This content originally appeared on Internet Retailer. By Simona Marmina, Fashion and Luxury Strategist

In the past, fashion shows were private and highly exclusive events. Labels relied upon elite influencers to disseminate new styles through a sort of chain reaction. In recent years, the process of revealing a new line has changed dramatically. Thanks to a rise in fashion blogging and social sharing, luxury brands now have a direct line to the whole audience they care about reaching on the same day new styles are revealed.

Today, high fashion styles spread at high speed. Of course, social media plays a primary role in that spread. 

In the next few weeks, Fashion Week events will dot the globe. These shows are highly anticipated and will be followed by fashion enthusiasts around the world. So, how should luxury fashion brands go above and beyond traditional social media efforts to capitalize on the Fashion Week momentum?

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOUR SUCESSFUL DIGITAL STRATEGIES FOR LUXURY BRANDS

Engage Audiences and Emphasize Key Looks with Carousel Ads and Video on Facebook

Facebook’s advertising capabilities have advanced dramatically in the last few years. For example, Carousel Ads proved to be a primary driver of success at last year’s Fashion Week events. Available on both Facebook and Instagram, these unique ad units feature 3 to 5 images in a side-scrolling, interactive experience. Recently, they have been updated to enable inclusion of video clips. Building Carousel Ads that scroll to reveal the runway stories from a live show is an effective Fashion Week strategy, whether you want to emphasize key looks or reflect whole collections.

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Reach a More Meaningful Audience with Paid Advertising on Instagram

Instagram is the de facto social platform for luxury brands. Fashion houses have been Instagramming every snap from the fashion shows organically for years. Now it’s time to shift focus to paid ads. There has been a meteoric rise in the popularity and effectiveness of Instagram advertising. This channel is poised to play a key role in helping visual brands like those in fashion and luxury stand out this year.

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Create Eye-Catching Content that Fashion-Focused Users will Re-Visit on Pinterest

While other channels are great for driving in-the-moment relevance, a fashion campaign’s shelf-life on these platforms is somewhat limited. Three or four days after a fashion show, brand advocates on these channels have moved on to other content appearing in their feeds. The situation is different on Pinterest, which already hosts roughly 84M Pins around “Fashion Week” according to internal data.

Pins are more evergreen than content on other platforms and provide a simple way for brands to showcase longer-lasting versions of their full shows and products. Pinterest touches more than 100 million monthly global users including fashionistas in more of a research-based, wardrobe-planning mindset, too.

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A Cross-Channel Social Strategy is Key

Today’s most successful luxury and fashion brands know that a cross-channel social advertising strategy is the way to reach as many trendsetters as possible. This approach translates to faster penetration with shopping audiences and primes the pump for luxury retailers, improving the fashion sales cycle systematically.

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