PROPOSED SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING CONTENT STRATEGY THROUGH INSTAGRAM TO INCREASE SALES PERFORMANCE OF FASHION BUSINESS (CASE STUDY: DMC.ID)

 

Rahma Hanum Kusuma Putri1, Nila Armelia Windasari2

Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia

rahma_putri@sbm-itb.ac.id1, nila.armelia@sbm-itb.ac.id2  

 

 

Abstract

Dress Me Chic (DMC) is an online business, engaged in the fashion industry. DMC focuses on fast fashion selling Excess Clothing from Exports which exists to help women’s problems mainly in satisfying their basic needs, especially in fashion. DMC provides a wide variety of products to mix and match which are up-to-date and come with versatile designs. DMC comes with an “Affordably Stylish”, with a special price since DMC does business process innovation. The market target of DMC is a white-collar woman worker who has various activities. DMC's competition in the sector of fast fashion is surely expanding as the digital era develops.  DMC does not outperform in social media marketing in the digital era compared to rivals. This causes DMC's sales to show neither an increase nor a decrease in the past year. DMC's sales are not proportionate with the number of Social Media Instagram followers; hence, many followers are not consumers because they simply follow DMC’s Instagram and do not purchase. Due to this circumstance, DMC is attempting to concentrate on attracting customers using the social media Instagram in order to raise customer awareness. In order to make DMC competitive in the industry, this research aims to determine the best Social Media Marketing Content Strategy. This study analyses the issues that DMC account followers face on Instagram, specifically addressing the precise reasons why followers do not make purchases at DMC. The author identifies problems using Root Cause Analysis with the aim to identify the root cause of DMC’s social media that are not performing well. The author found that DMC has not created an attractive and right content strategy on social media that can facilitate the target market in ordering products.  The author applied quantitative & qualitative research on followers of the DMC’s Instagram, who rarely or had never bought DMC. As a result of the research, the author has proposed new content strategies in the form of Try-On Content, Mix & Match Content, CTA Content, Promo Content, and several contents based on customers’ opinions. This strategy is supported by a planned implementation structure adjusted to the time plan made and justification for the budget plan. This combination proposed the best plan for the target market, which assists in increasing the number of engagement conversions for improving sales performance.

 

Keywords: fashion industry, digital marketing, social media content strategy, Instagram

 

Introduction  

Nowadays fashion is bold, not just a means of clothing for the body, fashion is the essence of personality, trends, and lifestyle. The fashion industry is one of the industries that is constantly evolving. The fashion industry statistics show that the apparel and textile sector is driving a significant part of the global economy with the general data showing from 7.84 billion of the population (in 2021) the industry has a labor force of 3,45 billion people worldwide (in 2021) which its value is equivalent to 3 trillion dollars (United 2021).

Due to the labor force, Indonesia is currently the 12th largest textile and apparel exporter (Intelligence, 2022). Most of these products are being exported to the United States, the Middle East, and the European Union. According to Statista data, in Indonesia, the highest production growth of the fashion industry is apparel compared to other sectors; footwear and accessories. Revenue in the Apparel market amounts to USD 19.80 billion in 2022. The market is expected to grow annually by 6.14% (CAGR 2022-2026). The market's largest segment in Indonesia is Women's Apparel with a market volume of USD 9.45 billion in 2022 followed by Men’s Apparel and Children’s Apparel (Dixon 2022).

Figure 1. Market Demand for Clothing in Indonesia

Source: Statista.com

Based on the data, it can be seen that fashion is more associated with women than those men. Indonesia’s population is 49,42% female which amounted to 133,540,000 (Statistik 2021). Indonesia's population is currently dominated by the productive age group, which ranges from 15 to 64 years. BPS divides the productive age population into two groups: highly productive (15-49) and productive (50-64), with 73,095,700 very productive women in the age group.

People of productive age are mostly employed as office workers, freelancers, or self-employed. People's lifestyles are changing, and they must not only work but also socialize and refresh themselves. Gatherings and relaxing after work become a sort of entertainment in and of themselves due to the human desire to socialize in hectic daily activities (Niyeza and Siagian 2018). The requirement for functional and comfortable clothing for work and other activities is reflected in lifestyle.

On the other hand, 2020 was the year in which everything changed. As the coronavirus pandemic sent shockwaves around the world, especially the global fashion industry has faced exceptionally challenging conditions. The industry is enduring its worst year on record, with nearly three-quarters of listed companies losing money, customer behavior altering, and supply chains disrupted (Berg et al. 2019). Changes in consumer behavior as a result of the pandemic, as people are forced to defend themselves at home and limit travel, while stores around the world close. As spending shifted to digital, these factors accelerated previously escalating behavior.

The internet is increasingly being used to search, select doing purchase items (Forsythe et al. 2006). Consumers are getting more used to online interactions than traditional physical encounters, and they are well suited to making Internet purchases. However, behind email, instant messaging, and internet browsing, online shopping is the third most common internet behavior, according to (Rao, Hymavathi, and Rao 2018).

