Instagram has become a powerful marketing tool for everyone, from established brands and aspiring labels to wannabe entrepreneurs or WFH hobby masters. This is especially true in an epidemic-hit world.
Instagram is a powerful marketing tool for everyone, from established brands to wannabe labels and even WFH hobby masters. This is especially true in an epidemic-hit world.
Since the iconic designer Sabyasachi launched his premium jewelry line on Instagram, using it as a fashion retailer outlet, this trend has taken off. The movement was popular earlier, but now it’s almost a necessity for anyone who wants to start a business with minimal costs.
Social media allows budding entrepreneurs who cannot afford to open a shop in a high-paying retail street or mall to reach a similar audience.
The install wagon
Adarsh Makharia, who launched Vaayu a few months ago and creates conscious clothing for everyday use, agrees with Komal Panchal. Like every other business, Vaayu was also hard hit by the pandemic. We had only just begun to enter the online world, so our online presence was not prominent. The pandemic forced us to move forward and strategize our way to online platforms. We were able to achieve our online goals and can now say that the situation is vastly different from last year. Also, our numbers have risen. Our online presence is still being improved.
Do we have the option not to be online? “Insta is the best option,” laughs Panchal. In recent years, the rise of Instagram brands has indeed leveled the playing field for fashion. Mansi Bagree of Peach & Pip says that online has been a boon not just for sales but also for procurement. According to Mansi Bagree, owner of Peach & Pip, online was a blessing not only for sales but also for procurement. Instagram has become the hub of businesses, big and small.
Guneet K. Kaur is the founder of Amarta. The company is an online fashion brand that focuses on affordable luxury and natural fabrics. Digital media is very important to them. She says that Instagram is her preferred platform. When asked why, she replies: “Instagram is a platform with a large audience. For a fashion brand, this is a key platform for connecting with your target audience.” The stakes are lower than traditional marketing because you can stop and pause the money flow at any time. Ad insights can be reviewed much quicker. Bagree from Peach and Pip adds: “I like to think of Instagram as a large catalog. Insta-worthy products will sell. Instagram is a great platform for marketing products because all bloggers and stylists use it.
Instagram is a great place for consumers to find new products and trends. It’s interesting to note that both traditional retail and new-age brand owners have adopted Instagram. Says Mayank Agarwal, director of Sasya Fashion Pvt Limited, a well-established fashion brand in Kolkata: “Instagram and fashion will be going a long way together. Instagram is a great medium for capturing the fluidity of fashion trends. Fashion companies will have to use Instagram as their primary marketing tool in the future. Sasya & Simaaya loves Instagram and will spend more money on Instagram marketing. “We get more inquiries on Instagram than on Facebook, so Insta is definitely the way to go.”
Click Reel Baits
Launching a clothing brand has traditionally been prohibitively costly. Not anymore. Although star collaboration, media coverage, and the involvement of stylists are essentials, you can start with the basics as soon as your social media presence is decent. Makharia, in response to the question of why Instagram is so popular, explains that it allows brands to communicate with their customers directly, promotes events and initiatives, and creates brand awareness. It’s a great way to increase sales and build a community of loyal followers without spending much money. Panchal continues: “The future is e-everything!” We have also made it a point to be more visible on digital media, just like other brands. Instagram is the fastest-growing platform, as photos and videos attract more attention. Gen Next is a platform that provides content and entertainment within a minute. Insta is the most popular platform for short, concise content. People don’t have the patience or time to read long texts. We do not limit ourselves to one platform. Although Instagram is the most popular, we also use Google Ads, Facebook, and other media.
What is the formula for success that a brand uses?
The correct content, concept, and photo will help you achieve success on Instagram. In social media, as in fashion, you must know what’s hot and how to capitalize on that. Consistency or posting at a specific frequency is essential. Consistency is the golden rule for social media, and Instagram is not an exception. We also used the analysis of content performance as a strategy. “It helped us understand what content was working for us, and plan accordingly,” says Makharia. Bagri agrees. She reveals her brand’s Insta-strategies, saying: “If you’re active, only your customers will reciprocate.”
The second step is to connect with your customers or connect your brand. The best way to achieve this is to be yourself and to be honest. Your brand can be a real person. Make content that not only showcases your products but also shows their usage. Make sure your content not only shows off your product but also its use. Our pieces are only sold via Instagram, and the focus of our content is to tell unique stories. Kaur says: “Instagram Marketing, Collaborations are the keys to any fashion brand’s success. Makharia, too, talks about the importance hashtags. The use of hashtags is one of the most underutilised strategies. It’s also been misused a lot. We will therefore focus our efforts on this. The final step would be to use all of the Instagram features and to provide as much information to our clients so they can connect with us better. Transparency is the key.”
Surbhi Pansari, ace men’s designer, says: “Through Insta Stories, we show how our collections are made, the creation of new lines, and also clips from our shoots. This deepens fans’ connections, builds trust, and nurtures loyal communities. We carefully curate our Instagram feed to give a sense of our brand and build trust with our customers. Influencers are a vital part of the fashion industry. These industry leaders and trend-setters are brought on to promote our products. It gives us access to a relevant and established audience. This boosts our presence in fashion.” How easy is it? It’s a marketing activity that requires planning, execution, and having the right social connections. While marketing and traditional brands have focused on celebrities in the past, Gen Z is more interested in “real influencers.” Marketing isn’t the only factor. It is important to have a product that is Insta-friendly, as well as a price that will be attractive. This, combined with the correct ad targeting, can make your product a huge success. “Instagram is such a powerful platform. It’s got everything. Bagree says that with its reel feature, it is the largest hub of content today. Panchal believes that every generation will have its platform. Starting with Yahoo Messenger, Orkut, Facebook, and now Instagram. In an ever-changing world, we have always been interested in what’s new and interesting.
