Blogging Is A Great Marketing Tool. But Social Media Helps Content Speak For Itself

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Josh Rae

There are millions of blogs on the internet, so how else can you communicate your message with the consumer? Once you’ve created credible and intriguing content, then social media channels offer a way to ensure consumers are talking about your brand. Egger (2014) explains that social media sharing offers the consumer a way to ‘express your favourable view’ and even ‘share the contents of a blog with your followers.’ It is important to note that for blogs to add value to a brand, then they must remain social and the content should be converted by the consumer into something that creates further discussion. Chiles (2015) further supports this notion as he conveys that social media engagement is ‘the transmission of information between contacts in a process of involvement’. The key message from Chiles (2015) is that social media provides the consumer with an involvement, and therefore it is important content exposed to them is perceived as relevant and useful.

The theory of involvement and social media is consolidated with Chaffey’s six channels model (Chaffey, 2010). Audience participation and customer feedback are crucial elements of communicating with consumers. A fashion brand therefore, can communicate through Twitter activity, Facebook live posts, and Snapchat stories. This creates an involvement with the consumer as they can comment on what they are seeing, or involve a friend and spread the word.

In terms of using initiatives to enhance a fashion brands social media strategy; the simple steps that are essential are sustaining a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat account. This is the most powerful marketing tool and relating back to Chaffey’s model, these initiatives can help create other aspects such as online partnership through sponsorships or even opt-in email through links posted on social media (Nussey, 2004).

The challenge is ultimately to ‘direct, shape and focus on how customers see you’ (Kotler & Pfoertsch, 2006). This means content and the platform chosen, dictate how the consumer will perceive the brand. Caballar (2016) evaluates the different platforms available for sharing content on social media. The following graphic details the findings of her survey asking ‘Which social share buttons do you use the most?’. Are you surprised at the findings? And what would your answer be?

Instagram

Improving a fashion brands’ Instagram is a vital channel of communication with the consumers. Best practice is a perfect example of how a picture can paint a thousand words, and take on a meaning of its own. For example, the consumer sending in pictures wearing the clothing serves as a positive influence on future purchases by other consumers. Celebrity endorsements are becoming common place, but choosing the correct personnel adds great value to a marketing strategy.

Dele Alli (Tottenham and England Footballer) wearing Fresh Ego Kid Cap;

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United and England Footballer) in a powerful Nike marketing photo;

Snapchat

Snapchat is a marketing tool that should be maximised by fashion brands. The instant nature of the uploads and ease of reaching out to the consumer make it the number one marketing tool available today. Arthur (2016) explains that Snapchat has ‘150 million daily users’ of which ‘60% are within the 18-34 demographic’. This is a key area of the market for fashion brands as they are the segment with ‘the fastest growing spending power’. When marketing a fashion brand, the consumer is essentially interested in a luxury product and therefore targeting consumers with high levels disposable income is ideal.

Check out this video which explains why fashion brands should ‘capture the moment!’.

(Source: WallStreetJournal, 2015).

Examples of Best Practice – Fashion Brand Social Media

Fred Perry Instagram – Creates good discussion and volume of shares/likes

(Click to enlarge image)

Asos Customer Service Twitter – Personalisation of replies and speedy help

(Click to enlarge image)

Adidas Originals – Creative video upload to increase shares/comments

(Click to enlarge image)

10 Laws of Social Media Marketing

Check out this informative video which explains the key principles that businesses must follow to gain benefits from their social media marketing;

(Source: Entrepreneur, 2017)

Johnson (2011) interestingly purports that 50% of consumers who follow a brand on Twitter are more likely to buy from that brand. A greater benefit to this, is the reported ‘60% of followers who would recommend the brand through word of mouth marketing and social media sharing’. Therefore it is critical to ensure a strong social media presence, as in the 21st Century this is the most visible line of communication with the target market.