The action of purchasing consumer services or goods over the internet is known as online shopping (Jusoh and Ling 2012); (Rao et al. 2018). Online shopping, often referred to as e-commerce is a type of transaction in which products or services are purchased through the use of media or intermediaries such as online purchasing and selling platforms or social media networks (Harahap 2018). Data says that online shopping in 2020 in Indonesia found that there was an increase in online shopping penetration of 18% during the time of survey (Dixon 2022).

In recent years, the number of people using e-commerce in Indonesia has increased significantly. In Indonesia, 158 million e-commerce users already exist, including an extra 63 million expected to purchase online by 2021. Around 221 million online shoppers account for 77% of the overall population. The average online user spends US$240, which is expected to rise to US$254 by 2025. (Dixon 2022)

Figure 2. E-Commerce Average Revenue per User

Source: Statista.com

Total e-commerce sales throughout all product types are currently $38 billion, with a projected increase to $56 billion by 2025. With a market share of $12.5 billion, fashion is currently the largest product category. Electronics and media rank second with $8 billion in revenue. Fashion remains the market leader in 2025, with a value of US$18 billion. Electronics and media might expand as well, hitting $11.7 billion (Dixon 2022). Growth is projected to continue in the next few years, according to estimates. The growth of e-commerce is expected to accelerate over the next five years.

Figure 3. E-Commerce Revenue by Segment

Source: Statista.com

According to the statistics shown above, the growing number of Indonesian consumers opens up new potential for e-commerce, online shopping, and associated businesses. The Indonesian market's rapid expansion demonstrates tremendous market potential, particularly in various high-growth areas such as those mentioned above. As a result, fashion companies must devise the best approach for dealing with rapid changes. From this vantage point, businesses might devise plans for product assortment or distribution. Business leaders are considering focusing on digital sales and marketing as an efficient technique to engage consumers (Dewi and Agustina 2021). Entrepreneurs developed businesses in response to a combination of technological innovation and market, one of which is the fashion brand DMC.

Realizing this opportunity, in April 2018 Dress Me Chic (DMC.ID) was established which focuses on Selling Excess Clothing from Exports (Baju Sisa Ekspor) Online. The objective is to help women’s problems in satisfying their basic needs, especially in fashion (clothes), therefore DMC here provides a wide variety of products to mix and match which are up-to-date and come with versatile designs. DMC also provides a “virtual mix and match” system so that customers can have the inspiration to mix and match for everyday outfits. The most important thing is that DMC comes with an “Affordably Stylish”. DMC comes with a special price since DMC does the business process innovation. Then, women in specifically career women and college students in the middle economic classes can purchase clothes to wear from DMC. While customers are still saving time and money, as the cost of the product is below the average market prices, and customers can purchase it from the comfort of their homes. The objectives of this research are as follows to analyze the current factors impacting DMC's conversion rate as seen in the performance of social media Instagram analytics, to determine the most efficient and successful social media Instagram content marketing strategy to boost the conversion rate of DMC, and to propose action plans through social media Instagram content to maintain customer loyalty and increase conversion rate.

 

Methode

Since this research will use interviews and surveys to acquire primary data, then the method that will be used is a sequential mixed method. In the study of (Creswell et al. 2011), both qualitative and quantitative data were sequentially collected and analyzed for a single study using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. With this approach, a researcher uses qualitative data to explain and support certain quantitative findings (Wisdom and Creswell 2013). In this approach, integration happens in two different ways, according to (Creswell et al. 2011): first, by connecting qualitative results to quantitative collecting data, and second, after the quantitative phase is complete, by merging two types of results to provide integrated findings.

Due to the 4 tested content above, ANOVA will be the best tool to use to analyse this research. ANOVA, or analysis of variance, is a multivariable analysis approach that compares variances to determine the average of more than two groups of data. Data from many sorts and research designs can be analyzed using analysis of variance. Analysis of variance is commonly applied in comparison tests, which include testing the dependent variable by comparing it with the observed independent sample group. In survey research, analysis of variance is now commonly applied.

 

Results and Discussion

1.       Analysis

1)      Interview

Individual face-to-face interviews are conducted with 5 of DMC's loyal customers. Open-ended questions are used in a semi-structured interview to get detailed information and a deeper understanding of the situation so that DMC can come up with a solution.

