Let’s Talks About Social Media and the Fashion Industry

I want to take a gamble and say we can all agree that there are so many social media applications and choosing which one to use for your business or industry can be somewhat complicated.  The goal in making your selection should be to choose one that is suitable for your business and accessible to those in your market. Fortunately, in the fashion industry, the struggle isn’t as complicated as almost all of the top platforms are fitting.

In the fashion industry Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Google+ are the tools of choice.  From top fashion houses like Gucci to celebrity fashion stylist like June Ambrose, many of these platforms are the tools of choice.

The wonderful thing about all the platforms that I have mentioned is they all allow the user to post pictures or video footage seamlessly.  This is perfect for posting different looks or designs.  The video capability is great for showing clips of fashion shows perhaps the big ones that take place during NYFW.  

Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Facebook may be the simplest in terms of posting a quick thought or picture.  YouTube which is a video sharing tool is better if you have time to record and  upload the video. Although, not necessary as it is user-friendly having some basic technical skills may be helpful when using YouTube.

Take a look at this short video clip on the basics of creating a good quality video for YouTube:

The one hiccup that some may face within the fashion industry due to social media is that it is becoming over saturated.  If you have a camera and can post pictures quickly you can become sought after overnight to cover shows and sit front row at major shows.  Depending on what side of the table you are sitting on this may be fantastic.  While there is room for everyone and enough to go round the concern within the industry is that the professionals are getting kicked to the curb due to social media.  With the rise of social media, it races to see who can post the quickest and get the story out first, which is a big leap from how it once was.

Since social media and technology is the wave of the future and it doesn’t appear that we will be going back in time anytime soon.  Professionals should jump on the bandwagon and decide which platforms will work best for them.  Twitter and Instagram are always a good start as they are integrated.

Whether you are in the fashion industry or not, the key is to select a platform that will work well with your business and that are accessible to your target market.  So, choose wisely.

Leave a comment below.

Reference

Social Blade. (2015, February 5). How to Make a Good Quality YouTube Video 101, Episode 4[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O-HTnNArDA?rel=0&w=560&h=315

 

Periscope and Instagram Tools for the Artist in You

Deciding which social media tool to use can be a big step especially for well-established brands or even ones just starting out. Why may you ask? Because you want to be sure to pick the tool that will enhance and compliment your business. You don’t, however, want to jump on every new social media bandwagon because it may not do any justice to your brand at all. For now, let’s take a look at Periscope and Instagram two of the hottest tools around right now.

Instagram allows users to share and to connect instantly with friends, family, and brands through a quick post of a picture. The reach on Instagram is incredible, and it seems as if almost every major brand has an account. The beautiful thing about this tool is that you can be as creative as you wish. Posting pictures are the main feature of the company; you can adjust the filters, brightness, contrast, color, and more. It’s perfect for professionals if they are familiar with these types of editing tools.

Image courtesy of Instagram

The video is another excellent feature of this application. Sometime after the company had launched it introduced video capability. At first, they only allotted 15 seconds for a video post, but it recently expanded to 30 seconds giving people, even more, time to share their stories or messages.

Hashtags make it easy to connect on Instagram if you don’t know the purpose of hashtags is follow, find, or even contribute to a conversation. For example, when the Grammy’s are on to see who is talking about the award show you can enter #grammys and all of the discussions revolving around the show will pop up. Hashtags are neat because you can create your own for your brand as there aren’t any specific guidelines. I would recommend keeping them relevant, short, and memorable.

Periscope a live video streaming application is the new kid on the block so to speak. It’s owned by Twitter and was launched a little over a year ago. The tool is fantastic especially for brands that are more visual or may need to provide tutorials or anything related to speaking or showing. This tool is a mobile application that allows you to broadcast videos live from wherever you are. With a few clicks you can connect with people in almost any part of the world. Once you start a live broadcast it is entirely interactive, viewers can comment and ask questions.; this is an excellent way to engage with your audience and even meet others within your industry.

Image Courtesy of Periscope

Well, back to my thoughts on the showing and telling part of this application. I think this tool would be useful for someone in the fashion industry, who perhaps wants to show an audience how to style an outfit or even an artist who wants to display their work. The great thing about this tool is that there isn’t a time limit on how long the videos needs to be like on Instagram. Although I would suggest keeping them under 1 hour to 45 minutes or perhaps even shorter, the goal is to get people to view your content and listen in. If the video is too long, I am confident you will lose them. Also, keep in mind even though the application is available on the desktop the majority of users are probably viewing from their phone. So, instead, consider doing short 15-minute video series and break them up over a course of a week.

Another great thing with Periscope is that you have the option to allow your videos to be viewed a minimum of 24 hours after you post or you can keep it up indefinitely. If you decide to take the route of creating a mini-series, your audience can always go back and view the missed videos at their convenience.

One last difference is unlike Instagram where you will have to build your audience from scratch; Periscope is amazing because if you have a Twitter account, you can instantly connect with your Twitter followers that already have an account. If you are familiar with the application and have been a little hesitant to try it, you may want to note that you no longer need a Twitter account to open an account to broadcast from Periscope.

Social media has to be one of the greatest tools ever invented for connecting with people and business. With a simple a click of a few buttons, people can share thoughts and comments, short video clips, pictures, i.e. It is a great tool for branding and getting your message across to potential clients and business partners. While Periscope and Instagram have the same concept which is connecting people, they do vary in how content is shared and the time it takes to create a post. If you don’t have an account for either of the application or are still on the fence, you can click the links below to learn more and to download.

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*I do not own or claim to own the images share in this post.