What if you could turn a hobby you love into a thriving business? South Van Der Lee developed her passion for knitwear and après-ski fashion. GOGO Sweaters has grown into the successful brand it is today. As president and designer, South works with a team of knitters in Calgary, Canada to create luxury, handmade designs.
Today, you can find GOGO sweaters at stores like Free People, Revolve, and Holt Renfrew, thanks to international demand for the brand. One of GOGO Sweaters’ main growth drivers is its Instagram account. Over the years, South has developed a successful recipe to help it create engaging posts that drive engagement and increase sales.
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4 Tips for Creating Social Media Content That Converts
South shares her four tips for creating Instagram content that will help you attract new customers.
1. Stick to a theme
South wants most of its products to be photographed in the snow in Canada so viewers can get an authentic feel for what the brand is all about. These images illustrate an ambitious and coherent lifestyle that attracts an audience of winter sports enthusiasts.
“Skiing will always be the anchor, and when I decided that, that’s when things really started to take off. [on Instagram]”, says Sud. People like familiarity on social media. It will make your brand easier to remember, and identifiable characteristics can help a brand move to the right audiences more quickly through word of mouth.
![a model holds a pair of skis and poles while wearing the lilac-colored floral jacket.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/Flower_Jacket_-_Lilac.png?v=1709743641)
2. Capture a lifestyle
“It’s really difficult to sell someone with a flat image, especially in the luxury sector. You also have to sell a fantasy,” says South.
When taking photos of your products, include lifestyle photos to give social media users an idea of what life would be like if they too owned the item. “It’s really important to have photos that the buyer can put themselves in,” says South.
With so many purchasing options, potential customers need to be able to imagine themselves in your products to justify their purchase.
3. Think outside the box
To get people’s attention on social media, your goal should be to stand out from the competition. “You want to get people thinking about how they would want to wear your product, your brand,” says South.
One example she shares is her daily posts on her Instagram Stories, showing different ways she wears her GOGO sweater at work. Some of them are less traditional than others. “I want people to rethink the way they wear their clothes, which is why I try to train people to wear sweaters over instead of under,” says South.
This approach helps attract people, spark their interest in the brand, and make the Instagram page enjoyable for users to follow.
4. Create a store
South has found that most customers shop on their phones, so she makes sure to film and post content with that perspective in mind.
To make it easier for its followers, South connects its Shopify store to product images on Instagram. When its site works with Instagram Shop, each of the photos can be purchased and speeds up the checkout process. “It was a big game-changer for our sales,” says South.
Although growing your following on Instagram takes time, these four steps can help you simultaneously grow an audience and convert them into loyal customers.
To learn more of South’s social media marketing tips and discover his best strategy for negotiating with retailers, tune in to the full Shopify Masters episode.