An important part of success in the fashion industry is generating consumer enthusiasm for your brand. As you strive to make your mark and deliver a compelling message, you may eventually wonder if there might be more you could be doing to increase traffic to your site and close more sales. If your marketing efforts are not generating the enthusiasm you were hoping for, consider incorporating video content into the mix. Research shows that four times as many customers would rather watch a video than read about a product or service.
Whether you’re considering hiring a professional or prefer a DIY approach, video marketing is a powerful way to establish a personal connection with your customers. To avoid missing out on the income-generating potential of video content, consider the following four suggestions:
#1 – Incorporate Video into Your Email Campaign
It’s reasonably safe to assume that most of your contacts check their email at least once each day. Since up to 70 percent of emails generally go unopened, it’s important to pique recipient curiosity. Adding “video” to your subject line may be just what your business needs to maximize the results of your email campaign. Your video can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Consider these suggestions:
- A personal invitation to an exclusive sale
- A reminder to sign up for your newsletter or customer loyalty program
- Updates on upcoming events or announcements of partnerships with local boutiques
- A personal invitation to enter a drawing or attend an event
A thumbnail image and link to your video may be all that’s needed to receive more email-generated traffic. If you plan on incorporating an entire video into your email, keep the content short, direct, and compressed. If your recipients have to wait for large files to load, they may lose interest and move on. Adding video to email commonly results in a 200-300 percent increase in click-through rates, meaning 2-3 times more traffic to your site.
#2 – Use Video to Tell Your Story
A compelling, focused brand story helps you build trusting relationships with the customers who benefit from your unique perspective. Putting that story to video will help you form emotional connections as you reveal who you are and what you offer. A well-planned video can introduce your brand and company philosophy in less than five minutes. Sharing your personality as you talk about your origins, goals, and the inspiration for your collection humanizes your brand. It also sets you apart from the competition by:
- Allowing customers to connect with the person behind the brand image
- Allowing your personality to shine through as you engage others
- Providing a compelling format that defines your mission, purpose, values, and vision
Watching a video offers the type of audio and visual stimulation that helps build stronger connections with your followers than images and text on their own. Plus, sharing a compelling story in video format also allows loyal customers the opportunity to share that story with other like-minded individuals.
#3 – Enhancing Your Blog
Publishing well-crafted articles helps attract prospective customers while also establishing your reputation as a knowledgeable industry professional. Blogging also enhances search engine optimization (SEO). Although regularly updating your blog with compelling text and intriguing images will significantly improve your website ranking over time, studies suggest that video content is more likely to be shared. That means more potential customers will be interacting with your content. If you’re intrigued by the idea of adding video to your fashion blog but aren’t quite sure where to start, you may want to consider:
- Recording “meet the team” video introductions
- Posting interviews with established leaders in the fashion industry
- Incorporating video footage of events highlighted in your blog or newsletter
- Posting a “behind the scenes” montage as you prepare for a trade show or marketing event
- Posting videos that answer customer questions or offer fashion advice
- Recording an explanation of the individual features and benefits of your creations
- Posting customer stories and brand testimonials
- Posting knowledge-based videos about fabric choices, design features, or other topics relevant to your brand
#4- Adding Detail and Polish to Product Pages
Although high-quality images help generate sales, digital video brings your merchandise to life in new ways. Just a few of the many compelling reasons to offer your customers access to videos for each of your designs include:
- An opportunity to draw consumer attention to the details that define your brand
- The ability to set a tone for your designs with lighting and sound
- A chance to focus and zoom on specific aspects of your designs, including fabrics and textures
- An opportunity to show a fluid 360-degree view of your designs
- The ability to provide visual references for the features and benefits highlighted in your product descriptions as customers view your collection
You can also use videos created for your email campaign, fashion blog, or website to add spark to your social media presence. Keep in mind that many people prefer authentic, non-professional video to slick productions that come across as inauthentic. That means you could be shifting your marketing efforts into high gear with little more than the camera on your smartphone, simple editing software, and a bit of imagination.