How to use social media to build your brand

Education

When used in the right way, social media can really help your Depop shop thrive. Whatever your brand personality and messaging may be, there are some quick and easy techniques that can be used to help build more of an online presence and gain a bigger following for your store. In this informative blog post, we’ll talk you through a few of these techniques and introduce you to 3 Depop Sellers who have made a name for themselves – and their stores – on social sites. After hearing about their experiences, you might be inspired to promote your Depop shop through your social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too. There are also lots of Depop social media hints and tips throughout this article that could encourage you to grow and develop as a seller on our platform. Read on to discover more…

Depop's top social media tips

As part of our collaboration with the Black in Fashion Council, we caught up with consultant and wellness advocate Chrissy Rutherford to learn more about the great techniques that she has used to amplify her own social media content. Watch her video interview for some great tips on everything to get started, from writing great social media bios, to building authentic social partnerships that will make your own personal brand shine.

One of our personal top social media tips is using Instagram to your advantage. Having an active Instagram account linked to your Depop shop is one of the best ways to increase awareness of your brand and grow a following of customers.

For example: Sharing your shop to Instagram can boost your Depop shop traffic by 11%. Just head to your profile and tap the blue ‘Share shop’ button.

How do I get started with social media promotion?

Some of the smart ways to boost your Depop shop with Instagram are detailed below:

1. Get branded
Make sure everyone knows this Instagram account is for your shop. Create a logo for your brand and write a catchy Depop bio to explain what your shop is about. Use specific keywords to catch your target audience’s attention (example: ‘Rare streetwear’ or ‘Sustainable pieces’)

Don’t forget to include your Depop shop link so your followers can become your customers.

2. Be a business
Switch your Depop shop’s Instagram account to Instagram Business. This gives you extra insights and metrics on your Instagram posts, stories and followers. Learn about your account’s followers and traffic to help encourage new shoppers.

“An Instagram Business account is helpful because I can see what time of day my followers are most active, so I can post at the optimal time. I can also see where a majority of my market lives (mostly the US) so I can cater for their interests, for example: using popular American TV shows for my T-shirts.”

@theflirtylemon

3. Share your stock
Post pictures of your items to your Instagram feed and include relevant hashtags like #y2k #adidas #sportswear. Posts with at least one hashtag have an average of 12.6% more engagement than posts without hashtags. Do your research and check what kind of hashtags your competitors are using.

Great photography helps - use natural light. Find an aesthetic that suits your brand and make sure it stays consistent so your followers can get to know your shop.

Make sure you’re using the feed, Instagram Stories and IGTV to maximize how you share content of your inventory and your brand.

4. Get involved with the community
Users like shops that feel human, so keep your content friendly, relatable and inclusive. Make friends - follow Top Sellers and other people from relevant communities and engage with them. Remember to like, comment and follow. Keep your own followers engaged by asking questions in your captions.

“I have made so many great connections and friends from Depop through Instagram by just engaging, liking and sharing other peoples’ posts. It's great to start a conversation with other sellers - don't hesitate to ask for advice or help, because 9 out of 10 times people are happy to help and it usually leads to amazing things”

@selenasshop

5. Do you
Find your niche and be yourself. Make your brand memorable and offer something that no one else does. Find ways to tell a story with your imagery on social media - use Instagram carousels to show a range of images, and try posting video content to engage your audience.

Make the most of whatever your shop’s USP is - sustainability, rare finds or one-off items - and your following will grow.

“Social media allows us to showcase more of our shop's personality and keep in touch directly with our customers. Our favorite way to tease new items and drops is to use IG stories; typically mixing in not only product photos but also photos of celebs wearing similar styles.”

@pvdvtg

Further social media promotion ideas

Collaborating with other sellers, stores and brands, and social media influencer Depop accounts in particular – is a great way of gaining visibility and expanding your reach. When more people know about you and your listings, it improves your chances of success on our site. It’s important to stay true to your brand values though – it might not make sense for you to work with certain people or start selling particular products. All collaborations must make sense for your store and to your potential buyers, so keep this in mind when planning any partnerships. When you have an influencer in mind, you could begin the process by asking them if they’d try out one of your items and then share an honest review of it on their Instagram account. Alternatively, you might consider partnering with other sellers to host a Q&A session or announce an exciting giveaway to your combined follower base. Follow these extra tips to amplify your chances:

Go one step further and host a sale on your Instagram Stories. Post your items on your IG story with links to your shop embedded in each story, or using Swipe Up to Buy.
Use your social channels to build strong content around your shop - tutorials or educational posts, sneak peeks of new inventory or behind-the-scenes from your stockroom. Make sure to keep it consistent and in line with your Depop shop’s look.
Add a call to action to your caption to encourage your followers to visit your shop. For example: ‘Get the look on my Depop shop!’
Running polls on your Instagram Stories is another great way to engage your followers and keep them coming back to your feed.
Don't forget about channels like Facebook and Twitter too. You can easily create a page for your Depop business on Facebook, sharing your shop link, or setting up a Twitter version of your shop, with a link to your Depop account.
Your potential customers are also active on these channels, with many actively wanting to know how to find a Depop seller on social media. So by sharing a link to your Depop shop on these channels, you are also maximizing your chances to capture the interest of your target audience.

Depop social media recap

Having a community around your brand is valuable. Social media is essential to do this for your shop. Try to keep your community involved by talking to them and listening to them – this makes it easy to create social content that they’ll find interesting and useful.

It pays to get connected. Creating a good Instagram account for your Depop shop takes time and effort, but it is one of the best ways to build your brand and your customer base.