Many brands have jumped on the influencer marketing bandwagon as a means of meaningfully connecting with their target audiences, as well as reaching new audiences in the process. Not only is it a great avenue for reach, but also has a proven track record of positively impacting engagement and sales figures when used correctly. One industry that has seen particular gains from influencer marketing is the fashion industry, so it’s particularly crucial for brands in this space to ensure their campaigns line up with current trends and industry standards. The best way to do this, of course, is to keep up-to-date with what’s working for other brands, understand what tricks fashion influencers are using to keep their content engaging, and discover best practices to measure the success of campaigns they run. We’ll be exploring the best strategies to keep your influencer marketing current and trending, so just keep reading.
Keep an eye on industry news and events
The biggest trends and happenings all tend to make headlines one way or another, so keeping an eye on big news is a great way to get a feel for what’s trending in your industry. Whether it’s the biggest wins or the biggest missteps, you’ll be able to educate yourself on what to do or what to avoid by watching the coverage of other major fashion brands. Here are some of the easiest ways to keep tabs on trends:
Follow industry publications and blogs: Major fashion publications post relevant, consistent content that can give great insights into current fashion influencer marketing trends. Depending on the blog, they may cover industry news, trends, best practices, or events happening in your scene. The most prominent sites to keep up with include:
Adweek
Digiday
Fashionista
Vogue Business
The Business of Fashion (BoF)
Women’s Wear Daily (WWD)
Subscribe to industry newsletters: To ensure you don’t miss a beat, you can also hit subscribe on various publications’ newsletters to get regular updates and current, trending topics right in your inbox.
Attend industry events: The fashion industry is known for its big-scale events, so making sure you attend at least some of the biggest shows can help you stay up-to-date with what matters. Many events will cover new or unseen trends so you can get ahead of the curve, and attending these events also opens up the opportunity for networking with some of the biggest professionals in the field. Some of the major events include:
Fashion Digital New York
Fashion Tech Forum
Fashion Digital London
Fashion Tech Berlin
NRF Retail’s Big Show
Fashion Week Online
Fashion Digital Paris
Fashion Digital LA
Follow influencer marketing experts and industry thought leaders
Another effective method of keeping your influencer marketing on-trend is to follow those in the industry who know best. Not only will you hear about best practices from the horse’s mouth, but you’ll also be able to read their personalized thoughts and opinions, offering a different perspective to those you may have already heard a thousand times. There are a few ways to find experienced individuals and benefit from their insights:
Follow them on social media: Some of the biggest influencer marketing experts can be found on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram. They often share their personal thoughts, experiences, and opinions here, so following them is a great idea.
Subscribe to their blogs or newsletters: Much like big publications, some industry experts have their own newsletters where they share valuable insights with subscribers – so make sure to join their mailing lists.
Attend events where they are speaking: Events may host some of the industry thought leaders to give talks or host panels, so keep an eye out and try to attend these events when you can.
If you’re looking for a headstart on some influencer marketing experts that fashion brands can derive value from, there are a few major figures to choose from:
Alexander Frolov: CEO and Co-Founder of HypeAuditor, an influencer marketing solutions platform
Joe Gagliese: CEO and Co-Founder of Viral Nation, an influencer marketing agency
Sue B. Zimmerman: Founder and CEO of Sue B. Zimmerman Enterprises, an influencer marketing consultancy
Gretta van Riel: Founder of Hey Influencers, an influencer marketing agency for e-commerce brands
Lisette Calveiro: Fashion influencer and social media strategist
Jason Falls: Influencer marketing specialist and thought leader
Neal Schaffer: Author, speaker, and influencer marketing Consultant
Brittany Hennessy: Founder of InfluenceHER Collective, an influencer marketing agency
Rachel Pedersen: Founder and CEO of Social Media United, an influencer marketing agency
Join industry groups and organizations
There are many major groups in the fashion industry that can provide a platform for brands to network with like-minded individuals and professionals, thus providing a great means for learning and education on current important trends. To find and join these organizations, fashion brands can:
Research and identify relevant groups: There is a plethora of industry-related groups that might focus on influencer marketing or fashion influencer-related activities. With proper research, fashion brands might be able to find and reach out to groups that align with their specific needs and interests.
Join online communities and forums: Thanks to the digital world, finding communities related to your field has become much easier. There are plenty of fashion-focused forums and group websites where members can chat, exchange knowledge, and share insights with other community members. As such, these groups can be a great resource for first-hand knowledge of important news and trends.
Attend events and meetings: As with the other recommendations we’ve gone over, many groups and organizations have a presence at in-person or online events that brands can take part in. This can present a great opportunity to find groups of people or experts that interest you, so try to attend or keep a look out for the attendees when these events do arise.
