We all know that fashion is engaging – Vogue wouldn’t exist if people weren’t interested in the lifestyle that the industry provides.

But as fashion brands embrace the world of social media, we see another side to the industry – not just the beautifully presented shops they spend hours cultivating and pondering over. Social is instant, you have to think on your feet and more importantly you have to engage and listen. The fashion industry, when it embraced modern marketing, took a huge step into the unknown.

Some brands do social well, others not so. Just as Vogue has a brand to protect – only showcasing the best and most beautiful garments – so do the retail clothing companies. Even the likes of Boohoo.com have a target audience that they have to nurture, engage and eventually grow. Social breaks down so many of the walls that used to separate the brands from the public they were trying to court. Now fans have access to the inner workings of the machine, allowing them to have their say – even if it is something that the brands don’t want to hear.

At the fabl we are always banging on about strategy and as with everything, social still needs a plan. You need to have a tone of voice. You need to remember who your customers are and bring them back again and again.

So what have the high-street brands been doing with their new found powers? We take a cold hard look at some of their facebook pages:

New Look:

Likes: 1,655,765
People Talking About This: 18,917
They welcome their visitors with: “This is the official New Look Facebook page. The wall will be open for comments between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.”
Likes on their last post: 278

Topshop:

Likes: 2,329,737
People Talking About This: 30,447
Were here: 17,260
They welcome their visitors with: “Our official Facebook page is where you’ll get to hear about all the latest and greatest Topshop news. We can’t wait for you to join in the style conversation!”
Likes on their last post: 1,511

Boohoo.com:

Likes: 611,843
People Talking About This: 18,715
They welcome their visitors with: “www.boohoo.com – Your ultimate style bible. All the latest seasonal essentials and on-trend must-haves keeping you one stiletto ahead of the style game.”
Likes on their last post: 147

Results

We have only taken a small section of the high-street to evaluate, but from the raw statistics it seems as if Topshop’s social media comes out on top. So what are they doing well?

They point a lot of their posts towards their Tumblr, which is in effect an online magazine showcasing the style in their head office and looks that they admire. They are in effect using their facebook to push their own styles, engage people and just like a magazine inspire people to dress well. With their Daily Fix they showcase one product which they love, and it probably sells out in a matter of seconds. In the modern day of social, Topshop respect the heritage of magazines, they present their clothes beautifully and simply. They provide fashion advice and put forward their own staff as brand ambassadors. It works. They are the modern day Vogue on a daily basis.

In this day and age you need to engage, listen, but most of all you need to provide amazing content that people want to react to and share.

Topshop-ing for Social Media