Risks of Social Media Sharing – Twitter

Business Queensland (2017) suggest there are causes for concern when using Twitter for a corporate purpose. The use of Twitter is highly advantageous, although caution must be taken once the content is shared;

Spamming – Content shared on Twitter should not be ‘for the sake for it’. It should be focused, intriguing and fresh.
Disappointing Audience – If content does not meet the needs of the consumer e.g. lack of colour variations in a new line, then the replies on social media are going to be negative. It is incredibly easy for a consumer to unfollow on social media so aim to segment market with blogs, tweets and Facebook uploads.
Trying to force positive comment – Leave the shares and comments on Twitter unedited. If you aim to force positive comment on the brand then trust will be lost and brand not seen as honest.
Brand Damage – If poor quality, poor customer service or distasteful posts go viral, then the reputation of the brand will be affected detrimentally.
Maintaining and Monitoring presence – Worst thing a fashion brand could do is just leave social media presence as it is. Must be measured in terms of impact e.g. retweets, shares, comments. If the number captured are not of value to brand then how can you improve this?
Unauthorised Tweets – Corporate Twitter activity must be from authorised personnel only and be compliant.

The key takeaway from this topic should be the powerful nature of social media, on a fashion brands digital marketing strategy. Simpson (2016) explains almost 60% of fashion and beauty brands have an influencer marketing strategy in place, while a further 21% plan to invest in it over the next 12 months. It is highly important therefore, to utilise this channel of communication when marketing your fashion brand!

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter for more Digital Marketing content- @JR_DIGMARK. You can also check out the #bbsdigmarket to see more fun digital marketing articles!

References

Arthur, R. (2016). 10 Fashion Brands Nailing Their Snapchat Content Strategy. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelarthur/2016/11/30/10-fashion-brands-nailing-their-snapchat-content-strategy/#122cd07c4e9e. Last accessed 16th Apr 2017.

Chaffey, D. (2010). Applying organisational capability models to assess the maturity of digital-marketing governance. Journal of Marketing Management. 26 (3), p187-196.

Chiles, D (2015). Social Media Best Practices: Engagement Netiquette. London: David Paul Chiles Publishing. p20-22.

Egger, B (2014). Social Media Strategies for Investing. Massachusetts: Adams Media. p54-57.

Johnson, J. (2011). Twitter Users Who Follow Brands Are More Likely To Buy Products. Available: http://www.blogherald.com/2011/10/20/twitter-users-who-follow-brands-are-more-likely-to-buy-products-study/. Last accessed 16th Apr 2017.

Kotler, P & Pfoertsch, W (2006). B2B Brand Management. New York: Springer. p187.

Nussey, B (2004). The Quiet Revolution in Email Marketing. New York: iUniverse. p247.

Simpson, J. (2016). Eight influencer marketing stats for fashion & beauty brands. Available: https://econsultancy.com/blog/67443-eight-influencer-marketing-stats-for-fashion-beauty-brands/. Last accessed 15h Apr 2017.

The Power Of Fashion Brand Blogging: Are There More Benefits Than Just Being Seen?

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Josh Rae

The internet is full of interesting blogs about aspects of our everyday life. But more and more fashion businesses are using blogs to communicate with their target audience. Blogs for fashion brands should be ‘focused’ and ‘behold a purpose’ (Williams & Portney, 2011). This purpose could be to generate traffic to the website, enhance brand awareness and to highlight the different social media channels available e.g. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Blick (2011) expresses that to successfully utilise blogging for your fashion brand, the posts must be ‘enriching, relevant and well communicated’.

The benefits of blogging to a fashion brand, is the improved quickness of reaching the market place. Cho (2012) portrays that the modern day access to blogs means a brand can showcase new collections and concepts instantly, rather than waiting for magazines to be printed the next calendar month. In addition Cho (2012) dismisses the concept that creating a blog would ‘add to the millions in existence’, as he discusses that ‘you have some unique to say still’. This is poignant for a fashion brand as the whole existence of fashions social media presence, is the ability to be unique and the consumer can relate to certain fashion trends and behaviours.

