The Fashion Techie

5 Places Online Fashion Designers Can Utilize To Market Designs

January 25th, 2010

As of today, the most powerful marketing tool for fashion designers is still word of mouth, print and in-person networking. However, that doesn’t mean that online marketing can’t help you get one step ahead of your competition…and one step closer to your goals.

Before I give my pick for the best websites that fashion designers can use to promote their brands I want to make a statement about the one type of website fashion designers should ignore. If the website has a “virtual closet” where you can upload designs but no way to engage users with that closet or the ability to embed the “virtual closet” in other places…it’s not worth it. It’s just a waste of time for you to upload all of your designs and get no return on your investment.

With that said, here are our top 5 places to help you promote and market your fashion designs online:

#1 IQONS

IQONS is effective because it is the largest network of creatives online, and there is strength in numbers. It provides fashion designers with the ability to showcase their work and build relationships. However, it’s important to understand that IQONS takes work. To be super successful on IQONS remember to take time to set up your profile, spend a few hours per week networking, and only use high-res images. IQONS is a very visual site, its set up so that images are showcased beautifully and this can be your best advantage over other users. IQONS also has some amazing contests, competitions and tradeshows that fashion designers can get involved with.

#2 Etsy

Etsy is an amazing tool for fashion designers; even if you have an ecommerce store on your website already. If you are ignoring Etsy because you feel your line is “high end” then you are missing out on possible revenue and exposure. If you are an emerging or indie designer who wants to get their designs in front of consumers and buyers, Etsy is one of the best tools out there. IT’S NOT JUST FOR CRAFTSY PEOPLE WHO MAKE YARN BALLS. It’s for fashion designers too. The important part of standing out on Etsy is to use beautiful images, clear and concise SEO friendly product descriptions and follow the Etsy rules and regulations. Etsy also has an amazing community which offers virtual labs, forums and more. And for an affordable cost you can sign up for Showcase. Showcase is a paid advertising program for Etsy shops that can get your designs seen.

#3 UsTrendy

I just recently discovered UsTrendy and I must say I’m impressed and I’m definitely a believer that this site is worth all the buzz. UsTrendy was made for fashion designers in mind. It’s a pretty simple concept that’s been used plenty of times online…you upload designs and fans vote. However, it’s a little more detailed than that. The UsTrendy team is passionate about viral marketing and they focus on spreading the word about your designs throughout the web. They also offer a place for you to sell your items as well as market and promote your own fashion events. You can also get involved with some major contest that can potentially fund your line and get you into UsTrendy sponsored fashion shows. The best part? Contest are weekly so that gives you plenty of opportunities to win.

#4 Polyvore

Before you raise an eyebrow, let’s think a little. Polyvore take images of products from around the web and puts them in one place so publishers, mainly fashion bloggers, can create clickable collages to embed on their blog that lead directly back to the product. It’s common sense as to why this is an amazing tool to use to market you. To add your products set up a Polyvore account and then utilize the Polyvore Clipper. However, without an ecommerce store, you can’t reap all the benefits of this tool. Remember to use great pictures and to incorporate SEO into your product descriptions. You can also use Polyvore to create your own collages for your blog.

#5 Afingo

Afingo is another great tool for fashion designers (so great that I’ve actually written an entire post about their features).The best part about this social networking site is that it makes sure that you are connected with REAL CONSUMERS, REAL BUYERS, REAL RETAILERS, and REAL ADVERTISERS…not just a bunch of “fashion fans” that don’t have experience in the industry. This is why I firmly believe it’s worth the cost. To learn more about Afingo.com read my full posts: http://thefashiontechie.com/blog/technology-news/afingo-the-new-fashion-kid-on-the-social-media-block/

Do you have a site that you use often or one that you created? Please comment so we can keep this list going.