It can be so tricky get your fashion brand off the ground. You’ve probably spent countless hours bringing your vision for the product to life, you decided on your logo, you designed the hangtags, and you put together the line sheet, and may be thinking, now what?
It’s time for marketing!
It seems such an easy task, right? Set up some social media profiles, put together a website, send out some press releases. But, what do you do if still, after those countless hours of work, no one is biting?
One great way to reach your audience is to partner with people who already have a following of people who match your target demographic. I’m talking about bloggers! You’ve probably heard about the super-star fashion bloggers who partner with all the top designers and may be thinking to yourself, “How am I ever going to reach that girl with millions of Instagram followers?” Well, to be honest, you wont right away, but the good news is there a TON of different fashion bloggers out there in the digital world, and many of them would absolutely love to partner with your brand.
Below are a few quick ways to get your products in the hands (and on the Instagram profiles) of some style influencers.
- Find and follow them on social media.
Search hashtags, location filters, and suggested accounts for bloggers who seem to fit within your target demographic. Look at their style and see if it’s a good match for your brand. This person will essentially act as a brand representative, so you want to be sure it’s a natural fit.
Once you’ve found them, follow their social media accounts and give their posts some love! Hopefully, they reciprocate and follow you back. If not, try sending them a direct message, or emailing them through the address listed in their profile.
- Create an agreement that works for both of you.
All bloggers are different, so it’s only natural that they each have different ways for working with brands. Some will be happy to do a post in exchange for product, others will require compensation to feature your brand, and others may ask for a percentage of the sales they help you generate. Go in with what you are prepared to offer, but hear them out and work with them to find what works best for your budget.
- Share the content they are creating with your audience.
Having an influencer wear your product is a big deal. Be sure to share the posts they create on your social media channels, and list it on the press page of your. The blogger will appreciate the love back, and your audience will enjoy seeing an influencer wear your product.
Author: Lindsay Viker (Executive Member – FGI Arizona)
Lindsay Viker has had a passion for all things beautiful since she was a young girl. This passion led her to the fashion industry, and founding CoutureintheSuburbs.com in 2012. What started as a way to gain experience during her college years has turned into a mission to help people around the United States connect to their local community of artists. Active in her own community, Lindsay regularly networks with designers, artists, and entrepreneurs. She hosts events to help others improve their businesses, while belonging to professional organizations to help her improve her own.