Table 1. Interview Summary

Zashalina

Tasia

Alixia

Nafla

Gerlin

The most interesting content on Instagram DMC (Interest)

Try-on review, shows directly how the clothes are worn apart from the model image

Content review / try-on products

Try-on reviews on Instagram stories worn by the owner/model so that they are clearly visible when the product is used

Try-On review and detail looks because, with an example of its use, you can see more clearly the cuts and details of the

Try-On product review, through the video you can see clearly the details of the product and how the product looks and cuts when used

Content that can encourage taking action (Intention to Buy)

Discounts, I can buy more 

Try on products and testimonials, in order to see directly the quality of the goods and real pics of products

Try-On products reviews by Indonesian models with different sizes of the body (S-XL size) as a comparison for consumers when consider to buy the products

Try-On products, review in detail with storytelling method, very educative, and the customer will feel more engaged with the seller and feel more informed regarding product details

Discount and click to buy (link), with products that I like and encouraged by discounted prices and made easy with click to buy links, I can immediately check out the product

The most preferred content

Try-on reviews, help minimize the risk of clothes being purchased that don't match the pictures

Product review/try-on content and testimonials in order to find out the quality of the goods and the shirt/pants model is depicted when worn directly

The try-On review might spark interest in the product

 

discount which makes me immediately check out the products

Try on, discount & mix & match products because it really relates to buyers because I know more details about the item 

Discount

Expected Content

More Interactive posts and more variety of products sold

Content reels lifestyle such as Mix n Match, shirt A is suitable for the office, if you wear B pants, you can wear it for walking when pairing with C model pants, etc. so that consumers know it is worth buying products that can be used for many

Try-On review content with various Indonesian models and body sizes.

Mix and Match content with several types of body types of models. Especially because I am required to dress in a standard office look every day, I am faced with Mix n Match DMC content that can help me find OOTD inspiration with clothes that can be used as an office and daily outfit

Tips Mix and Match content, so that I can provide OOTD ideas with DMC products so you can imagine that 1 product can be used for many outfit styles

Customer’s Suggestion

E-commerce Shopee and Tokopedia. It can make transactions easier because the payment methods are more varied.

 

The admin response speed needs to be increased to shorten the process of purchasing

Tiktok, because for now, it is currently viral.  More updates on new products

Shopee and Tokopedia, give lots of discounts, especially for postage, especially Shopee

TikTok and Endorse. DMC must be able to be more consistent and expand goods with support starting to use an influencer to get high traffic which then in the future will need admin services so that the owner is not overworked and can focus more on playing his job desk.

Tokopedia, or open an offline store

 

Be more active in updating new products and posting content; product reviews and DMC daily activities such as packing situations on Insta stories to make them more attractive.

Source: Survey, 2022

 

2)      Survey

Questionnaire Survey Result

The respondent profile is critical to comprehend since it presents data about the target respondent which the author likes to analyze. According to the target respondent, the questionnaire was designed to be disseminated to all women that actively follow DMC's Instagram account but do not take action. As a result, the purpose of this questionnaire is to gain an understanding of the targeted respondents' viewpoints, intentions, and difficulties with DMC. The following are the responses of the 135 people who completed the questionnaire.

 

Demography

In the section on demographics, the author is interested in the profiles of responders and social media behavior:

 

Table 2. Demography Survey Summary

Type of Data

Category

Frequency

Percentage

Gender

Wanita

127

94,1

Pria

8

5,9

Age

18 - 23 Tahun

18

13,3

24 - 29 Tahun

94

69,6

30 - 36 Tahun

15

11,1

> 36 Tahun

8

5,9

Domicile

Jakarta

42

31,1

Bogor

23

17

Depok

5

3,7

Tangerang

8

5,9

Bekasi

13

9,6

Bandung

26

19,3

Surabaya

3

2,2

Occupation

Pegawai Swasta

64

47,4

Wiraswasta

22

16,3

Pelajar / Mahasiswa

20

14,8

Pegawai Negeri Sipil

6

4,4

Ibu Rumah Tangga

10

7,8

Monthly Income

< 3.000.000

23

17

3.000.000 - 6.000.000

47

34,8

6.000.000 -  10.000.000

45

33,3

> 10.000.000

20

14,8

Actively Using Instagram

Ya

134

99,3

Tidak

1

0,7

Time Active on Instagram

6.00 - 10.00

6

4,4

11.00 - 15.00

30

22,2

16.00 - 20.00

70

51,9

21.00 - 1.00

29

21,5

Favorite Instagram Features

Instagram Story

75

55,6

Instagram Reels

44

32,6

Instagram Feed

16

11,9

Favorite Online Shopping Platform

Marketplace - Shopee

107

79,3

Marketplace - Tokopedia

19

14,1

Instagram

6

4,4

Tiktok

2

1,5

Source: Survey, 2022

 

DMC Instagram

The author likes to focus further on DMC's passive followers regarding DMC fashion business on Instagram. The questions in this part are relevant to the question of how the respondent's experiences, specifically with the DMC's social media Instagram content strategy, affect their perspective and intention to purchase DMC products.