Ultimately a blog should serve to ‘feed off the web, digest it, recycle it and infuse it with new life’ (Stone, 2003). The content generated to the consumer, should take aspects of what they enjoy and deliver new ideas to invoke intrigue with what you are saying. Most software applications which support the platform for blogging ‘feature archives’, which maintains the blogging content previously posted by your fashion brand (Stone, 2003). The use of the same niche tags for posts and keywords, will create a database of information for fresh consumers to access when they are exposed to the blog.

Why Enhance Your Google Ranking?

Blog posts are an excellent way of driving traffic to your fashion brand site. But how can you attract interest over competitors? Wertz (2017) interestingly details that by ‘identifying long-tail keywords’ you can ‘optimise’ your ‘visibility in google searches’. This is crucial for blogging to be a success as by differentiating your keywords and blog content, it can drive your blogs to the top of google searches and reach out to many new consumers. The keywords should be expressing your niche and the unique selling point of your brand. For example, Fresh Ego Kid may use key phrases such as ‘ego clothing’ and ‘niche designed clothing’ to enhance their unique brand. The blog acts as an initiation for a long-term relationship with the consumer, and by maintaining business from these consumers the benefits can extend to vital word of mouth marketing.

You can find out how to utilise this theory by looking at Google’s Keyword Planner!

Best Practice – Fashion Brand Blog (Topshop)

Topshop demonstrate how to effectively display current product lines. The subscribe button helps to initiate email marketing. The ‘Follow Us’ function serves to create more social media channels and allow for consumers to share their findings. The call to action at the top of the page is in perfect eye line, and the catching message serves as a brilliant marketing tool for gaining business (TopshopBlog, 2017).

The personalisation of the blog creates a rapport with the consumer, which increases the chances of them revisiting the blog. The ‘How to Wear’ section is a nice touch, and serves to educate the consumer. This creates a trust that Topshop wants to satisfy the needs of their consumers.

Reaching out to different users interests and lifestyles

Positioning a fashion brand is a very important tool, as it dictates how you express your clothing items and overall brand identity. By segmenting the different consumers, it creates a uniform approach to each segment that aims to satisfy the consumer with either content or products that they love.

Adidas have recently begun a blog, which is directly focused towards their fitness and sport loving market. The Adidas blog serves as a perfect example of how blogs can be hugely successful in being widely viewed, as they have connected with correct content with the right user. They have achieved their aim of ‘delivering a personal insight’ into their affiliation with different sports (AdidasBlog, 2017).

This quick video lists the top 20 benefits of blogging for small businesses. Most interestingly, it states that blogs can help to ‘inspire your social media’ and ‘help to give your company a voice’. Give it a watch!

(Source: YoungEntrepreneursForum, 2017)

Are there any risks when corporate blogging?

Huyse (2007) expresses blogging can adversely affect a brand, due to the instant nature of a blog being visible to the world. This is further condemned by the hostile world of the internet and social media, so blogging must be utilised in line with Blick’s (2011) concept of making it ‘well-communicated’.

Huyse (2007) highlights the following risks when corporate blogging;

Negative comments – Poor consumer comments may influence new readers of the blog
Loss of control over the message – Message may be miscommunicated e.g. Fresh Ego Kid may be perceived to be endorsing arrogance rather than being yourself.
Neglect – Social media channel for blog needs to be maintained and new fresh content needs to be distributed across Twitter and Facebook to avoid content becoming stale.
Misunderstanding the culture – Anything communicated that construes ‘banter’ must be considered and any personal insight must be appropriate for the type of user/consumer it is aimed at.
‘Loose-Cannon’ employees – Delegation of ownership for blogging process is vital! When blogging for a fashion brand reputation is the most important foundation for success. Harmful blogs and comments can result in detrimental damage for the brand.
Losing trade secrets – For niche fashion brands, element of design and creativity are paramount. To give insight into production, marketing and culture would be a risk as competitors can monitor the blog posts as quickly as consumers. Fine line between oversharing and a personal and open blog.

Fresh Content Shared Through Social Media

Blogs can take on a power of their own and content can be re-generated through social media shares. For example, if your fashion brand has 100,000 followers on Twitter, then that is potential thousands of differing reactions and shares that reach a wider audience.

