The clothing industry is one tough cookie because there’s so much competition. However, things are a bit different if you’re not trying to compete with big-name fashion brands and you’re looking to sell something niche. If you’re targeting a specific group of people, then your clothes aren’t basic and, although the market isn’t as big, neither is the competition.
So, you’ve taken the time to create something unique and you believe in your brand, but how do you get people to buy it? How can you make others see the value of your products? Marketing, of course, but traditional marketing won’t cut it here. Your customers won’t be interested in generic ads or bland fashion trends. You want a strategy that speaks directly to them and that builds a loyal following.
If you don’t know how to do that, you’re not alone, so keep reading and pay attention.
How to Identify and Reach Your Target Audience
Before you start expecting to make money off your brand, you have to market it so it can reach people who are likely to buy it. You might be thinking that you can just launch the website, use generic marketing and you’ll do all right. But that would be like throwing darts in the dark; you might hit the target here and there, but you’ll miss most of the time.
First, you need a clear picture of who your buyers are, and that doesn’t just mean age and location. What are their values? What are they interested in? Why would they want to buy your products? Are they after durable clothing, or do they want something unique? Which brands do they already love? All of this will help your marketing strategy speak to them.
One of the best ways of getting this information is by taking a peek at your competition. Think about who is already selling to your audience and how they’re doing it. Go through social media insights, online surveys, and direct feedback from their customers. Mass-market marketing won’t resonate with people looking for unique apparel, so focus on the content that will connect with your potential buyers.
Once you know your audience, you can go ahead and start planning your marketing campaign.
Marketing Strategies
A successful business needs more than just top-quality products because the buyers have to have some way of finding out about the brand. That’s why you need good marketing. Unless you’re a major fashion brand, it’s safe to assume that you can’t afford a massive ad campaign. This means that you need to be smart about how you market your clothing, and here’s how to do that.
- Social Media
This is one of the quickest, easiest ways to reach your target audience, but you need to be strategic. Not every platform will work for every brand. Instagram is ideal if you want to show off your designs, and TikTok is perfect for short, engaging videos. If you make workwear, you should also have a profile on LinkedIn.
Once you know where your audience hangs out the most, it’s time for the content. Share behind-the-scenes videos, customer stories, and styling tips to make your brand feel more personal. The key is to stay consistent, and not post randomly.
- Content Marketing
You’ll lose people fast if your only marketing tactic is selling. Content marketing provides value before anything else, so your customers can find content that’s entertaining, helpful, and interesting. This will make them naturally become interested in your brand.
Blog posts are a great way to do this. You can also do styling guides or trend reports. Video content is also a fantastic tool that you can use to share your brand’s story, show customers how your clothes are made, and post customer experiences.
Keep in mind, none of this works if people can’t find you, which is where SEO comes in. If you use the right keywords, your content will rank higher on search engines and bring in more customers. A lot of brands combine SEO, video marketing, and the right kind of content to reach the right/targeted audience.
A clothing brand like Armed American Supply will utilize this strategy to primarily focus on the US market, and to target republican voters, patriots, and those who share the American spirit.
On the other hand. a clothing brand like H&M will not specifically target the US market or a politically-aligned demographic, but will rather focus on a worldwide mass-market audience, and will use content that is filled with inclusivity, trends, and affordability, to incorporate diverse strategies and help capture a broad customer base across multiple countries and cultures.
Once you recognize which customer base you’re targeting, you can tailor your content strategy around that idea. If you don’t, you might unintentionally attract a customer base that wouldn’t be interested in what you have to offer.
- Email Marketing
Social media is amazing, but email marketing will keep your customers coming back. On social media, it’s the algorithms that decide who sees your posts, but email marketing gives you direct access to your audience.
First, you need to build an email list, so offer a one-time discount, early access to new collections, or even a style guide. Once you have the list, send the right messages, which means – no generic promotional offers. Focus on making the emails personal and announce new products, updates, or send special offers.
If you already have a good product, the only other thing you need is the right marketing strategy to be successful. If you can get your audience interested, you’ll be able to build a loyal community around your brand, which is something buyers love because big fashion brands don’t pay that much attention to that.
Strategic marketing is like the secret sauce that will make your brand go from a side hustle to a major source of income.