Stay active on social media and online communities
Social media has become an extremely important hub for people in the fashion scene to engage, share information, and otherwise connect, so active participation is key to your influencer marketing strategy. To make sure you find yourself in the right circles no matter which social media platform you use, you can:
Follow relevant hashtags: Most important events or topics will come coupled with relevant hashtags, so brands can follow these hashtags to find all the posts or conversations surrounding a particular conversation or piece of fashion news.
Engage with other users: Actively taking part in conversations or trends on social media can help boost your presence and also encourage other brands to engage with you, too. Do this by commenting on relevant posts, sharing content, and engaging or asking questions where appropriate.
Share their own content: By sharing your own fashion- or influencer marketing-related content, you can put yourself at the center of conversation and help contribute to important topics in the fashion space. This in turn could encourage others to share their insights or knowledge, and help position you favorably in the fashion community.
Attend industry conferences and events
Fashion conferences and shows are a highly effective way to keep yourself in the loop with trends and best practices, not to mention open up avenues for networking with fashion professionals. These events should be of high priority to most fashion brands, so to ensure you can attend those that matter to you, you can:
Research and identify relevant conferences and events: There is a wealth of information online about upcoming fashion conferences and events, so ensure that you either research these on your own or follow individuals who post about major events on their social media platforms.
Register for and attend the conferences and events: To make sure you can attend, join in and register as soon as possible when events open up for applications or openings. This way you can boost your chances of attendance.
Participate in workshops and sessions: Some conferences may host workshop sessions where those in attendance can gain crucial fashion insights from experts, subsequently taking this knowledge to apply it to their own work. You should prioritize these workshops to open yourself up to gaining in-depth insights and other practical skills that can aid your fashion campaigns.
Utilize influencer marketing software and tools
There is a range of influencer marketing platforms and tools that can greatly aid fashion brands in streamlining and automating their campaigns. Often, these platforms can also provide valuable insights into fashion influencers and make available various analytics that may otherwise be difficult or time-consuming to find. To make use of these influencer marketing software applications, brands can:
Research and compare different software and tools: The market currently has a variety of influencer marketing tools available, each with its own strengths, focuses, and unique features, so fashion brands should take it upon themselves to carefully research and compare these tools to find the ones that will best suit their goals.
Implement the software and tools: Fashion brands should look into how these tools can be inserted into their influencer marketing strategy, as their implementation can greatly simplify and help to scale their influencer marketing campaigns and other activities.
Stay up to date with updates and new features: Regular updates and feature releases are commonplace for most major influencer marketing software platforms, so it’s a good idea to keep up with these rollouts to get the most out of their functionality.
Some of the most prominent influencer marketing software programs, platforms, and tools that you should be aware of include:
HypeAuditor: An influencer marketing platform that helps brands and agencies manage and automate each phase of their influencer campaigns
Fohr: An influencer marketing platform that connects brands with influencers and helps manage influencer campaigns
Mavrck: An influencer marketing platform that helps brands discover and engage with influencers
AspireIQ: An influencer marketing platform that helps brands discover, engage, and manage influencers
Klear: An influencer marketing platform that helps brands discover, analyze, and engage with influencers
Upfluence: An influencer marketing platform that helps brands discover and engage with influencers
HYPR: An influencer marketing platform that helps brands discover and engage with influencers
These tools can help fashion brands take their influencer marketing to the next level, offering automation of laborious processes, various influencer discovery and communication tools, and other helpful aspects that fashion brands can take advantage of.
One major influencer marketing solution, HypeAuditor, offers a Market and Competitor Analysis tool that helps to speed up the process of assessing and learning about current trends in your particular industry or market. This feature offers fashion brands a ‘snapshot’ of the current landscape, giving detailed insights into what audiences are enjoying, and which fashion influencers are most relevant to work with. Additionally, you can also take a peek into what other big industry players are doing (and who they’re working with) to give you the extra edge in your influencer marketing strategy.
Conclusion
It’s evident that with the rate at which trends and best practices are ever-evolving, keeping up-to-date is not only a complex task but vital to get right. The fashion industry is a highly competitive field as it is, so finding any way to maintain an upper hand over the competition should be of high priority in your influencer marketing strategy. Keeping up with major industry experts, conducting research that is relevant to your brand, finding and attending exclusive events, and utilizing influencer marketing software with analytical features are all crucial ways in which to keep yourself on-trend with fashion industry happenings.
With dedication and commitment to staying current, you can be sure that your brand will click better with audiences, and your campaigns and overall results will reflect just how much your knowledge of these best practices can benefit your brand.