In terms of engagement, Instagram is the ideal market to share content from a blog to entice the consumer. The picture below expresses poignant images from a brand such as Nike (Oetting, 2015) will grab the attention of the consumer, and generate traffic from Instagram to a blog. They say a picture can communicate many different messages, so if the media uploaded to this social media channel is fresh, creative, niche and invokes curiosity within the consumer then it will generate leads.

The below video shows exactly how to maximise the benefits of social share buttons when corporate blogging;

Pedersen (2010) simply dictates that in order for a blog to be beneficial to an organisation, it ‘cannot be imposed’ but ‘must be clearly defined to be enthusiastically taken up’. Thus, for a fashion brand it is important that all involved understand the direction they want to take the blog in and how it will be perceived in the market place.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter for more Digital Marketing content- @JR_DIGMARK

References

AdidasBlog. (2017). AdidasGroupBlog. Available: http://blog.adidas-group.com/. Last accessed 13th Apr 2017.

Blick, D (2011). The Ultimate Small Business Marketing Book. Surrey: Filament Publishing. p232-235.

Cho, J (2012). Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community. California: Chronicle Books LLC. p12-16.

Huyse, K. (2007). Top 10 Risks for Corporate Blogs. Available: http://www.zoeticamedia.com/top-10-risks-for-corporate-blogs. Last accessed 12th Apr 2017.

Pedersen, S (2010). Why Blog?: Motivations for Blogging. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing. p135-137.

Stone, B (2003). Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content. New York: New Riders Publishing. p10-16.

TopshopBlog. (2017). Blog – Style. Available: http://www.topshop.com/blog/style. Last accessed 12th Apr 2017.

Wertz, J. (2017). 4 Things You Can Do Today To Boost Your Website’s Google Ranking. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2017/01/19/4-things-you-can-do-today-to-boost-your-websites-google-ranking/#658edbe2163f. Last accessed 13th Apr 2017.

Williams, D & Portney, D (2011). Mastering Blog Marketing: How To Launch Your Website To The Top Of Google. London: Williams. p101-104.

The importance of successfully utilising social media marketing to promote a new fashion brand

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Josh Rae

Social media has become a huge part of everyone’s day to day life. But the use of social media can now be used to massively benefit organisations, especially new fashion brands. In recent years organisations have realised that there is no other medium that can reach so many people in such little time as social media can, whilst ‘keeping marketing costs at their lowest’ (Funk, 2011). Interestingly though, Funk (2011) explains that the channels of social media marketing are ‘not as important for selling’ but crucial for ‘listening to customers’ and ‘communicating your brand directly and personally’. The importance of listening to customers in the modern business environment is paramount, as a positive social media presence reaches out to existing and potential future customers. Often large fashion brands can seem unreachable in terms of a personal social media presence, and this is an area to exploit for smaller brands who cannot compete with the costs of global marketing campaigns. In the modern business environment customers, more than ever, can be vocal about their opinions and experiences with a brand. For a fashion brand it is important therefore, to be transparent and create a relationship and sustainable connection with the public.

When promoting a new fashion brand on social media, the most difficult challenge is to build awareness and a positive reputation with consumers. If this reputation is negative e.g. poor quality or poor customer service, this will have a detrimental effect on potential growth and success in industry. However, Morin (2014) suggests the notion that negative reviews can be good for small businesses, and that they should be embraced not feared. Especially considering that the clothing industry involves purchases which involve different fittings and sizes, therefore customer complaints and returns are likely to occur.

Contrastingly, if the social media perception of the brand is positive then the trust and interest of the brand is enhanced perhaps even before a consumer has purchased an item of clothing themselves. Word of mouth marketing is a key tool for successfully marketing on social media, as ‘84% of consumers trust family and friends about the quality of products’ (Grinnell, 2014). Twitter and Facebook provide a platform to leave positive reviews and comments which will reach to their followers and potential new customers. The reviews and comments also provide more credibility for brands as social media followers can see they are real people, with real views representative of similar customers. With so many large fashion retailers, this aspect of marketing can help a smaller niche brand to gain a competitive advantage by being reliable and connected with their customers.

