Creating a new collection is thrilling, creatively liberating and an exciting journey to embark on. It’s a process that takes time, resources and plenty of strategic planning. You build your brand for months on end behind the scenes ready for a launch and then… crickets. Many people invest heavily into the back end of starting a fashion brand without giving thought to the most important cog of any business: the customer.

I cannot stress enough the importance of research and growing your audience before you enter the market. If you need further help on writing a customer profile then this blog post is worth checking out.

You should be campaigning the launch of your label or latest collection months in advance. You may deem this difficult when your products aren’t ready however as we know, a brand is more than just a product. Sharing content related to your business philosophy, customer interests or latest inspirations are all great tactics to keep your social channels active and engaging whilst you develop behind the scenes.

Use your platform to ask questions, get to know your potential buyers, learn their likes, dislikes and interests. It will all feed into the decisions you make when scaling your brand, allowing you to minimise the cost and risk of production.

In an age where transparency is rewarded and communication is key, you should show insights and sneak peeks to the process as it’s taking shape. Invite your audience on the journey and allow them the time to invest in story behind the pieces you’re about to sell. Once your collection is ready to enter the market, you should therefore have an audience ready and waiting to support the range and all that it stands for as you have nurtured those relationships in the run up to release.

On average, a potential customer needs seven touch points to have gained the ‘know, like and trust’ factor in a brand. Consider the industry and the power of a brand name, if you are an unheard of clothing line with no influence behind your label (yet) then marketing to your customer in advance is a vital strategy when launching a line.

If you would like to discuss ways in which you can promote yourself prior to entering the market, do get in touch.