Social Media’s Contribution to the Spread and Promotion of Fashion

Social Media’s Contribution to the Spread and Promotion of Fashion

The fashion industry is, without a doubt, one with undeniable presence, character, and effect on people the world over. What is rooted in the human psyche, the fashion industry embodies the desire not only to be protected from the elements but also clothed in stylish apparel, at least by cultural standards. This has been the case from early man who made animal hide into clothes. The same has continued till today with incredible variety across the continents. The wherewithal of manufacture has evolved to match the change in taste, demand, and need. All this has been heavily influenced by the flow of information between different entities, from individual persons to entire civilizations. Whereas this exchange of ideas was predominantly by word of mouth for most of history, the last two centuries have seen this exchange increase due to new and advanced communication. The most recent of these advances is social media.

State of Play

Simply put, social media is comprised of internet-based social interaction platforms. These platforms afford users access to information generated by virtually anyone with an internet-enabled device. Thus, the amount of information is as vast as it is varied. This information is usually in the form of posts whose content could be video, image, audio, text, and even computer programs. These platforms can be websites, phone applications (apps), or both. Users then are allowed to customize the information they get to see by in-built algorithms that learn one’s interests by tracking their activity. Previously these platforms were stand-alone entities, but now there is increasing fluidity to allow easier flow of information across platforms. A good example is the ability to link one’s Facebook account with their Instagram account. Activity on one platform, such as uploading a photo, is reflected on the other.

When it comes to fashion, this potential for information exchange has been exploited by consumers and manufacturers alike. Every day new ways of reaching potential buyers are being devised. Companies are approaching these platforms to run advertisements of their products in addition to having their own online social media presence through corporate accounts. These ads constantly being run have led to increased profits as they increasingly reach more people than traditional advertising. This is primarily through the use of cookies that advertisers track and then use to send appropriate ads to the right audience (The Fashion Network, 2019).

The numbers are only beginning to show this reality. The number of social media users has increased to 3.48 billion, with the active social media user having 7.6 active accounts (Kemp, 2019). Now companies are even interacting with their potential buyers on social media to boost the buyers’ confidence. By “responding to comments on posts, hosting giveaways, and even reposting photos or comments that customers post” (The Fashion Network, 2019), companies draw in these buyers and make them feel recognized and therefore valued. Additionally, social media is a way to collect data from buyers about what they like or don’t like. In response, companies are better suited to cater to these needs.

Recently the landscape of the traditional grid structure of social media has seen fresh additions to it, most notably ephemeral content (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020). This is more commonly known as ‘stories’ and has been popularized by Instagram. Users create content that is shown on the platform for 24 hours, after which it automatically expired. The content uploaded allows for comments and responses, much like traditional posts. This, too, “help bring about stronger relationships through humanizing the brand” through “chatting with customers in the direct message/chat features of the platforms” (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020).

There has been a curious addition to the interaction between marketers and the buyer. Some might say evolution. This is the blogger turned influencer phenomenon. Generally, bloggers would create content for the consumption of the public. Consequently, according to one’s ability to connect with the right audience, a following grew. As brands became aware of this, they solicited the services of these bloggers to market their content. A form of endorsement. This is seen clearly in sports where prominent athletes showcase different products, especially clothes, to the public. This increased awareness naturally translates to profits.

Future of this Trend in the next10 Years

The future of the use of social media to influence and drive fashion can only shine brighter. However, the hue of that shine will depend heavily on the demographics with the most buying power. As it stands currently, that includes Millennials and Gen Zers, who make up more than half of the planet’s population. Afterpay conducted a study that showed 92% of millennials and 97% of Gen Zers rely on social media as a top source to help drive a purchase (McDonald, 2019). This is more trust than they have for family and friends. Celebrities and influencers come in third as the preferred source of information. Not surprisingly, most of the purchases made by these groups were made on mobile devices and computers. Among these will be influencers and their growing popularity with brands as shown by Singh-kurtz (2019), “fashion labels have already made their influencer partnerships core to their brand,” for example, the e-commerce site Revolve, “whose 2018 IPO filing referenced its 2,500-strong network of influencers, and used the actual word ‘influencer’ 79 times.”

Limitations of Social Media

There is a dark side to social media. Any experienced content creator knows that to sustain traffic requires time and energy. Failure to do this usually leads to a dwindling following (Owen, 2019). Additionally, small and upcoming businesses will find social media hardground to break. This applies to new fashion enthusiasts looking to create a name for themselves as the more prominent players will always have the upper hand.

References

DMI, S. @ (2019) 3 Trends Defining The Future of Social Media for Business. Digital Marketing Institute. Digital Marketing Institute. [Online] [Accessed on May 2, 2020]https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/3-trends-defining-the-future-of-social-media-for-business.

McDonald, S. (2019) Run the Numbers: Millennial and Gen Z Shoppers Trust Social Media More Than Family and Friends. Footwear News. Footwear News. [Online] [Accessed on May 2, 2020]https://footwearnews.com/2019/business/retail/millennial-gen-z-social-media-shopping-1202876895/.

Owen, J., Owen, J. and Owen, J. (2020) 10 Disadvantages Of Social Media Marketing & What To Do? techjackie. [Online] [Accessed on May 2, 2020]https://techjackie.com/disadvantages-of-social-media-marketing/.

Singh-Kurtz, S. (2019) The future of fashion will be run by influencers. Quartz. Quartz. [Online] [Accessed on May 2, 2020]https://qz.com/quartzy/1684857/farfetch-ceo-says-influencers-will-run-the-future-of-fashion/.

Social Media in the Fashion Industry (2019) The Fashion Network. [Online] [Accessed on May 2, 2020]https://thefashionetwork.com/social-media-in-the-fashion-industry/.

Wang, K., Valentine, O., Machado, V. and Dubras, R. (2019) Digital 2019: Global Internet Use Accelerates. We Are Social. [Online] [Accessed on May 2, 2020]https://wearesocial.com/blog/2019/01/digital-2019-global-internet-use-accelerates.