Fashion brands must consider which social media marketing strategy best suits them. It is reported that Instagram is the most popular platform for fashion brands, but this will ultimately depend on ‘usability’ and ‘how it keeps in line with the long term strategic plans (Roderick, 2016).

Examples of Best Practice- Facebook and Twitter

Burton’s Facebook Page- Call To Action Offers

Fresh Ego Kid Twitter- Personalisation

Risk Couture Twitter- Associated hashtags to increase visibility

Social media has the ability to reach millions of customers immediately, and research has shown that if you ‘follow a brand on Instagram you are, finances permitting, 53% more likely to shop with them’ (Rasmussen, 2016). In the current market place this is an incredibly simple but effective way to grow sales and grow the brand into a much larger business. Especially when first establishing the brand within the crowded market, reputation and market growth will be affected by how successfully the social media channels are managed.

Potential Risks

Of course, there are many risks that a new fashion brand would have to be careful of when utilising social media marketing (Robinson, 2013);

PR Crisis- this would damage the brand image
Security Breach- potential costs to ensure security
Offending your audience- when posting non-business material it must not offend customer base
Competition- clothing industry means you have to be careful not to have original designs copied
Legal Implications- be aware of legal boundaries and that content is publishable e.g. not copyright

The short video below shows the future marketing trends that organisations can expect in 2017. It provides an interesting insight into customer engagement and the huge audiences available to new fashion brands on Facebook and Snapchat.

Give it a watch!

(Source: WeeklyMarketingTips, 2017).

Meyers (2017) suggests that fashion brands should utilise best practice to ensure that their social media marketing strategy is a success. The key points presented are that brands must ‘tailor’ their message, ‘be yourself’ and to ‘tell a story about the customers lifestyle (or the one they wish they had)’. This simple theory helps to create a strategy that will help to establish a fashion brand to its customers. By tailoring the message, this allows for the brand to be easily communicated with potential customers but also creates a risk-averse approach which does not attempt to do anything other than positively advertise the brand. By representing the brand in a positive and innovative way on social media, it is possible to create a trust with the consumer and therefore would be more likely to create a long lasting relationship.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter- @JR_DIGMARK

References

Funk, T (2011). Social Media Playbook For Businesses. London: Praeger. p15-22.

Grinnell, B. (2014). 4 Benefits of Word-of-Mouth Marketing. Available: http://www.twolegit.com/4-benefits-word-mouth-marketing/. Last accessed 22nd Feb 2017.

Meyers, S. (2017). 6 Social Media Tricks of Fashion Brands. Available: http://www.inc.com/stephanie-meyers/6-social-media-tricks-fashion-brands.html. Last accessed 22nd Feb 2017.

Morin, A. (2014). Why Negative Reviews Can Be Good For Business. Available: http://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/05/06/why-negative-reviews-can-be-good-for-business/#52ed09d63b27. Last accessed 22nd Feb 2017.

Rasmussen, T. (2016). how important is social media in building a fashion brand and business?. Available: https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/article/how-important-is-social-media-in-building-a-fashion-brand-and-business. Last accessed 22nd Feb 2017.

Robinson, C. (2013). The Risks Associated with Social Media Marketing. Available: http://www.business2community.com/social-media/risks-associated-social-media-marketing-0617722#wGz0rXXUYbstvypq.97. Last accessed 22nd Feb 2017.

Roderick, L. (2016). How fashion brands are taking Instagram from gimmick to strategic. Available: https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/02/17/how-fashion-brands-are-taking-instagram-from-gimmick-to-strategic/. Last accessed 22nd Feb 2017.

E-mail Marketing: My Thoughts on Promotional E-mails from Myprotein

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Josh Rae

We can all relate to receiving 100’s of marketing emails a week, which often will be disregarded and marked as spam if we do not hold a keen interest in the content and offers available. Sometimes this can even be down to an uninteresting title of an email, which makes our mind up instantly!

