Influencer marketing has been the most successful strategy for lifestyle and fashion brands. This marketing technique has benefitted both upcoming and established labels. Moreover, it has transformed the way consumers learn about new developments in this niche.
Influencer marketing in fashion and lifestyle has been there for a while now but the marketing strategies keep evolving. Fashion influencers have now become an integral part of the social media marketing channel because they have carved a spot in the virtual lives of users.
Be it knowing about a new product or gaining information on a new brand, consumers turn to social media and social media influencers. Fashion and lifestyle influencers largely dominate the digital space these days and this makes them all the more important for this particular niche.
Lifestyle influencers have also made it possible for high-end brands to become more approachable and consumer-friendly. Additionally, influencers know their audience which is an advantage for lifestyle and fashion brands.
Influencers in the fashion industry also impact the way consumers make buying decisions. Using social media platforms for brand promotions has led to a change in the way people relate to a brand.
In this blog, we will tell you all about influencer marketing in fashion and lifestyle niches.
How Fashion Brands Using Influencers Benefit From This Strategy
The main aim of brands is to reach their potential customers and this is possible with the help of influencer marketing. Lifestyle and fashion brands can bank on influencers to get exposure on social media platforms. Here are some other benefits of using fashion and lifestyle influencers.
- Fashion brands using influencers will eventually know what their audience wants
Influencer marketing does not just help you sell your products, it also gives you an idea of what your target audience wants. With the help of influencer campaigns, brands can know about the audience's sentiment. Simply analyse the performance of your campaigns or go through the comments you receive on your posts to get a gist of what the audience thinks about your brand.
- Lifestyle influencers can help you target an undiscovered audience base
Brands already know which audience set they want to target with their campaign but influencers can help you spread word amidst an unexplored audience base too. Implementing social media campaigns will generate brand awareness and can attract potential customers.
- Lifestyle influencers have the ability to generate a need for products
Social media platforms are filled with picture-perfect posts that make you want to buy the products and services displayed. Fashion and lifestyle influencers can help you generate that want! Influencers are known for their content curation skills and this keeps the audience engaged which, in turn, can be beneficial for sales.
- Roping in lifestyle influencers can make your brand seem approachable
Connecting with the audience is necessary if you want to make a mark for your brand on social media. With influencer marketing campaigns, you can build a rapport with your target audience. Be it hosting live sessions or simply having a poll asking about their preferences, anything can help you connect with the users.
- Fashion and lifestyle influencers can help you compete with industry competitors
Influencers can help you gain an edge over your competitors with their content strategies. With this marketing technique, you can highlight your brand’s strengths. See where your competitors are lacking and frame strategies accordingly.
The lifestyle and fashion industry have a lot to gain from influencer marketing. But most campaigns fail to achieve their goals because of flaws in the influencer selection process. Let’s find out how you can get the most out of influencer marketing in the fashion industry.
Points To Remember When Implementing Influencer Marketing For Fashion Industry
1. Decide what you want to achieve from your influencer campaign
The framing of an influencer marketing campaign relies on its goals and objectives. Fashion brands using influencers must know what they plan to achieve with their campaigns. Without a set goal in mind, you won’t know how to plan your campaign. Your campaign goal can be as simple as promoting an upcoming new collection!
2. Choose the social media platforms where you will activate your campaign
The influencer selection depends on the social media platforms you choose for your campaign. Brands must choose the platforms wisely because that is where their campaign will be activated. Additionally, the kind of content you curate also depends on the platforms. For instance, if you choose Twitter, your content strategy will also include a spot for Twitter Fleets!
3. Decide which audience set you want to target with your campaign
In order to curate an effective campaign, it is essential to know who your audience is. Once you choose the platforms, check whether your target audience is active on the same. Keep in mind the age group you are targeting, the location you want to target, and the audience's interest. Influencers in the fashion and lifestyle industry often cater to a huge audience base. Hence, you must be specific about the kind of audience you want.
4. Know the content you want to put out for your brand campaign
The most important part of social media campaigns is content. The audience will not just see your brand name on social media but will consume the content you upload. Hence, it is very important to frame the content properly. The content you want for your campaign will directly impact your influencer selection. See whether you want videos, images, or a series of live sessions. Fashion brands using influencers must keep an eye on what their audience wants.
5. Choose the right fashion and lifestyle influencers
All your influencer marketing planning depends on the influencers you choose. It can be difficult to choose fashion influencers on Instagram because there are just too many of them! Brand managers need to be very careful of the influencers they choose because not all influencers can do justice to all kinds of campaigns.