 

Table 3. DMC Instagram Survey Summary

Type of Data

Category

Frequency

Percentage

Source of followers know DMC

Teman

80

58,8

Media Social

31

22,8

Keluarga

24

17,6

Reason following DMC

Harga affordable

62

45,6

Produk yang bagus

58

42,6

Tampilan konten kurang menarik

13

9,6

Up to date products, good quality dan harga terjangkau

3

2,1

Reason passive followers do not buy DMC’s product

Sulit transaksi karena limited akses

35

25

Tampilan konten kurang menarik

27

20

Informasi produk yang kurang lengkap di Instagram

25

19

Cepat sold out

15

11

Belum butuh

15

11

Product Variant terbatas

8

6

Size terbatas

6

4

Jadwal promo tidak berkala

4

3

The most fascinating content in DMC (Interest)

Try-On Content

84

61,8

Promo Content

18

13,2

Mix and Match Content

27

19,9

Click to Action Content

7

5,1

The most encourage content to buy products (Intention to buy)

Try-On Content

60

44,1

Promo Content

53

39

Mix and Match Content

18

13,2

Click to Action Content

5

3,7

The most helpful content to Check Out Products (Action)

Click to Action Content

70

51,5

Try-On Content

46

33,8

Promo Content

12

8,8

Mix and Match Content

8

5,9

The most encourage content to share or recommend DMC (Share)

Promo Content

53

39

Try-On Content

44

32,4

Mix and Match Content

32

23,5

Click to Action Content

7

5,1

Customer's Content Opinion

Mix and Match

43

25

Try - On

32

19

Promo / Discount

22

13

Live

15

9

Product Catalog

13

8

Giveaway

9

5

Quiz

9

5

Informative Content

6

3

Notification

6

4

Product Variant

5

3

Question and Answer

4

2

Endorsement

3

2

Steal the Artist Look

2

1

Testimoni

2

1

Customer's Platform Opinion

Shopee

67

42

TikTok

55

35

Tokopedia

25

16

Website

4

2

Facebook

4

3

Lazada

3

2

Source: Survey, 2022

INTEREST

 

ANOVA

Voted

 

Sum of Squares

df

Mean Square

F

Sig.

Between Groups

26.287

3

8.762

62.653

.000

Within Groups

74.963

536

.140

 

 

Total

101.250

539

 

 

 

As may be inferred from the ANOVA result above, it is known that the significance value (Sig.) is smaller than alpha (0.05 > 0.00), so that H0 is rejected. In other words, the four types of content differ significantly from one another.

 

Multiple Comparisons

Dependent Variable: Voted

 Tukey HSD

(I) Content

(J) Content

Mean Difference (I-J)

Std. Error

Sig.

95% Confidence Interval

Lower Bound

Upper Bound

Try - On

Promo

.489*

.046

.000

.37

.61

Mix and Match

.430*

.046

.000

.31

.55

Click to Action

.570*

.046

.000

.45

.69

Promo

Try - On

-.489*

.046

.000

-.61

-.37

Mix and Match

-.059

.046

.562

-.18

.06

Click to Action

.081

.046

.279

-.04

.20

Mix and Match

Try - On

-.430*

.046

.000

-.55

-.31

Promo

.059

.046

.562

-.06

.18

Click to Action

.141*

.046

.011

.02

.26

Click to Action

Try - On

-.570*

.046

.000

-.69

-.45

Promo

-.081

.046

.279

-.20

.04

Mix and Match

-.141*

.046

.011

-.26

-.02

*. The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.

Based on the Multiple Comparisons output value, there is a significant difference between the four contents. As can be seen in the highlighted Mean-difference, The Click to Action & Promo content has a negative value with a significant probability of less than 0.05. In other words, Click to Action & Promo is the content that audiences dislike on the Interest Stage. According to the data, Try-On content is the most favored content and has a positive Mean-difference value as a whole. In other words, Try-On is the best content for the Interest Stage on DMC.

 

INTENTION TO BUY

ANOVA

Voted

 

Sum of Squares

df

Mean Square

F

Sig.

Between Groups

15.428

3

5.143

32.118

.000

Within Groups

85.822

536

.160

 

 

Total

101.250

539

 

 

 

As may be inferred from the ANOVA result above, it is known that the significance value (Sig.) is smaller than alpha (0.05 > 0.00), so that H0 is rejected. In other words, the four types of content differ significantly from one another.

 

Multiple Comparisons

Dependent Variable: Voted

 Tukey HSD

(I) Content

(J) Content

Mean Difference (I-J)

Std. Error

Sig.

95% Confidence Interval

Lower Bound

Upper Bound

Try - On

Promo

.044

.049

.798

-.08

.17

Mix and Match

.304*

.049

.000

.18

.43

Click to Action

.400*

.049

.000

.27

.53

Promo

Try - On

-.044

.049

.798

-.17

.08

Mix and Match

.259*

.049

.000

.13

.38

Click to Action

.356*

.049

.000

.23

.48

Mix and Match

Try - On

-.304*

.049

.000

-.43

-.18

Promo

-.259*

.049

.000

-.38

-.13

Click to Action

.096

.049

.198

-.03

.22

Click to Action

Try - On

-.400*

.049

.000

-.53

-.27

Promo

-.356*

.049

.000

-.48

-.23

Mix and Match

-.096

.049

.198

-.22

.03

*. The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.

