Zach Weiss

Imagine the clothes that you’re wearing right now. Why did you buy them? Is the pattern something you’ve always liked? Do they fit together as an outfit? It’s probably some combination of all of the above. But when you stop to think about how you know the outfit works, there’s no question: you saw it on your Instagram feed! In 2022, Instagram is the new storefront window display. TikTok is the new runway. Pinterest is the new Vogue. Shoppable posts are the new retail store. Life moved online during the pandemic, and when it comes to fashion marketing, your clothing brand should follow suit. Yet marketing a clothing brand online is an ever-evolving challenge. On the one hand, it’s easier than ever to get your information out there. But on the other hand, as many fashion brands vie for attention, the opportunity for your brand to connect with your target audience gets more complicated. How can you market a clothing brand online in 2022? You need a solid marketing strategy, authenticity, and a bit of clever know-how. Let’s take a look at how to stand out this year. 1. Use visuals that help customers see themselves in the product. Every photo on your website and social media pages should help customers imagine themselves actually wearing your brand. And in 2022, the more images the better. There’s no reason not to fill your site and socials with angles upon angles! Get a tripod, a nice background, and a good lighting setup for some great product shots. This’ll give your customers a 360-degree view to better imagine themselves at every angle. Check out how many images of the classic Chuck Taylor Converse shoes are featured on their website: Source: Converse But why not step out of the studio and into your workspace, a fun event, or the city? Many brands are showcasing their products in action, but Miista does it right with their product images. Notice how they invite you inside their production area for an intimate peek into the process, or how their clothes would be perfect as everyday streetwear. Source: Miista Showcase the lifestyle that your customers come to you for. If you’re a nightlife brand, shoot candid photos at a fancy bar. If your vibe is earthy, shoot in the woods or near a lake house. Maybe you’re a high-fashion brand and you want to highlight your items in a fashion show. Ultimately, the idea is to show your customers how your clothes fit into their lifestyle—and make it better. Source: Miista It’s also important to make sure your models represent a diverse sample of the population. Hiring different models will help your customers see themselves in your products, no matter who they are. Lazy Oaf’s Dolphin Paradise T-Shirt is a good example—they’ve gone with multiple models of diverse backgrounds to showcase their clothes. Think about size inclusivity as well. Representing different people and body types is a genuine way to connect with your audience. Source: LazyOaf For more in-depth tips on how to make your photos really pop, check out our blog on Striking Product Photography Trends. Don’t have time to coordinate the perfect photoshoot? For an affordable, hands-off solution to getting the perfect photography for your online clothing brand in 2022, Printful offers ecommerce photography services. Our professional photographers make sure that your pictures fit whatever fashion marketing strategy you’re going for 2. Craft videos that make your brand stand out. While high-quality images are a must for marketing your clothing brand online, you’ve probably noticed that video is the king of content these days. Just like with your photos, customers need to imagine themselves in your products, and video is a quick, engaging, and fun way to make that happen. You should include video across all your channels—from Instagram, to TikTok and Pinterest. How do you make great videos online? It largely depends on what platform you’re using, but generally, online video should be attention-grabbing, yet short and to the point. For example, here’s how you can create fun video pins on Pinterest. Or, take a look at this Printful Academy lesson on How to Use Instagram Reels For Business and Marketing to get some useful tips on making short video content. Check out @thenorthface to get a better idea of how to fully integrate videos into your Instagram feed. They’ve created engaging reels, videos right in their feed, and stories tailored to anyone who might be visiting their space. Keep reading for more info on how to use IG Reels, TikTok trends, and Pinterest features to market your clothing brand online. Source: @thenorthface Instagram 3. Follow TikTok trends and publish trending videos. Nowadays, you can’t discuss videos on the internet without discussing TikTok. If you’re making video content, make sure to create a TikTok account for your clothing brand—it’s the best way to get exposure and create buzz around your apparel. TikTok is a massively popular platform, particularly with Gen Zers. You can use it to share short or medium-length