Instagram was tailor-made for fashion content. From influencers and bloggers to photographers and fashion brands, the industry has adapted to platform updates with incomparable plasticity.
The topic has been on everyone’s minds and feeds, following the trifecta of New York, Milan, and Paris’ Fashion Weeks this month. Those of us who couldn’t attend, (my invite must have gotten lost in the mail) were kept in the know thanks to Instagram Stories, and through my new favorite feature, Instagram Live.
The days of struggling to livestream the shows (shout-out to @WWD for keeping me in the know) are over! The beauty of Instagram Live is the video does not remain on your feed forever. Unlike Facebook and Snapchat, Instagram Live disappears once the video ends. This gives users a sense of urgency that encourages them to drop everything to watch the story right then and there.
Brands that stood out for using Instagram Live include Thakoon, Tim Coppens, and Prabal Gurung who went live during his taxi ride home after his autumn/winter ’17 show. Designer Tommy Hilfiger had fashion influencer Daniel Bernstein, of We Wore What go live on behalf of the brand’s account during his Venice Beach show. Other bloggers that got in on the live action included Chiara Ferragni, Aimee Song of Song of Style, and Eva Chen known for her early adoption of the feature.
Although this type of content is great for brand awareness, it doesn’t directly lead to sales unless the line is truly ready-to-wear at the time of the show. How do you monetize Instagram Live, you ask? Beyond creating a CTA in your live story directing users to your site, designers and brands can utilize the platform as a flash-sale, direct-to-consumer tool. As predicted by AD Week, perhaps the future of monetizing Instagram live includes a revival of the QVC selling model. I must say, this idea would certainly tap into my fashion envy should my favorite brands roll out exclusive products on their live stories.
If Instagram Live video were truly the only way to purchase your new product, would you buy in? Tweet us @Socialfly and let us know your thoughts!
Image Via: Vogue