Based on the Multiple Comparisons output value, there is a significant difference between the four contents. Can be seen in the highlighted Mean-difference, The Click to Action & Mix and Match content has a negative value with a significant probability of less than 0.05. In other words, Click to Action & Mix and Match is the content that audiences dislike on the Intention to Buy Stage. According to the data, Try-On content is the most favored content and has a positive Mean-difference value as a whole. In other words, Try-On is the best content for the Intention to Buy Stage on DMC.


CTA

ANOVA

Voted

 

Sum of Squares

df

Mean Square

F

Sig.

Between Groups

18.731

3

6.244

40.557

.000

Within Groups

82.519

536

.154

 

 

Total

101.250

539

 

 

 

As may be inferred from the ANOVA result above, it is known that the significance value (Sig.) is smaller than alpha (0.05 > 0.00), so H0 is rejected. In other words, the four types of content differ significantly from one another.

 

Multiple Comparisons

Dependent Variable: Voted

 Tukey HSD

(I) Content

(J) Content

Mean Difference (I-J)

Std. Error

Sig.

95% Confidence Interval

Lower Bound

Upper Bound

Try - On

Promo

.252*

.048

.000

.13

.37

Mix and Match

.281*

.048

.000

.16

.40

Click to Action

-.170*

.048

.002

-.29

-.05

Promo

Try - On

-.252*

.048

.000

-.37

-.13

Mix and Match

.030

.048

.926

-.09

.15

Click to Action

-.422*

.048

.000

-.55

-.30

Mix and Match

Try - On

-.281*

.048

.000

-.40

-.16

Promo

-.030

.048

.926

-.15

.09

Click to Action

-.452*

.048

.000

-.57

-.33

Click to Action

Try - On

.170*

.048

.002

.05

.29

Promo

.422*

.048

.000

.30

.55

Mix and Match

.452*

.048

.000

.33

.57

*. The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.

 

Based on the Multiple Comparisons output value, there is a significant difference between the four contents. As can be seen in the highlighted Mean-difference, The Mix and Match & Promo content have a negative value with a significant probability of less than 0.05. In other words, Mix and Match & Promo are the content that audiences dislike on the CTA Stage. According to the data, Click to Action content is the most favored content and has a positive Mean-difference value as a whole. In other words, Click to Action is the best content for the CTA Stage on DMC.

 

SHARE

ANOVA

Voted

 

Sum of Squares

df

Mean Square

F

Sig.

Between Groups

8.569

3

2.856

16.518

.000

Within Groups

92.681

536

.173

 

 

Total

101.250

539

 

 

 

As may be inferred from the ANOVA result above, it is known that the significance value (Sig.) is smaller than alpha (0.05 > 0.00), so H0 is rejected. In other words, the four types of content differ significantly from one another.

 

Multiple Comparisons

Dependent Variable: Voted

 Tukey HSD

(I) Content

(J) Content

Mean Difference (I-J)

Std. Error

Sig.

95% Confidence Interval

Lower Bound

Upper Bound

Try - On

Promo

-.059

.051

.646

-.19

.07

Mix and Match

.089

.051

.296

-.04

.22

Click to Action

.274*

.051

.000

.14

.40

Promo

Try - On

.059

.051

.646

-.07

.19

Mix and Match

.148*

.051

.019

.02

.28

Click to Action

.333*

.051

.000

.20

.46

Mix and Match

Try - On

-.089

.051

.296

-.22

.04

Promo

-.148*

.051

.019

-.28

-.02

Click to Action

.185*

.051

.002

.05

.32

Click to Action

Try - On

-.274*

.051

.000

-.40

-.14

Promo

-.333*

.051

.000

-.46

-.20

Mix and Match

-.185*

.051

.002

-.32

-.05

*. The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.

Based on the Multiple Comparisons output value, there is a significant difference between the four contents. As can be seen in the highlighted Mean-difference, The Click to Action & Mix and Match content has a negative value with a significant probability of less than 0.05. In other words, Click to Action & Mix and Match is the content that audiences dislike on the Share Stage. According to the data, Promo content is the most favored content and has a positive Mean-difference value as a whole. In other words, Promo is the best content for the Share Stage on DMC.

