What is Social Media?Social media has completely changed the landscape of the fashion business. What was once an industry primarily dominated by the big guys like Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton and Guess, social media has allowed smaller and newer lines to successfully market their brand and their products. With the power of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, fashion companies are able to reach thousands and even millions of people without having to resort to expensive magazine spreads or billboard ads. Therefore, social media has really become the great equalizer in the marketing space for businesses in many different sectors. But just how did social media even get started? It began with a want for connecting and sharing information, not necessarily for marketing and selling.

Before delving into a brief history of social media, lets first define the term. Social media is a permissive and interactive form of information sharing. The element of permission and interaction are how it greatly differs from traditional media. Advertising vehicles, like commercials and magazine ads, don’t require your permission to be displayed [The exception to the rule of permission within social media is the use of paid advertising, in which certain posts or business accounts get displayed to a user based on their viewing activity and interest. This is why you would see Facebook posts from companies you haven't liked or tweets from accounts you haven't followed.], nor can they receive feedback from you. The back and forth interaction between the message giver and the message receiver is what makes social media, SOCIAL.

The first versions of social media were more like message boards where the creators posted announcements & meetings for their friends to read. Then came the chat rooms (remember the trolls that instigated fights?) which were then followed by the platform, Geocities in 1994. It allowed users to create mini websites, much like how Wordpress and Blogger allow people to create their own blogs. Blogging soon followed in 1997.

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What is Social Media?Shortly after, Wikipedia emerged in 2001, which was then followed by the social networking sites, Friendster in 2002 and Myspace in 2003. LinkedIn (a social networking site geared towards professionals) and Facebook (a social networking site originally intended for college students) soon launched. Then in 2005, YouTube emerged, which preceded Twitter’s launch in 2006. But what further fueled social media isn’t another social sharing site. It was a smartphone that Apple launched in 2007 (the iPhone), which enabled users to access social sites much easier through the use of apps. This was then further amplified with the rise of e-commerce and the creation of other more affordable smartphone alternatives.

Now, fashion companies use social media platforms like Instagram to post pictures of their lines, Twitter to communicate with their customers, Facebook to post exciting announcements, YouTube to broadcast their campaign videos, and Pinterest to illustrate their brand story! All these ways of using social media have dramatically contributed to the continuing rise of e-commerce. Hubspot reports that consumers are 71% more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals  and Investpsoft indicates that 4 in 10 social media users have purchased an item online or in-store after sharing it on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

No wonder online shopping reached a total of $296B last year in 2013! This is why we wrote this e-book - to show you just how important social media is to the success of your fashion business and how you can easily get started!

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What Social Media Platforms Should You Know About?

Social Networking

Social Bookmarking

Photo Sharing

Social News

Video Sharing

Why Is Social Media Important?

❏ 1 in 4 people worldwide use Social Media (eMarketer)

❏ 65% of Americans are on Social Media (Pew Internet)

❏ There are over 1.15 billion people on Facebook (Social

Bakers)

❏ 71% of people in the US are on Facebook (Pew Internet)

❏ More than half a billion people globally are on Twitter

(Telegraph)

❏ Approximately 46% of online users count on social media

when making a purchase decision (PR Web)

❏ Social media produces almost double the marketing leads

of trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail, or PPC

(Hubspot)

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❏ Low barrier of entry

❏ No lead-time in content production!

❏ Delivers results!

❏ 43% of marketers saw an increase in sales due to Social

Media (The Social Skinny)

❏ 91% of marketers saw an increase in website traffic due to

Social Media (The Social Skinny)

❏ It’s where your audience statistically reside!

❏ There are 1.15 billion active users on Facebook (Social

Bakers)

❏ 61% of Americans use Social Media. (Media Bistro)

❏ Approximately 46% of online users count on social media

when making a purchase decision (PR Web)

❏ The big guys are doing it

Here is our list of The Top 40 Fashion Companies

Dominating Social Media in 2014...

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Why should your fashion company use

social media?

What is Social Media?