The fashion and lifestyle influencers you choose must suit your brand’s tonality. Additionally, the influencers you choose must cater to your set target audience. Influencer campaigns in fashion and lifestyle niches often fail because of wrong influencer selection.
The influencers must curate engaging content that relates to the audiences. Moreover, they should be consistent on the platforms you have chosen.
Well, before you go ahead with the selection take a look at the kind of reactions they receive for their posts. This will help you decide whether they are fit for your campaign and what the audience thinks of their content.
Well, along with the above-mentioned information, it is also necessary to study a few brands that have successfully leveraged influencer marketing strategies.
EXAMPLES: Fashion Brands Using Influencers
Right from clothes, and accessories to makeup, every brand wants to make a mark on Instagram. It can be rightly said that Instagram is the most competitive and preferred platform for influencer marketing for fashion and lifestyle brands. Additionally, the introduction of the ‘Shopping’ feature on the platform makes it all the more significant. Let’s look at how brands use this strategy.
1. MAC Cosmetics
MAC has a huge fan base in India and the brand is heavily active on Instagram with its back-to-back tutorials and informative posts. MAC Cosmetics India has made the most out of this lockdown phase by coming up with engaging live sessions. The brand has made optimum use of the Instagram live and stories feature.
Not to forget, the brand also actively ropes in its in-house makeup artists to come up with tutorials and microblogs. The snapshot below shows one of MAC’s makeup tutorials.
2. Marks and Spencer
The popular clothing brand Marks and Spencer has an active presence on Instagram. The brand often collaborates with fashion influencers to promote its products. The posts by M&S also mention the prices of the products which makes them user-friendly. M&S targets the urban audience and gives fashion tips in the form of carousel posts to keep the audience engaged.
The brand has been actively promoting its skincare and bath range too along with clothes. M&S also hosts online contests to increase audience participation. The post below shows a fashion tip video by M&S in collaboration with an influencer.
3. Garnier India
The skincare brand is known for being budget-friendly and its target audience is millennials for most of its popular products. The brand is actively implementing influencer campaigns and also promotes heavily through Instagram stories.
Garnier India experiments with its content strategy by roping in fashion and lifestyle influencers from various tiers. With several giveaway contests, the brand keeps the audience engaged successfully.
The glimpse below shows one of Garnier India’s influencer posts.
4. Happenstance
The shoes and sandals brand Happenstance has started implementing influencer marketing campaigns to spread awareness for their brand. The brand actively collaborated with mega influencers. The motto of the brand is to promote comfort through stylish footwear and all of their posts focus on the same.
Even with less number of posts, the brand has managed to attract several followers thanks to their collaborations. The snapshot below shows one of the posts from Happenstance’s Instagram profile.
5. Daniel Wellington
The discussion about influencer marketing in the lifestyle and fashion industry is incomplete without the mention of Daniel Wellington. The luxury watch brand implemented rigorous strategies to spread its brand name on Instagram and succeeded in doing so. The brand has roped in lifestyle influencers from all tiers and is still continuing with the same plan. Be it the launch of their collection or an upcoming sale season, the brand spreads the word only through its influencers.
The image below is an influencer post for Daniel Wellington’s upcoming end-of-season sale offer.
Well, by now you must have surely understood how important it is to choose the right fashion and lifestyle influencers. With numerous choices, it is often difficult to understand which influencers will do justice to your campaign.
Fashion and Lifestyle Influencers
1. @thechiquefactor
Roshni Bhatia enjoys a great fan following on Instagram. The influencer focuses on the lifestyle niche and her posts majorly revolve around fashion. From decoding trends in fashion trends to reusing the dresses that are no longer in vogue, she does it all.
2. @masoomminawala
When it comes to lifestyle and fashion Masoom Minawala needs to be mentioned. The influencer is a luxury fashion influencer and has been consistent on Instagram with her amazing content.
3. @thatbohogirl
Kritika Khurana with 1.1m followers is also one of the mega influencers who posts on fashion and lifestyle. Along with the stated niches, she also posts about makeup at regular intervals.
4. @_abix_
Abhinav Mathur has a great fan following on Instagram with 91.2k followers. His account is counted as one of the most stylish accounts on the platform.
5. @theformaledit
Karron S Dhinggra posts on grooming, menswear, and luxury. The influencer’s feed is full of eye-pleasing images with informative captions. The popular Instagram influencer enjoys a follower count of 439k.
These are just a few popular influencers that have carved a niche for themselves on social media. Influencer selection plays a major role in deciding the success rate of your campaign. Make sure you choose the right influencers for your marketing campaigns!