#i feel like i shouldn’t tag this. it’ll find its target audience :)
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ok i’m gonna do it. it’s just. i’m going to try and articulate this the best i can without rambling. (edit - yeah this is way longer than i meant it to be.) unbelievably long and jumbled j*rmen/baby thoughts incoming:
i’ll start off by saying this: maybe i’m dumb but i feel like any development of a genuine romantic relationship between johnny/carmen has been done off-camera and we have no indication they’ve even done that. there is like, below zero amounts of relational development whatsoever and then suddenly she’s pregnant and he buys her a ring (where did he get it?? with what money???). i literally didn’t even notice the ring until i saw some gifs of the lawrusso moment. to me that’s a…huge deal? johnny’s never been married before, he never married shannon, he’s never had a traditional family like that…it doesn’t seem like him to just go out and buy a ring because he found out his gf of approximately 2 weeks is pregnant??? like damn these are like Big Life Decisions and you’d think we’d get more screen time on it rather than “oh this is happening now.” like you think we’d actually see him propose and tell his thought process out loud when he does it if they wanted it to actually be a plot line or show any type of genuine character development on johnny’s part. it just seems so random to me, so out of touch, and OOC and just forced.
also i can’t stand the way they had johnny “accidentally” ~spill the beans~ about the b*by to miguel and robby right after they beat the shit out of each other and were having their own moment, and now this is being dumped on them like? it is SO unrealistic that they’re both immediately happy like it’s just WEIRD? and it doesn’t even sound natural coming out of johnny’s mouth. he would never actually say that lmao. he’s dumb but he’s smarter than that? (i could write another essay on that). johnny’s face when they hug him and just his overall demeanor in that moment is so awkward and he genuinely is so weird about it. there’s no excitement, no joy, just??? weirdness??? isn’t that ‘supposed’ to be a happy moment??? coupled with the way he acts about it when the adults find out, and the way he tells shannon about carmen’s dream (not the fact that he tells her, the literal way that he tells her)…it’s just so insanely obvious.
another thing: there is a LOT of growing for johnny to do that can be done without having a newborn at this point in his life? it’s just such a stretch and so outrageous and yes i have a very strong opinion on this because it just doesn’t sit right with me at all for some reason. especially for robby’s sake. like in all seriousness an adult may be able to compartmentalize or like work through this, but robby has yet to work through the trauma he already has and yet i’m supposed to believe he’s gonna be chill watching his previously-absent father play super dad to this newborn? after he already has to watch him play super dad to miguel right in front of him (and continuously choose miguel over him?????) ????????? and is literally being forced to be okay with it and happy about it and get along with miguel???? like it’d be great if he and miguel could be friends because i do think they’d make great friends and get along, but that doesn’t mean robby has to like… feel good about the situation? just the whole thing is so wrong lmao.
also, why does carmen seem so happy and excited?? i could go on about it honestly, it’s so impractical and makes no sense and she is a very cautious and practical person every other moment of the show? but with this she’s just like “yay newborn with this 50 year old guy i met like a year or less ago, why the fuck isn’t he over the moon about this???????” also we’ve got no indication that she actually knows anything about him or his life or that there is any relationship outside of hooking up????? johnny actually confirms this when they tell miguel about their ‘relationship.’ he literally says they’re ‘hooking up’ and then carmen kinda gives him a look and he can’t even say it, MIGUEL has to say it and he’s like ‘uh yeah’ and literally looks like he’s going to throw up. the fact that carmen wasn’t like….upset about that is so strange because he never once alludes to wanting a relationship and she’s the one that’s pushing this like secular family weirdness, so for him to just be like ‘yeah we’re hookin’ up’ and not being able to even CHOKE out that they’re dating is so weird. it’s really, really weird considering we’re apparently supposed to believe that he’s now apparently ready to be married to her?? nothing is exactly wrong with either of them as people, but i just know for a fact they both want different things and are forcing themselves into boxes for each other.
the audacity of carmen to get upset at his trepidation about this is really irritating to me considering she clearly has no idea what’s gone on in his life, or maybe she doesn’t really care?? maybe she just wants to create this happy family bullshit????? idk before s5 i truly loved carmen so the way they’ve had her acting about this whole thing just doesn’t sit right with me and seems very OOC. also i don’t think real life johnny lawrence would be as calm as he was about it and like, not losing his shit at this point in his life. she’s actually lucky he didn’t freak the fuck out?? considering everything i think he was actually pretty damn supportive and cool about it. he literally could have actually lost his mind? all he did was look at the dad with the screaming baby in a carrier and look a little anxious about it? he’s not allowed to be……worried? nervous? intimidated? be so fucking for real right now.
AND ANOTHER MF THING. johnny literally made the same exact mistake in his mid-30s with shannon that he’s making in his mid-50s with carmen. he’s a grown-ass man and at this point knows how “protection” works etc, spent his whole life hooking up with girls and NOT getting them pregnant, like they make him look so damn stupid all the time and FOR WHAT? like i’ve said multiple times, yeah he’s a little ha-ha-dumb but he’s not actually genuinely stupid. they write him that way when it “benefits” their storyline, and literally change his character when it benefits other areas. it’s so inconsistent and frustrating. in what way, shape, or form is having him just repeat past mistakes (just on camera now) going to further his development as a person. if he didn’t know before he certainly knew after knocking up his girlfriend and having robby. like do you think he thinks that just….doesn’t happen?? carmen saying “these things happen johnny,” talking down to him like he’s a 12 year old, when yeah no shit he literally has a kid from the EXACT same fucking thing!!!!!!!!!!????????? likeeee uggghghghghhghhg PLEAAAAASE be so serious rn. they aren’t even really in a proper relationship!!! she knows nothing about him!!! nor has she ever seemed to care very much!!!!!!!! he literally told miguel they were “hooking up” and could NOT make himself say anything else!!!!!! because they AREN’T!!!!!!!!!!!! is the character development supposed to be him sticking around this time? even if the white-picket-fence life she’s pushing makes him miserable?? it’s clear that johnny cares about her like i’m not trying to say that he doesn’t, i think carmen just pities him and thinks she can “save” him by giving him a “real” life?? does that make sense??? like i just. idk idk idk.
i could scream about all of this for days but ANYWAYS tl;dr: johnny and carmen want very different things in life and have no romantic relationship established outside of hooking up and the whole thing is extremely weird
#i could literally go on#it’s bad#this is all i think about#i feel like i shouldn’t tag this. it’ll find its target audience :)#i censored j*rmen in hopes it won’t show up in the tag i don’t want anyone getting mad lmao#ck negativity
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here’s a hand my trusted friends
Ficmas Day 7
Pairing: platonic One Direction ot4
Rating: General Audiences
Key Tag(s): New Year’s Eve, Hiatus
Word Count: 1909
Read on AO3
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Liam invites the boys to spend New Year's Eve with him in a cabin in Canada.
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Liam arrives at the house before anyone else, key unfamiliar in his hand and nearly swallowed by his gloves. It’s a cabin in Canada, somewhere rural enough that they can exist without being discovered and hounded, chosen specifically to give them a bit of peace tonight. The front yard is covered in a thick sheet of snow, smooth and undisturbed by footprints, and he grabs the railing by the stairs to ensure that he won’t slip on his way to the front door, kicking off as much snow as possible from his boots so he doesn’t track it inside.
The house is a bit cold and drafty, so he goes around turning on the heat and double-checking that all four of the bedrooms are clean as promised and that the fridge and cupboards are stocked with the food he ordered. The entire place is furnished in the welcoming but impersonal way that every temporary lodging is, from hotel rooms to vacation mansions, and he almost mourns that they won’t be here long enough to put their mark on it. Getting a fire started in the fireplace warms the atmosphere a bit, and once the other boys get here there will be other things to focus on.
He hopes it’ll be easy. The idea of seeing the boys again for the first time in a year hadn’t made him nervous yesterday, but the closer he gets to everyone’s arrival, the more anxiety gathers in his gut.
He misses them. He wants to spend time with them and give them each a hug and feel like they’re brothers again. They’re not really getting the band back together, because it’s not time yet, but they’re figuratively getting the band back together.
To go from seeing the boys almost constantly for five years to barely seeing them at all over the past year was an adjustment. You don’t notice the changes when you’re with someone all the time. He’s not ready to see how drastically different they all might have become when he wasn’t looking. He doesn’t want to look at them and not recognize every inch.
The doorbell launches him out of his thoughts and towards the door. He checks the peephole before opening, a habit he’s been in since fame began breeding unwelcome visitors, then wretches open the door to let Louis in from the cold.
“Hey, Payno,” Louis says, and the sound of his voice, unfiltered by phone lines or video chats, is enough to make something out of place inside Liam realign again.
