Tweeting Fashion: Boohoo

Fashion is all about aesthetics so, inevitably, marketing in the industry is very image-centric. Social media marketing is a huge part of the fashion industry, but how can you coordinate a successful fashion campaign using Twitter?

The first thing to realise is that Twitter is always changing and being updated. By staying on top of newly available features and being the first to make the most of them, you are bound to remain afloat on Twitter and are far more likely to gain trust and engagement from your followers. Here’s what’s big right now and how you can utilise it:   Only in recent months has Twitter introduced inline image preview, which allows users to see images without manually ‘expanding’ a Tweet. This is fantastic news for marketing in general, but especially for fashion brands; retweets can be increased by 150% with the addition of images, according to a Fast Company study.

Research by Sarah Maloy points out that it shouldn’t be any old image. Images should measure 440 pixels wide and 220 pixels tall and should feature an obvious focal point. Sarah also found that certain colours were better at gaining engagement – red hues were the most popular.

Boohoo Australia has jumped on the use of images. In the example below, see how the brand engages with its audience, inviting them to answer a question whilst exploring its collection.

Vine

Vine has only been around for a mere 13 months, but it is certainly making an impression. Various brands have experimented with stop-start animation and other simple creations. Boohoo, for one, chose to release items from its AW13 collection in a Vine.

According to research a video ought not to be any longer than 4 minutes if it is to gain interest online. Luckily for Vine, a looping 6 seconds is hardly a commitment, which is perhaps the explanation for its success.

Now there is the option to better focus and expose the footage, this year’s Vines have the potential to be more effective than ever. New search filters also allow Twitter users to search only for ‘videos’, making it more appropriate than ever to be using this tool.

Newsjacking the industry

As much as you want your own brand to be the focal point, in the fashion industry it’s equally important to be involved in what’s happening externally. Perhaps London Fashion Week, a new TV show or some big fashion news – whatever it is, it’s in your interest to get involved. To help get the most out of your involvement in what’s happening, Twitter’s new search filters ought to narrow down the topics that are in your interest to cover. Boohoo used an image of David Beckham at NY Fashion Week. By offering an image that pulls on maternal heartstrings everywhere, Boohoo has tapped into a trending topic that suits its brand’s audience.

Hashtag fashion

Whilst Twitter may not have been the most important social tool for the fashion industry at one time, the increased visibility is definitely changing that. These points just touch the surface of what’s recently become possible on Twitter; there is still scheduling, promoting and hashtags which play a huge part in Twitter marketing. Get involved and see what your business or blog is capable of!

Guest Post – Tess Brumwell-Gaze, BooHoo