By RHIANNA BUSLER
Businesses are taking full advantage of the marketing opportunities social media provides as an influx of communities and sub-cultures continue to appear on social media.
In particular, fashion and cosmetics bloggers and vloggers are at the forefront of business plans that rely on social media.
The star power and influence of some of these social media stars not only allows well-established businesses such as Estee Lauder, Christian Louboutin and Dior to reach previously unexplored demographics, but also paves the way for smaller brands that depend almost entirely on social media for their publicity needs.
Young Melbourne designer Effie Kats has had her styles worn by “it girls” such as Gigi Hadid and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, largely thanks to the opportunities social media provided.
These celebrities’ Instagram accounts are overflowing with advertising, often featuring fashion and cosmetic products for companies. After Kendall Jenner took to Instagram in her Zachary bustier crop top, the item quickly sold out online.
Just three years ago, 26-year-old Ms Kats started her brand Zachary when she couldn’t find a dress to wear for a wedding. From then on, she began to advertise and sell some of her designs on her personal Instagram page.
Ms Kats said the company took off when Instagram social media celebrity Antoinette Marie (also known as @sydneyfashionbloger) wore one of Zachary’s designs.
Ms Kats first met the social media phenomenon in Topshop during a trip to Sydney. She gave Ms Marie a gown that the Instagram star was supposed to wear for her birthday. However, the night came and went, and it seemed Zachary was not the style of choice.
Later on, Ms Kats discovered Ms Marie had been saving the dress for the biggest night of the year. Thanks to a single New Year’s Eve photo posted on the @sydneyfashionblogger Instagram page, Zachary immediately gained 3000 new followers.
“We were lucky to jump on to social media when we did. There is so much stuff out there now, people are becoming less inclined to follow,” Ms Kats said.
Jessica Henty, a 20-year-old fashion and beauty lover, said she bought most of her clothes online.
“It’s just easier. If you follow a few lifestyle bloggers and boutiques on Instagram they are constantly posting new outfit inspirations,” she said.
While Zachary has a store in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg, Ms Kats heavily emphasised the influence social media and the internet had on her brand’s success. She is adamant social media is where the future of her business’s growth lies.
“Zachary over the next six months is going to see huge changes from the [way we deal] with our social media and our marketing … it’s a bridge that has been created which allows smaller designers like myself to reach out to the public on a global scale, and even to celebrities,” Ms Kats said.
“In many ways I feel that consumers have evolved past designers because of social media, and the fashion industry is racing to catch up to the consumer for the first time ever.”
It was the internet that allowed Monica Rose, an LA-based stylist well-known for her work with the Kardashian and Jenner sisters, to discover and reach out to Zachary.
Since then, A-list celebrities have frequently donned Ms Kats' brand, attracting attention from women all over the world.
Even though social media has created so many opportunities for up-and-coming fashion businesses, it is always an uphill climb.
Ms Kats highlighted the importance of persistence in this industry and the need to keep up with the continual flow of consumer needs.
“It has definitely been hard work, but we have had a lot of blessings that have helped to get us to where we are today,” she said.
Consumers may also be suspicious of companies that rely heavily on social media due to the relatively new nature of social media advertising structures.
YouTube star Rachel Anderson, who has a popular YouTube channel as Rachel Lee (@rachelleea), noted that there had been times where she had to turn away opportunities because her fan-base would not have approved of the brand or content.
Ms Anderson also said social media stars might reject promoting certain products due to “ethical issues”.
Nevertheless, Ms Anderson heavily emphasised that formal business contracts are in place 90 per cent of the time.
Ms Henty admitted to buying some of the products social media celebrities advertised.
“I follow quite a lot of beauty gurus on You Tube and Instagram. The last thing I bought was a body scrub,” she said.
However, Ms Henty also said she often did her own research before just buying the product.
With a lot of consumers shifting their attention from the mainstream media to social media, both businesses and social media celebrities have created a new industry culture that has changed advertising to cater for consumer needs.
“When girls see affordable brands worn by trendsetters such as Kylie Jenner, it’s as if the celebrity has done the [hard] shopping for them,” said Ms Kats.