“Louis!” he greets, pulling him into a hug before taking his bag so he can shed his coat and hat.
“Bloody cold out there, isn’t it?” Louis says, tucking his arms around himself. “Anyone else here yet?”
“Just you,” Liam says. “Means you get to pick your room first.”
Louis nods. Liam has missed the familiar way he presses his lips together in a smile when he’s pleased about something. It makes him feel warm to see that face now.
Niall arrives next, after Liam has given Louis a tour of the house and already been given shit for his food choices. Niall automatically brings a joy and brightness with him wherever he goes, even if his hair is no longer bleached blond and instead growing out in his natural brown. His laugh is the same, though, a welcome sound when he gets into it with Louis.
Harry is last, uncharacteristically late with an apologetic excuse about road conditions and a delayed flight. He collects hugs from all of them and gracefully accepts the last and least desirable room, saying that it’s charming. It doesn’t really matter, because all of them will only be here for a night, anyway.
Liam had invited Zayn as well, but he said he wasn’t ready yet. When Zayn left, he left, isolating himself until he felt like he could breathe again. Liam has been trying to convince him that seeing the boys again without the hustle and bustle and strict confines of the band won’t be suffocating, but it’s no use. Zayn isn’t ready, but Liam will be here when he is. Hopefully the other boys will be, too.
They have a large and messy dinner, all four of them trying to contribute to the cooking in a way that creates more chaos than help. Harry spends a lot of time threatening to hit Louis with a spoon if he continues being a nuisance while Niall sneaks bites of ingredients behind his back, sharing a wink with Liam when caught. It’s edible, at least, and they fall into a comfortable pattern of conversation. The cadence of their voices is familiar, one more thing that Liam knows he shouldn’t have worried about being different since they were last together. If there’s one thing he’ll never forget, it’s the sound of each of their voices.
Washing up after takes no time at all with all four of them helping, the kitchen just as spotless as they found it by the time they move into the front room to sit by the fire. Niall tends to it, getting it roaring again while they sit in the dim light on lumpy furniture with various beverages of choice.
“Any New Year’s resolutions?” Liam asks.
“I don’t know,” Niall says. “I haven’t made resolutions in a long time.”
There should be more to add, but none of them do. Thinking back, Liam hasn’t really made resolutions in a long time, either. Once they formed the band, everything was a whirlwind, and sometimes it felt like they had no agency or control, brought along for the ride only because they had their seatbelts on. They kept reaching for new heights, ones Liam would never have fathomed making goals for, and once you get that high it becomes difficult to find something else to reach for. When you overshoot the moon, where can you go before you forget what Earth looked like?
Last year, Liam’s resolution had been to survive.
“Probably spend more time with the family, like always,” Louis says eventually, when the silence has stretched like taffy and comes too close to snapping. “Maybe work on more creative projects again.”
Liam nods.
“I think,” Harry says slowly, “I want to come out. Well, no, that’s not right. I want to feel like I don’t have to hide.”
He looks around at all of them, and Liam hopes he can see the support there. It’s always been difficult for Harry to feel like he had to stifle that part of him, but they always backed him one hundred percent. It was never the members of the band that were the issue.
“I hope you can do that,” Louis says, reaching over to squeeze Harry’s knee.
“Yeah, you deserve it,” Liam agrees. Niall pats him on the back, prompting Harry to smile, a small thing that grows until it takes over his face.
“What about you, Liam?” Harry asks. “What are your resolutions?”
“Dunno,” he says. “I just want to live better, I think. There’s always something that can be improved.”
Ensure that I see you guys again feels too personal. It’s funny: once they stopped being forced to hang out with each other at every waking moment, all of them forgot how. If any of them had said no to spending New Year’s Eve together, Liam isn’t sure if he could’ve maintained hope in their friendship. He doesn’t know when he would see any of them next if each of them hadn’t sighed in relief at his phone call.
The band will not be getting back together this year. The eighteen month hiatus won’t stick to its timeline. None of them wanted to put the band on hold, but all of them needed it, and Liam knows that they haven’t fully recovered yet. He doesn’t know when they will.
Zayn still won’t see them in person two years later. They all move at their own pace, but it’s become clear that it’s a pace much slower than all of them anticipated.
When it nears midnight, Liam suggests that they bundle up and watch the fireworks from outside. Although the nearby town is small, Liam has been assured that their New Year’s fireworks display is visible from the house, best seen in the backyard. Everyone gets on coats and boots with minimal complaining, staining the flat expanse of snow with their footprints. The back light is bright, illuminating up until the treeline of the small forest at the back of the property.
“We should go exploring,” Harry says.
“Yeah, if you want to get eaten by a bear,” Niall says, sounding scandalized. “Do you know how dangerous tramping around an unfamiliar forest at night is?”
“You should be more worried about nearby dangers,” Louis says. That’s all the warning any of them get before Niall is hit in the face with a snowball. He rears back, sputtering.
“Louis!” Harry scolds, but he’s not the next target. Louis sets his sights on Liam, another snowball already being packed together in his hands.
“If you do this, you’re declaring war,” Liam warns. “And I’ve got a good throwing arm.”
It’s no use. Louis has the same look on his face that has meant trouble for the past six years, so Liam ducks for cover. What follows is a snowball fight the likes of which he hasn’t seen since the early days of the band. Niall joins him in his crusade against Louis, and Harry flounders in an attempt to remain neutral until a stray snowball thrown by Liam hits him.
(His throwing arm may be powerful, but he never claimed it was especially accurate.)
Casualties are many on both sides. Niall complains about snow in his shoes. Louis is too fast to make an easy target, so Harry takes a lot of hits. Louis’s attacks become increasingly fiercer every time he takes damage. Liam runs around the yard and scoops up snow to fling around, feeling more like a kid than he has in a long time. He’s only 23, but he’s been wrangling everyone around him and trying to be the mature one since the X-Factor house. It feels especially freeing to participate in something as juvenile as a snowball fight when he knows that there are no other responsibilities waiting for him.
The fight eventually ends when Harry manages to stuff snow down the back of Liam’s jacket. He’s not proud of the way he shrieks, but he thinks it’s justified, even if the others laugh at him.
The first firework goes off a moment later, gold sparks lighting the sky.
“Lads,” Niall says, pointing up as explosion after explosion paint the night in fleeting and colorful hues.
“Happy New Year!” Liam yells.
“Happy 2017!”
They whoop and laugh, Niall breaking into a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” that the rest of them mess up the words to. Harry links their arms together, reaching out to invite everyone into contact, and all of them stand on the lawn, eyes drawn upwards, singing out of tune about old friends.
Liam has been to some amazing parties over the years. None of them can compare to this moment and the easy knowledge that he’ll have infinite more with these boys by his side in the future. Even when they’re not in a band, there still is something drawing all of them together, and none of them will let that go.
#my writing#one direction#one direction fanfiction#one direction ot4#ficmas 2020#once I figured out this was a new year's eve fic it got significantly easier to write lol#and it's still before midnight for me!#still before midnight for the east coast too
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Thank you so much to everyone who’s been constructive.
Both commenters, and the anons below who were open about what they’re struggling with. Since all of the asks were either hateful, or seemed to be addressed at me, the mod, I’m going to handle them.
Before you get too upset that I didn’t give all y’all equal chance to answer: I’m encouraging the anons to send in some asks dealing with the issues they’re mentioning, formatted in such a way that it’s easier for jumblr as a whole to constructively help. Based on their current asks, I can only ask questions about what they practically need.
Because I’ll be addressing the asks chronologically and the constructive asks come later, I’m going to put it all below the cut. If you don’t have energy today, don’t click through. Even the constructive stuff is heavy.
Here were the first two anon’s received:
Isn't Orthodox just exclusionary extremism? Aren't those the homophobes and transphobes who think you shouldn't be allowed to marry a non-Jew? Why aren't we staying focused on reform/recon Judaism?
It’s okay not to know things, although the assumption was a little harsh so I didn’t want to post it directly. In response I made a myth-busting post. Yes, it is American-centric, but here’s why: I can be pretty darn sure anon is American, or at least North American.
Given that you’re upset about intermarriage, you’re probably not Israeli. Given that the U.S. has the largest diaspora population, anon is likely American. Given that anon is referencing “Reform” Judaism as an alternative, they’re probably not in Britain (”Liberal Judaism”) or outside U.S./Britain/Canada/Israel (”Progressive Judaism” everywhere else).
Realistically speaking, I can’t call up every community everywhere. As an American coming out of a mediocre, Anglo-centric education system, I can only speak one other language with any competence and blurt a few words of a few more. If you want to know about a community in a specific place then please, please ask. There have been folks on here asking about communities all sorts of places who have gotten answers here. Jewish geography + the internet is amazing! When anon is American, with misconceptions about American Jews I’m going to assume such.
