How to Promote a Clothing Brand

There are a number of dynamic ways that you can successfully advertise a clothing brand. Showcase the clothing line by taking fun, flattering pictures of the garments and then compose an attention-grabbing branding video. Create a website and social media accounts for the brand. Next, gain visibility by sharing pictures and posts through your online networks. Go the extra mile by producing an intriguing press kit and commissioning sponsored blog content to really promote the brand.

EditSteps

EditCreating Your Brand Image

1. Create a unique logo. Popular clothing lines can be identified by signature logos. If you do not already have one, design a logo that is unique and personal. Choose an image that is important to you, letters that identify you, or an emblem that corresponds to what your clothing line is about.^[1]
   
   • For instance, if a four leaf clover is a personal symbol of luck for you, it may serve as an excellent logo for your brand.
2. Create a unique visual theme. Associate your clothing with a particular aesthetic appeal. Make this a running theme for your brand. Plan photo shoots and promotional events that reflect this theme. For instance, if your clothing is well-suited for outdoor sports and activities, choose trees and nature as a common aesthetic feature and hold photo shoots and events outdoors.
   
3. Take photos of your clothing. In today's world, even amateur photographers can take beautiful pictures with their smartphones, using apps and filters. Take photos of your clothing on a mannequin, dress form, or live model, so that online customers can see how the garment fits. Adjust the color balance, brightness and contrast of your photos to get the best possible results.^[2]
   
   • Download a free photo editing app for your smartphone, to touch up your pictures.
   • Take wide angle shots so that you can crop the photos afterwards.
   • Take pictures of each color variation of the items.
   • If you clothing features special designs or embellishments, add additional close up photos of these details.
   • Post the photos on your website, social media accounts, and advertisements to promote your brand.
4. Hold a fashion show. Fashion shows are a great way to advertise your designs in a fun, interactive way. These events also attract professionals in the fashion industry, along with other fashion enthusiasts. To attract a greater crowd and help a good cause, hold your fashion show as a benefit for a local charity, to raise money and awareness for a worthy cause, while showcasing your work.^[3]
   
   • Promote your fashion show on social media sites to spread the word quickly and inexpensively.
5. Create a printed or electronic press kit. A press kit is an informative presentation about your company that is sent to media and retailers to boost your design profile. The kit can be printed and sent by mail, hand delivered, or sent online as a PDF document. The press kit should feature a story page describing how your clothing line got started, as well as:^[4]
   
   • A personal note from the clothing line's creator and designer
   • A condensed version of the online "lookbook", featuring a few select designs
   • Press about your clothing line, if any already exists (e.g. articles or interviews)
   • Quotes from the creator and designer about their clothing line that media sources can easily use in articles
   • A FAQ (frequently asked questions) section addressing common inquiries about the clothing line
   • Links to or listing of all of the clothing line's social media accounts
   • Updated contact information
   • High quality photos interspersed throughout the press kit
6. Mail samples to fashion publications upon request. After you send out press kits to different publications, you may receive requests for sample clothing from the line. Download a fashion inventory software such as Fashion GPS that will let you print out loan forms for these publications to sign, guaranteeing that the sample will be returned by a specific date and in good condition. Send out samples after receiving the signed form back.^[5]
   
   • Keep track of your samples with fashion inventory software or a simple Excel spreadsheet.

EditSetting up an Online Presence

1. Create a website. To sell to a wide audience and reach new audiences, your clothing line should have a website that is appealing and easy to navigate. Create your own or enlist the help of a friend or loved one who is experienced with web site design and search engine optimization techniques. Your website should include a lookbook of your designs, an online store, and a clear breakdown of your contact information.^[6]
   
   • Ask friends and family to link to your website, to help advertise your clothing line.
2. Set up an Instagram account. Creating an Instagram account for your clothing line is a great way to showcase pictures of your designs and gain followers. Instagram users prefer communication though shared images and may respond more quickly to pictures with a like than they would respond to other forms of media. Post colorful, interesting pictures of your clothing and follow new users frequently, to widen your network.
   
   • This Instagram account should be separate from your personal account.
3. Set up a Facebook page specifically for your clothing line. Facebook is a good platform to connect with people, share information, and connect to other social media platforms. Create a Facebook page for your clothing line and invite friends and relatives to like it and share it with others. Advertise events on your page and link to your website and other social media accounts.^[7]
   
4. Make a branded video for your clothing line and share it online. Viral video is a fast and powerful way to market your brand online. Shoot and edit a short video that presents the essence and visual theme of your brand in a memorable way. Share the video on a platform like Youtube, then link to it on your clothing brand's social media pages.^[8]
   
   • This video could show a behind-the-scenes view of how your designs come to life, or be a scripted with imaginative narrative that shows off some of your best designs.
5. Sponsor promotional content on a fashion blog. Reach out to fashion bloggers to commission advertising for your clothing line in a blog feature. Send them your press kit and discuss the cost for this writing. Once a promotional blog for your brand is posted, add a link to the blog on your social media pages. ^[9]
   

EditBuilding a Good Reputation

1. Provide good customer service and easy returns. Aim to provide customers with a positive experience that will create loyalty to your brand. Address any complaints or concerns directly and quickly, through email or social media. Provide easy returns on items that customers are not happy with, even if this is not cost effective at first.^[10]
   
2. Give incentives for return customers. Once a customer makes a purchase from you, take steps to keep them as a customer. For instance, offer a discount on their next purchase after the initial transaction goes through. You can also offer a free item when they purchase $100 or more of your products.^[11]
   
3. Create a mailing list for customers. When customers order from your online store, ask if they would like to be added to your mailing list. Send out daily, weekly, or monthly emails with exclusive deals and sneak peeks at new products being added to your clothing line. Entice customers to join the mailing list by offering a small discount on their next order.^[12]
   

EditSources and Citations

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