StartUp FASHION: Do It Your Way

You’ve most likely thought about working with influencers to grow your fashion brand but have you considered implementing a brand ambassador program?Brand ambassadors differ from influencers because rather than being paid a substantial amount of money for promoting your brand as a job, they are excited about what you offer and see their work as a fun thing to do for perks like early access, insider opportunities, free products, and small stipends.  While being an influencer is a career, being a brand ambassador is a fun activity.Are you prepared to create a brand ambassador program for your fashion business? Try out these tips to help you choose the right ambassadors.

Finding the right marketing combination for your brand is an ongoing process. And SMS marketing might be exactly what you need to add to the mix.Text-based marketing, also known as SMS marketing, is a powerful tool that has the potential to help take your fashion brand to the next level. Take a look at these SMS marketing tips.

One crucial way to grow your fashion business in a competitive industry is by creating various revenue streams for your fashion business.Multiple revenue streams not only help you to diversify but also provide a measure of financial security which is otherwise not possible. Let’s take a look at 8 effective ways to add more revenue streams to your business. 

We all know that your online presence is a critical part of making it possible for interested customers to find your brand.In order to put it in front of the right people, however, you need to optimize your search engine ranking. Here are 5 SEO tips for fashion brands to increase your search ranking and the odds that interested customers will find your brand.

In the world of fashion, having a thoughtful approach to marketing is key to staying ahead of the competition.  By playing off of pop culture trends, experimenting with new tactics, and leveraging creativity, you can design an effective marketing strategy for your fashion business.Here are some tips you can take advantage of to improve your fashion marketing game today.

Fashion is a highly competitive industry, so that means that each loyal customer is extremely valuable. With 80% of future profits coming from 20% of existing clients, nurturing brand loyalty should be on top of your list. So, how do you make your brand appealing enough for the clients to come back over and over AND for them to recommend it to others? Listen in to learn all about how to build brand loyalty and grow your fashion business. 

Abandoned Cart emails have the potential to greatly impact your fashion business sales conversions. Even if you’re running a successful ecommerce shop for your fashion brand- which is a major win!- if you don’t have this email sequence set up, then you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. Shopping cart abandonment is often an untapped space for increasing your sales.Listen in to learn about how to create an effective abandoned cart email strategy and how you could use it to boost your fashion brand.

Learning how to attract customers to your website is most likely one of your top priorities as an emerging fashion brand. Which makes sense, because if customers can’t find you, they can’t buy from you.But the thing is, I often hear “I need to make more sales”, which is a statement that doesn’t really get at the root of the issue. If you are lacking in sales, you either aren't reaching people to drive to your website or you’re not converting them to customers once they visit. Or perhaps both. In this episode I want to talk about the first part-- attracting customers to your fashion brand website.I touch on 5 strategies to help you attract customers to your website, both new and returning.

In this episode, I talk about video marketing for your fashion brand. I  wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t talk about the impact that video can have on helping you sell more in your fashion business. Whether we’re talking about Reels or YouTube, Website content, or any other form of video, seeing your products in motion, as well as seeing your face and hearing your voice affects your customers in a way that still images just do not. Listen in to learn how to create a video marketing strategy for your fashion business.

In today's podcast, I'm talking  about improving your email open rates so that all the time you’re putting into writing emails is actually worth it!Here’s something you need to understand -- building relationships with customers doesn’t end with a purchase. Post-purchase email strategy is a really important aspect of the customer journey.Let’s talk about why a post-purchase email strategy is important for your brand and tips for creating effective post-purchase emails.

Strong email open rates are a big part of your marketing KPIs (key performance indicators). You don’t want to ignore this if you want to see those sales.But with so many emails landing in everyone’s inboxes every day, it can be really challenging to cut through the noise and grab the attention of your subscribers.So, how can you make sure that your emails get opened by your newsletter subscribers?Listen in for some tips to help you improve your email open rates.

Personalized email marketing content is a great way to make sure that your community gets emails about things they actually care about and that they can connect to, rather than generic emails that everyone is getting.According to some studies, personalized emails tend to gain 27% higher click rates and 11% higher open rates than emails that simply go out to the entire list with no personalization at all.As a fashion brand, you want to reach out to your audience and provide them with a strong level of connection to your brand. Listen in to learn tips for personalizing your email marketing content.

In order for your fashion brand to grow, you need to bring in new customers who are interested in your designs. I know, this is obvious. But it’s not always so obvious how to do that. One great way is to strategically use cross promotion in your business. Using cross promotion to reach a new audience is an excellent strategy for finding  people who will be interested in your brand and products and and encouraging them to check out everything you have to offer.And I promise you, this is SO MUCH MORE than a giveaway. Listen in to get 6 tips for using cross promotion in your fashion business. 