Orthodox Jews should probably stop existing.
This ask is hateful and non-constructive. Hence the threat to block.
After this, I got some anons who are getting at some problems that we can really work on. They aren’t American, so I’ve assumed they aren’t the first anon.
hey if your responses and views could stop portraying us jewery as being the only way things are done and that we somehow all have access to the stuff you do, that would be grand
(cont) or where there zero chance of finding a group of that community that'll accept me and not treat me in hateful ways. I'm sorry that Jewery outside the US/NA is that unfamiliar to you and that our viewpoints and experiences makes you uncomfortable but I guess that's the way US Jews deal with Jewish "outsiders".
I’m going to start with part 1 to stay in order even though part 2 is what gets me antsy to help ya. You’re right. I don’t have a ton of experience with non-U.S. Jewery. That’s why I tag thoroughly and encourage folks who don’t know the answer to signal boost. If you’re specific, someone else on jumblr can help you.
When anon asks are vague and, as they often do, reference U.S./North American terms for branches (”reform” rather than “liberal” or “progressive”), I’m going assume the anon us in the U.S. or greater North America. Most other respondents likely will too. Anon askers who want otherwise need to use terms that are more globally (”progressive”) or locally (”liberal”) appropriate, or give a little more locational information (e.g. city, country, region). Re-my new explanation above about American-centrism. I respect that you didn’t have the benefit of seeing the language in that ask, but I’m here to help you as much as I can without superfluously emailing every rabbi in every country for another anon who’s linguistically and statistically likely to be in New Jersey or Ohio or somewhere else in the U.S..
Now for part 2 (after “(cont)”), your concerns. (Getting something out of the way: Since you’re saying “Jewish “outsiders”” I’m going to assume you’re Jewish. However, many people reading this might not be; this audience has a lot of prospective converts. I want to point out that prospective converts aren’t entitled to conversion via any particular community. I might personally be dismayed, but it’s that community’s prerogative. Getting that community to a place where people who are already Jewish who are LGBTQ, have disabilities, etc. are accepted is going to be my priority if I were to harangue a community that’s not my own. In other words, people like anon. On that note...) I received another ask with a concern similar to part 2, by someone in a similar situation as a Jewish person under the LGBTQ umbrella whose only option is a community that won’t accept them. I’d like to answer these together. Here’s that second ask:
Not your first anon but there's no non-homophobic Orthodox community where I live. I live in Europe and maybe it is different in the US but the Orthodox communities here do NOT accept lgbt+ people. Or if they do it is under the "don't ask, don't tell" form of homophobia where you're accepted as long as you don't display it publicly or ask them to treat you as an equal in any way. So sorry for not feeling endeared to a group that have always hated me.
This means we’ve got a heck of a problem. There are Jewish people who don’t have a community and need one. Y’all (You all) don’t know me irl, but making sure Jewish people who want Jewish communities have Jewish communities is something I’m very big on. I’ve gotten some flack for being too welcoming or too focused on making sure synagogues are welcoming. I want you to know that we want you here. Unfortunately you aren’t close enough for me to personally offer you that hug.
You see, I’m a U.S. Jew, but I’m not one from a place like New York City where there’s a wealth of Jewish community options. (hint: #SouthernJews #ShalomY’all) I know those people near me who feel forgotten, ignored, scoffed at, or unvalued don’t always have another option (or that it’s a loooong drive and lots of gas money away). I am someone who has had to put in the work to build the community she wants and needs, and a community that is welcoming for the people she cares about.
Putting aside the extent to which I’ve had to patch up my own education while trying to make sure others aren’t on their own doing it, I’ve also had an obstacle you’ll find more relatable. I know it’s not obvious, I’m also under that LGBTQ umbrella (sexuality, not really gender from my current self-understanding). I’m largely closeted irl because being Jewish makes me enough of a target and is harder to hide. I don’t discuss it much on the internet because I don’t want #woke #discourse about myself as I figure out my own identity, and don’t want my own processing (yay for internalized -isms!) to hurt someone else. It’s fine that you didn’t know, but I want you to know now so that you can understand my experience:
Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend in Israel who’s had to make community choices too. My friend (who is also under that umbrella) convinced me that I should go to a shul with a rabbi who was openly homophobic in the past because it’ll be the best balance between programming that meets my needs (adult learning! services!) and driving distance. The rabbi stopped being openly homophobic, so I know I can be in that community. But it’s not exactly my dream. I don’t plan on relying on that rabbi for psak or life-cycle events--at least not until I know more. Then again, I’m lucky. I’m lucky in that there are rabbis I feel comfortable getting psak from who speak my native language. I’m lucky that I know enough to know that a non-rabbi can officiate a commitment ceremony (and actually a Jewish wedding too...), and that I’m from a well-connected extended-family that is friends with rabbis elsewhere (whoot! Jewish geography!) who would happily come in to officiate for me (though it might be costly and they might only do commitment rather than marriage). And I’m lucky that my extended family would be supportive enough to do so for me (they’d be getting eager enough for me to marry anyone...). I’m also lucky in that I could drive even farther and hit a Reform community that’s been more accepting for much longer. It doesn’t have the resources or programming I need, but I would have hypothetical access to a place with other Jews that has gender-neutral bathrooms and a rabbi who hasn’t said anything (recorded) that’s unaffirming of my existence.
But what about people who don’t have access to an alternate community? Or for whom that other community is even father from being a good fit? With work, it is possible to make change. Do you know why that shul’s rabbi stopped being openly homophobic? Maybe compassion. But there was an outside trend too: the community shifted away from homophobia to embrace its LGBTQ members, and he was forced to follow. It’s quite likely that movement stances and responsum helped, but community organizing, changing minds one-at-a-time, those were definitely pieces of the puzzle.
I want this blog to be here for you in figuring out how to make those changes. I began an initiative on here called Tikkunity. It’s a goofy name for an important mission: help people find strategies to make their communities more vibrant, more welcoming, more supportive, more accessible, more whatever someone needs. The ones I’ve put out so far aren’t as heavy as your topic, but Tikkunity is also here for what you’re looking for. I’ve gotten in touch with some other blogs about topics that are less obvious for communities, and a bit heavier too. If either of y’all feels comfortable messaging me from off anon (just make a side-blog with a random url), I’d love to draft a post with you. Alternately, if you send something constructive and specific enough such as “I only have one choice of community and I don’t feel safe or accepted there as a [insert LGBTQ identity/ies] person. How can I make my community more accepting of [my existence/my partnership/my pronouns/etc.]? FOR: Orthodox and [LGBTQ accepting/affirming/or other word or phrase of your choice that describes people who would be in-line with your goal]” or “ I only have one choice of community (there aren’t many Jewish people near me) and I don’t feel safe or accepted there as a [insert LGBTQ identity/ies] person. Does anyone have recommendations of what to do and tools to help me do Jewish stuff to do without the big community? How can I find people from that community willing to join me so it isn’t as lonely?” then I can post it off the bat
As much as I’m not letting askers generalize Orthodox Jews as individually homophobic/transphobic, the U.S. isn’t a utopia for LGBTQ [Orthodox] Jews looking for communities. “Don’t ask don’t tell” is how many U.S. Orthodox communities function. You’ll notice that the Orthodox LGBTQ-acceptance group I linked (Eshel) is an activist-type group from within the Orthodox community. The most effective change comes from within communities, which is why I’d rather you talk to Orthodox jumblrs than me. There are many LGBTQ Orthodox Jews on tumblr who might be willing and able to help you make that change via advice on a Tikkunity post, connecting you with other activists, or via a longer-term messaging relationship as they make change in their own communities. While I don’t think Eshel formally works outside the U.S. right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask them about expansion or see if they can connect you with other laypeople community builders and shifters to provide mentorship and support.
If you can’t start within the community, you can start building alternate spaces with Jewish people you know who have been willing to engage with you. Even communities that are largely homophobic/transphobic aren’t a monolith. There’s lots of advice out there for people making “start-up” communities or “indepedent minyanim” or “chaburas.” It’s not fair that you have to do the work. But don’t take it out on all Orthodox Jews, individually, especially because some of them are on your side.
And if you’d rather move than make those changes then if/when you are able to move this blog can also be a resource for you. If you send in a message with the cities you’re considering and what you’re looking for in a community, someone in jumblr can likely help give some advice on where you’ll find the best community for you.
