Written by Tarla Makaeff
What if I told you there was a way to market that people wouldn't immediately tune out to? Wouldn't you want to be using this in your marketing strategy? That's what I thought, you 'lil hustler, you.
So just like the ads you DVR through to get back to your fav program, you don't want to be the social media profile that people fly through like at lightening speed like a Nordstrom half yearly sale. After all, we're immune to most advertising because we see so much of it..about 4,000-10,000 ads a day. You want your audience to pay attention to you and not whiz by. But how, oh how, do you get their attention? I got you. There is a way of standing out from the noise while connecting with your customers. Lifestyle marketing for female fashion brands.
Simply put, you'll be showing them your lifestyle. Show them how your product or service affects your daily life. And no, I don't pics of Ferraris and private planes with you making fantastical promises that you are not living yourself. You just show people your lifestyle of freedom. Show them you're out and about during the weekday when everyone else is toiling away in their 9-5 cubicle from hell. That's how you roll. Don't you think they'll want to do the same and start asking you about how they can do these things?
Why this is so powerful is because lifestyle is about the ideals and aspiration of your target market. It's not a hard sell unlike typical marketing. We're talking about benefits like traditional advertising but we are showing vs telling. It's based on customer interests related to your brand. And you do this through your own personal branding that attracts similar types of people to you. You need to know and be very clear on your brand values in your target market.
What's your lifestyle brand? Luxury? Green? Family oriented? Religious? Determine this, and it will draw the right customers for you. Be true to yourself - whatever your lifestyle is - and you will attract people with the same lifestyle or those aspiring to the same lifestyle.
For example, maybe it's a family lifestyle you want to promote. Say you're a stay at home mom playing with your kids mid-day and taking them to the park, then you'll attract other moms who are in the same situation. You might say: "It's so awesome I get to stay home with my kids and watch them grow up" or "I love spending my days with my 'lil princess" and put up a picture of you and your child outside together.
If you are spending your time traveling, you might post: "Welcome to Rome" and show a picture of you eating a slice of margherita pizza in front of the Colosseum or standing in front of Fendi as you shop on Via Borgognona. If you do this enough, people will deduce that your travel a lot and you're in a business that allows you the luxury to do so.
Or maybe you just want to allude to a generic work at home lifestyle. You might write "Eeeeekkk! So excited!! I'm meeting an out of town friend for an all day catch up sesh and taking her to her fav places." People will wonder how you are meeting your friend for the whole day when they are at work. You are hinting at what you get to do because of the opportunity you're involved in.
Your content should to be related to your brand but not a direct sell of your services. You're selling an aspect of your lifestyle to someone who would use your product or service. If your business involves wine, you might post: "So great to be home in the middle of the day, having a glass of Pinot Grigio." You are sliding in the wine part without being too obvious.
Even major brands use lifestyle marketing.
Red Bull is high energy sugary drink but you don't hear them talk about the calories or ingredients in their drink. Instead, they demonstrate a high octane lifestyle. Their Mission To Edge of Space campaign showed a skydiver skydiving from space to earth. There was the Red Bull logo but no talk about the drink. This is like subliminal advertising. They're sending the message that if you drink Red Bull, you're cool like them. You are a daredevil. You are a nomad. You are an adventurer. People buy into this because they see this persona as an extension of them or who they want to be.
Whole Foods is all about health, wellness, and clean, green living. They too don't outright state this but if you go to their FB chatbot on their FB page, they show recipes containing coconut oil and they talk about organic food. They are not outright saying if you want healthy food to seek them out, they are going about it in the under the radar type of way letting you insinuate the obvious.
This is really about self persuasion. A way that a person sees themselves or wants to see themselves will influence their buying decisions. They'll think: "That's who I am so I'm buying this" or "That's who I want to be like so I'm going to get this" - what they purchase is integral to their true or perceived identity. If they see themselves as high class or want to be, they will be drawn to someone who shows a luxury lifestyle.
Think of dating someone - you are not selling them on the "benefits" of dating you - telling them you are kind, pretty, intelligent etc...(unless you're on that new TV show, The Proposal). You instead are showing them why they should date you by sharing commonalities of your lifestyle. If both of you like art, you will do art related things. Or if it's rock music, you might see an Imagine Dragons concert together. You do activities together. You are selling your date on having the same lifestyle and interests. It's not a sudden, in your face sell that screams "look at me, I drive a Mercedes and have a Mensa IQ." No, girl. It's much, much smarter than that.
Lifestyle marketing for small business owners is a fast track to success if you use it properly. You will draw people who aspire to the same lifestyle you are presenting. It's harder to do this subtle form of marketing - there is an art to it and it takes time to really master but it's so worth it because your lifestyle sells itself. So you are selling the lifestyle, not the product or service. Capiche?
Want to learn more about lifestyle marketing? Then, have a look at my online business book designed for boss babes just like you!
How have you used lifestyle marketing in your social media strategy?
TARLA MAKAEFF
Tarla Makaeff is a self-made entrepreneur, online business coach, digital course creator, and the copy queen. She helps creative, heart-centered female entrepreneurs start and grow their purpose-filled business online.
Leave a comment