounts should be thought of as an extension of your existing website, rather than as something entirely separate. There should be coherent similarities, such as matching profile pictures (preferable a logo) and similar content. This will ensure that your social media accounts aid in reinforcing your brand identity rather than confusing it.
Self-Explanative
Are your social media accounts self-explicable ? Could a new customer make an accurate judgement on their purposes with a quick glance over your profile ? All of your social media sites should include a brief and accurate description of your fashion brand. This should be sharp and snappy if possible, but more importantly, answer the most basic question someone with no knowledge of your brand will have, i.e what do you do? Alongside this – especially as description lengths are often limited – it’s essential to have a link to your website, allowing the social media platform to do its job of driving interest to your brand and traffic to your site.
Smart Following
Do you follow relevant people on your social media platforms ? Are you mixing in the right cyber circles ? If you are selling dresses, avoid following accounts that showcase burgers. This will not only prevent irrelevant content being featured on your news feed, but by following accounts with some correlations to your own, you are more likely to be selected as a suggestion to people in your target audience. Following people who are also in the fashion industry will also make interacting and getting noticed in the appropriate cyber community easier.
Appropriate Posting
Do you have enough, relevant and inspiring content ? Is your content exciting, does it drive likes and follows from your target audience ? Compiling some of the points briefly touched on above, the quality of your posts is extremely important. Keep your posts relevant, regular and succinct with your brand identity. If your target audience is mothers, stay away from posting taboo slogans as these will not only confuse your brand but may be detrimental to the way your audience perceive it. Avoid using your brand’s account as your personal account – disconnect it from your own interests, instead putting yourself into the mind of your brand, thereby catering to your target audience.
Interlinking Accounts
Are you using your social media platforms succinctly ? Do you make appropriate usage of each platform depending on the message you want to convey ? Each Social Media platform has it’s qualities and drawbacks: Twitter is great for shouty messages, Pinterest for visuals, Instagram a mix of the two and Facebook for messaging and lengthier texts. Before you post, think about which platform best suits your needs. You should also consider sharing across multiple social sites – but again, be selective. A shared Instagram post looks great on Facebook, but is pretty useless on twitter. Be sure to share appropriately to ensure your followers see you as an asset on their feed rather than ‘spam.’
by Stephanie Cvetkovic for Fashion Cross Functional
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