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Let me guess:You have followed all the best tips found on the Interwebz.You create fresh content daily. You use the right hashtags. You post 3 times a day. You reply to everyone who comments on your posts.Yet.The number of followers on your Instagram account remains pitiful. You don’t even remember the last time your follower count went up.At this rate that this is going on, you are going to give up.How can Instagram be a profitable channel for your restaurant, if your number of followers don’t grow?Fret not.I am here to help.I reached out to several Instagram marketing experts, and got them to answer this one question:“If you were to grow a brand new Instagram account from zero followers to 10,000 followers in under 30 days, how would you do it?”Below are their answers.And I am 100% sure you will find something new to try… and skyrocket your Instagram following.1. Zach Benson (Assistagram)Powerliking methodCost $1200-$1700 a month, depends on how many likes per day 1-3x.What are powerlikes and why does it work?Powerlikes are likes/comments from a network of large accounts (100k+ accounts are considered large) as soon as your post goes live. The intent is to play into Instagram’s algorithm where a post’s first ten minutes are most crucial for gaining traction and determining how it’ll do in reaching beyond your current following.It works two-fold: By flooding traffic from the large accounts over to yours from the ‘Following’ tab, as well as triggering the algorithm to recognise that large accounts are enjoying that piece of content.This will not only increase the post’s reach to more of your current followers but increases its chances significantly in hitting the Explore page, where you’re reaching beyond your current audience and grow organically and quickly.Telegram groups/roundsTelegram is a messenger app that has become solely used for Instagram engagement groups. It’s hugely popular as you can code bots that take over the entire process for you, making everything automatic.Below are screenshots of arguably the best and most exclusive engagement group, XPLOR Rounds.Prerequisites: 80k+ followers, 2k+ likes per post avgNiche: General/allDirect message groups (free method)Create a DM engagement group of 15 people with similar accounts, niche and a high quality audience— in this strategy, multiple Instagram accounts help each other grow organically by mutually liking & commenting on their content. The larger the accounts participating, the more effective it is. You will need to be in 50-100 groups and participate constantly throughout the day, each and everyday.Better to hire a VA to do this.Shoutouts/giveaways/contestsNetwork with other big Instagram accounts in your niche and try and set up a giveaway contest with them. This is a great way to grow your following fast. By collaborating with a 3 million follower account and 300k + account, you could grow up to 2,500 -3,000 + in less than a week. For example, maybe you have a hotel page and want more travel followers, you could create a 2 night all inclusive stay in your best suite for 2, full-board. To be entered into the contest, you have to follow these accounts (the two large travel accounts and yours) and the more friends you tag, the higher chances of you winning. The set up price of these contests vary in price and could cost you anywhere from $500 to a couple thousand dollars. It just depends on who you know, like how big your network is and what you can offer these huge accounts in return to create a mutually beneficial business relationship.Post viral contentOpen up your Instagram app, look at whats on your Explore page tab. All viral videos and pictures with thousands and thousands of views and likes. Most of this content is what we call viral content, unique and original and “way out there”. The more open you are to posting viral content the higher chances you will have of going viral on instagram while using the above methods.Be consistentTo be good at anything, you must do it every single day. For example, you aren’t going to be an awesome sports player if you only play 1-2x a week. You have to practice each and every day. Same with social media, you have to be consistent and posting each and every day, respond to comments, direct messages, like and comment on your target market, do market research, research and rotate hashtags daily, participate in engagement groups, use Instagram lives, stories, etc and create original epic content. Easily 3-4 hours a day. If you don’t have time to do this, outsource it. Build your brand. Your name is your most important asset. Reputation is what other’s think you are. Character is what you are. Grow your following, provide great value for your fans, teach, inspire, give, give, GIVE and watch your circle of influence grow, network expand, and more opportunities will come your way. You will find that it’s a lot easier to negotiate anything, seal deals, pretty much do anything when you grow your following and brand. You are the brand. You are the commodity. Think of Instagram as your new name card, so when you are out and about and you meet someone, exchange biz cards but then say hey let’s stay in touch via Instagram, pull up your account on their phone and then they are like WOW you have 100k followers. You are legit! Definitely peaks their interest more and helps you stand out from everyone else they met that night.2. Nathan Chan (Foundr Magazine)I would research the market I’m looking to serve, then create great looking content and post 3x a day.Then I would find other Instagram pages that serve this target market and get them to share my content as much as possible from either paying, or working out reciprocal deals using my own accounts as leverage.Then I would find other big accounts that serve this niche and convince them to like and comment on my posts.Then I would run at least 2 competitions/giveways to get people to like and follow us – I would give away something that of super high value that would attract my target audience / niche – (that way we’re building a following of buyers too around this market).3. Alex ToobyMy answer will help you reach 10,000 REAL and TARGETED followers.. Not just any follower because what’s 10k followers worth if they’re not going to engage with your content or purchase your products or services?So having said that.. here’s my approach: if you want your account to take off quickly you need to create a feeling of authority – like you’ve been doing this for ages and have perfected every inch of your Instagram strategy. To do that you need to laser focus on what your account is all about. It shouldn’t be “food, fitness, healthy lifestyle, travel, etc” it should be just ONE of those thing.Niche down as far as you can then curate images that fall into a very specific theme.Aesthetics are everything.. are your images white and bright? dark and moody? are they all desaturated except for the pinks and greens? Figure out what your aesthetic “style” is and stick to it like glue.Upload a variety of photos to populate your feed, then post at least once per day moving forward. Select hashtags that aren’t too large (limit yourself to 5 tags that have over 1million posts associated with them) and write engaging captions that evoke a feeling, educate, or provide some sort of value to your audience.Then.. the most time consuming part. Put yourself out there and start engaging with your target market. Like, comment and follow as much as you can (without getting blocked by IG) in the most authentic way possible. Make real comments, start true conversations, show your audience that you’re a real person who cares and is present behind the account. You could easily spend upwards of 1 hour a day doing this.On top of this you can add SFS with complimentary accounts, run a giveaway, add relative content to your Instagram stories daily and go on IG live often to answer your audiences questions.Bottom line is – Be present! Show up, be authentic and provide value.Good luck!4. Ali Mirza (ISocialYou)I would piggyback on the giant. Let me explain…You are just starting out and have no audience. Right?But there are so many other people in your niche who are 10 steps ahead of you (with huge audiences).So reach out to them and ask them to feature you.Yes, you may have to pay a little bit but it’s totally worth it.If you pick the right influencers, their followers is your target audience also.So don’t hesitate to spend some money.Let’s create a step by step process so we can easily follow1 — Find 10–20 Instagram influencers in your niche2 — You can search on Instagram or use 3rd party tools (e.g. RightRelevant, Kear, Ninja Outreach)3 — Find the contact info of the owners. Note: If their contact info is public on their account, this means they open for business)4 — Reach out and find out how much their charge for a “shout out” or “feature post”5 — I would pick 10 and have them feature my brand new account. Then pick the best 3 to 4 best performing influencers and do it again.“You either build the audience from scratch or go to someone who already has the audience you need.”5. Leon Benjamin (TripleYourTribe)Here’s my answer.The main steps are 1. Who I’m looking to attract 2. My content + hashtags 3. Get easy quick followers 4. Shout campaign 5. Giveaway campaign 6. Engage with existing fans dailyFirst determine who’s my account for. And think about who else is serving them right now. What other instagram accounts are currently BIG that have them. I’d make a list of at least 30 of them who have over 40k followers and a fairly active comment section where discussions arise.Next, I’d find out what type of content those accounts put out thats interesting for them to engage with. Make at least 30 posts that are similar to those kinds of post and add a twist to them with my brand. The rest can be posts with quotes related to the market.Also from the previous listed accounts, scrape some of the hashtags that are in the medium range 20k-200k posts. And some in the more popular range +500k. From there I’d look a bit deeper to find more related tags through suggestions. From there, I schedule the posts with later.com to go out once per day. And another post uploaded manually. While rotating 60 hashtags across 2 posts per day. (that’s 30 tags per post. NOT 60 tags per post – which can get you into trouble!)Next, I’d ask my current network of friends, or fam to follow my new account. Just for the sake of growing momentum and some social proof.Now for the giveaway campaign. I’d create a document of value either from my knowledge or from interviewing influencers in the market or get an existing product of value (maybe around +100$) that that audience will want. Something thats related to the market. And offer it for free. In a giveaway. They would have to follow and tag in someone to enter for a chance to win. The winner would be announced on the last day of the 30 days. All participants receive part of the document or online product as well as a bonus.Then, while that’s being promoted in the account, I’d get others to share it as well. I’d reach out to that list found in step 1 and ask them to give us a shout on their page. In exchange, shout them out on my page, or give them something of value in return.While they promote the contest, I’d manually get traffic. The way I’d do that is by engaging (by liking or commenting or replying to stories) to the people who are active on the posts from accounts of list one.In summary, 1. find my audience, 2. the content they’d like, 3. the tags that attract them,4. Ask existing network for some social proof followers 5. Create a contest 6. Get shouts from relevant accounts 7. Manually engage with the marketThat could make me hit 10,000 followers easy. But in reality, hitting the 10k mark can be done by purchasing them.. however, would not make your account valuable to you or your market..What would be the most bang per buck (your buck being in terms of your energy and time), would be to have an engaged and interested following instead.So growing through the steps above, ensures you get interested followers. And less of the ones that unfollow you later.If you like more strategies recommended by 14 other top Instagram marketing influencers, you can read them here.
