Marketing is one of those things that seems simple but is actually very tricky. The principles are the same, whether you’re promoting a new product or releasing a public statement. However, marketing also requires finesse to pull off. You can’t expect to use a cookie-cutter approach to something so important to your future success. If you want your marketing strategy to succeed, you’ll need to consider a long list of variables.
This is especially important if you’re in the fashion industry. The retail market is saturated, and you have to stand out among thousands of competitors. Your marketing strategy should accomplish three things: lead generation, increased brand awareness, and higher revenues. And you have to do all that on a shoestring budget.
It may sound difficult, but it’s not an impossible task. Small businesses aren’t constrained by bureaucracy and organizational inertia. If you have something in mind, you can implement it right away. Of course, you have to be smarter with your finances. But with the right strategy, you can give your fashion business the boost it needs. Here are a few marketing tips to get you started.
1. Identify your target market
Fashion businesses live or die on the strength of their marketing campaigns. Whether you design your own clothes or resell them, you want your merchandise to end up in your customers’ closets. How do you get people to visit your store if no one knows where it is? You create a campaign that highlights your brand and what it can offer. It sounds simple enough, but there are other things you have to consider as well.
Not all clothing is designed the same. You also have to consider the type of clothing you sell. For instance, you can’t use a campaign for lingerie to sell winter wear. What you sell should dictate your target market. And once you know who you’re selling to, you can create a marketing strategy that will attract the right type of shopper. If you sell evening wear, you don’t want people coming in asking about pajamas.
2. Focus on people
Fashion is one of the most personality-obsessed industries in the world. Big retail brands routinely enlist the services of celebrities to promote their products. Practically every major magazine is filled with pages of athletes or models wearing the latest collections. But just because you can’t afford to hire a celebrity doesn’t mean you’re out of options.
Your marketing campaigns need to be focused on people. At the very least, you want to feature people wearing your clothes. It could be a hired model, a friend, or even one of your customers. The goal is to get people to imagine themselves in your clothing. Visual marketing is also a compelling way to present clothing as an important part of a person. You’re selling a lifestyle, not just pieces of cloth stitched together.
3. Allow customers to test the product
From fragrance oil suppliers to fashion designers, samples and fittings have always been an intrinsic part of the fashion retail experience. After all, most people don’t want to buy something they can’t test. It’s the only opportunity the customer will have to test the product before purchase. If you don’t allow customers to try the merchandise, meeting sales targets can be challenging.
You can influence the purchase decision process by improving the fitting experience. Start by adding chairs, mirrors, and lighting in the fitting rooms. You can also place scent diffusers in certain places to drive fragrance sales up.
4. Push your brand
Fashionistas are a very picky bunch. They’re knowledgeable about fashion and know what they want. They also have high standards. Taste often differs from customer to customer, so there’s no point in trying to capture the entire market. Instead, you want to push your brand and hope that the campaign attracts the type of clientele you want.
Fashion is more emotional than logical. We all need to wear clothes, but you need to convince shoppers why they need to spend extra on high fashion. If you sell luxury products, then your brand must exude elegance and style.
A final word
These four marketing tips will help you make your mark on the retail business. Promoting a fashion business can be challenging, especially during a rocky market. But if you play your cards right, you can build a business that will stand the test of time.
