Luxury brands are relative newcomers to social media. Ten years ago, some brands believed that these new platforms were a mass phenomenon that didn't concern their target audience. This stereotype is no more. Today, 75% of luxury shoppers use social media, according to a 2014 study by the Blackstone Digital Agency. All the major players of the luxury goods industry are now present and are working to find new ways to engage with their fans and customers to enhance brand perception.
Our latest report used Talkwalker's social listening platform to analyze how ten giants of the luxury industry - from Dior and Chanel to Tesla and Ferrari - are using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what's working, and what isn't, in this category. As a preview of this case study, here are three mistakes luxury brands should avoid on social media:
Mistake No. 1: Posting Too Much on Social
Screenshots from the Facebook & Twitter accounts of Tesla Motors
Top performers like Tesla and Cartier focus on quality over quantity, making sure each post is carefully crafted and timed for maximum impact. As demonstrated in the above Facebook and Twitter posts, Tesla has put a lot of thought into how to present their brand on social in interesting and innovative ways, particularly through video content. This reserved communication style goes well with the general image of the luxury industry and works to highlight the unique and exclusive nature of their products.
Mistake No. 2: Failing to Utilize Video
Screenshot from Chanel's official Instagram account
One of the key factors behind Chanel's victory over Dior in their social media head-to-head battle is Chanel's successful video strategy. In January, Chanel had its Haute Couture fashion show and successfully promoted the event by providing its social media fans with a unique VIP perspective. The video content was customized for each platform and prominently displayed the brand's big name ambassadors, including Gwyneth Paltrow. On Twitter a video posted from the event drove more than 7,800 retweets, while on Instagram it generated 184,000 likes and 3,100 comments. Both posts were among Chanel's top performing over the period measured.
The Talkwalker virality map shows how Chanel's video tweet
about its Haute Couture Show rapidly spread across the globe
Mistake No. 3: Fail to Gather Competitive Intelligence
If you want to be successful on social, you need to know who your audience is and what content will give you an edge on your competition. Using Talkwalker's social media analytics, we were able to determine, for example, that the Swiss luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer had a much bigger international audience than competitor Hublot, whose main audience is based in Switzerland. This type of social insight helps brands target campaigns more accurately to match audience interests.
For more insights about the luxury goods industry, read our case study "Luxury Wars on Social Media: The Top Ten Luxury Brands Go Head to Head on Social" on the Talkwalker Academy.
Banner image credit: CC/Flickr/superidoijp (modified B/W + title and logo added)