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20+ Trending Products to Sell in 2019
With new trends constantly coming up, we’ve decided to freshen up this list with the trending products to sell in 2019. Some argue that you shouldn’t sell trending products, or whatever everyone else is selling. But I know from experience that that isn’t true. The best business ideas come from other businesses around you. My most successful business came from seeing an ad with tons of engagement. I decided to enter the same niche and quickly grew a successful brand from it. I learned the hard way that entering a new niche with no social proof usually leads to no sales. But entering a proven market results in skyrocketed growth. So here’s a list of the trending products to sell in 2019. Feel free to choose the one that excites you most.
Trending Products to Sell in 2019
Hair Accessories’ Trending Products 2019
Laser Hair Removal
Hair removal can be an annoying problem for women. If they shave, it grows back in a couple days. If they wax, it shows up again in a month. This trending product solves an age old problem making it easy to build a store around it.
According to Google Trends, searches for ‘remove hair’ have been steadily growing. This is one of those trending products that won’t go away anytime soon.
If you own a hair care store store you can test out the product by dropshipping it using Oberlo. You’ll find products like laser hair removal tools that you can sell for a higher margin.
To market this trending product, you can build a store centering around the problem and offering the solution. You can create video ads to show how your product solves the problem. Or you can reach out to Instagram influencers and have them promote your product for you.
Head Scarf
Over the past few months we’ve seen categories created on popular fashion websites like ASOS for head scarves. This tends to be most popular in the summer months when women have their hair up. However, it’s been a skyrocketing trend for a few years now. According to Keywords Everywhere, the search term “head scarf” gets over 60,000 monthly searches for the phrase proving its popularity. This trending product is a must have on your store. It might be worthwhile to create an entire collection of different styles on your women’s fashion or accessories store.
Promoting trending products like this head scarf will come down to the impulse buy. You can promote it a number of ways. If you own a hair accessories store, you can create a video or visual blog post with different hairstyles which include your scarf so people buy your scarf to get the same look. Or you can run ads on Facebook and Instagram. You can also reach out to influencers to take photos with your scarf and share those photos with their audience with a tag back to your page.
Ionic Hair Brush
Recently, these trending ionic hair brushes have been taking over Instagram feeds. What they do is help you tame frizz and flyaways while adding a shine to your hairstyle, giving it a more polished look. The trending product first peaked in December 2018 and after a slight dip in January it began growing in search volume again.
When it comes to this type of trending product you should focus on creating video content. You can partner with an influencer to take videos using your product that you can then use for your ads. Showing how the product removes static is best seen in video format. It’ll help customers understand that this isn’t just an ordinary hair brush but one with a distinct value proposition. Thus, making them more likely to purchase.
Hair Wig
Some women crave longer hair but struggle to grow it. Hair extensions and wigs are one of the most popular trending products to sell online. If you look at the order volume for their best sellers, countless trending hair products have received thousands of orders.
Google Trends shows that there’s been a growing number of searches for hair wig. Of course, it’s important to remember that Shopify bans the selling of human hair so don’t sell that. However, artificial hair is allowed on your online store.
You can market these trending products with YouTube videos where you create how to hair tutorial videos. You can also channel the power of influencers who can show off their hair extensions giving your brand a shoutout.
You can find free hair stock photos on Burst.
Women’s Fashion Trending Products
Denim
In the spring and summer of 2019, you’ll be seeing a rise in denim as these trending products are skyrocketing in popularity right now. Jean jackets and tops will be fan favorites. But of course, you can also sell jean bottoms as well.
According to Google Trends, this trending product is still on its upward climb meaning it’s now time to jump on it. We’ll be seeing its strong sales growth over the next couple of seasons so be sure to take advantage.
When marketing denim products, you’ll want to use a similar approach as other fashion items such as running Facebook ads, influencer marketing, posting on social media and even trying out Pinterest.
If you’re looking for free denim photos for your website you’ll find it on Burst.
Puff Shoulder
In the fashion world, the 80s are making a slight comeback. Tops and dresses are starting to emerge with shoulder puffs. While the look isn’t as dramatic as it was in the 80s, the style is growing in popularity for its modern 2019 look. Heck, I’m even wearing a top with it right now. Shopstyle too has a product collection for puff shoulder tops proving this a fire hot trend. Plus, Google Trends even indicates that there’s been a search volume growth for this trending product as well.
You can promote this trending product the same way you’d promote other women’s fashion. You can run ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Partnering with influencers who showcase your clothing on their Instagram or YouTube videos can help you land more sales too. You can even create a product category for it on your website and optimize your product pages to include the keyword so you can drive some free search traffic to it.
Shapewear
Shapewear sales have been growing in popularity for a few years now proving it’s not a fad product. The trending product is worn underneath a woman’s clothing to help create a more slimming look.
On AliExpress, shapewear products have received thousands of orders. When adding shapewear to your store, have a variety of styles. For example, some women may prefer having a high waist tummy tuck shapewear while others prefer one with a built in bra.
On Google Trends, shapewear have been steadily growing. It tends to have a slight increase in November with a larger peak in April.
To successfully market shapewear, you need to be a bit creative. Women who are overweight or who’ve just given birth tend to be the target audience for this type of product. You can promote your brand by giving affiliate links to popular mom blogs. You can also target new moms on Facebook if you plan on promoting your shapewear products through advertising.
When marketing your shapewear brand or products be mindful that body weight can be a sensitive topic especially among postpartum women.
Athleisure
Athleisure has popped up on trending products lists for a couple years now. It’s a trend that’s proving to be a staple in the fashion space. From sports bras to leggings, these comfortable clothing that you can wear lounging at home or working out at the gym are the everyday outfit that more people are wearing. Data shows strong search growth for the term “athleisure” and more brands are adding athleisure apparel to their stores.
Athleisure is a great trending product to promote on Instagram. The audience on Instagram is the ideal demographic for this type of clothing as it’s for younger people. You can partner with influencers who match the look you want to go after who also have sizeable audience. Instagram ads can be helpful at helping you attract customers and entice them to buy.
Weight Loss Trending Products
Ab wheel roller
Losing weight tends to be one of the most common goals people set. The fitness industry is always hopped on a new trend. And right now, we’re seeing that trend revolves around ab workouts. We’re seeing some recent growth the past couple of months for search terms like “ab workouts for beginners.” But we’re also seeing strong sales growth for several online stores in the fitness space as well.
The best two channels to promote trending products like this ab wheel roller would be on video based platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. You can create demonstration videos using the product or a 10-minute workout video that incorporates the product in it. The call to action can be included in the video with a link in your bio or in the description to encourage sales. However, seeing it in action and having some social proof that it works can help elevate your sales.
Swimsuits
While it seems like Google Trends is showing that swimsuit popularity is declining, there are certain styles that are making waves on online stores. Take a look at this swimsuit in the past 30 days, we’ve seen 690 orders in the past 30 days alone. This swimsuit is worn by what looks like an influencer making it more likely to attract sales. While you might not want to dive into creating a swimsuit store, you might want to test it out as a collection on a women’s fashion store, a general store, or an accessories store so that you can build a long-term business.
Influencer marketing is one of the best ways to promote your swimsuits. With the help of influencers, you can get quality lifestyle photos with your swimwear that you can reuse for ads and other marketing purposes. Plus, the influencer can share the post with their audience tagging you which can result in some sales. Feel free to also market these trending products with Facebook and Instagram ads to generate sales from day one.
Beauty Trending Products
Fake eyelashes
Fake eyelashes are a popular beauty accessory worn to make their eyelashes appear fuller.
AliExpress sells a variety of different fake eyelashes. Thousands of false eyelashes have been sold on the platform proving their marketability. Notably, bulk orders of the products aren’t uncommon. This shows the potential for encouraging an upsell of more fake eyelashes for customers who order through your store. You can also sell eyelash glue, eyelash serum, fake eyebrows, and other trending beauty products. Dropshipping fake eyelashes is easier than ever with Oberlo.
Google Trends also shows a steady search growth for keywords like false eyelashes, eyelashes, eyelash and fake eyelashes. With so much search volume centered around eyelashes, it seems like now’s the time to start a beauty store.
