As social media becomes more and more popular marketing costs are getting more and more expensive. This means that small businesses have a difficult time keeping up. They are just unable to afford the marketing budget needed to keep up nowadays. There is just no way for them to properly pay and prepare for the marketing efforts needed, so going viral is the cheapest but trickiest way for them to market their business.
To make your clothing brand go viral start with Instagram and TikTok, find your niche, stay consistent, showcase your day to day running your clothing brand and optimize your bio. Just one well-timed, recorded, or funny video can cause a business’s online presence to change overnight.
Why Does Social Media Matter?
Today the term viral is directly associated with social media platforms, especially TikTok. Due to the platform’s ability to have one video seen by millions of people in as little as twelve hours, they rightfully deserve the buzz.
People can spend upwards of two hours a day browsing social media platforms and watching content. This means that there are ample trends to try out, content to use as inspiration, and eyes that can be on your business.
TikTok
Let’s first look at TikTok and how your clothing brand can go viral on that app. Like any social platform, there are ample ways that a brand can go viral, especially when your products revolve around clothing.
Dance trends are a well-known way to have a video go viral on the app. This can mean that you, your employees, family, or friends dance to popular songs, perhaps creating your own dances to them while wearing your apparel. This shows that your clothing is dance approved while hitting a popular niche on the app.
Or you can even learn and record a dance that someone else has come up with (just make sure to properly credit them in the video’s description!) Many people who have had the most success going viral on the app have begun by dancing.
You can share behind the scenes of your day-to-day life running a clothing brand. Customers love to feel involved in any business that they are supporting so giving them a peek into the inner workings of it can work well. This can include stocking inventory, making orders if you do it in-house, packaging orders,
designing new designs, and so on.
Another popular way that a clothing brand can go viral is by reaching out to their favorite creators and seeing if anyone would like to be gifted an item or two. It’s proper etiquette to reach out first whether it’s to the creator or their management to ensure that they want the item. Otherwise, it may be a waste of inventory
if they never even open it.
Once you get the go-ahead you can send them an item you know they’ll like or perhaps they asked for. With giftings such as these, there’s an understanding or contract in place that they’ll wear it in a video or unboxing and mention or tag your company. Having a bigger star mention your brand can cause you to go viral even if it’s not from your own video.
Staying consistent on the app is also instrumental in growing your following and potentially going viral. While some may post once and luck out, that is not the case for many. Most accounts may experience one viral video out of every hundred or so that they post. There is no formula to successfully going viral.
People are essentially using the app as a replacement for Google when it comes to checking out travel destinations, workouts, recipes, brands, and more. So including items such as relevant hashtags regarding the content, location, and type of video (for clothing brands try-on, pack order with me, etc) helps with visibility.
Optimizing your bio and account are key aspects as well for any business. This means your bio tells people the who, what, where, and when of your account. You can also register as a business to be able to properly analyze analytics and share shop content on the app.
More visibility typically means more engagement. The more engagement you can receive the more likely you are to show up on people’s For You Page or FYP as many people call it. This is typically where viral videos end up.
You just need to find your niche, content your followers like and engage with, and that you can consistently make and post. It likely will take time but the exposure your brand can get from going viral is better marketing than any small business can afford.
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Another platform you should be on is Instagram. While content here is less likely to go “viral” as it does on TikTok it does still have its own version. Anything over five hundred thousand views is considered viral on this platform and will tend to circulate explore pages.
The key to having content go viral on Instagram is to utilize video content. It does not even have to be new content per se. You can easily repurpose TikToks you have posted or other videos you have made as long as they fit your niche on this platform.
Instagram has been adding frequent updates and shows that they favor video content, especially reels at the moment. These are comprised of videos that are typically anywhere from three to ninety seconds long. The shorter they are though the better they typically do unless the viewer has a reason to watch it.
Reels use audio that is either original from you the user or already on the app. Trending audios (they feature an upward-facing arrow near the title of the audio) tend to perform best on the app. The arrow shows that the audio has been searched a lot, the reels using it have higher engagement numbers, and so on. So using those audios can help although using popular songs works too.
Keeping up with reel trends is key too since they change more often than TikTok. Audios or dances may be popular for a few days but then the hype will die out rather quickly. So keeping track of what’s popular and working on the app is key.
Instagram also loves engagement of any type. Whether you are engaging with hashtags you frequently use, watching and responding to stories, liking and commenting on posts, and so on. The key to liking and commenting is to do it on posts from accounts you follow as well as new accounts. This shows Instagram that you are actively on the app and engaging with new people.
Hashtags matter here as well. You want to find ones that are not shadowbanned as using those can prevent your content from getting pushed out, without using ones that have been used a million plus times. The more a hashtag is used the less likely your content is to be seen on its page.
As well, using all thirty hashtags you are allowed on each post essentially gives you thirty chances for your content to be found. Each hashtag has its own following and those that follow them are likely to see content posted using them. Just avoid newer hashtags since they are less likely to be found.
Instagram and TikTok are the best platforms to be on if you are trying to make your clothing brand go viral. Each has its own tips and tricks from hashtags to location, and the audio you use. Making your content easily accessible and searchable is key.
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Related Questions
- How do I know if a hashtag is shadowbanned?
Shadowban is what happens when Instagram believes that you’re misleading your followers by using incorrect or overused hashtags to garner views. This can result in your account being restricted for fourteen to thirty days with only current followers being able to see your posts. Third-party hashtag sites can check if hashtags are shadowbanned for you to prevent you from using them. It’s a smart investment to make when getting into social media.
- There’s no way to go viral quickly?
No, there is no easy way or formula to go viral on any social media platform. While some get lucky on one of their first few videos, the platforms are quite saturated with users making the odds lower. It comes down to the quality of your content, consistency, and your niche. A lot of it can be trial and error, especially for brands as they begin to navigate the platforms.
- Should I be on every platform if I want to go viral?
No, you do not need to be on every social media platform if you want to go viral. TikTok and Instagram are the two that are most recommended as they have the highest potential of allowing your content to go viral. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. have lower chances of allowing a clothing brand to go viral. However, you should still have accounts on those platforms as well to be accessible and visible to customers.
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.