If you’ve gotten this far, you know your brand inside and out, your legal business details and business plan are in place, and you have a manufacturing partner making your clothes, for example, cut and sew design type clothes and a plan for selling them.
Now it’s time to get the word out about your great new clothing business, a new line of clothes, and find customers!
Making a list of local fashion editors and media outlets is a great way to get started (radio, television, and online blogs). You can send a press release to these places when you are ready to start your clothing brand or clothing line.
Make it even better by putting together a full press kit. Check out this PR Couture article to find out how.
The pictures of your clothes are another important (and easy to forget) way to market your clothing line.
If you are just getting started, you might want to take these yourself. But photos that are blurry or not well-lit can work against you. So, if you can afford it, hire a professional photographer to make sure you get great results.
If you don’t have much money, a simple lighting kit and a DSLR camera can help you take photos that look like they were taken by a professional. Remember to pay attention to the right details, such as the texture of the fabric, the trims, the closures, and, if necessary, the accessories.
You will use these pictures on your website, in your social media marketing, and in your ads. So, think about your brand and the people you want to reach when you style them.
But most importantly, make sure that your styles are the focus of the photos. Keep accessories and background details to a minimum and keep things simple.
Why your clothing line needs to be online
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You need to make a name for yourself online. And the answer is social media. With social media, it’s easy to let customers know about new products, changes to store policies, or sales. It also lets you get to know your current customers better and build low-pressure relationships with people who might buy from you in the future.
Having a presence on (at least) Twitter and Facebook will help you build a group of fans. And think about small-scale influencers who can help you in the beginning.
Put those great pictures of your clothing line in a Facebook album so that people can see what your brand is all about.
Social media is also a great way for potential customers to learn more about you and your clothes.
Customers are more likely to buy from a new business than from a big store because they feel like they know the business’s story. So, share that story for free on Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, it’s in your best interest to incorporate SMS marketing into the mix. 90% of people worldwide own a mobile device, meaning that if you want to reach potential customers immediately, text messages are the way to go.
Lastly, think about having a launch party to spread the word about your clothing manufacturers UK and get people excited about it.
What you need to know to get your clothing line off the ground
As a new business owner on the rise, you’ll also want to make the most of the cheap and easy ways to get noticed that social media marketing gives you.
Don’t try to get as many guests as possible. Plan your party for a night when there are no other important events going on, especially not in the fashion industry. You don’t want to make people choose between your launch and something else.
Hold your event somewhere exciting. A unique place to hold an event can make it feel like, well, an event. But don’t just pick a place at random; pick a place that fits with your brand. Try to find a place where your target audience would feel right at home, if “home” was a really fun and exciting place.
Give something away for nothing. Free stuff is very popular. If you can afford it, giving your guests a thoughtful and relevant gift will make a big impression on them. A t-shirt with a brand on it might be the right gift. Or, you can hold a raffle for a one-of-a-kind, custom-made piece of clothing.
A Question to Ask Before Forming an Investment Partnership
As with any part of your business, you should start by giving the matter a lot of thought. Here are some questions to help you get going:
- What do you hope to get out of this business partnership or investment?
- How much do you want them to be a part of making decisions?
- Do you want a long-term relationship or a short-term one?
In any relationship, you need to know what you want to get out of it. There are many different ways to be a partner or an investor. Are you just looking for someone to put money into your business? Or are you looking for leads, someone to split costs with, or exposure and success by being associated with a well-known brand?
Only you know what will help your business the most. But before you meet with a potential partner or investor, you should know what your goals are.