To promote your fake eyelashes products, you can reach out to beauty writers for women’s publications to be featured in an article. Optimizing your online store for SEO can also be effective at driving organic traffic. Aim to add both ‘fake eyelashes’ and ‘false eyelashes’ in the url slug for your product category so that you rank for both keywords. If you plan on creating Facebook ads, create video content around how to apply fake eyelashes or show a quick makeup tutorial where you add fake eyelashes to the look. A picture of fake eyelashes on a white background may not be enticing enough to drive a quick impulse buy.
Nail Extensions
Nail extensions are proving to be a powerhouse trending product in the beauty niche. And there’s a lot of proof showing it’s rapid growth. On Oberlo, you’ll find trending products with hundreds of sales for the keyword “nail extensions.” On Google Trends, there’s been strong growth since January 2011 proving that it’s a trend that’s likely here to stay. According to Keywords Everywhere, “nail extensions” gets over 22,000 monthly searches. Plus, nail extensions is only one of the ways you can describe this product. They’re also called false nails, fake nails, fashion nails, acrylic nails, etc proving that the niche is a lot bigger than you might realize at first glance.
The best way to get sales selling these trending products is to focus on Instagram. You can create short videos or pictures with your nail extensions. By typing in the word nail and looking at tags in Instagram, you’ll find that #nailsofinstagram has nearly 13 million public posts, #nails has over 106 million posts, #nailart has more than 55 million posts, and there are other hashtags just like it that you can include in each post to help you elevate your post’s visibility.
Burst has free nail images you can use for your website.
Men’s Trending Products
Men’s Watches
Watches are a great gift during the holiday season especially. But that doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on anniversaries, birthdays or other celebrations throughout the year.
Those looking to start a dropshipping watch business, can use Oberlo to find men’s watches on AliExpress. You’ll notice that some of the most popular watches have received tens of thousands of orders. Sticking to the best sellers gives you the best chance of landing your first few sales as they’re proven sellers.
Since 2008, Google Trends appears to show that men’s watches have been increasing in search volume. Peak season tends to be in December making it one of the best trending products to sell during the holidays. Many popular watch brands sell watches in the autumn and winter and sunglasses during the spring and summer to ensure year round profitability.
Influencer and affiliate marketing tends to be one of the most powerful ways to promote a watch brand. You can reach out to influencers to take stunning pictures of your watch out in nature or styled fashionably. And share it on their social media. As you start getting your first few sales, you can offer your customers affiliate links to promote your products to their friends to reach even more people.
You can use Burst’s free watch photos for your online store.
Men’s Shoes
Shoes also tend to peak around the holidays but there’s been an increasing growth during the offseason too.
The most popular shoes being dropshipped with Oberlo are the Merkmak men’s shoes on AliExpress. This shoe brand has received hundreds of orders on various shoe styles. The brand regularly receives positive reviews on their products.
Search volume for men’s shoes have increased over the years. With December being the peak of search volume on Google Trends, but pay attention to the months in between there’s growth there too. You can choose to create a standalone shoe store or add it as a product collection for a men’s fashion store.
Men’s shoes can be marketed through influencer marketing on Instagram. When building up your social media, aim to present your men’s shoes in lifestyle shots. You can use the pictures from influencers you reach out to for your advertising on Facebook ads. You can also give influencers an affiliate link to share so they can make a commission for every sale they bring in.
If you start a shoe store, you can download free shoe pictures from Burst.
Kid’s Trending Products
Stuffed Toy
Whether it’s a gift for a newborn baby or a gift for yourself, a stuffed toy or a plush is always a safe bet. According to Vice, 7% of adults sleep with a stuffed animal. So if you don’t want to go after the kids market you can aim to target millennials.
Oberlo users can dropship a popular product like this elephant plush. The trending product has generated tens of thousands of sales. And it’s been pretty stable for quite a few years.
You can market plush a few ways. You can use Instagram if you choose to sell Kawaii plush which tend to be more popular on the visual platform. Or you can run Facebook ads to these products. If you sell plush of different animals, you can market to people who are fans of those animal pages like a pug plush ad sent to fans of pug pages. Millennials are more likely to buy plush both for themselves or for their children making them a great audience to tap into.
Reborn Baby
While most think kids only want to play with phones and iPads, dolls are starting to become increasingly popular again. Especially the reborn baby dolls.
You can sell reborn baby style dolls on Oberlo. These trending products tend to get hundreds of orders as you can see in the data for each product. You can also dropship cute baby clothes for the doll at an affordable price on Oberlo.
Google Trends notes an uptick in search traffic in November and December for the doll. As children’s toys like dolls are most popular around the holidays, it’s a great way to cash in on holiday sales. But you can start building up the audience for it now so you can have strong sales several months from now.
You’ll want to avoid using the words ‘reborn baby’ on your product pages and ads as it’s trademarked. However, you can run ads for products for those keywords in Google. You can also market your dolls to parents who have young children. You can partner with mom bloggers to have your products featured on their holiday gift guides, in a giveaway post or on a product review page.
Kitchen Trending Products
Sweeping machine
We’ve been seeing sales growth for trending products like this sweeping machine. There are several products similar to this one which are also performing quite well. What’s interesting about this trending product is that it doesn’t require electricity but still acts as a broom and dustpan combo. This is a great product to sell on a home, kitchen, or general store.
Want to get this sweeping machine in more of your customers’ hands? Your best bet will be to focus on SEO and video marketing ads. Kitchen products, unless impulse buy products, tend to perform best via search. You can build out a blog or execute an SEO/search ads strategy to generate sales. However, if you want to entice the impulse buy you’re going to need to create a video showing the product being used. The picture doesn’t exactly clarify how the product performs as well as a video can.
Reusable Bags
As people become more concerned about plastic in oceans, there will begin to be a big movement towards reusable products. We’ve already seen this with reusable straws growing in popularity in 2018 and restaurants banning plastic ones. And so if you’re looking to create an eco-friendly store, this is a product you should consider adding as well. In the past 30 days, there have been over 1000 orders for this product. Plus, Google Trends data shows a steady increase in reusable bag searches.
You can market your reusable bags via Google Adwords and SEO. You can create text-based Google ads or Google Shopping ads to generate sales. However, the reality is most of your customers will likely be searching for the product if they’re interested in it. So having an SEO strategy will be important. You can create blog content about eco friendly topics to build a relevant audience for your store. And you can optimize your product pages for keywords for your niche and your product.
Health & Wellness Trending Products
Teeth Whitening
Yellow teeth can be embarrassing. Teeth whitening can help give your customers a more beautiful smile. As teeth whitening solves an embarrassing problem, customers may feel more compelled to make an impulse purchase.
Thousands have ordered teeth whitening products from AliExpress showing just how popular these trending products are. Oberlo users can dropship these products and find new customers for their products. You’ll be able to sell whitening strips, charcoal powder, or bleaching kits to your customers.
While growth on Google Trends is steady, the teeth whitening niche is expected to continue to be a reliable one over the long term. If you’re looking for to start a store in an evergreen niche this trending product is worth exploring.
You’ll notice on Instagram that influencers are constantly posting pictures using teeth whitening products. Instagram influencer marketing is the best way to drive growth for your teeth whitening online store. It allows customers to see that the product does work and gives your brand social proof. Giving influencers a commission for every sale they bring in through an affiliate link can help bring in sales for your store. You could also work on optimizing your brand for search engines as a long term play.
You can find countless smile photos on Burst that’ll be perfect for a teeth whitening store.
Anti Snoring
Snoring and sleep apnea can be a big problem for couples. A person who snores can keep their partner up at night disrupting their sleep. Enter anti snoring products. They can help minimize a person’s snoring.
Oberlo users can dropship anti snoring products. You’ll find chin support straps, anti snoring nose clips, and mouth guards which have had thousands of product orders. Since snoring can be a big problem, you can build a brand around solving the burning problem with your products.
Google Trends showcases a steady growth for the term anti snoring. The niche doesn’t seem to have any seasonal trends which makes it a great evergreen niche.
Anti snoring products are more of a search based products. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use Facebook ads to promote your brand. The easiest way to promote your brand would be to create a lot of long form blog posts. You’ll need to have retargeting ads running all the time that’ll show your anti snoring products in the ads. However, this strategy has a two benefit purpose. First, it helps you rank organically in search over time. However, you also benefit from immediate sales through the retargeting ads. You’ll need to promote your content on Twitter and Pinterest using various hashtags to increase your chances of driving traffic.
Tech Trending Products
Phone Cases
Phone cases have been growing in popularity since 2009 with no signs of slowing down. The two phone case products that are doing better than usual are the silicone matte phone cases.
Trending products like these on AliExpress have received hundreds if not thousands of orders. The silicone matte phone cases in particular have generated over 17000 orders on a single product. With Oberlo, you can easily add these trending products to your store without having to buy bulk inventory to test out these products for yourself. The best thing about phone cases is that new trends and styles are constantly emerging.