 

2.       Solution and Proposed Implementation Plan

1)      Solution

Based on the interviews and survey results, the authors developed a new DMC Instagram content strategy that might improve the route of converting passive Instagram followers into active buyers. According to the study results, the customers are women between the ages of 24 and 29, working as private employees in the JABODETABEK and Bandung areas. This proposed new DMC Instagram content strategy does not exclude the possibility that it will apply to both passive and new Instagram followers. New DMC’s contents are as follows:

 

Table 4. New Content Strategy Proposed for DMC

Awareness & Interest

Search

Action

Share

Existing Content

·                     Try-On

·                     Promo

·                     Testimony

·                     Interactive Content (Polls)

·                     Daily Activities

-

Click to Action

(WhatsApp)

-

Proposed Content

·                     Try-On

·                     Mix and Match

·                     Interactive Content (Games, Polls, Q&A, Giveaway)

·                     Live Shopping

·                     Testimoni

·                     Informative Content

·                     Daily Activity

Product Catalog

Click to Action

(Shopee, TokoPedia & WhatsApp)

Promo 

Source: Survey, 2022

 

New DMC’s content described above becomes a proposed strategy content suggested by the Customers. These proposed contents match the three top pains felt by customers; limited access to do the transaction, unattractive content, and incomplete product information. Due to these pains, the new content concept will give differences in customer experience toward DMC. Passive followers are already aware of DMC's social media presence, but according to the AISAS framework, passive followers are not yet interested in buying DMC. Thus, the new content is proposed to attract passive followers to be interested in buying.

Answering the first pain, “unattractive content”, here to get the Awareness & Interest from the customers DMC will create new contents concept; Try-On, Mix and Match, Quiz, Testimony, Giveaway, Live Shopping, Informative Content, Steal the Look Content and DMC’s daily activities. Especially Try-On Content focused on the Awareness and Interest Stage in the AISAS framework, based on the survey result. For the second pain felt by the customers, “incomplete product information”, DMC new content concept will create the Product Catalog so that the customers will find the details of the products easier. Product Catalog could be the best content which could help customers in the Search Stage on the AISAS framework, based on the survey. The third pain, “limited access to do the transaction”, DMC creates a  new content called the Click to Action through Shopee, TokoPedia, and WhatsApp Business in order to help and make the buying process easier for the customers. This results, Click to Action Content, in accordance with the survey data for Action Stage in the AISAS framework. Lastly, for the Share Stage in the AISAS framework, due to the survey data, Promo content is the best content for this stage.

 

2)      Implementation Plan with table

In order to implement DMC’s new strategy content, below is implementation on time in 2023 as described:

 

Table 5. Implementation Plan Timeline of DMC

Action Plan

Implementation Plan

KPI

Day

Platform

Posting

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Try-On

Models use and review the products’ details through interactive videos & photos

·         Number of reach 10%

·         Number of viewers > 100 accounts

·         Engagement rate 10%

·         Number of transaction 10%

Story

12:00 AM

Collaboration Endorsement with Micro-Influencer in reviewing products

CTA

Linktree

·          Number of link tree clicks

·          Number of Link clicks on Instagram Story

Story

12:00 AM

Swipe up to buy

Get discount here

Buy now / Order now

Promo

Early payment discount (PO)

·                  Number of reach 10%

·                  Number of viewers > 100 accounts

·                  Engagement rate 10%

·                  Number of transaction 10%

Feed 

& 

Story

4:00 PM

Overstocks Sales

Seasonal Sales (12.12)

Wholesale discount

Free shipping discount

Customer Loyalty Card Discount

Referral Code

Product Catalogue

Specification of the products; pictures, description, price, color, size, material, etc

·                  Number of reaches 10%

·                  Engagement rate 10%

·                  Number of transactions 10%

Feed

7:00 PM

Testimony

Review existing customers with hashtag #DMCBabiesApprove

·                  Number of people reach (10%)

Story

&

Feed

7:00 PM

Customer review from E-Commerce

Interactive Content

Poll; which style are you?

·                  Number of reaches 10%

·                  Engagement rate 10%

Story

12:00 AM

Open Q & A about DMC's products for 2 ways of communicating with customers

End Year Giveaway

Live Shopping

Models use the product while selling through Life, give further specific product description and do the interactive communication with customers

·                  Number of reach 10%

·                  Number of viewers > 100 accounts

·                  Engagement rate 10%

·                  Number of transaction 10%

descriptions

8:00 PM

Cooperation transactions with Influencer while Live Shopping

Daily Activities

Posting Packing situation

·                  Number of transactions

·                  Engagement rate 10%

Story

8:00 PM

Mix & Match

Models use the products, and review the details through interactive videos photos

·                  Number of reaches 10%

·                  Number of viewers > 100 accounts

·                  Engagement rate 10%

·                  Number of transactions 10%

Reels

&

Story

10:00 AM

Collaboration Endorsement with Influencer with concept Mix and Match

Informative Content

Newest Fashion Trends

·                  Number of reaches 10%

·                  Engagement rate 10%

Feed

&

Story

4:00 PM

Tips & Tricks about fashion

Facts

News

Source: Survey, 2022

a.       Try-On

According to the survey results, Try-On is the Customer's favorite content, especially in Interest & Intention to Buy Stages. Try-On Review Content will be in the form of videos and photos where models will use DMC's products, review and explain details to consumers to the products that DMC sells, including product materials, patterns, sizes, colors, benefits of the product, detail cut of the clothes until the prices of the products are offered. 

