London Fashion Week is a major highlight for brands globally, and fashion brands all over the world spend months preparing for the important week.
As the fashion industry becomes increasingly more crowded – estimated at $1.7 trillion (2023) – many brands are turning towards effective use of digital marketing to make themselves known.
With the increase of fashion-related content on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, digital marketing in fashion is more crucial than ever. Utilising digital marketing the correct way will ensure that your brand reaches the correct audience and drives them to make a purchase.
What are the benefits of digital marketing for fashion brands?
Social media marketing has a multitude of benefits for fashion brands, including increased brand awareness and customer engagement. It also enables the ability to reach a wider audience, increased website sales, fostering brand loyalty and higher engagements.
Increased brand awareness
With over 69% of marketers admitting to using social media to create brand awareness, it is a fundamental first step for any fashion brand in the process of gaining potential customers and ensuring loyalty in current customers.
Accurately matching your target customers’ wants and needs, and establishing your brand’s presence on social media will have a positive impact on brand awareness.
Higher engagement
Remaining relevant in today’s fast-paced environment is a key determinant of your brand’s success in the fashion industry. With the creation of “For You” feeds, organic and trendy content can be easily seen by users that might not typically engage with your brand’s content.
The use of posting of innovative and exciting content tailored to your audience will result in higher engagements and therefore more conversions in sales.
Enhance customer experience
By establishing a consistent digital marketing strategy that meets the needs of your customers with effective community management, your brand can ensure that they are remaining at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
91% of consumers believe in the power of using social media to connect with people, which is a clear indicator that fashion brand’s need to play a crucial role in fostering these connections.
By finding customers who love your brand and connecting with them, your brand can see an increase in customer retention and loyalty.
Drive website traffic
One of the most common benefits of having a sound social media strategy is the access to cost-effective traffic that wouldn’t usually be accessible to your brand otherwise.
As consumers’ purchasing habits have shifted, many now prefer shopping online and even through in-app shopping platforms, instead of the traditional in-store experience. By optimising and harmonising your brand’s website, social media and SEO, you can expect to see an increase in sales on your website.
Fashion industry digital marketing trends in 2024
Here are the latest fashion industry digital marketing trends we are seeing utilised in 2024:
Shopping from social media in-app platforms
The more time consumers spend on their favourite social media platforms, the more appealing it is for them to be able to shop from their favourite fashion brands right then and there.
From Facebook, to Tiktok, to Instagram, each social media platform is refining different ways for consumers to shop in-app, demonstrating that now is the best time for your fashion brand to refine its social media presence and optimise its website’s SEO.
Short-form video content popularity
Studies indicate that the average attention span has reduced to just 8.25 seconds, dropping from the 12 second average in 2000. This has led to an increase in popularity for short-form video content on social media platforms; in fact, today, they lead digital marketing and it is a commonly known fact that paid video ads can boost your brand’s success significantly.
Buying into visuals
Good visuals are a necessity for selling any product or service, but they are particularly important for fashion and clothing brands as customer’s enjoy envisioning their outfits before their products arrive.
It is shown in studies that consumers prefer to engage with images and videos over text posts, and by focusing on the right visuals and content creation, your brand can gain a competitive advantage and cut through the noise in the industry to stand out.
Omni-channel marketing
An Omni-Channel approach to your brand’s marketing strategy unlocks the power of harmonising all of your individual channels in order to create more beneficial results.
Fashion brands should choose Omni-Channel marketing because it provides a seamless and integrated shopping experience across all platforms, enhancing customer satisfaction.
The popularity has grown as consumers increasingly expect a unified brand experience, whether they’re browsing on social media, shopping online, or visiting physical stores.
The popularity of UGC
User-generated content, also known as UGC, is content created by customers that is specifically tailored to your fashion brand and is posted on social media.
As consumer pattern shows, customers prefer to take recommendations from people or figures that they find affinity with – 73% of shoppers say that UGC increases their purchasing confidence when shopping online.
In recent times, brands are now encouraging their customers to share their experiences and photos on social media platforms, not only building community but also providing social proof for potential customers.
Data-driven marketing
Data-driven marketing involves using data to make informed decisions about your brand’s marketing strategy. Fashion brands are increasingly turning to utilise this approach to gain invaluable insights into their customers’ behaviour, preferences and habits.
With the adoption of using data to spearhead marketing campaigns and strategy, fashion brands tend to perform better as they understand the people with whom they are holding social conversations.
