So, you want to start a fashion line. One of the most important aspects of having a successful business is finding (and keeping) loyal clients, whether you run your business from home, or if you are the head of a Fortune 500 corporation. However, this may not come easily for some people. Acquiring clients for your fashion business requires you to gain their trust. According to Entrepreneur, this takes approximately two years. While there is no substitute for trust, your fashion line needs to get clients FAST, and I’m here to tell you how you can do this.
To get clients for your fashion line business fast:
- Put your networking skills to use.
- Don’t shy away from job boards.
- Use social media to your advantage.
- Hire a web designer to build a great website.
- Try your hand at blogging.
- Advertise on Google or other search engines.
- Partner with other businesses.
- Ask existing clients for referrals.
- Follow up with your leads.
- Start a YouTube channel.
While several articles may have dozens of suggestions on how to acquire clients for your fashion line, I am going to focus on ten of the quickest ways that you can gain clients. I will break down each of these suggestions and tell you how they can (and will) work for you. Let’s read along to discover how you can put these methods to work for your fashion line. Before you know it, you will have more clients than you can handle, although I don’t think that’s possible.
Start Networking
What do you think is the most effective way to gain clients for practically any type of new business? More often than not, the answer to this question is networking. After all, this is one of the most common ways to get things done in the business world. Working in the fashion industry has probably afforded me the chance to make plenty of contacts. Whether they are old classmates from school or if they were colleagues from a former job, don’t hesitate another minute to use your networking skills to gain new clients for your fashion business.
Browse Job Boards
If you are a fashion designer who is new to the industry, browsing online job boards can be one of the easiest and fastest ways for you to accrue clients and build your business. Once you have designed and produced your first line, using an online job board would be an efficient way to find a distributor to get your line into stores. However, this method can work for other occupations. If you are a manufacturer, you can always look at these boards to find designers in need of someone to produce their line. Either way, this can be a quick solution for acquiring clients for your business.
Have a Strong Presence On Social Media
These days, everything is done on social media. This includes several different types of business, especially businesses in the fashion world. Having a strong presence on social media will get people’s attention. Once you have caught the attention of the public, clients will pay attention to your fashion business as well. So, how important is it to have a strong presence on social media? Well, according to the website Sprout Social, approximately 55% of consumers learn of your fashion brands through social media. If we do a little quick math, that’s over half of your clients.
How To Build Hype Around Your Clothing Brand
Build an Amazing Website
Having a strong presence on social media it’s just one facet of having a digital profile for your fashion business. Sure, you can work on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram until you are blue in the face, but you will need a website to let your clients know what your business is truly about. Your website should be informative, as well as catch the attention of potential clients. If I can offer one suggestion, it would be that you spring for a seasoned web designer to build your website. Your business will be in good hands with an experienced web designer.
Give Blogging a Shot
Now that you have increased your presence on social media, and you have hired someone to build you a fantastic website, why not try your hand at blogging? There are people, including potential clients, who may be interested in reading what you have to say about the latest fashion trends, or what is going on in the fashion world. As long as you are a reputable source, you can build a good rapport with the public. Do you remember when I mentioned that trust was important in gaining new clients? This is your opportunity to build that trust, and your business.
Buy Google Ads
When you want to get information on a product, A person, or a place, what is the first thing you do? Of course, the answer is that you head straight to Google and look it up. Don’t you think that if people want to know more about your fashion business, they would do the same thing? Many people go through the trouble of hiring people to perfect their search engine optimization (SEO), and that is never a bad idea. However, an even better idea is to purchase advertising on Google to get the attention of the clients that you are seeking for your fashion line, and it’s much easier.
Form Mutually Beneficial Partnerships
This is often an overlooked and underrated way to gain clients for any business. I’ll give you an example of how this works. When I worked for Aaron’s Rent to Own, we were located next door to a baby furniture store. We partnered with that business to help get new customers for each store. It was mutually beneficial because we would recommend people with babies to their store, and they would recommend parents to us. The same concept can work with your fashion business. Partnerships with local boutiques, seamstresses, and hairstylists can help more than you think.
How To Define What Makes Your Fashion Brand Unique!
Ask For Referrals
Okay, I have another question for you. Once you look up a business on google, what is the next thing you look for? If you are anything like me, you scour the reviews of that business to see if they are reputable. I would be willing to stake my reputation on the assumption that most people do the same. If a client is considering doing business with your fashion line, they will Google you. We know that this much. They will also check any reviews of your business to see if they want to do business with you. This is why it is important to ask your existing clients to give you good reviews.
Follow Up
I do not doubt that you have put countless hours and a tremendous amount of effort into getting leads that could land you new clients for your fashion business. What good are those leads if you do not follow up with them? Every lead that you do not follow up with is a missed opportunity to land that client. Are you familiar with the old saying, “You miss every shot that you don’t take?” The same concept applies in the business world. You will never land that new client if you don’t follow up with them. Just be sure to do it quickly. Don’t let them get away.
Try Starting a YouTube Channel
Starting a YouTube channel is the third tier in building a strong online presence for your fashion line. Once you have worked on social media and have gotten your website completed, why not put yourself out there in the public with a YouTube channel? With the explosion in popularity of mobile phones, tablets, and other devices that make watching content convenient, more people are watching YouTube than ever. You never know, the next big client may be watching YouTube at this moment, looking for the next big thing and fashion. That could be you.
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways in which you can attract clients for your fashion line. These are ten of the fastest ways to get your business in the public eye, which will help you acquire clients and build your business quickly, while still maintaining your integrity and doing business ethically. After all, the last thing that you want for your business is to earn a bad reputation and scare away potential clients. Once you get the hang of these ten suggestions, you can venture out and try new ways to gain even more clients. Just remember that these ten basics will always be there.
How To Effectively Grow Your Fashion Brand
Related Questions
Who are the most famous fashion-related creators on YouTube?
YouTube has seen an explosion in popularity that has been unparalleled over the last decade. Currently, there are over 51 million active channels on this platform. Of these 51 million channels, here are five of the most famous fashion YouTubers currently active:
- Sejal Kumar
- Komal Pandey
- Roshni Bhatia
- Prerna Chhabra
- Mridul Sharma
How do I start a fashion YouTube channel?
With over 51 million channels currently active on YouTube, the competition is tougher than ever to launch a successful YouTube channel. However, here are the steps you should take to start a fashion YouTube channel:
- Focus on quality content.
- Be consistent with your videos.
- Make sure that you are keeping up with the latest trends.
- Use YouTube SEO to your advantage.
- Always report the big events.
- Interact with your audience.
- Promote your channel on other platforms.
- Collaborate with other YouTubers.
To learn more about how to start your own fashion clothing line check out my startup documents here
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Fashion Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a designer or boutique owner at a craft fair, farmers market, retail location or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Fashion Business Boss: I want to help fashion business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.