The rise of social media has created a way for anyone involved in the fashion industry to expand their products and share their work in a very positive manner. With so many different forms of social media, this can also become a problem for designers or brands that don’t necessarily want to put their work out there for just anyone to access. Here are some ways social media has made its mark on the fashion industry.

 

Creates a platform for brands to share work

 When a brand comes out with a new line, they essentially want it to reach a certain audience. Before social media, brands had to come up with ways to share their work. This could’ve included magazine advertisements, billboards, commercials, etc. While all of these things are still widely used around the world, social media has become a prime platform that brands use because substantial amounts of people are on social media each day, let alone each hour. It is so easy to post a picture of new items that are being put up for sale or newly stocked in stores and online. It gets the information out there quickly for people to see it and want to buy it.

 

Cheaper to promote work

The cost of advertisements in newspapers, magazines, online, television, or even printed on walls or buses can really add up for a company. When brands post a picture on social media of the items they are trying to promote, it doesn’t cost them money because they have their own account. In the 2014 Statistics and Trends for Businesses on Social Media, it was found that 46% of web users look towards social media when making a purchase. Brands can really get creative with the content they post themselves to catch the eye of potential customers.

 

Creates a community

 There have been numerous people trying to break through the social media barrier and get their names out there. YouTube is a prime example because there are so many fashion bloggers trying to get into the fashion industry. A very popular way of doing so is to create a YouTube channel. The videos that they upload are typically to give viewers reviews on certain products or tutorials that may help viewers achieve a certain look. These YouTube users tend have a good idea about what is very popular and what is in style. By making these videos, they create a following of viewers who want to buy what they are promoting. They can also make profit from big name companies by promoting their newest or most popular products. These companies and brands receive more customers and buyers of the items that are promoted and their community of followers also grows.

 

Exploitation of work

Lately, many designers within Fashion week have decided to ban all forms of social media. The anticipation of the public to see the new line has fallen because by the time these items are in stores, people want something new. The items have been so overexposed to the public that sales have declined. Also, designers may not want their work to be put on social media, but without the ban they wouldn’t be able to have any control over what people who attend shows are posting.

 

Lack of creativity may cause loss of followers

When people are scrolling through their social media accounts, they tend to click on posts that catch their eye and really stand out to them. While social media is an easy way to promote work, it does take a lot of effort for brands to put themselves out there and get noticed. A boring post can potentially hurt the company drastically because people will scroll right past it if it doesn’t catch their eye. Brands who are very creative with the pictures they use and captions to go along with the product tend to receive more attention.