How to use fashion digital marketing to boost your sales in 2024
Create an SEO brand website
In today’s fast-paced world, most customers tend to shop from their mobile devices, this is why it’s incredibly important for fashion brands to prioritise search engine optimisation (SEO). Optimising your brand’s website for SEO will help you rank higher in search engine results, therefore driving more organic traffic to your website.
By targeting relevant keywords and improving site visibility, your brand can attract a larger and more engaged audience – leading to an increase in sales and customer loyalty.
Establish and maintain a consistent social media presence
When establishing your brand’s social media presence, it is crucial to consider high quality and professional photographs as it can be difficult for your brand to instil trust into your customer’s without professional content creation.
Any social media marketing strategy should clearly align with your brand’s overall marketing goals and values, however in order to maintain your social media presence online, there should be consistent posting and activity so that your products remain relevant to your target audience.
Build a mailing list and send regular newsletters
For fashion brands, the sale doesn’t stop when the sale is made, in fact, the point of sale marks the beginning of a long-term relationship with your customers.
By reaching out to previous, current and potential customers, you are showing them that your brand cares about their satisfaction and wants to provide them with a seamless shopping experience.
This automation and flow will in turn build long-lasting relationships with your customers who will advocate for your brand to their friends and family – creating the necessary social proof needed to grow.
Types of digital marketing for fashion brands
Social media
Social media marketing is a powerful tool for fashion brands to go beyond traditional advertising by creating interactive campaigns, engaging with customers and building a strong brand identity.
Social media also provides the perfect platform for fashion brands to showcase their products and turn browsing into sales. For a digital-age community, having an online social media presence enables real-time feedback, community engagement and personalisation which in turn will translate into sales.
Email marketing
Email marketing is an effective way for fashion brands to directly connect with their customers by delivering personalised content, promotions, and product updates.
It allows brands to build customer loyalty through tailored recommendations based on browsing behaviour or past purchases, driving repeat sales.
By offering exclusive discounts, early access to new collections, and personalised offers, email marketing helps keep fashion brands top of mind and nurtures long-term customer relationships.
Paid media
Paid media enables fashion brands to quickly scale their advertising efforts and reach new audiences that might not be accessible through organic channels alone through platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Google Ads.
It allows brands to strategically place ads in front of potential customers based on demographics, interests, and shopping behaviours, driving traffic and conversions. With precise analytics and retargeting capabilities, paid media helps fashion brands optimise campaigns for maximum ROI and build brand awareness quickly in competitive markets.
Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is currently one of the most popular methods of social media marketing and involves working with an influencer with a following that connects with and resonates with your fashion brand to market your product.
Influencers will tend to work across multiple social media channels, therefore opening up the possibility of appealing to a wider audience.
As customer’s rely heavily on social proof before purchasing, it is important for brands to use influencer marketing in order to build a community, instil confidence in new customers and appeal to a wider audience.
SEO
SEO for clothing brands is critical for those wanting to succeed in the highly saturated industry. With millions of customers shopping online for clothing and accessories, clothing brands must stand out in order to see results.
By optimising your website for search engines, your brand will attract more quality visitors and as a result, improve your chances of sales. To ensure that your brand’s products don’t become invisible in a sea of online opportunities, it is crucial for clothing brands to invest in SEO for their websites.
How to create a powerful and successful social media marketing strategy for fashion brands
A strong social media marketing strategy is key for any fashion brand looking to grow and connect with its audience.
Creating a powerful and successful social media marketing strategy for fashion brands requires a mix of creativity, understanding your audience, consistent branding, and leveraging the right platforms.
For the first step, brands need to define their identity and understand their target audience deeply – this will in turn indicate which digital marketing services will be required to achieve goals. If you’re looking for tips, we have a dedicated guide on how to create a successful social media strategy.
Case studies from our fashion clients
CEEK has created tailored strategies and executions with brands such as Lily Phellera and Anissa Kermiche to increase engagement, boost sales and amplify their online presence.
Digital marketing is a fundamental part of growing your fashion brand’s awareness, engagement and sales. It also plays a pivotal role in amplifying your fashion brand, helping it connect with global audiences in real-time – through targeted campaigns, social media engagement, influencer collaborations and email marketing.
Effective digital strategies ensure that your brand will stay relevant and maximise its reach during London fashion week and beyond.
If you are looking for digital marketing services for your fashion brand, contact us to align on business goals and develop a bespoke strategy with execution.