Easy Definition: It’s an interactive form of

information giving, where the content creator & the readers socially interact

with each other.

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How Do I Use Social Media?1. Think of it as a part of a machine, not as a separate component.

2. Talking and creating relationships on Social Media is just like talking and creating relationships in real life. Therefore, you need to integrate Social Media with your business goals by planning ahead while being cognizant to keep your audience at the center of your approach.

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The 6 Steps to Use Social Media Effectively 1. Research

It is important to know what your social media could look like. Research what other companies are doing & tweak it for yours!

2. PlanDon’t just jump into social media. It is your planning that will allow you to truly grow

your social media audience & realize their value.3. Strategize

Your strategy is essential to your success. Once you have a plan, create a strategy on how you’ll achieve that.

4. Create After you have your done your research, planned & strategized, you are now ready to

to create your content. 5. Measure & Analyze

After you start creating content, you can now measure & analyze its effectiveness, which will allow you to keep improving your social media activities.

6. Improve & IterateThis is the time to make the adjustments necessary to make your social media

strategy more successful.

Examples of Good/Bad Posts

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What: Promoting products is OK….. How: So long as you do it tastefully & creatively, like this example that looks like a sea of shoes from Victoria’s Secret.Why: This illustrates your product selection and entices people to shop without having to say, SHOP. Observe the use of a catchy & short headline, an original hashtag, and a short URL that directs users to their site.

What: Promoting products is not OK…..How: When you use an unappealing & boring picture with a dry headline. Why: This doesn’t illustrate your products in the best light. Notice the boring headline and the lack of a link. How are customers supposed to find these pair of shorts? They just missed an opportunity for sales!

on

GOODPOST

BADPOST

Examples of Good/Bad Posts

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What: Tweeting products is best when you provide a nice imageHow: Go for more lifestyle-driven shots & make sure you use Twitter to upload it rather than a feed from Instagram. Why: Uploading the photo right onto Twitter allows for it to be seen on the Twitter feed. Couple that with a hashtag & url to direct your followers to your site.

What: It’s perfectly fine to update your followers on what’s going on in your headquarters…..How: But don’t be so vague. Why: In order to be retweeted, people must be clear on what you’re talking about. This lacks clarity. Perhaps if they uploaded the photo directly to Twitter instead of relying on the Instagram share feed, we’d be able to see what they mean.

on

GOODPOST

BADPOST

Examples of Good/Bad Posts

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What: Posting product shots on Tumblr is OK...How: So long as the image is high-res & photographed beautifully.Why: Images & GIFS get the most engagement on Tumblr. These photos are also displayed at larger dimensions than those of Instagram. That’s why high-res shots are important on Tumblr.

What: Posting something that is too abstract without a proper caption that explains it is not a good idea. How: Instead, post only clear photos or have a caption that explains the image. Why: This lets people know & understand what your content is, leading them to possibly have an emotional connection with it. Once they do, they will most likely share or like your post.

on

GOODPOST

BADPOST

Examples of Good/Bad Posts

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What: Product posts are definitely OK on Instagram….How: The great way to do it is to add an artistic element, like the background on this image. Add a caption that explains what the image is, along with the appropriate hashtags. Why: The more appealing your photo looks, the more people will engage with it. Your hashtags allow for your photos to be discovered more easily.

What: Sharing the activities within your company is great…..How: But don’t be boring about it. Share fun happenings, not like this dry sign that doesn’t explain what the comfort zone is. Why: This doesn’t entertain or engage people at all and those are the elements needed in social media or in any media.

on

GOODPOST

BADPOST

Examples of Good/Bad Posts

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What: Posting products on Pinterest is more than OK...How: Especially when you use a high-res photo & add creative elements, like this cool backdrop.Why: This adds a level of luxury & sophistication, making the picture look much more appealing. Couple it with a short & catchy caption & hashtag. Don’t forget to link it to the page where people can purchase the product.