Try-On content will be carried out regularly, 3 times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 12 Pm. Try-On content is carried out on different days with Live Shopping and Mix and Match. This is due to breaking down the "main contents" on the DMC every day. Try-Ons will be posted in Stories, according to data results that 55% of DMC's customers prefer Instagram Stories. The Collaboration Endorsement approach will be used to Try-On content with an Influencer who fits the DMC persona.

b.       Mix and Match

The second most popular type of content overall is mix and match, while Mix and Match is new content on DMC. Mix and Match content is a type of video and photo that will directly feature models using DMC’s products which are intended to be used for a variety of outfits for many occasions. Through Mix and match content, DMC created the idea that the DMC brand offers consumers educational content in fashion in addition to product sales. The Collaboration Endorsement approach will be used to test Mix and Match with an Influencer who fits the DMC persona.

Mix and match content will be carried out regularly, twice a week on weekends, Saturdays, and Sundays at 10 am. Mix and Match content is carried out on different days with Live Shopping and Try-On. This is due to breaking down the "main contents" on the DMC every day. Mix and Match will be posted on Reels, so customers can easily reach them. According to the results of the data, 33% of DMC's customers prefer Instagram Reels.

c.       Promo

Promotions or discounts will be given regularly, which is once a month. Discounts or promotions are given to customers based on survey results whereas many passive customers expected discounts and promotions at DMC. Customers are likely to increase as a result of discounts and promotions. Various kinds of promo content that can be used by DMC; Buy one get one free discounts, Percentage sales, Early payment discounts (PO), Overstock sales, Free shipping discounts, Price bundling, Bulk or wholesale discounts, Seasonal discounts, Referral discount, and Loyalty program discounts.

Promotions will be carried out regularly, once a month as a monthly sale, such as 10.10 or 12.12. In order to draw customers' attention, promotional content will be placed on Instagram Feeds and Stories. The survey shows that Promo is also the Share Stage's most popular content. DMC creates a loyalty card as an outcome, which is provided to loyal consumers each time they make a purchase and referral code.

d.       Live Shopping

Online live shopping is done while using DMC's items to review products. Through live shopping, DMC may interact with customers. Give further specifics about the benefits of the product. Customers can also offer feedback by posing queries in the comments section. Live shopping only lasts for an hour. Consequently, the process of purchasing and selling happens quickly. With this, live shopping can take the place of the traditional offline negotiation between sellers and buyers.

Live Shopping will be carried out regularly, 2 times a week on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 Pm according to the dominant hours DMC customers use social media. Live Shopping is done on different days with Try-On and Mix and Match. This is due to breaking down the "main contents" of the DMC every day. Live Shopping will be carried out at Shopee & Tiktok, according to the results of the data that 42% of DMC's customers like Shopee, and 35% of DMC's customers like Tiktok. TikTok is now quite popular. DMC's Persona is also compatible with TikTok users where DMC's products are fast fashion yet affordable. In collaboration with TikTokers or influencers, live shopping will be conducted.

e.       Testimony

A testimonial effectively serves as a customer review and recommendation with hashtag #DMCBabiesApproved, letting others know the customer’s experiences and how satisfied with DMC’s products. This content will be in the form of a customer's chat capture and also review from E-Commerce, so it is genuine. So by this, it could show to the potential consumer that other customers were satisfied with DMC’s product and service.

Testimonials content will be conducted regularly, 3 times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 7 Pm. Content testimonials will be posted in Stories and will be stored in Highlights to increase customer brand awareness and become one of the things that can convince customers to take action.

f.        Interactive Content

Used to test the viewpoints or knowledge of DMC's followers on a relevant fashion topic and then create a shareable report that allows the results to be compared. Interactive content can be as Polls, Surveys, Q&A, Giveaways, and Games about Fashion. 

Interactive content will be carried out regularly, 2 times a week on Wednesdays and Fridays at 12 Pm. Interactive content is held on the same day and before Live Shopping. This is in order to increase customer engagement first before going Live. Interactive content will be posted in Stories, according to data results that 55% of DMC's customers prefer Instagram Stories.

g.       Informative Content

DMC offers news about the world of fashion, trends, facts, knowledge, or famous people that firms take as an image around fashion. A reader who is passionate about fashion will also find this to be a part of DMC. Customers will be informed of the newest fashion trends and everything that happens in the industry due to this information. Consequently, more people will likely read this excellent information.

Informative content will be held regularly, once a week on Sunday at 4 Pm. Informative content will be posted on Instagram Feed, as interesting and informative content for DMC's Instagram Feed.

h.       Click to Action

Click to Action content was created to encourage DMC’s customers to take action through the marketing campaign. The goal is to guide the DMC’s customers in the buyer's journey so they eventually make a purchase. Through this Click to Action content, DMC will create a few types of CTA that it might use; Linktree, Swipe up to Shop, Buy now, Order now, Add to Cart, Pick, View, Get Discount here. This CTA will be done every day.