On Google Trends, keywords like ‘phone case’ and ‘silicone phone case’ have seen growth in search volume. If you’re looking for a stable yet constantly growing trend, the phone case niche is perfect for diving into right now.
Phone cases work really well on Facebook and Instagram. If the images are attention grabbing, you could be able to land impulse buy purchases. You can create standard and retargeting ads on Facebook for your products to increase your chances of landing sales. You could also partner with influencers who do shoutouts and have high converting audiences. The most profitable thing to do is to give them an affiliate link instead of paying their influencer fee which can get expensive. You could also ask your customers to promote their phone case on their social media for a free $5 gift card on your store. You’ll want to make sure your products are priced accordingly so that you don’t lose money or give away free products.
If you need phone case stock photos you can get use them for free on Burst.
iPhone Repair Kit
With over 700 million iPhones in use around the world, iPhone related products are a popular commodity. Especially since that number is likely to continue to climb to 1 billion.
The 25 in 1 iPhone repair kit is one of AliExpress’ most popular items in the phone category. While it’s not a standalone product, the iPhone repair kit could work well on a phone case store.
Google Trends shows an increase in search volume for ‘iPhone repair.’
You could create content around the topic of iPhone repair in a comprehensive blog post and add a Buy Button for the product in the article. You can also retarget customers who look at iPhone related content on your store by introducing your iPhone repair kit before they need it.
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How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels
Starting or managing a clothing brand is a multi-faceted endeavor. From finding affordable manufacturers to managing distributors and choosing fabrics, the logistics aren’t always easy. But as you design and plan your company, there’s one important aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked: labels.
Whether it’s a woven shirt label or a cardboard hang tag, the branding elements on a garment have a huge impact on how customers feel about your brand. And as How to Start a Clothing Company explains, marketing and advertising simply aren’t enough to sell your product. So instead of relying on external factors, here’s how to create a garment that communicates your brand values through labeling and brand elements.
Using Brand Values to Stand out
People purchase clothing from many different stores and retailers throughout their lives. As an apparel company, your brand helps you stand out from competitors and create loyal customers. According to Ben Scrivens, owner and operator of the horror T-shirt company Fright-Rags, today’s apparel brands need to showcase their authenticity. “Branding is as simple as finding those things you do that sets you apart and honing in on them.”
For apparel companies, labels and tags are one of the best ways to communicate and reinforce brand differentiators. In the same way that your homepage is your marketing piece online, Peter Renton, founder of Lightning Labels, explains that your label is your marketing piece out in the world. That’s why it’s so important to create a label that attracts people’s attention and shows how your values are different from your competitors. But what exactly are people looking for, and what attracts their attention?
Brielle Yang of SilkCards says that effective hang tags include company information and details that a customer wouldn’t normally expect. For example, you may decide to explain how your product is made or describe the unique materials it’s made from. You also could add information about where the product is made and how that place supports the brand story, or how the brand originally came about. All of these details are unique to your brand, and they’re what help you stand out from competitors. Your clothing label and hang tag can work in conjunction to support a brand’s ideas and reinforce a strong, clear message.
Labels and Product Image
Your labels are an important aspect of your brand’s visual communication strategy. Pulkit Rastogi of I Love Fashion Retail explains that labels, brand tags, fabric material and fasteners all portray your product’s values visually. In professional product shots, these elements influence the buyer and leave a lasting impression.
Labels also provide your brand with an opportunity to establish emotional connections. StartUP FASHION explains “great branding offers acceptance, provides a sense of comfort, and yet challenges a customer. Branding inspires a customer on a level that is not solely about the brand.” And if you want to establish strong, emotional connections with your audience, it’s important that you understand their needs and desires.
Real Thread adds that understanding your audience is one of the most important aspects of owning a clothing brand. If your customers are outdoorsy and adventurous, they may desire clothing tags that are durable and simple. If you have an upscale, city-oriented audience, then it might make sense to choose a high quality tag that evokes class and luxury. Understanding your target market and how they go about their day can help guide you towards the right label and tag design.
Label and Tag Design
Regardless of which materials or styles you use, Print Aura explains that simple is always better. Rather than taking up the entire tag space with a long product description, keep it succinct. Choose a few key product features and summarize them in a handful of words for a powerful message that customers remember.
Color Psychology
All apparel companies should have a basic understanding of color psychology. Because no matter what color the clothes are, your branding materials and labels can make or break how a customer feels about your brand. Graphic designer Nick Spence reveals that a signature brand color can boost recognition by as much as 80 percent. If you want to establish security and trust — values that are especially important for selling clothing online — blue is the best color to choose. If your labels are a consistent blue color that align with the rest of your brand, for example, you’re much more likely to establish trust and stand out in customers minds.
If it’s excitement and independence you want to portray, red shades can do the trick. Smile.io explains that red is associated with passion, life and energy, so a red label could be well-suited for a brand seeking to define a new niche or be seen as a trendsetter in the industry. When it comes to creating happy customers who associate your product with joy, Help Scout says yellow might be the best choice. In fact, yellow is psychologically the happiest color in the entire spectrum.
But just because yellow evokes happiness doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your brand. If you’re marketing to children or millennials and your brand mission is about helping people enjoy life while they wear your clothes (a bathing suit or exercise company, for example) yellow could be a solid fit. If, on the other hand, you’re creating high end suits for corporate executives, yellow isn’t exactly aligned. Your label colors are also a part of establishing brand loyalty, because a customer will continue to rely on you to evoke a certain image once you’ve told that story through a color.
Eco-Friendly Options
If you’re an organic cotton shirt brand or a company committed to sustainable practices, a label made from an eco-friendly material can help reinforce your message. Lindsay Patton of One Green Planet says that hemp and soy are two plants that have minimal impact on animals and the environment. Creating labels from these materials can help reinforce your values as a brand committed to sustainability.
You can also communicate earth friendly commitments by letting your clothing label’s natural color shine. Author Marissa Stapley explains that organic cotton usually comes in pale, cream or light green naturally. Instead of following suit with other brands and dipping these labels in chemicals to change their colors, let their natural hues shine. These colors already evoke a sense of calm, so it’ll help reinforce your message.
Consistency
Another important way to communicate your values through labeling is to ensure that all labels are consistent. This helps a brand uphold its values and ensures that all customers receive the same brand message over time.
According to Retail Insider, having all of your clothing labels and hang tags designed by the same company is one way to ensure consistency. From the label color and material to its overall quality, working with a reliable manufacturer is key to sending a strong and consistent message. It’s easy to adopt a branding or label trend just because all of your competitors are. But adopting trends can have serious implications on your business if they don’t properly reflect your brand.
Images by: Tim Wright, Matthew Henry, Crew
The post How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels appeared first on CBF Labels Inc.
From the Blogger http://nasapblow.blogspot.com/2017/08/how-to-communicate-brand-values-through.html
via Living Fashion
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How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels
Starting or managing a clothing brand is a multi-faceted endeavor. From finding affordable manufacturers to managing distributors and choosing fabrics, the logistics aren’t always easy. But as you design and plan your company, there’s one important aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked: labels.
Whether it’s a woven shirt label or a cardboard hang tag, the branding elements on a garment have a huge impact on how customers feel about your brand. And as How to Start a Clothing Company explains, marketing and advertising simply aren’t enough to sell your product. So instead of relying on external factors, here’s how to create a garment that communicates your brand values through labeling and brand elements.
Using Brand Values to Stand out
People purchase clothing from many different stores and retailers throughout their lives. As an apparel company, your brand helps you stand out from competitors and create loyal customers. According to Ben Scrivens, owner and operator of the horror T-shirt company Fright-Rags, today’s apparel brands need to showcase their authenticity. “Branding is as simple as finding those things you do that sets you apart and honing in on them.”
For apparel companies, labels and tags are one of the best ways to communicate and reinforce brand differentiators. In the same way that your homepage is your marketing piece online, Peter Renton, founder of Lightning Labels, explains that your label is your marketing piece out in the world. That’s why it’s so important to create a label that attracts people’s attention and shows how your values are different from your competitors. But what exactly are people looking for, and what attracts their attention?
Brielle Yang of SilkCards says that effective hang tags include company information and details that a customer wouldn’t normally expect. For example, you may decide to explain how your product is made or describe the unique materials it’s made from. You also could add information about where the product is made and how that place supports the brand story, or how the brand originally came about. All of these details are unique to your brand, and they’re what help you stand out from competitors. Your clothing label and hang tag can work in conjunction to support a brand’s ideas and reinforce a strong, clear message.
Labels and Product Image
Your labels are an important aspect of your brand’s visual communication strategy. Pulkit Rastogi of I Love Fashion Retail explains that labels, brand tags, fabric material and fasteners all portray your product’s values visually. In professional product shots, these elements influence the buyer and leave a lasting impression.