What: Images of products that aren’t clearly recognizable & lack a descriptive caption may not be the best way to post on Pinterest….How: Instead, photograph it in its entirety. The point is to entice people to click and buy, after all. Why: Having clear images allows users to see how your products are supposed to look.

on

GOODPOST

BADPOST

Audience Size (AS) - Non Interested Audience (NIA) = Potential Customers (PC)(AS) - (NIA) = (PC) // Example: 30,000 (AS) - 9,000 (NIA) = 21,000 (PC)

We use proven tactics to increase your Audience Size in each important social media platform and email campaigns.

Rate at which (PC) turn into Actual Paid Customer (APC) = Conversion Rate (CR)

Conversion Rate is a variable that is increased/decreased by many different factors, which we help you constantly improve on.

(PC) x (CR) = Total Actual Paid Customer (TAPC)Example: 21,000 (PC) X 4% (CR) = 840 (TAPC)

Social Media Return on Investment

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(TAPC) X $ Avg Sale Price ($ASP) = Total New Sales (TNS)Example: 840 (TAPC) X $132 ($ASP) = $110,880 (TNS)

FAB Counsel’s Formula To Success in Social Media

How is social media changing?Social Media is ever evolving and has a constant flow of new platforms, rules and features, and opportunities. So no matter where it goes, you must be equipped to quickly move & shift your marketing direction to remain effectively leveraging its features for the growth of your company. To help you get started, here’s where we think social media is headed:

● The days of free marketing on social media are counted. Facebook just recently announced that only 1%-2% of people who liked your business page will be able to see your posts organically. Prior to that, 16% of users were reached. This forces companies to buy more sponsored posts (Facebook ads). But Facebook isn’t the only social media platform offering paid advertising. Twitter is now selling sponsored tweets and Instagram recently launched sponsored posts. Therefore, your reaction should be to figure out what you need to do as a company to face these changes. It was really only a matter of time before these guys figured out how to make money - they are businesses, after all!

● Social media allows brands to tell their story about who they are and what they stand for. But what that also means is the requirement for transparency & authenticity. If a company talks about social philanthropy as one of their main missions, then their fans should be able to see posts about them that illustrate that specific mission.

● Posting consistently on social media is great! But we also know that being able to launch fun interactive campaigns on a regular basis is drives a huge amount of engagement & fan growth. Be creative here as there a ton of other things to do than just contests and giveaways. The main goal is to entertain your users to the point that they want to interact with you & share your campaign with their friends.

There’s a lot of talk about the future of social media. But regardless of how things turn out, the most important things to remember are to stay flexible & open. Be prepared to change course & to try out new platforms - you never know what works until you try!

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Who are we? FAB Counsel.

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FAB Counsel, which stands for Fashion and Business Counsel, specializes in helping fashion,

culture, and lifestyle companies launch, grow, and innovate! We know and realize the

importance of originality, brand authenticity, and technology in today’s fast-paced world.

That’s why we blend our knowledge in branding, retail, PR, and social media marketing to bring your business INNOVATIVE solutions and REAL

quantifiable results.

Aside from working with clients, FAB Counsel also functions as a resource for fashion, culture, and lifestyle entrepreneurs. We provide helpful

articles, newsletters, videos, webinars, seminars, and online courses that talk about

business development, marketing, PR, and social media. Through our array of offerings, we’re accomplishing our mission of helping creative

companies kick ass!

About Us

Who are we? FAB Counsel.

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(Click On Services To See Details)

Our Services

Who have we worked with?

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We Hope This E-Book HelpsYour Fashion Company Dominate in Social Media!

Our expert team is standing by ready to take your business to the next level...

The pictures, trademarks, products, and trademarked names are used throughout this book to describe various proprietary entities that are owned by third parties. No endorsement of information contained in this book is given by the different owners of the used products and trademarks, and no

endorsement is implied by the use of any products, pictures, or trademarks in this book.

How to Use Social Media For Fashion Companies - 2014 Edition. Copyright © 2104 by FAB Counsel. All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced without the written consent and approval from FAB Counsel. Feel free to share this Ebook.