Module 1: Types of Content That Work for Fashion
Hey there! Let’s talk about content. I know you might be thinking “I’ll just post photos of my products, right?” Well, yes and no. Product photos are important, but if that’s all you post, people will tune out pretty quickly.
Think about your own social media behavior. Do you follow brands that only post product shots? Probably not. You follow accounts that entertain you, inspire you, teach you something, or make you feel connected to the person behind the brand.
That’s what we’re going to create for your audience.
The Content Categories That Actually Work
Let me break down the main types of content that perform well for fashion brands. You’ll want to mix these throughout your content calendar.
1. Product-Focused Content
Yes, you absolutely need to show your products. But there are smart ways to do this:
Styled product shots: Show your piece styled with other items to create a complete look. If you design dresses, show the dress with shoes, a bag, and jewelry. This helps people visualize how to wear it.
Detail shots: Close-ups of fabric texture, stitching, buttons, special details. This shows quality and craftsmanship.
Product flatlays: Your item arranged beautifully on a background with complementary pieces or props.
On-body shots: Your products worn by real people (you, friends, customers, models). This shows fit and how it looks in real life.
Example: Maya designs linen clothing. Instead of just posting her dress on a hanger, she posts it styled three ways: casual with sneakers, dressed up with heels, and layered with a denim jacket. Each post shows the versatility of one piece.
2. Behind-the-Scenes Content
This is honestly some of the most engaging content you can create. People love seeing the process.
Your workspace: Your studio, design table, fabric storage. This makes your brand feel real and accessible.
Design process: Sketching, choosing fabrics, making samples, fitting sessions.
Production: Cutting fabric, sewing, finishing details, quality checking.
Packaging and shipping: Packing orders, writing thank-you notes, preparing packages.
Why does this work? Because it builds trust and connection. When someone sees the care you put into each piece, they understand why your prices are what they are. They feel connected to your story.
3. Educational Content
Teaching your audience something valuable positions you as an expert and provides real value.
Styling tips: “How to style a white shirt 5 ways” or “What to wear to a summer wedding”
Fashion education: “Understanding different denim washes” or “How to tell if clothing is good quality”
Care instructions: “How to wash silk properly” or “Removing stains from linen”
Sustainability topics: If that’s part of your brand, educate about fabric choices, production methods, or fashion industry issues
Fit guides: “How to find jeans that fit your body type” or “Understanding dress silhouettes”
Example: Sofia makes workwear. She creates content about building a capsule work wardrobe, mixing and matching pieces, transitioning outfits from day to night, and what to wear to different types of professional settings. Her audience finds this genuinely helpful, which builds trust.
4. Storytelling Content
Stories create emotional connection. This is where people really fall in love with your brand.
Your origin story: Why you started designing, what inspired you, challenges you’ve overcome
Customer stories: Featuring customers and why they love your pieces (with their permission)
Day in the life: What a typical day looks like for you as a designer
Behind a specific piece: The inspiration behind a particular design, why you chose certain fabrics, the story of its creation
Values-driven content: Posts about what matters to you – sustainability, ethical production, body positivity, supporting artisans
This content doesn’t directly sell, but it builds the emotional foundation that makes people want to buy from you specifically, not just anyone.
5. User-Generated Content (UGC)
This is content created by your customers wearing or using your products.
Customer photos: Reposting (with permission) photos of customers wearing your designs
Reviews and testimonials: Sharing positive feedback from customers
Customer styling: Showing how different people style the same piece
Why is UGC so valuable? Because it’s social proof. When potential customers see real people (not just models) wearing and loving your designs, it makes them more likely to buy.
Always ask permission before reposting someone’s content, and always give them credit.
6. Lifestyle Content
This is content that reflects your brand’s vibe and values without directly showing products.
Aesthetic inspiration: Colors, textures, places that inspire your designs
Mood boards: Visual inspiration for your collections
Brand lifestyle: Coffee on your desk, your favorite playlist, books you’re reading, places you visit
This content is about building brand atmosphere. It’s especially important on Instagram where visual cohesion matters.
Example: A designer with a coastal, minimalist aesthetic might post photos of the beach, white spaces, morning coffee in a simple mug, natural textures. Even without showing products, this content reinforces what the brand is about.
7. Promotional Content
Yes, you need to directly promote your products and sales. But this should only be about 20-30% of your content.
New arrivals: Announcing new pieces
Collection launches: Building excitement for new collections
Sales and promotions: Limited-time offers, seasonal sales
Restocks: Letting people know popular items are back
Limited editions: Creating urgency around special pieces
The key is not making every single post a sales pitch. When most of your content provides value, entertainment, or inspiration, people don’t mind the occasional “This is on sale” post.
8. Interactive Content
Content that encourages your audience to participate and engage.
Polls and questions: “Which color should I make next?” or “What content do you want to see more of?”
This or that: Showing two options and asking which they prefer
Q&A sessions: Answering questions about your process, brand, or products
Challenges or prompts: “Show me how you’d style this piece”
Fill-in-the-blank: “My go-to outfit formula is ___”
Interactive content is great for Instagram Stories and can boost your overall engagement.
9. Trending and Timely Content
Content that ties into current moments, seasons, or trends.
Seasonal content: Holiday gift guides, summer essentials, fall wardrobe planning
Trend commentary: Your take on current fashion trends
Cultural moments: Content tied to relevant events or conversations (when appropriate for your brand)
Platform trends: Participating in viral challenges or using trending sounds (especially on TikTok)
This keeps your content feeling fresh and current.
The Content Mix That Works
Here’s a general guideline for balancing these content types:
- 30% Product-focused content
- 25% Behind-the-scenes and storytelling
- 20% Educational content
- 15% User-generated and customer features
- 10% Promotional content
This is just a starting point. You’ll adjust based on what resonates with your specific audience.
What About Trending Content?
You might be wondering: “Should I do dance trends? Follow memes? Jump on every viral moment?”
Here’s my take: participate in trends when they genuinely fit your brand. If a trending sound or format can naturally showcase your products or brand personality, go for it. But don’t force it.
A sustainable fashion brand doing a serious TikTok trend about fast fashion issues? That works. That same brand doing a random dance trend just because it’s viral? Probably feels off-brand and won’t resonate.
Finding Your Content Sweet Spot
Not every content type will work equally well for your brand. Some designers are naturally great storytellers. Others are amazing at educational content. Some love showing their face and talking to the camera. Others prefer beautiful product photography.
Start by experimenting with different types. Pay attention to what gets the most engagement, but also pay attention to what you actually enjoy creating. Sustainable content creation means doing things you can stick with long-term.
Common Content Mistakes
Let me save you some trouble by pointing out what doesn’t work:
Only posting when you have something to sell: Your feed becomes a catalog and people tune out.
Never showing your products: Being too artsy or abstract means people don’t know what you actually sell.
Posting the same type of content repeatedly: All product shots or all behind-the-scenes gets boring.
Ignoring what your audience responds to: If your educational posts get way more engagement than your lifestyle posts, that’s data. Listen to it.
Over-posting promotional content: People will unfollow if every post is “Buy now!” or “Sale ends tonight!”
Your Content Foundation
Understanding these content types is the foundation for everything else we’ll cover in this program. When we build your content calendar, create captions, and develop your platform strategy, we’ll be mixing these types strategically.
For now, think about which types naturally fit your brand and which ones you feel comfortable creating. You don’t have to do all of them, but you should be incorporating at least 4-5 different types regularly.
In the next module, we’ll organize these content types into a framework that makes content planning so much easier.
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