I talk a lot about having a blueprint for how you will make more sales in your business. It’s what I teach in the LevelUp FASHION program. But if you’re not sure what that blueprint should look like, I’m going to break it down in this episode.

We're continuing with our three part series covering some of the major mistakes I see brands make when they are trying to generate more revenue. I’m guessing that you feel like there’s a lot to do in order to grow the revenue in your business and you’re not quite sure what exactly needs to be done.If that's the case, you'll want to tune into this episode!We’re going to dive into the third and final major mistake I see over and over again that is keeping newly launched independent fashion brands from seeing those sales!  

We're continuing with our three part series covering some of the major mistakes I see brands make when they are trying to generate more revenue. I’m guessing that you feel like there’s a lot to do in order to grow the revenue in your business and you’re not quite sure what exactly needs to be done.If that's the case, you'll want to tune into this episode!We’re going to dive into the second major mistake I see over and over again that is keeping newly launched independent fashion brands from seeing those sales!  

It's the start of a new season of the podcast! We're kicking things off with part one of a three part series covering some of the major mistakes I see brands make when they are trying to generate more revenue. I’m guessing that you feel like there’s a lot to do in order to grow the revenue in your business and you’re not quite sure what exactly needs to be done.If that's the case, you'll want to tune into this episode!We’re going to dive into the first major mistake I see over and over again that is keeping newly launched independent fashion brands from seeing those sales!  

This week is a solo podcast because I want to talk to you about something that comes up a lot for business owners: burn out. As as a result,  your business no longer excites you because you're so drained by all the work you have to do. I’m sure many of you have experienced this. I know I have. And still do sometimes. So let’s talk about it!Because, here’s the thing...when you first started your fashion business, you may have been incredibly passionate about everything you were doing. You were on track to do something big and exciting, and you couldn’t wait to get started!Unfortunately, over time, that passion may wane because you find yourself bogged down by the daily responsibilities associated with keeping your business running. In this episode I share 6 ideas to help you!

In this episode, I’m speaking with Marrisa Wilson, the Creative Director and Founder of MARRISA WILSON NY, a contemporary womenswear brand characterized by cool styling blended with funky textiles. MARRISA WILSON NY, which was founded in 2016,  is characterized by cool, relaxed styling blended with bold and funky textiles and print artwork developed in-house. Soulful sounds, vibrant artwork and installations, and eclectic interior spaces heavily influence the MARRISA WILSON NY ethos.Marrisa was born in New Jersey to Guyanese parents, educated in New York and Paris, and is now based back in New York. As a two-time Fashion Scholarship Fund Winner, Wilson has had an impressive resume with names such as J. Mendel, Oscar de la Renta, rag & bone, DKNY and Calvin Klein. Marrisa set out to create a brand that celebrates the multifaceted aspects of a woman's personality.And her unique, wide-ranging life experiences serve as her motivation to unite powerful, multicultural women in order to celebrate self love and inspire a sense of community. Marrisa and I had fantastic conversation about:The importance of building a business and brand from our values. How growing her team was a game-changer and when to know it’s the right timeHer two most effective marketing channels for growth and salesThe need to make sure designers of color are more accessible to consumers And how unlearning is just as important as learning in this industryLINKSCheck out MARRISA WILSON NYConnect with MARRISA WILSON NY on InstagramMARRISA WILSON NY Spring 2022 NYFW Collection at September NYFW

I’m speaking with Valerie Mayén, the owner, founder + lead designer of Yellowcakeshop Clothing Co.,  a handmade contemporary women’s clothing lineYellowcakeshop Clothing Co, which was founded 11 years ago, responsibly designs and produces a curated offering of essential versatile outerwear, tops, dresses, scarves and coordinating leather accessories for the everyday professional woman.It is their mission is to help professional women simplify their wardrobe and ease the stress of getting dressed by providing key staples that will last for years to come.Yellowcake is the antidote to today’s prevalent fast fashion. Their processes help sustain a healthier planet by saving their clients money on cost per wear. Valerie is an alumna of Project Runway. Her garments are handmade in the United States with a keen attention to detail, superior construction, and timeless design. Every purchase made supports Yellowcake's larger mission to alleviate social issues and environmental challenges here and abroad. Valerie and I had fantastic conversation about:The process of running a handmade business How she works with a team of sewers to produce her products, rather than a factoryAnd how she is thoughtful about what her customer needs and how she can best deliver itEnjoy!