videos, but the real super power of TikTok is its social features: the For You Page, trending videos, and video responses. The For You Page, or FYP in TikTok lingo, is particularly tuned in to who’s using it. By posting frequently, engaging with your audience, and following trends, you can start showing up in the FYP of your target audience, which can drive them to make purchases (sometimes even directly in the app). Check out our blog on How to Make Money on TikTok for more. Hopping on trends for higher visibility is also a must. Explore hashtags related to your brand to see what others are getting excited about, and adapt the trending topics to your specific brand. Since TikTok video trends are heavily built on the underlying audio, explore how people are using popular songs and audio and adapt them to your brand. For example, check out how Hope Macaulay adapted trending audio to tell her brand story. Source: @hopemacaulay TikTok Part of what makes TikTok great is duets and video responses. These features allow remixing of and direct engagement with posts. Get the most out of these features by reacting to reviews, responding in the comments with video responses, and being an active member of your own community. It’ll boost your brand’s visibility and authenticity. Source: @lululemon TikTok Make sure you fully understand a trend before you post, though. Remember, the name of the game is authenticity, and you can risk alienating your audience by posting a video that seems disingenuous. Your audience doesn’t want to feel marketed to. But don’t wait too long to jump on a trend. You’ve probably noticed how quickly something you saw on your FYP can sound like yesterday’s news. Being new on a social network can be daunting, so check out our video on TikTok marketing for beginners to learn how to get started with this lucrative new venture. 4. Don’t sleep on Instagram’s newest features. Instagram, a fan favorite, has always been there for you as you spread the word about your brand. But Instagram is always changing, so make sure you’re keeping up with the latest features to get the most out of your IG page. Instagram is taking note of TikTok’s success, and has added Reels to capitalize on how popular short videos with tagged audio have become. These highly engaging videos have come to Instagram with a host of editing features like the ability to trim the video, add stickers, and add audio in the app. The advantage of Reels is much the same as TikTok: the videos are short (only up to 60 seconds) and can capture trending attention quickly. Why are Reels great for marketing your clothing brand? They’re the perfect way to expand your reach. 50% of Instagram users find Reels through the explore page, so by having videos featured there, you can reach a much wider audience. Also, Instagram is leaning into its new Shoppable features. Your tried-and-true photo app for sharing looks and inspiring your audience has become the store itself. Your audience no longer has to click the “link in bio” to find the clothes you feature in your feed. Shopping is now integrated throughout the app. Set up your store, and your followers can click “View shop” to scroll through your offerings, and buy them through Instagram’s in-app browser. You can even tag those products in your feed. For example, a casual lifestyle pic can be tagged with the garment in the pic, which’ll link to the product in your shop. Instagram is also going further with its “Checkout” feature. Checkout allows users to skip the browser step, and buy directly in the app. It’s only available in the US right now, though. Take a look at Kai Collective’s shopping features integrated in their Instagram. Notice how easy it is to find and navigate their store, and to find the products tagged in their feed. Source: @kaicollective Instagram With all these new features to take advantage of, don’t forget the tried-and-true hashtag. Take some time to search hashtags that you’re planning to post and see what other tags people are using. Posting with lots of hashtags can help users find your posts, and make the algorithm more likely to show them. For more tips on how to use hashtags, take a look at our 2022 guide to using Instagram hashtags. 5. Take advantage of Pinterest’s perks. While Instagram’s new features are great for cool video content and offering followers a place to purchase your products right in the feed, there’s really no one better at “inspiration” than Pinterest. While your audience can get ideas from your other social media accounts, Pinterest is the place where people go for inspiration. Users on Pinterest are there to research ideas and products, and will buy once they feel that spark. According to the site, customers on the platform spend twice as much there than on other social media sites. Part of this willingness to spend comes from Pinterest adopting Shoppable posts. Just like with Instagram, Pinterest allows you to tag products...

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