The importance of social media engagement cannot be underestimated: it serves as a direct channel to communicate with your customer base, provide support, but also accelerate sales by promoting the latest products and offers. Nowhere is this more true than for fashion brands. Because images are crucial, twitter is rapidly adjusting to accommodating more and more in its feed.  Today, we look at how big high-street fashion names use images to push their wares and keep their audience engaged (the real challenge!)

The most connected demographic is that of Millennials: twenty-somethings that have grown up in the Internet era and are early adopters as well as 24/7 users of social media. So in this first instance, we’ll observe brands that see millenials as their core audience: you will soon guess we’re talking about Topshop, ASOS, Urban Outfitters and Boohoo. They all have huge followings and include a lot of pictures in their feeds to keep their attention. How do they do it?

Topshop

Smart use of hashtags - Topshop previously took the popular #dailyfix and made it theirs: a product a day was tweeted with the Daily fix badge. While they didn't invent this hashtag, a search will show many of the results come from people tweeting about Topshop products. More recently Topshop have started to encourage consumers to post photographs of themseleves and tag them as #TopshopStyle. This makes their customers feel part of the brand community, while also promoting the latest styles and trends.

Yearly event calendar - this is a basic trick: push your product according to the time of the year. At the moment, the Autumn/Winter collections are out, and the most exciting events in the pipeline for Topshop’s target audience are Christmas parties or New Years Eve. Cue glitter, metalic, party dresses, evening dresses and sky high heels.

Cross-channel interaction - while twitter now allows for good image visualisation, it still isn't the best platform for image groupings like trend boards, which are largely used by fashion brands. Topshop puts theirs together on tumblr and instagram, and links to them via twitter. By grouping pictures of celebrities or streetstyle fashionistas wearing the same thing, Topshop creates a context for their product, a yearn to emulate, and seals the deal with ‘shop this look’ links.

Bridging e-tail and brick&mortar retail - when products are featured on twitter, it’s not always through official catalogue images (flat or on models). Often, it’s a snap of something as can be seen in store, or of the stores’ windows. This integrates the virtual with the real-life experience, makes visual merchandising instantly recognisable to those who mostly shop online (a mostly 2D experience), and ultimately creates a continuity that allows the customer to instantly recognise the brand’s product, both online and in store.

How many? - note that Topshop tweet no more than 4 or 5 product pictures a day. Remember, social networks are not just about pushing sales, they’re about having a conversation with your followers.

ASOS

How many? - Interestingly, ASOS hardly tweet any product pictures at all. Rather, they use imagery to illustrate the ASOS lifestyle or often tweet about current events.

User-generated content - At one time the only products that did feature on their feed were provided by their customers. With the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe, ASOS used a twist on their own strapline (the name stands for As Seen On Screen) to gather powerful crowdsourced content. However, this content has now shifted over to their Instagram feed.

Aspirational - Brands know how strong the cult of celebrities can be. ASOS regularly pick celebrities their audience admires, and either wishes them Happy Birthday, or shows them wearing theirs or similar products. Like at Topshop, the ‘Get the look’ links seal the deal.

Urban Outfitters

Mood & Lifestyle - UO also don’t push too many products (and average of 5 per day). What they really rely on is lifestyle imagery. Their clothes are worn by models who are all young and fit, and who look to be living a dream life - mostly seemingly holidaying in California! UO also use lots of pictures of cool interiors - in line with their offering, which includes objects and furnishing as well as apparel and accessories.

Competitions - UO run regular twitter contests. The format is extremely simple: ‘retweet this picture for a chance to win’. This works perfectly for twitter, a fast-moving platform that suits a short attention lifespan.

Boohoo

Flash offers - Boohoo also understand twitter is a ‘seize the moment’ platform, and use it for flash promotions. An interesting and recurring one is 20% off the ‘Going Out shop’: offered on Tuesdays, just in time for Saturday delivery.

Bloggers - Boohoo regularly collaborate with fashion bloggers, pictured wearing the brand’s clothes. Another way of showing products under an aspirational light. The blogger outreach has increased hugely in the last year or two and more and more brands are collobrating with the increasingly influencial blogger and 'vlogger' community.  

Beauty - even though beauty products are a minimal part of Boohoo’s offering, the brand understands how important make-up is for a complete look. With the hashtag #boohoobeautytips they engage their audience on a subject that their audience love, and give them another reason to follow.

Takeaways

As a small brand, can you use some of these tricks? Absolutely.

Only post a handful of products a day. Remember, social media platforms are not about the hard sale, they're about having a conversation with your followers.

Mix product with lifestyle images: you're not just selling an item, you're providing a lifestyle. Show your audience the kind of style that comes with your products, and they'll buy into it (and them!)

If you also sell via physical stores, show them online too. Integrate the online and real-life experiences.

Use smart hashtags: they promote interaction and aggreagate user-generated content, too.

Be aspirational: which celebrities do your customers admire? Show them wearing something you sell, and offer the chance to replicate that look.

Have a calendar, and find products that work for specific times of the year.

Collaborate with web influencers: even if you can't afford the top bloggers' fees, you can still work with bloggers that have a healthy following - just make sure they speak right to your audience.

Give away some freebies: a quick and easy way to make your customers happy and engaged!