Click to Action content will be carried out regularly, up to 5 times a week. Click to Action is done to encourage and make it easier for DMC's customers to place orders. Click to Action will be posted in Story and Linktree which is on Instagram Bio.

i.        Products Catalogue

The product catalogue comes with a listing of product information that assists consumers in making purchasing decisions. These specifics comprise the following: product pictures, descriptions, price, color, size, material, availability, and more. The Product catalogue will be updated regularly according to the model and amount of stock. The Product Catalog will be listed in the Linktree, so customers can easily check product availability at any time. Through Shopee and TokoPedia, customers can also view product catalogues indirectly.

 

3)      Justification of Implementation Plan

Justification is when the organization must produce a complete business case that addresses the specifics of the planned investment. This is a critical stage of the process since it must be demonstrated, with good proof, what sort of advantages the investment will produce and how the company will pay for the expenses of adopting the solution. There is a budget justification for DMC's new content strategy based on the implementation plan above:

 

Table 6. Budget Justification of DMC

Justification for Use

Quantity

Unit Price

Cost

Model

4

250,000

1,000,000

Studio

1

250,000

250,000

Photographer

1

250,000

250,000

Macro Influencer

1

7,000,000

7,000,000

Micro Influencer

2

2,500,000

5,000,000

Graphic Designer

1

500,000

500,000

Total

14,000,000

Source: Survey, 2022

In doing this research, many resources were used. Macro & Micro-Influencers are needed and important especially in digital marketing due to these content creators having access to a large audience and can share information to persuade others through their authenticity and reach.  Instagram Influencers with 1,000–10,000 followers are considered micro-influencers, while those with 500,000–1,000,000 followers are considered macro influencers. They often have certain requirements for each category and content to upload that is only relevant to their primary focus. The Micro-Influencer that DMC will collaborate with @Caambuket_ with total 62,7k followers, @namiraadzani with  92,3k followers and @gelangellica with 260k followers. An endorsement fee of micro Influencer around 2,5 million. While Macro Influencer, DMC will collaborate with @vinnagracia with a total of 625k followers and endorsement rate at 7 million. The three influencers mentioned above are interested in fashion, particularly fashion content. Additionally, they are active on Instagram and TikTok. DMC's Instagram highlights, feed, and reels will post some content, including content from influencers.

Besides, DMC needs attractive videos & photos to be posted as content on DMC’s social media. A professional photo shoot system with models, a photographer, and a studio is required to produce better videos and photos in order to give more attractive advertising on Instagram. In order to satisfy client demand, DMC will offer four versions in a range of sizes (S–XL) and body types as a comparison for consumers when considering buying the products. The overall cost of the resources required, including the cost to be incurred, is Rp14.000.000,00 and will be used to optimize DMC's social media presence on Instagram. Additionally, the set KPIs can be properly attained. Each type of content has success goals that must be met according to the KPIs mentioned in the content schedule. Engagement rate, number of people reached, number of followers, number of transactions, etc. are examples of predetermined KPIs. The graphic designer and the digital marketing team will be in charge of all content-related issues. 

 

Conclusion

According to the research described above, it can be concluded that the DMC's core issue, a drop in sales, provided insights into efforts to boost engagement and customer conversion with an aim to recover the loss of sales. Through questionnaires and interviews, three research questions made can be answered. First, the current factors that influence DMC conversion rates as seen in Instagram's social media performance for several reasons. Based on the results of a survey conducted on respondents, most of their responses were due to the difficulty of making shopping transactions on Instagram DMC. The second is the less engaging Instagram content posted by DMC. The final one is the lack of information about products on Instagram DMC.

Second, the most efficient and successful social media Instagram marketing strategy to boost the conversion rate of DMC based on research is engaging content that can be adapted to the AISAS framework. The top four contents for DMC's followers are Try-On and Mix & Match Content at the Awareness & Interest stage, Click to Action Content at the Action stage, and Promo Content at the Share stage. Additionally, according to Customer Opinion, in order to boost engagement, DMC can adopt a number of features, including a Product catalog for the Search Stage, Live Shopping, Interactive Content (Polls, Q&A, Giveaway), Testimonials, Informative Content, and DMC Daily Activities. DMC must also expand to other platforms like Shopee, TokoPedia, and TikTok.

Third, the action plans needed through Instagram social media to maintain customer loyalty and increase the conversion rate is by consistently implementing the ten contents described above and with visualization that attracts customers' engagement. Mix and Match, Try-On, Click to Action, Promo, Live Shopping, and other content must be done according to the content planning and posted consistently according to the schedule for each content. Based on the survey, customer loyalty can also be maintained by using promotional content like loyalty cards and referral codes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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