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Here's how fashion brands get their followers mouths watering (and how you can copy them!)
Fashion brands and Instagram go together like jeans and white tees.AKA really, really well.Consumers are all for connecting with fashion brands on Instagram too.Since 80% Instagrammers follow a business account, 60% discover new products on the platform and 75% of users take action after viewing a post – it’s the place to be for fashion designers, retailers and e-commerce brands.But with 96% of fashion brands on Instagram in the U.S. alone, it can be a tough gig actually standing out.In this post, we’ll equip you with fresh and interesting ideas to inspire your fashion brand’s Instagram strategy and take yours to the next level.
What You’ll Find in This Article
- Why Fashion Brands and Instagram are the Perfect Fit
- The Future of Fashion Brands on Instagram
- Strategies Top Fashion Brands are Using to Stand Out on Instagram
- Innovative Photoshoot Styles
- Introducing Interesting Grid Themes
- Running Unique Giveaways to Capture Untouched Markets
- Personalising IGTV Content to Boost Engagement and Entertainment
- Final Thoughts for Fashion Brands on Instagram
- Actionable Takeaways
- Over to You
Why Fashion Brands and Instagram are the Perfect Fit
As a visuals-first platform, Instagram is the perfect social media platform for fashion brands. Team this with key community-building components and Instagram can be seen as a social media leader for the fashion field.Some of the key reasons Instagram suits fashion brands perfectly is:
- Fashion brands can create beautiful online catalogues on their feed
- Two-way engagement allows fashion brands to reach out to and communicate with their customers
- Story stickers (like polls and questions) include consumers in the brand’s story
- Hashtags allow for easy targeting of fashionistas, fashion-lovers and those who align with the brand’s messaging
- Product tagging encourages purchases (and shoppers can checkout right from the platform)
- Branded hashtags collate User Generated Content for brands to repurpose and showcase
- 77% of fashion micro influencers prefer Instagram and act as powerful brand ambassadors
With so many reasons for fashion brands to be on Instagram, and consumers waving their woo-girl arms about it too, does the future look as bright?
The Future of Fashion Brands on Instagram
Instagram recently announced the imminent rollout of in-app purchasing. So, it’s never been more important for fashion brands to get serious about turning up on Instagram.While shoppable posts have been around since 2016, users will soon be able to purchase straight from the app, without being redirected to an external website.Onsite purchasing could lead to more targeted ads. For example, collecting data about purchasing decisions straight from Instagram could allow fashion brands to learn more about their consumers and predict future preferences for buying.
Does your fashion brand offer shoppable posts? Tag products, people and places all within the planning stage using Sked Social!
Ahead of this development, we see fashion brands upping the ante in the captioning department too.It may shock you, but currently, just 16.82% of fashion brands use call-to-actions. While spelling out a user’s next steps may feel a little forced, it is a powerful way to encourage purchases right within the platform. If strategising your fashion brand’s captions is something that’s slipped your mind, now’s the perfect time to get started.Since we know that Instagram is the perfect platform for fashion brands to be using, let’s take things up a notch and explore unique Instagram strategies current fashion brands are excelling with.
Strategies Top Fashion Brands are Using to Stand Out on Instagram
Due to the platform’s intense suitability, fashion brands saturate Instagram’s marketing platform. So it makes sense that standing out is essential to cut through the competing noise.Here we’ve combined our top picks of fashion brands implementing unique Instagram strategies to inspire you.
Strategy #1 Innovative Photoshoot Styles
Featured Brands: David Jones and Dissh
Sick of snapping the same sorts of photoshoots as everyone else? David Jones and Dissh are the perfect examples of fashion brands mixing up their product displays on Instagram.
David Jones showcases creative photoshoots
Stark white lighting, a shiny bag taking centre stage and lots of empty space. These are a few things we’re used to seeing from handbag shoots. But David Jones (@davidjonesstore) stands out from the pack with their almost artistic photoshoot displays.In a recent campaign for Derby Day, David Jones cleverly arranged photoshoot props and products to resemble intricate fascinators. If that’s not pure genius, we don’t know what is!There’s something pretty wonderful about the way DJ portrayed luxury and fashion-forward elements of the recognisable event without the typical horse, field-side or runway content captures.
