Did you know that the average female American owns more than 100 pieces of clothes, shoes, and outfits? And did you know that the average United States household spent a whopping $1,833 on apparel and related services alone?
It's no wonder then that the apparel market made revenues of about $204 billion dollars that year!
All that tells us is how folks in the U.S. love to spend their cash on comfy and fashionable clothes. So, if you've ever wondered what you should do with clothes you no longer use, the simple answer is to "resell" them.
To make your resale clothing gig a success, you should use social media to your advantage. The question is, why and how exactly do you market gently-used clothes on these platforms?
All those questions and more, we’ll answer in this post, so be sure to keep reading on how to use social media to sell your gently used clothing!
The Market for Resale Clothing
The market for "used" clothing items is bigger than you think. In the past year alone, one in three women shopped for thrift clothes. Over 40% of females between the ages of 18 and 24 also shopped for used clothes that year.
These statistics prove that the resale market is strong, and it'll continue to power up over the years. Especially since millennials are its biggest customers. In the U.S. alone, this generation represents almost a quarter (75 million people) of the U.S. population.
Furthermore, your target market is likely on social media, making it even easier to reach them! In fact, 69% of U.S. adults are on at least one of these social sites.
As you can see, you have a market to sell your used clothing to. The only thing left to do is to come up with a way to reach out to them.
This is where one of the benefits of social media comes into play. It’s a free yet crucial tool that makes for an effective digital marketing strategy. Below are the key steps you should follow to reap these benefits of using social media for business.
Sign Up with Social Media Sites Used by Your Target Market
With literally hundreds of social media sites, you need to first figure out which ones you should use. To do that, research your target market and their online behaviors and activities. Aside from the platforms they use, find out what time of the day they access their social media accounts.
That way, you can prioritize the sites you should be using to reach your target market and generate leads.
Plus, if you know when they're active on these sites, you can better time your social media promotion.
For example, one study found that on Thursdays and Fridays, engagement rates go up 18% on Facebook. A separate study also found that Facebook users are 32% more engaged during the weekends.
As such, you should consider posting your for-sale clothes during these days of the week. Be sure to track and take note of engagement rates with these social media marketing tools. These tools can give you a clearer idea of whether people see and react to your content.
Compel Customers to Buy with High-Quality Product Images
Facebook and Instagram are visual mediums, so top-notch product photography is a must. This doesn't mean you need to spend hundreds (even thousands) of dollars on a single camera. You can use your smartphone's camera, but make sure your photos are clean and in high resolution.
Take photos of your clothing items with contrasting but clean backgrounds. Be sure there's enough light to capture the most important details of the product. You should also take and upload several photos of each piece in various angles.
Use Accurate but Creative Product Descriptions
Whether you're selling clothing on Instagram or Facebook, use accurate text descriptions! Use bullet points to inform them of the brand, measurements, and size of the clothes. Your potential buyers will also appreciate advice on how to pair them up with other clothes.
Go Live on Social Media
You'll be selling personal items, so go personal and take advantage of Facebook Live! Instagram also has this, so be sure to go live on this social media site as well.
The main benefit of using this feature is that it makes you "more human" and thus, approachable. It also helps ease worries of fraud, since people will be seeing your face in the live videos.
Furthermore, going live offers you a great visual storytelling method. You can talk to your potential buyers and tell them the highlights of your clothing items. All these can make them more compelled to order your items.
Consider Upcycling before Selling Your Clothes
A tiny stain on an otherwise great-quality clothing piece shouldn't force you to trash it. With a few creative hacks, you can still sell them for a reasonable price.
A good example is to use artsy or cool-looking embroidery or patches on a small stained spot. You can even come up with your own patch designs which can add to the appeal of your used, for-sale clothes.
If you have sewing skills, you can also upcycle clothes by say, converting an oversized shirt into a dress. You can even transform denim jeans into skirts or even tote bags.
What’s important is to inform your buyers of your eco-friendly deeds. First, because you want to be transparent about where your products came from. Second, because 81% of consumers say that businesses should be more eco-conscious.
Use Social Media Now for Your Resale Business
Keep in mind that almost three-quarters of U.S. Facebook users access their account at least once a day. Almost two-thirds of Instagram users also visit their account on a daily basis.
That's why as early as now, you should use social media to sell off your gently-used clothing items. The sooner you do, the sooner you can convert those no-longer-used clothes into money. Plus, selling them off means you can make space in your wardrobe!
Need more tips on how to leverage social media and get more potential shoppers? Then be sure to check out this extensive list of social media marketing resources!
For example, one study found that on Thursdays and Fridays, engagement rates go up 18% on Facebook. A separate study also found that Facebook users are 32% more engaged during the weekends.
As such, you should consider posting your for-sale clothes during these days of the week. Be sure to track and take note of engagement rates with these social media marketing tools. These tools can give you a clearer idea of whether people see and react to your content.
Compel Customers to Buy with High-Quality Product Images
Facebook and Instagram are visual mediums, so top-notch product photography is a must. This doesn't mean you need to spend hundreds (even thousands) of dollars on a single camera. You can use your smartphone's camera, but make sure your photos are clean and in high resolution.
Take photos of your clothing items with contrasting but clean backgrounds. Be sure there's enough light to capture the most important details of the product. You should also take and upload several photos of each piece in various angles.
Use Accurate but Creative Product Descriptions
Whether you're selling clothing on Instagram or Facebook, use accurate text descriptions! Use bullet points to inform them of the brand, measurements, and size of the clothes. Your potential buyers will also appreciate advice on how to pair them up with other clothes.
Go Live on Social Media
You'll be selling personal items, so go personal and take advantage of Facebook Live! Instagram also has this, so be sure to go live on this social media site as well.
The main benefit of using this feature is that it makes you "more human" and thus, approachable. It also helps ease worries of fraud, since people will be seeing your face in the live videos.
Furthermore, going live offers you a great visual storytelling method. You can talk to your potential buyers and tell them the highlights of your clothing items. All these can make them more compelled to order your items.
Consider Upcycling before Selling Your Clothes
A tiny stain on an otherwise great-quality clothing piece shouldn't force you to trash it. With a few creative hacks, you can still sell them for a reasonable price.
A good example is to use artsy or cool-looking embroidery or patches on a small stained spot. You can even come up with your own patch designs which can add to the appeal of your used, for-sale clothes.
If you have sewing skills, you can also upcycle clothes by say, converting an oversized shirt into a dress. You can even transform denim jeans into skirts or even tote bags.
What’s important is to inform your buyers of your eco-friendly deeds. First, because you want to be transparent about where your products came from. Second, because 81% of consumers say that businesses should be more eco-conscious.
Use Social Media Now for Your Resale Business
Keep in mind that almost three-quarters of U.S. Facebook users access their account at least once a day. Almost two-thirds of Instagram users also visit their account on a daily basis.
That's why as early as now, you should use social media to sell off your gently-used clothing items. The sooner you do, the sooner you can convert those no-longer-used clothes into money. Plus, selling them off means you can make space in your wardrobe!
Need more tips on how to leverage social media and get more potential shoppers? Then be sure to check out this extensive list of social media marketing resources!