6 Steps for Clothing Stores to Create Their Next Marketing Strategy
Many business owners know the basics of marketing, but coming up with a personalized plan that works for their clothing stores can be a different story. Chances are you’ve already had a marketing plan in place that has helped you get to this point.
If you’re ready to take it even further, the following are six ideas you can consider for creating your clothing store’s next marketing strategy.
Add SEO content on your website
If your business already gets a decent amount of online visits from articles on your website, ramp up how often you post and incorporate SEO tactics to gain more traffic. Pay attention to reader engagement, before and after you make the change, to see the difference.
It’s not always easy coming up with topic ideas, but there are plenty of subjects on which you could write. For example, start talking more about products that you sell through your business, like the Bella + Canvas unisex textured jersey v-neck tee. Comment on the latest fashion trends, including the ones you like, don’t like, and why. You can also discuss other news in the fashion world.
Have fun with the topics that you talk about, and above all, be authentic. Assert your brand’s voice. It’s what’s going to set you apart from your competitors.
Get to know your audience better as part of your marketing strategy
No matter what stage of success your business is at, you should always try to get to know your audience better. Find out what areas they’re shopping in, what clothing items they’re purchasing from you, what they’re not, and what trends are starting to emerge that they’re gravitating toward.
One great way to do this is to monitor your social media posts. Read comments, evaluate what posts are getting the most interactions and in what ways. Create polls, and make posts with specific questions your shoppers can answer. Interacting with clientele who shop at your clothing store, or who are opting not to, provides great insights into what they’re thinking, and how they’re choosing to spend their money.
Maximize your strengths
It’s easy to be hard on yourself, but take note of what you’re doing right for your clothing store – and how you can make it even better. For instance, if you see that posts about sales and deals are getting more likes and comments, increase the frequency of those posts.
Once you pinpoint what’s going well, write a detailed plan for modifying each option to make improvements. Make notes in your calendar for when you’ll implement your next few changes, so that you’ll stay on track.
Think about what you’re not doing
It’s also important to consider what you’re not doing that could be done. To illustrate, email marketing and posting videos to TikTok are two options you might not currently be doing, but these could have a positive effect on sales for your clothing store.
Make a list of popular options that could work for your business and indicate which ones you’d be willing to try as part of your next marketing strategy. It’s a great way to really see the marketing ideas, when they’re right in front of you.
Go back to the list in the future, after you’ve completed the items that you considered top priority. Seeing a successful track record makes it easier to continue down your list.
If you’re unsure about how to get started, but prefer not to hire someone for this task, there are many online tutorials that could prove beneficial. You can also take online classes that will guide you through the process of creating a marketing strategy.
Set (realistic) goals for a specific time frame
The next marketing strategy for your clothing store should include realistic goals, not ones that are nearly impossible to achieve. As an example, you want to write 500-word articles for your website because you want to build up a collection to post whenever you’d like. Writing 30 quality articles in a day isn’t a realistic goal, but doing a few articles a week or completing all of them in a month is feasible.
Setting and reaching goals that are achievable will make you feel great about succeeding at a process that may have been challenging, or made you stretch a bit. Goal-setting is also a good business practice that strengthens your time management skills, as well, by leading you to complete projects within appropriate intervals, without you having to rush through the process.
Participate in and host local events
Some businesses modify their marketing strategy by focusing on what they can do online; but in-person efforts can be just as important, especially for owners that have a brick-and-mortar store. Partaking in local events, like festivals, is a great way to advertise your clothing store to potential customers who could walk through the doors at any time. It’s also a fantastic way to meet people in the community and fellow business owners in the area.
One fun option would be to hold events in your store! You may have to temporarily reconfigure the store’s layout to make the event happen. The gathering would be an enjoyable way to mingle with residents in the community. Of course making sales during the events that you host is important, but focus more on camaraderie to build connections with potential customers and strengthen the ones that you have with current customers. Hosting fashion shows and date night classes are two ideas for events that would be easy to plan and enjoyable to attend.
The first draft of your next marketing strategy doesn’t have to be perfect. Before committing to implementing any actual changes to your business, let your marketing plan sit for a few days, or even a week.
Give yourself time and space to make adjustments. Remember to review it over again and make revisions that make you feel comfortable. Marketing can feel overwhelming, especially for a small business, but making small changes one at a time will go a long way in helping your business succeed.