Business development

Digital communication for fashion SMEs

It is a challenge to be seen on social media – our main digital communication channels. Slow growth, time-consuming content creation, and uncertain impact may discourage companies from having a social media presence. We look at why being on social media is relevant for your brand and present the “psychology of sharing” approach as an evergreen method to create human relations on fundamentally social, human platforms.

Why European Fashion SMEs need to be present on social media

The SMEs that applied for, and won, the FABRIX open call expressed the desire for greater visibility. Visibility, communication and marketing in general, are major topics that cannot be covered in their entirety in just one video or lecture. Here, we’re talking about a method to get your social media content in front of more eyes. Before you do this, you’ll want to have a clear brand definition, ideally a communication plan, and perhaps a set of guidelines that define aspects such as aesthetics, personal appearance on camera, etc.

In the attached video – which we suggest you watch – we review the number of active social media users in Europe for each of the major channels (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook). We recommend to try to cover one or two of these, not all of them. Pick the one that you feel most comfortable using, and where you think your target public is. Hopefully, the two things align.

The psychology of sharing

We apply the New York Times research from 2011 because it is still valid: it looks at why people share content. This is relevant because your first, core group of followers are your best ambassadors. If you want to grow on social media, two factors come into play and they are both related to sharing. First, people share content and their “friends” see it. Second, the action of sharing – as well as liking, commenting, and saving – are all considered “interactions” by platforms, and their algorythms favour content that people find useful. These interactions are a signal that content is relevant to users so they are automatically proposed to other users with a similar profile.

The 5 Core Motivations for Sharing

From: New York Times consumer group study, "Psychology of Sharing,” 2011

1. Bring Value to Others: 94% of people share to inform, amuse, or help people in their lives. Sharing is seen as an act of caring.

2. Define Personal Identity: 68% of people share to build their personal brand.

3. Grow Relationships: People use sharing to make and maintain connections.

4. Self-Fulfillment: People share to feel more involved in the world and to get credit from others for finding great content.

5. Support Causes & Brands: People share to spread the word about issues and organizations they believe in

Given the importance of people feeling engaged enough to share, we propose a shift in our approach, from “look at my product” to “look at what this product says about your values.”

Transparency about sustainability in sustainable fashion communication

Many of the SMEs in the FABRIX project consider themselves in the post-sustainability environment, so sustainable wording is no longer part of their communication strategy. That said, sometimes it is necessary to remind customers – and to tell new ones – some details about what makes you sustainable. Second, this applies to all small brands: what makes you different from a big brand like H&M? You have the ability to show your face, the people “who made your clothes” – like the Fashion Revolution campaign – your workshops where people earn a good living wage and have specialised skills.

This influences the kind of content creation that a small brand can do versus a large one. We recommend:

1. Being specific in your wording (not “green” but “100% flax grown in Rotterdam”)
2. Document your process (showing your workspace, thoughts, prototypes etc)
3. Leverage niche micro-influencers (work with targeted and relevant figures on social media to increase your reach, while avoiding just big numbers).

Offer value and an insider look at your business

Marketing strategists recommend the 80/20% rule: 80% of your content should provide utility, education, or entertainment; only 20% should be explicitly promotional. Avoid, and never repeat, the same promotional message like “available for purchase on our website”. So think about how you can offer content that people find valuable. If you make organic cotton t-shirts, this could be something about how to make it last forever (about washing, mending, etc.).

A trend in 2026 that has already been working for a while is to start reels or carousels with “hooks” – bold statements. As the public has a very short attention span and scrolls quickly, hooks serve to grab them and make them look. The challenge is to find hooks that are appropriate to the seriousness of your brand or personality! Remember, they serve a purpose but you can literally say “now that I have your attention, let me tell you about…” and turn to the real, important discussion, such as why you believe that upcycling is the way forward for fashion. Some relevant hooks may involve showing people “insider information” about your business, with a text like “the part of fashion production nobody ever sees”.

In the end: remember what’s important

We know that marketing and content production is hard work and, if you’re a micro-brand, you’re doing it all. The good news is that you’re creative, so content creation may come naturally to you! But when push comes to shove, don’t stress: do what you can. Don’t bother showing up every day. At most, post Instagram stories. Make content when you can – and batch-create so you have a few things to spread out over a few weeks. Don’t listen to people who say you need to post daily, or even weekly, if that’s not in line with your workload, or your brand story. If we’re promoting sustainable, circular products, that means buying less, and it also means living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle – which may be offline. Visibility also comes from being part of your community, from having pop-up events or participating in panel talks or being the most visible parent at your child’s school play.

Contributed by Cedecs-TCBL.