Dissh Boutiques mixes up their backdrops
If you’re a fashion brand who sells accessories, such as earrings, you’ll know how tough it can be to truly capture them in photo shoots.Whether it’s the way they sit, the intense ear closeups or similar tones in the pieces to the model’s skin. And come on, ears aren’t the most enticing part of the body!Dissh (@dissh_boutiques) has begun putting a clever solution into practice – Using books and pages for flat lays.
Within the fashion industry, it can often be tricky composing imagery that looks as good off as it does on. But we see earrings as the exception in this case.Going against the grain and challenging the norm, we love that Dissh’s clever backdrops emit emotive words to add personality to their shots.
Takeaway:
Photo shoots don’t need to be drab or repetitive in style. As part of your fashion brand’s Instagram strategy, try experimenting with different layouts. Whether that’s assembling your products into an event-specific composition or simply mixing up your backdrops.Photoshoot projects could also make for interesting brand collaborations. Think artists, hand letterers, graphic designers and print mediums each teaming with your fashion brand to capture interesting shots.
Strategy #2 Introducing Interesting Grid Themes
Featured brands: Zara and Chanel
We’re sure you’ve explored a wide range of grid themes for your fashion brand. Maybe you’ve found the perfect one for you. Or perhaps you’re on the hunt for something that is more likely to stand out on Instagram. Here are two grid layouts we are living for at the moment.
Zara’s Digital Magazine Layout
When classic-meets-modern fashion brand, Zara (@zara) begins using a stylish Instagram grid layout, the world takes note. Why? Well, in our eyes, the brand can do no wrong!Posting images across the grid with matching themes or models offers an interesting look. Add in consistent white borders and we’re getting serious magazine feels.
Since fashion brands have the ability to showcase their products on Instagram, a look book or magazine styled layout offers a combination of our favourite things:
- High-quality, clear image captures of products
- A mix of content to appeal to the fashion brand’s varied audience
- Continuity mixed with a visual experience
- Interesting use of reposting similar content
Chanel’s product release uses innovative grid announcements
Chanel’s (@chanelofficial) Instagram strategy is pretty darn impressive. In fact, the mega fashion brand is often asked about the ins and outs of what goes into it. But an important point of discussion is their product release for the Gabrielle fragrance. While the overall grid combination was a beautiful display of branded colours and a single letter to spell out the fragrance’s name, each individual post packed a punch too.
Across each post, a selection of models spoke words beginning with the letter featured in that post. Gabrielle’s tagline is “a floral fragrance with a rebel heart.” By using brand ambassadors to explain who the fragrance was for, this gave an authentic feel to the promotion. And if anything an inspiring accompaniment to the perfume’s release.
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Takeaway:
Offering your brand’s audience interesting grid layouts could have them coming back for more, simply for the eye candy. Team this with interesting, inspiring or entertaining posts and you’re onto a winner.How will you be releasing your next product? Why not take a leaf out of Chanel’s book and turn this into a full-blown experience for your audience!
Strategy #3 Running Unique Contests to Capture Untouched Markets
Feature brand: Bonds
We’ve seen loop giveaways a thousand times. And don’t get us wrong, they can work wonders for a fashion brand. But mixing up your contest types could entice a new audience to join your tribe. Here’s one of our favourites.
Bond’s baby search competition welcomes furry friends
Bonds (@bondsaus) is a big player in the fashion space for basic, staple items. And since 2011, they’ve run their annual Bonds Baby Search. Essentially parents submit cute photos of their bubs, then entrants are encouraged to share their submission on social media and ask people to vote for their little one.FYI: In 2019 prizes reached a whopping $40k in value. And the ultimate winning bub is featured in a video campaign (amongst enjoying a bunch of other goodies too).Realising that not all of their audience were parents to human babies, Bonds introduced the Fur Baby search.
Bonds teamed with Meals for Mutts and Whiskas to offer a year’s supply of food to the overall fur baby winner.Now, you might be thinking that this is an unusual mix. And admittedly, it kind of is. Bonds don’t offer pet clothes, they actually don’t offer pet anything. But by promoting their giveaway on Instagram and having entrants enter their email address, Bonds were able to continue marketing to entrants through emails long after the competition ended. Smart move Bonds, smart move.
