Social media is quickly replacing the influence of fashion magazines on today’s styles and trends. One of the most important influencers for decisions about apparel and accessories is TikTok. A start up fashion brand needs to take advantage of what TikTok has to offer.

TikTok came into the social media world like a hurricane. It already has over a billion active users, and has become a major player in the fashion world. TikTok is characterized by its short video format. These smaller, quicker videos appear as more organic and home-made rather than polished and high end. That gives them the personal touch and can lead to a stronger connection with your viewers. In this blog, I will explain why you should include TikTok in the marketing strategy for your fashion line. There are many content options, and you can find a different audience of followers than on other platforms.

Why TikTok?

One of the most important features TikTok offers to a start-up fashion brand is its dynamic platform. TikTok actively searches organically for users who might like your content. It’s called a “For You” feed and all users on TikTok have the option to view what the TikTok algorithm thinks they may enjoy. This can expose your content to many viewers that you would not ordinarily interact with or be exposed to on other “static” platforms like Instagram and Facebook. This dynamic feature can help you grow your audience, increase your followers, and establish awareness for your brand.

Major fashion brands, including Gucci, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Lululemon, have an enormous presence on TikTok that has gone viral; however, you can be a new or a small brand and still successfully market on TikTok. Discovering smaller brands and new labels that are virtually unknown has become a large part of the entertainment value of TikTok. Influencers actively hunt for new styles and fashion products to bring attention to in their content. 

If you consistently post content on TikTok, the algorithm that exposes your content to new viewers works even harder for you, and your target audience can expand very quickly. You literally get rewarded for posting consistently and regularly. The more content you post, the more the algorithm showcases it to others. 

Remember, you do not need to impress millions of followers with your line. If you can simply attract a small but loyal audience, you can successfully launch your brand and begin to grow. TikTok gives you access to a mass audience of over a billion active users. You only need a small fraction of those followers to start selling and generate revenue.

Who is on TikTok?

TikTok also offers you somewhat different demographics than other social media platforms.  Frequent users of TikTok tend to be younger than users of Instagram and Facebook. Over 40 per cent of the TikTok user base is under 29 years old. That means you are engaging a “Gen Z” audience.  These individuals are young and often more fashion focused.

Although TikTok’s viewer base skews younger, over half of the users are 30 and older. The pool of potential followers is extremely large whether you are targeting a younger or older audience. Do you know what age group your niche and target audience falls into? You should know that because it is important. In general; however, TikTok hosts too large an audience to ignore. It is an essential platform to build a consistent presence for your fashion brand.

What you can do on TikTok?

There are many great ways to market your fashion line on TikTok. Remember, people go on TikTok for entertainment. They want to be entertained, informed, dazzled, and connected with. You will not engage them effectively with a constant barrage of selling messages. 

Even though your video content may be as short as :15 seconds you need to give them something of value. Entertainment, information, style tips, testimonials, humor, endorsements, and instructions are all forms of content that can promote your brand and connect with your audience without a hard-sell “Buy Now” every time.

A good idea is to try various types of content to see what appeals most to your followers. While some brands may do better with videos on how to style the item, another brand may do better with user generated content (UGC) like testimonials, unboxings, or endorsements. It’s important to test several different content types. What you think may appeal to your audience might not perform as well as another type of content you had not considered. That is why testing can be so valuable. 

Post a clickable link to your site or landing page on your TikTok profile so that viewers can find you, learn more, and even buy from you. When posting a video, you can either shoot and edit it yourself and then post it, or TikTok allows you to create and edit right on their platform. They offer a pretty robust studio where you can shoot your video, edit it, and add effects, graphics, and music. You can even access their music library and use a trending song as part of your soundtrack. That can help you get additional exposure from their algorithm. 

Recently, TikTok extended its maximum video length from 3 minutes to 10 minutes; however, the vast majority of videos are anywhere from just a few seconds to under a minute. Most viewers spend less than 6 seconds on your video unless you grab them instantly. You need to hook them and communicate your message quickly to make an impact. It is a good idea to spend some time viewing the various types of videos other users post. They are a fantastic source of ideas for techniques and content that you can use in your videos.

There is also an interactive feature where you can go live on TikTok LIVE. This allows you to truly interact with your audience in real time. You need at least 1000 followers before you are eligible to go LIVE. This is a great opportunity to showcase your brand, give information, interact with your audience, host live shopping, and make real connections.  Users 16 and older can launch LIVEs, and if you are over 18 you can receive gifts. TikTok gifts are virtual coins users send you if they appreciate your content. 

Although, at this point, you cannot sell directly within the TikTok platform, like you can on Instagram and Facebook, you can put a clickable link on your profile. This link can go to your website, landing page, Etsy page, or your Facebook or Instagram Marketplace page. This ability to instantly convert sales can make TikTok a significant revenue generator for your fashion brand.

How to Sell and Make Money on TikTok?

Making money and selling your fashion collection is relatively easy on TikTok. You can sell organically by posting a clickable link to a website where you are selling your product. You can also pay to Promote a post in order to get more views. Hopefully, this will attract new followers and potential buyers.. 

Currently, the viewer does have to leave the TikTok platform to get to the website page where you are selling your items. This can be inconvenient to a potential buyer who wants to stay within the TikTok feed; however, at this time, there is no other solution.

TikTok also gives you the option to buy paid advertisements. There are several different choices you can make that determine how your advertising messages are delivered and who they are delivered to. 

How much does Marketing on TikTok cost?

Just like most social media platforms, TikTok is free, and the exposure you have access to is priceless. That is why it can be such a cost effective marketing tool. You can choose to simply market your fashion line organically and grow your followers without spending any money.

If you want to promote posts or run advertisements, the cost of marketing on TikTok depends on what you can afford from your marketing budget. Basically, you are paying for exposure and you can choose how much or how little you are willing to spend for each post or campaign.

A prudent strategy is not to promote or pay for advertising right away, and to see how your audience evolves. Once you find out more about your audience and what sort of content they respond to, then you can more effectively spend to promote a post or run an advertisement. Always analyze the performance of each post or advertisement. Many marketers use what is called the MER (Media Efficiency Ratio). It’s a ratio that divides the money spent into the revenue generated. It indicates whether your spending is profitable or not. If the ratio is 1 (spending equals revenue) you are breaking even. If it is under 1, you are losing money. If it is over 1 you are making your back and then some.

If your promotion is profitable, then it might be a smart to spend a little more and see if that generates more profitable results. You should always analyze your metrics to determine if you are optimizing your marketing budget.

Consider the potential of exposing your fashion line to a billion possible viewers. That is the value of the opportunity TikTok offers you. All you have to do is create a brand profile and start posting content.  TikTok’s active platform even helps you grow your audience and expand your followers. 

With an active user base at over a billion people, TikTok is too large to ignore. That is why TikTok is one of the leading social media sites for fashion brands. Many of the viewers use TikTok specifically to discover fashion tips, trends, and new brands.  It gives you a very effective way to introduce viewers to your fashion line, build awareness,  and even sell them your collection. It is an essential social media site to establish your brand’s presence on.

Stuck on product Production? At V.Mora we can help you through the entire production process from designing, to sourcing and so on through our Production Development services. If you are in need of the following Development and Production services: 

• Sourcing 

• Technical sketches   

• Pattern Making

• Prototype making 

• Sample Making

• Fittings 

• Digitizing and Grading

• Marker Making

• Manufacturing

Please contact us at: vmorainquiry@vmora.com