Today, there is no better way for brands to reach potential customers than via the social network. In this article, we take a look at the blogosphere and how fashion brands can tap into this complex network of bloggers & readers to promote their products. Blogs have become one of the fastest and most powerful ways of exchanging information.
If a popular blogger endorses your products on their personal blog, by featuring them in a look book, writing a review, comparing them to competitive brands, etc. you immediately win favour (or at least recognition) among their faithful readers. Here’s why:
Reassurance – Before investing in something, we like to be assured that the product we buy will meet our expectations. Which is why we read reviews before buying movie tickets, or ask our friends for restaurant recommendations. When it comes to shopping, particularly shopping online where we can’t touch, feel or try on a product, it is reassuring to have someone else review it for us. Bloggers play a critical role in providing feedback about products, which their readers believe to be unbiased and hence believable.
Relatability: This is one advantage that bloggers have over famous celebrities that endorse products. Celebrities are larger than life and hence we don’t relate to them. We know that Aishwarya Rai has had help from professional hair-stylists and make-up artists before she shoots an ad for L’Oreal. We know our hair won’t look like hers just by using the shampoo she promotes. But if a blogger recommends the same shampoo and explains why she finds it beneficial, we’re more likely to be convinced – because a blogger is a regular consumer just like us!
Which fashion bloggers should you approach?
You’ll be spoiled for choice, ‘cause there are so many fashion bloggers out there! Making a decision about which bloggers to tie-up with is quite critical because different bloggers have different readers. Who you choose will depend on who your ideal customer is. Use the following criteria to select whom to approach.
Readership – Like with all other media channels, some blogs are simply more popular than others. Some bloggers reveal the number of the followers they have, but even if they don’t you can gauge popularity with a little research. Check how many times the posts are shared on social media and how much the blogger interacts via comments with his/her reader.
Social media interactions – Most popular fashion bloggers become social influencers because of their presence on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. The more followers they have and more active they are on social media, the more you as a brand stand to benefit from partnering with them. Many brands tie-up with bloggers to run contests on their behalf, which generally results in lots of mention of your brand on social media channels.
Location – If you deliver your apparel or accessories only within Mumbai, it would be prudent to work with Mumbai-based fashion bloggers, who has more social connections within the city. Suppose you want to expand to Delhi, for e.g., you could begin by introducing your products to Delhi bloggers to build awareness.
Specialization – This is perhaps the most critical criteria; not all fashion blogs have the same type of content– some discuss street style, others focus on make-up and beauty, some exclusively feature luxury brands, others stick to affordable fashion or budget styling ideas, some talk about celebrity fashion and others about do-it-yourself fashion hacks, so on and so forth.
You need to figure out where you fit in! If you make high-end limited edition leather handbags bags, you would need to identify a blogger who features high-street or luxury brands. Whereas if you sell funky hair accessories, you may want to choose a blogger who does posts and videos about beauty and styling.
How should you approach fashion bloggers?
It really isn’t hard to get in touch with bloggers because they want to be found! Most have contact info mentioned on their blogs and if not, are open to being contacted via social media channels. They are, after all, in the business of staying connected and accessible.
Incentives and freebies – Remember that lots of retailers and brands approach popular bloggers – they are in demand! Don’t try to flatter them, send them mass promotional emails and shower them with freebies because you will probably be ignored. Write to them, take the time to call or request a meeting, with an honest request for a collaboration. Introducing them to your brand and asking them for feedback on your products is perhaps the best way to start. Most bloggers will be happy to work with you, if you gift them some handpicked products, with a personal touch – do a little research about what they like and are hence likely to feature on their blog.
Some may request to be paid, which is quite fair considering there is a commercial exchange. If you are paying for coverage on their blog, get a proper break down of what the post will be like, how much coverage you will get, and how they will share it via social media, etc.
Feedback and follow-ups – Just being featured in a single blog post is good, but what’s better is establishing a long term relationship with bloggers. Be open to their feedback, even if it is negative. Keep a dialogue going over time and keep them updated about your new products and collections. If you build a good rapport you stand to benefit – your brand may find repeat mention on their blog and social media channels, and will lead to more awareness and hopefully more sales!
You can never underestimate the potential of fashion bloggers for generating good public relation for your brand. Your brand needs to make a profound impact on your customers for it to stand against the competition. So go ahead, put your networking skills to action and increase your reach via the fashion influencers. If you want them to showcase your products, trust me, they want to try beautiful outfits and apparel too!
This post was originally written by Salonee Gadgil for Zepo: The eCommerce Blog for Small Businesses. We are an eCommerce Platform and we help small businesses to sell online.