Takeaway:
Giveaways teaming with complementary brands is one thing. But competitions that leverage an audience who otherwise may not have interacted with the fashion brand in the first place is pure genius.Think of an audience your fashion brand could appeal to, that isn’t currently within your reach. Sure there’s the sunglasses and bikini brand collaborative ideas.But what about a women’s clothing brand and florists? Or men’s fashion and hardware brands? Yep, their industries differ, but we can almost guarantee that there will be shared interests between the two.
Strategy #4 Personalising IGTV Content to Boost Entertainment and Engagement
Featured brands: ASOS and Her Pony
Now that users can view IGTV content within their Instagram newsfeed, it’s the perfect time for fashion brands to inject a healthy dose of strategy.
ASOS shares their ‘Top Piece’ picks on IGTV
Apart from their free shipping and easy returns offerings, ASOS (@ASOS) also go above and beyond to communicate their consumer-first messaging.Sharing personalised IGTV content that features team members is a clever way of humanising the brand. Seamlessly incorporating the human touch to their Instagram strategy, ASOS has introduced a new content series.The fashion brand’s ‘top picks’ campaign shows team members sharing their favourite ASOS pieces. And we’re not talking only the big wigs here. ASOS even hands the reins over to Junior Fashion Editors who resonate with the brand’s younger target market.
As part of this smart move, often the ‘top picks’ include unreleased pieces.This works to:
- Get their audience excited about new pieces hitting the stores soon
- Drive traffic back to their Instagram feed and website to check if the pieces have been released
- Offer potential customers reassurance that others think these pieces are great too
- Provide sneak peeks behind the curtain to emphasise the importance of being part of ASOS’s Instagram community
Her Pony The Label publishes short films to entertain their audience and keep eyes on their content for longer
One of Australia’s favourite bespoke fashion brands, Her Pony (@herponythelabel) boasts a younger target audience and a huge 126K following on Instagram. But that’s no reason for the brand to become comfortable with their content types. Instead, they know how important having eyes on your content for longer is to the Instagram Algorithm.Recently Her Pony has begun making use of IGTV to share short films and documentary-style videos showcasing their garments.Their Ariana collection launch came with a fully fledged IGTV feature where a model plays Ariana Grande and meets with a hilarious stylist. While the script may be a little loose and the acting isn’t Hollywood level, within two days the video had been watched over 1000 times.The clip also included a changeroom montage reminiscent of a 90s film. Come on, nostalgia much?Her Pony’s IGTV use presents as a new and interesting way to showcase each piece on Instagram.
Sharing the many faces of their brand, other IGTV content published by Her Pony gives glimpses behind the making of their garments.In a documentary-style capture of the team’s recent trip to Bali, Her Pony shares short interviews with their overseas team members who all love working for the fashion brand. This builds a closer connection between the brand and its audience by sharing transparent footage of their pieces in the creation phase.
Takeaway:
Personalising content can help fashion brands stand out on Instagram. With the platform’s varied medium types, IGTV acts as a powerful platform to share inspiring, entertaining and insightful footage.Creating unique content that keeps eyes on your posts for longer is favoured by the Instagram Algorithm. And by getting creative with your Instagram content, this will help your Instagram content be viewed by a wider audience.
Final Thoughts for Fashion Brands on Instagram
It’s important for fashion brands to stand out on Instagram since this social media channel is so popular across a wide range of consumers. In a crowded market filled with over-done campaign shoots, offer your audience a more exciting experience with these game-changing posting strategies.
Actionable Takeaways
- Try experimenting with your photoshoot compositions for scroll-stopping imagery
- Use interesting backdrops like books and magazines instead of the classic plain white
- Plan a grid theme for your fashion brand and incorporate launch strategies on Instagram
- Collaborate with other brands on giveaways to reach an untouched market
- Try new video formats such as documentary-style or short films on IGTV to keep viewers engaged longer
- Get your team members involved to create more personable connections with your audience
Over to You
Having the right tools under your belt makes it easier to share stand-out content for fashion brands on Instagram. Sked Social allows you to tag other accounts, locations and more with the click of a button. Create branded graphics, regram UGC and schedule Stories and more, all within Sked Social. To save 5+ hours per week creating, scheduling and sharing content, sign up for Sked Social’s 7-day free trial today!
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