After gaining more experience in the fashion industry and having worked with several designers. I realized that majority of super talented designers made the same mistakes on social media. Once these were fixed, not only did we observe more organic followers and engagement but also increased sales, which should be your end goal anyways.
1. Inconsistency
Many make the mistake of posting every now and then, or they keep up with their posts for a while but then go on hiatus for 3 weeks. Just like in any relationship, consistency is very important. For example if a guy texts you every day but then goes M.I.A. all of a sudden for a week, how would you feel? I would think he’s playing games or doesn’t really care to put forth the effort into our potential relationship. Guess what? Your customer will think the same from a buyer-seller standpoint. You still have to gain your customers’ trust FIRST before they are willing to purchase your product. Being consistent builds trust, customers learn that they can rely on and ultimately will expect it from you. Consistency also translates into consistent product quality, consistent customer service, and consistent customer experiences. If you don’t have the time to post every day use social media scheduling tools such as Hootsuite (free for up to 3 accounts) or hire a social media manager. Please comment below if you need help in that area.
2. Long Response Times
If you are taking more than 24 hours to respond to a comment or a message 90% of the time you will have lost that customer. Unfortunately, we live in an instant community, where everyone wants everything now and fast. In regards to a new customer he/she will certainly take his/her business to another company if too much time is elapsed before a response is received. Many large companies handle most of their customer service via social media nowadays because it has become such a vital part of our every day lives. See it as a way of avoiding to be yelled at on the phone by an angry customer ;-). Not being responsive can also cause a negative PUBLIC buzz which you want to avoid at any cost. Responding in a timely manner demonstrates that you care and in return builds TRUST! I had a client for example that had over 200 unanswered messages when I took over the brand’s social media. I am still working on gaining the customers’ trust back.
3. Not using Professional Pictures
Everything you post is a representation of you and your brand. If your pictures aren’t professional the automatic assumption is being made that neither are your products. You don’t have to hire an expensive photographer or book a studio. You can create a studio like atmosphere in your own home (see picture below where I created my DIY studio). All you need are two ironed white sheets, pins a model and a camera (iPhone 6 takes great pics). Pictures at arboretums and botanical gardens also look gorgeous and professional.
I hope this could help some of you guys out. Please share and comment below. I also would love to know if there are any topics you guys would like for me to cover.
XOXO,
Dynamically Branded
[…] Social Media: It’s free to open up social media accounts and very cost effective to run ads on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The key is to be very specific when targeting your audience. Also be intentional with your ads, determine very specific goals. Do you want to expand your reach? Do you want more traffic to your website? Do you want specifics known about your company? Etc. I’ve seen great results with promotional campaigns and events taking advantage of social media ads for as low as $10/day. Implement great visuals and please don’t run the same ad all year-around. If you need overall tips and tricks for social media check out my previous post here. […]