Want to know what the best fashion brands are doing to market their company on social media? I’ve researched all the brands that increase awareness of their brand by utilizing social media. With this knowledge, you too can learn how to use social media to enhance your business marketing strategy. I’ve identified three different brands to look at and analyze that can help you and your business.

Best Social Media Strategy: Burberry

Burberry’s social media presence consistently innovates making them one of the best, whether they’re sharing fashion week secrets or revealing their new fall collection. 

Burberry is a British luxury fashion brand known for its iconic check pattern and trench coat. The company was founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry in Basingstoke, England.

In 1879, Burberry invented gabardine, a lightweight, breathable, and weather-resistant fabric that was ideal for outdoor wear. Gabardine quickly became the signature fabric of Burberry’s trench coats, which were worn by British soldiers during World War I and later became a fashion staple.

In the 1920s, Burberry opened its first store in London, and the brand’s popularity grew quickly among the fashionable elite. The famous Burberry check, which features a camel, black, and red pattern, was first introduced in the 1920s as a lining for Burberry’s trench coats, and later became a design element for other products, including scarves and bags.

In the following decades, Burberry continued to expand its product line and its reach around the world. The company introduced fragrances and accessories and opened stores in Paris, New York, and other major cities.

In the 1990s, Burberry experienced a decline in popularity due to the overexposure of its check pattern and a loss of exclusivity. However, the brand underwent a rebranding in the early 2000s, with the introduction of new designs and the use of high-profile models and celebrities in its advertising campaigns. Today, Burberry is once again a major player in the luxury fashion industry, with stores in over 50 countries and a wide range of products for men, women, and children.

Social Media Marketing Strategy

As a well-established luxury fashion brand, Burberry utilizes social media to reach its audience and connect with consumers. The company has a strong presence on several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Their content creation has consistently been a leader, and they are one of the first brands to embrace Instagram for video. Social media is an excellent tool for making their brand feel omnipresent, yet exclusive and luxurious at the same time. Burberry uses social media in the following ways:

1. Creating a Lifestyle: Burberry’s social media channels showcase the brand’s lifestyle and aesthetic. The brand’s posts on Instagram and Facebook often feature behind-the-scenes photos and videos from fashion shows and events, as well as stylish images of products and models.
2. Influencer Collaborations: Burberry collaborates with influencers and celebrities to promote its products and campaigns on social media. These collaborations help the brand reach a wider audience and create buzz around new product launches.
3. Storytelling: Burberry uses social media to tell stories about its brand history, its designs, and its craftsmanship. The company often shares videos and images that show the process of making its products, as well as the inspiration behind its designs.
4. User-Generated Content: Burberry encourages its followers to share their own photos and videos featuring Burberry products, using branded hashtags. The brand often reposts user-generated content on its own channels, creating a sense of community and engagement with its audience.
5. Virtual Experiences: Burberry has used social media to create virtual experiences, such as a virtual reality fashion show in 2016 and a Snapchat lens that allowed users to try on virtual versions of Burberry’s new product line in 2021.

Runner Up: Victoria’s Secret

Not too far behind is Victoria’s Secret. Through many controversies and scandals, they have found ways to stay relevant and very popular. 

Victoria’s Secret is a well-known American lingerie brand that was founded in 1977 by Roy Raymond. In 1977, Roy Raymond opened the first Victoria’s Secret store in Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California. The store was designed to make lingerie shopping a comfortable and welcoming experience for men, as well as women. Throughout the 1980s, Victoria’s Secret expanded its product line to include loungewear, fragrances, and accessories. The brand also launched its iconic fashion show in 1995, which featured supermodels and extravagant lingerie designs. 

In 1982, The Limited, Inc. acquired Victoria’s Secret, and the brand’s growth accelerated under new ownership. The company went public in 1995 and was later acquired by L Brands in 1982. In the 2000s and 2010s, Victoria’s Secret underwent a rebranding, focusing on a more youthful and sexy image. The brand also expanded its product line to include swimwear and activewear. In recent years, Victoria’s Secret has faced criticism for its lack of diversity and inclusion, and for promoting unrealistic beauty standards. The brand has also faced allegations of harassment and misconduct by its executives. 

In 2020, Victoria’s Secret announced a new marketing campaign that focused on promoting body positivity and inclusivity. The brand also announced a partnership with The Female Quotient to promote gender equality and support women’s empowerment. Despite some challenges and controversy, Victoria’s Secret remains a popular and recognizable brand, with a strong presence in malls and shopping centers across the United States and around the world.

