Sure we’re all hooked to the “holy trinity” (aka: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) 24/7, but in this day and age surfing our social sites is no longer a hobby but rather a personal business. And with business comes a variety of rules, set standards and new vocabulary.
Here’s our A-to-Z glossary for everything you need to know about social engagement in the fashion industry — and how to grow your personal business!
A is for: Analytics
With an industry based in creativity and authenticity, it’s important to have something grounded in numbers and data. Analytics is the key to understanding our audience; it shows us when to post, what posts are well received with the audience and what posts are not well received.
B is for: Branding
Your social media platforms become your personal brand. Ask yourself, “What am I trying to tell my audience?” and “What am I trying to sell them on?” Once you’ve answered those questions you can start targeting your audience and ultimately gain traction in the form of followers, likes and comments.
C is for: Cohesiveness
Cohesiveness and consistency are the backbone to your social accounts and what your audience will be sold on. If you continue to post content with the same idea in mind, eventually your audience will accept and expect it.
D is for: Demographic
Your demographic is your audience–their age, lifestyle, interests, active social media usage and hobbies. Know whom you are posting for and when they’re going to be online for top results and growth.
E is for: Engagement
Audience engagement is measured by how interactive your post is. Is your audience going to scroll past your post or are they going to stop look at it and comment or like it? You can boost engagement through relatable captions and commenting back to followers.
F is for: Frequency
Post frequency is important — you don’t want to post too much or else your audience could be off put and even annoyed (this generation is quick to unfollow or unsubscribe). However, not posting enough can also be damaging. You want to check in with your audience and reinforce your relevance.
G is for: Glamour
Every post should have a little glamour to it and a little spark that makes people envious and want to enjoy the same lifestyle. It’s imperative to stand out and not appear as if you’re going about life the same way as everyone else.
H is for: Hashtags
Everyone knows what a #hashtag is, but the importance of it is what makes it a crucial component on social media. Hashtags are ultimately links into the markets you’re trying to reach (#blogger #fashion #beauty). When added to a post anyone who searches that tag will be able to view your content, which means more views and, hopefully, likes!
I is for: Interaction
While any content should be posted with intent, an influencer doesn’t want their followers to feel as if they’re hiding behind a screen. Using story features such as Instagram Stories or Snapchat can breakdown that barrier.
J is for: Juxtaposition
Much like bold colors with prints in real life, juxtaposed content can boost engagement and followers–drawing more attention to the influencer.
K is for: Klout Score
Klout Score is a numerical rating of online influence. The app rates an influencer based on not only size (followers) but on how often they interact and engage. Note that it doesn’t matter how many followers you have as an influencer as long as content is engaging.
L is for: Lifestyle
Whether you’re a fashion or a fitness blogger, your audience wants to know everything about your lifestyle. Use your multiple platforms as ways to give insight to your life. People not only want to know how you appear online, but also how you appear going about your daily activities.
M is for: Message
Before any business venture it’s important to have an overall message to send to your audience, and the same is true of social media. Your posts should communicate an overall idea to your audience that they can connect to.
N is for: Network
If you’re branding yourself you have a goal in mind, and other social media influencers also have a goal. Create a network and follow those who are doing the same type of personal branding. Liking and following other common content will help to grow your personal brand.
O is for: Observe
While trying to push your personal brand, it’s important to understand and observe the people around you doing the same thing. What works for them may also work for you.
P is for: Personalized
Personalized content is amongst the most well received posts online, because it’s authentic and genuine. Your audience doesn’t always want to be sold on an outfit or beauty product. They want to know behind your online appearance you’re an actual person with feelings.
Q is for: Quality
Whatever you’re posting, it has to be of quality to resonate with your audience. For example, a photo for Instagram should be clear and crisp and a Tweet should be concise and have a purpose.
R is for: Reaction
Everything you post online will warrant some kind of reaction, let’s hope it’s a positive one! Posting any thoughts or viewpoints that are out-of-line with your online appearance may damage connections to your personal brand.
S is for: Search Engine Optimization
Ever heard of SEO? SEO is this fun thing called search engine optimization that if done correctly puts your post at the top of a social feed. To optimize your audiences’ search, key words should be put at the forefront.
T is for: Trends
In an ever-changing industry such as our own, spontaneity and being able to adapt are key. Try new things on social media and look out for new trends such as Instagram Stories and live streaming.
U is for: Universal
Fashion is universal and social media acts as a tool to help bring all people of the fashion community together via the Internet.
V is for: Variety
People hate to see the same thing repeated over and over again. Branding means posting content of variety, so selfie after selfie isn’t going to cut it with your audience. Instead add in content that will boost your personal brand and aid in its overall message–try Boomerang and Hyperlapse!
W is for: Wording
Online outlets have had a specific lingo since messaging first came around. LOL, BRB and G2G are among the first generation of abbreviations in the online world. Since then our abbreviations have expanded to IRL (in real life) ICYMI (in case you missed it) and BAE (before anyone else). If you want to communicate online and stay relevant, it’s important to know the lingo of your audience.
X is for: Collaboration (i.e., NikexSupreme)
It’s no doubt that our favorite brands collab with celebs and influencers, so why shouldn’t you? Reach out to other people within the same realm of interest and work on a unique project that will improve growth for everyone involved.
Y is for: Youthful
People are drawn to youth and vibrant lifestyle–take Kylie Jenner’s January 2016 shoot for Vogue that removed her day-to-day contoured look and restored her to an au natural youthful face. The result: an extra print run for Vogue’s edition.
Z is for: Gen Z
Generation Z (aka: the people who have literally grown up with technology and social media) will be the one’s who change the rules for social media. The future is all about in the moment and authenticity, so to keep Gen Z happy make sure your audience is always on their toes for your next post!
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