However, Ellis-Chadwick & Doherty (2012) concluded from their research that in fact email marketing is a very important medium of communication for modern businesses in the new digital age. Successful email marketing allows them to build and maintain closer relationships with customers. In light of my aforementioned comment on email titles, this issue can be eradicated and the relationships can actually be built with appropriate subject lines. This is because it serves as the first point of contact and acts as a trigger for the recipient to actually open the message.

In this post, I am going to examine an event triggered email from Myprotein as I have used their products consistently for the past three and a half years. I receive promotional emails from them almost daily and feel appreciated as being a poor student these savings help me to purchase the protein products without breaking the bank.

Example of an event triggered email from Myprotein

(Click each image to enlarge view)

I am always happy to open the promotional emails from Myprotein, as they value their customers by providing offers each week to ensure you buy the products you love. Despite the emails not beginning with a ‘Dear Josh’, the personalisation is delivered within the email heading; ‘We’ve halved the price of your favourites for 48 hours’. The use of ‘your’ shows that the direct marketing will show different products to each subscriber, depending on your tastes and preferences from the Myprotein site. The length of the email is also very succinct and to the point which is crucial when marketing their products to me.

Perhaps a bit more personalisation within the promotional emails though would be appreciated in the future though, as this would explicitly show they valued my custom and I was not just an email address on their system. Here is an article to how businesses can personalise their emails in a more effective way.

The use of the pictured products within the email enticed my interest as I could physically see the products I wanted to purchase, even before proceeding to the landing page. This form of permission marketing (whereby I have signed up for the email updates) is a great way for Myprotein to connect with me, and ensure that I continue to purchase their goods for years to come (Godin, 1999).

Although one negative of the products being listed, was that there was not a price listed for each item so you do not initially know the price after the discount is applied.

The design of the email is very impressive though as it cuts a very professional visual image for me as the consumer, and I like the way the blue text stands out with the plain white background. All branding and information is kept within the centre of the page, which is different to many emails I normally receive. The use of the small blue boxes under each product improves the ease of utilising the offers being states, and if I am in a rush then this helps to persuade me to still buy the product. The delivery costs are clearly explained which provides clarity for the rest of the transaction.

The use of quick links to Myprotein’s social media at the bottom of the email is also very useful, as you can further connect with the company and receive updates through different communication channels to the emails.

Landing Page- ‘The Call to Action’

(Click each image to enlarge view)

Critique of Landing Page

Pros;

The email prompted me to take action and visit the landing page.
The landing page replicates the offers presented in the email which helped me to easily navigate to the flavour of protein I usually purchase.
There was slightly more personalisation on the landing page as it automatically logged into my account, which reduces the time of placing the order from the basket.
The design of the landing page was eye-catching and this increased my interest in exploring the rest of the site after I had added my product to the basket.

Recommendations to improve;

Having clicked the call to action buttons on the marketing email, it would have been useful to maybe add the product to the basket instantly. Especially as I was already logged into my account and expressed my interest by clicking the products blue button (Buy Now).
Also, in terms of improving Myprotein’s approach to personalisation I would recommend they followed Moonpig’s example of using my name in the email subject and landing page. This helps to grab my attention and show it is a more personal experience, each time I purchase goods from them.

(Click images to enlarge view)

For more examples of good email marketing; http://blog.stamplia.com/buyers/best-email-marketing-examples/

Sources Used:

Ellis-Chadwick, F., & Doherty, N. F. (2012). Web advertising: The role of e-mail marketing. Journal of Business Research, 65(6), 843-848.

Godin, S. (1999). Permission marketing: Turning strangers into friends and friends into customers. Simon & Schuster

Zantal-Weiner, A. (2016). 12 Personalized Email Examples You Can’t Help but Click. Available: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34146/7-Excellent-Examples-of-Email-Personalization-in-Action.aspx#sm.01dt06tl10lcf13109i1en5ar1grf. Last accessed 3rd Nov 2016.

Hello world!

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Josh Rae

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Author Archives: Josh Rae

E-mail Marketing: My Thoughts on Promotional E-mails from Myprotein

Hello world!