The fashion industry moves fast. I’m not just talking about the shift from slow fashion to fast fashion – but the rate at which the sector innovates, expands and changes.
Only a few centuries ago, fashion was a bespoke service, and a complete outfit was the result of hours, weeks and months of manual labour and face to face fittings. Now, we can shop online at any time of the day from any location that has internet, and have this weekend’s outfit delivered to our front door in a matter of hours.
With the ease of e-commerce and online shopping, fashion brands are branching out and going digital, harnessing the power of social media to increase their presence on a global scale. If you’re a fashion brand in 2018 and not online – you’re not in business - and it's a concept that I walk people through daily.
Running a fashion business in today’s complex digital market means being agile, up to date, and very aware, and you simply can’t ignore statistics. E-commerce, engagement and digital traffic isn't a daily conversation if you're late to the game or haven't grown up on Facebook, but it's the key focus at the upcoming Ragtrader LIVE ‘Fashion Decoded’ event.
Launching a label is one thing but getting 'online' and growing a digital presence is an entirely different ball game, and according to Ragtrader Editor, Assia Benmedjdoub, there’s a formula to it.
"Once a fashion brand has established a presence on social media, collaborations will become essential for growth. The most successful brands on Instagram credit their success to partnering with influencers, brand ambassadors, fans, advocates or complementary brands in other categories. This does not necessarily mean paid endorsements, but genuine partnerships that allow brands to tap into a new set of followers."
Working with ambassadors and tapping into the influencer market isn't the only tactic though, and Assia recommends a balanced approach to brand awareness.
"It’s essential to have balance. Fashion brands need to strike a balance between commercial and aspirational posts. While platforms such as Instagram and Facebook offer the option to monetise content, and drive sales, it's also important to build an overall brand message that engages followers. This means creating content around the product, such as posts featuring brand founders or related interests, and not just the merchandise itself. Lifestyle, food and travel imagery can often be used in this regard."
Join Assia Benmedjdoub as she digs deeper into the world of social media with Country Road’s digital guru Paul Conti, influencer Steph Claire Smith, Instagram fashion heavyweight Eva Chen, and PAS Group head of digital Anna Samkova on July 24th for Ragtrader LIVE’s ‘Fashion Decoded’ event.
Book at ragtrader.com.au/live and use RTRVIP18 at the checkout for 15% off tickets.
The Fashion Advocate x