Social Media Marketing Strategy

Victoria’s Secret has a strong social media marketing strategy that utilizes multiple platforms to engage with its audience and promote its products. Victoria’s Secret has a large following on Instagram, where it posts images and videos of its products, models, and behind-the-scenes footage from its fashion shows. The brand also uses Instagram to promote its sales, new product launches, and partnerships. Victoria’s Secret also has a popular YouTube channel that features videos of its fashion shows, interviews with models, and tutorials on how to style its products. The brand also posts commercials and promotional videos on its YouTube channel. Victoria’s Secret has an active Facebook page, where it posts similar content to what it posts on Instagram, as well as longer-form content, such as blog posts and articles. The brand also uses Facebook to promote events and sales. Furthermore, they utilize the following other tactics:

1. Influencer Collaborations: Victoria’s Secret partners with influencers and celebrities to promote its brand on social media. The company works with models and celebrities who have a large following on social media to promote its products and events.
2. Contests and Giveaways: Victoria’s Secret occasionally runs contests and giveaways on social media to engage with its audience and promote its products. These contests often require users to follow the brand on social media and share a post to enter.
3. Hashtags: Victoria’s Secret uses hashtags on social media to promote its products and events. The brand often creates its own hashtags for its campaigns, such as #VSFashionShow and #LoveVictoriaSecret, and encourages users to share their own photos and videos using these hashtags.

Victoria’s Secret’s social media marketing strategy is focused on promoting its brand image, engaging with its audience, and showcasing its products and events in a visually compelling way. 

Last But Not Least: Vans

Even though I’m discussing Vans last, it doesn’t mean their social media presence is lacking. They are one of the many leaders in digital marketing and utilize many social media platforms to target their audience and ensure success. 

Vans is a popular American brand that specializes in skateboarding shoes and apparel. In 1966, Paul Van Doren, his brother Jim, and two business partners opened the first Vans store in Anaheim, California. The store sold shoes that were designed specifically for skateboarding. Throughout the 1970s, Vans shoes became increasingly popular among skateboarders and other athletes. The company expanded its product line to include high-top and slip-on shoes, as well as apparel.

In the 1980s, Vans expanded its business internationally, opening stores in Europe, Asia, and South America. The brand also began to sponsor athletes and events in skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding. In the 1990s, Vans experienced financial troubles and filed for bankruptcy. The company was acquired by a private equity firm, which helped it to restructure and regain profitability.

In 2004, Vans was acquired by VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories. Vans continued to expand its product line and opened new stores in key markets around the world. Vans has become a cultural icon, with its shoes and apparel being worn by a wide range of people, from skateboarders and surfers to musicians and fashion enthusiasts. The brand has also collaborated with a variety of artists and designers to create limited-edition products.

Today, Vans remains a popular brand, known for its classic and iconic designs, as well as its commitment to skateboarding and other action sports. The company continues to innovate and expand its product line while staying true to its roots and heritage.

Social Media Marketing Strategy

Vans has a strong social media marketing strategy that is focused on engaging with its core audience of skateboarders and fans of alternative fashion. The brand uses a variety of platforms to promote its products, share user-generated content, and build community. Here are some ways that Vans uses social media to market its brand:

1. Instagram: Vans has a large following on Instagram, where it posts photos and videos of its products, as well as skateboarding and music events. The brand also shares user-generated content and promotes its sponsored athletes and artists.
2. YouTube: Vans has a popular YouTube channel that features videos of skateboarding and surfing events, as well as documentaries about the brand’s history and culture. The channel also features content from Vans’ sponsored athletes and musicians.
3. TikTok: Vans has a presence on TikTok, where it shares short videos of skateboarding and lifestyle content. The brand also runs hashtag challenges and collaborations with influencers to engage with its audience.
4. Twitter: Vans uses Twitter to share news about new product releases, events, and sponsorships. The brand also engages with its audience by responding to tweets and running Twitter polls.
5. Influencer Collaborations: Vans partners with influencers and celebrities to promote its brand on social media. The brand works with skateboarders, musicians, and artists who align with its brand values and aesthetic.
6. Contests and Giveaways: Vans occasionally runs contests and giveaways on social media to engage with its audience and promote its products. These contests often require users to follow the brand on social media and share a post to enter.

Overall, Vans’ social media marketing strategy is focused on building community, promoting its lifestyle image, and showcasing its products in a visually compelling way. Vans also prioritizes staying on top of emerging social media platforms to reach a broader audience and stay connected with its core fans.

Takeaways: How to Improve Your Business’s Social Media

Improving a business’s social media presence can be critical to its success, as social media is an increasingly important way for brands to connect with customers and build a following. From all of the examples of excellence listed, there are a few common themes to improve your social media game for your business. 

To improve your social media, it is crucial to develop a strategy that aligns with your brand’s goals. Determine which platforms your target audience is most active on, and what type of content they engage with. Set goals for your social media, such as increasing followers or driving traffic to your website, and develop a plan to achieve them. Furthermore, you need to engage with your audience. Social media is a two-way conversation. Respond to comments and messages from your audience, and ask for feedback and opinions. This will help build a relationship with your followers and keep them engaged with your brand. Finally, make sure to monitor and analyze your results. Use analytics tools to track your social media performance and adjust your strategy as needed. Monitor your follower count, engagement rates, and other metrics to see what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments accordingly.

By implementing these tips, your business can improve its social media presence and better connect with its audience, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, and sales.