Labels also provide your brand with an opportunity to establish emotional connections. StartUP FASHION explains “great branding offers acceptance, provides a sense of comfort, and yet challenges a customer. Branding inspires a customer on a level that is not solely about the brand.” And if you want to establish strong, emotional connections with your audience, it’s important that you understand their needs and desires.
Real Thread adds that understanding your audience is one of the most important aspects of owning a clothing brand. If your customers are outdoorsy and adventurous, they may desire clothing tags that are durable and simple. If you have an upscale, city-oriented audience, then it might make sense to choose a high quality tag that evokes class and luxury. Understanding your target market and how they go about their day can help guide you towards the right label and tag design.
Label and Tag Design
Regardless of which materials or styles you use, Print Aura explains that simple is always better. Rather than taking up the entire tag space with a long product description, keep it succinct. Choose a few key product features and summarize them in a handful of words for a powerful message that customers remember.
Color Psychology
All apparel companies should have a basic understanding of color psychology. Because no matter what color the clothes are, your branding materials and labels can make or break how a customer feels about your brand. Graphic designer Nick Spence reveals that a signature brand color can boost recognition by as much as 80 percent. If you want to establish security and trust — values that are especially important for selling clothing online — blue is the best color to choose. If your labels are a consistent blue color that align with the rest of your brand, for example, you’re much more likely to establish trust and stand out in customers minds.
If it’s excitement and independence you want to portray, red shades can do the trick. Smile.io explains that red is associated with passion, life and energy, so a red label could be well-suited for a brand seeking to define a new niche or be seen as a trendsetter in the industry. When it comes to creating happy customers who associate your product with joy, Help Scout says yellow might be the best choice. In fact, yellow is psychologically the happiest color in the entire spectrum.
But just because yellow evokes happiness doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your brand. If you’re marketing to children or millennials and your brand mission is about helping people enjoy life while they wear your clothes (a bathing suit or exercise company, for example) yellow could be a solid fit. If, on the other hand, you’re creating high end suits for corporate executives, yellow isn’t exactly aligned. Your label colors are also a part of establishing brand loyalty, because a customer will continue to rely on you to evoke a certain image once you’ve told that story through a color.
Eco-Friendly Options
If you’re an organic cotton shirt brand or a company committed to sustainable practices, a label made from an eco-friendly material can help reinforce your message. Lindsay Patton of One Green Planet says that hemp and soy are two plants that have minimal impact on animals and the environment. Creating labels from these materials can help reinforce your values as a brand committed to sustainability.
You can also communicate earth friendly commitments by letting your clothing label’s natural color shine. Author Marissa Stapley explains that organic cotton usually comes in pale, cream or light green naturally. Instead of following suit with other brands and dipping these labels in chemicals to change their colors, let their natural hues shine. These colors already evoke a sense of calm, so it’ll help reinforce your message.
Consistency
Another important way to communicate your values through labeling is to ensure that all labels are consistent. This helps a brand uphold its values and ensures that all customers receive the same brand message over time.
According to Retail Insider, having all of your clothing labels and hang tags designed by the same company is one way to ensure consistency. From the label color and material to its overall quality, working with a reliable manufacturer is key to sending a strong and consistent message. It’s easy to adopt a branding or label trend just because all of your competitors are. But adopting trends can have serious implications on your business if they don’t properly reflect your brand.
Images by: Tim Wright, Matthew Henry, Crew
The post How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels appeared first on CBF Labels Inc.
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How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels
Starting or managing a clothing brand is a multi-faceted endeavor. From finding affordable manufacturers to managing distributors and choosing fabrics, the logistics aren’t always easy. But as you design and plan your company, there’s one important aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked: labels.
Whether it’s a woven shirt label or a cardboard hang tag, the branding elements on a garment have a huge impact on how customers feel about your brand. And as How to Start a Clothing Company explains, marketing and advertising simply aren’t enough to sell your product. So instead of relying on external factors, here’s how to create a garment that communicates your brand values through labeling and brand elements.
Using Brand Values to Stand out
People purchase clothing from many different stores and retailers throughout their lives. As an apparel company, your brand helps you stand out from competitors and create loyal customers. According to Ben Scrivens, owner and operator of the horror T-shirt company Fright-Rags, today’s apparel brands need to showcase their authenticity. “Branding is as simple as finding those things you do that sets you apart and honing in on them.”
For apparel companies, labels and tags are one of the best ways to communicate and reinforce brand differentiators. In the same way that your homepage is your marketing piece online, Peter Renton, founder of Lightning Labels, explains that your label is your marketing piece out in the world. That’s why it’s so important to create a label that attracts people’s attention and shows how your values are different from your competitors. But what exactly are people looking for, and what attracts their attention?
Brielle Yang of SilkCards says that effective hang tags include company information and details that a customer wouldn’t normally expect. For example, you may decide to explain how your product is made or describe the unique materials it’s made from. You also could add information about where the product is made and how that place supports the brand story, or how the brand originally came about. All of these details are unique to your brand, and they’re what help you stand out from competitors. Your clothing label and hang tag can work in conjunction to support a brand’s ideas and reinforce a strong, clear message.
Labels and Product Image
Your labels are an important aspect of your brand’s visual communication strategy. Pulkit Rastogi of I Love Fashion Retail explains that labels, brand tags, fabric material and fasteners all portray your product’s values visually. In professional product shots, these elements influence the buyer and leave a lasting impression.
Labels also provide your brand with an opportunity to establish emotional connections. StartUP FASHION explains “great branding offers acceptance, provides a sense of comfort, and yet challenges a customer. Branding inspires a customer on a level that is not solely about the brand.” And if you want to establish strong, emotional connections with your audience, it’s important that you understand their needs and desires.
Real Thread adds that understanding your audience is one of the most important aspects of owning a clothing brand. If your customers are outdoorsy and adventurous, they may desire clothing tags that are durable and simple. If you have an upscale, city-oriented audience, then it might make sense to choose a high quality tag that evokes class and luxury. Understanding your target market and how they go about their day can help guide you towards the right label and tag design.
Label and Tag Design
Regardless of which materials or styles you use, Print Aura explains that simple is always better. Rather than taking up the entire tag space with a long product description, keep it succinct. Choose a few key product features and summarize them in a handful of words for a powerful message that customers remember.
Color Psychology
All apparel companies should have a basic understanding of color psychology. Because no matter what color the clothes are, your branding materials and labels can make or break how a customer feels about your brand. Graphic designer Nick Spence reveals that a signature brand color can boost recognition by as much as 80 percent. If you want to establish security and trust — values that are especially important for selling clothing online — blue is the best color to choose. If your labels are a consistent blue color that align with the rest of your brand, for example, you’re much more likely to establish trust and stand out in customers minds.
If it’s excitement and independence you want to portray, red shades can do the trick. Smile.io explains that red is associated with passion, life and energy, so a red label could be well-suited for a brand seeking to define a new niche or be seen as a trendsetter in the industry. When it comes to creating happy customers who associate your product with joy, Help Scout says yellow might be the best choice. In fact, yellow is psychologically the happiest color in the entire spectrum.
But just because yellow evokes happiness doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your brand. If you’re marketing to children or millennials and your brand mission is about helping people enjoy life while they wear your clothes (a bathing suit or exercise company, for example) yellow could be a solid fit. If, on the other hand, you’re creating high end suits for corporate executives, yellow isn’t exactly aligned. Your label colors are also a part of establishing brand loyalty, because a customer will continue to rely on you to evoke a certain image once you’ve told that story through a color.
Eco-Friendly Options
If you’re an organic cotton shirt brand or a company committed to sustainable practices, a label made from an eco-friendly material can help reinforce your message. Lindsay Patton of One Green Planet says that hemp and soy are two plants that have minimal impact on animals and the environment. Creating labels from these materials can help reinforce your values as a brand committed to sustainability.
You can also communicate earth friendly commitments by letting your clothing label’s natural color shine. Author Marissa Stapley explains that organic cotton usually comes in pale, cream or light green naturally. Instead of following suit with other brands and dipping these labels in chemicals to change their colors, let their natural hues shine. These colors already evoke a sense of calm, so it’ll help reinforce your message.
Consistency
Another important way to communicate your values through labeling is to ensure that all labels are consistent. This helps a brand uphold its values and ensures that all customers receive the same brand message over time.
According to Retail Insider, having all of your clothing labels and hang tags designed by the same company is one way to ensure consistency. From the label color and material to its overall quality, working with a reliable manufacturer is key to sending a strong and consistent message. It’s easy to adopt a branding or label trend just because all of your competitors are. But adopting trends can have serious implications on your business if they don’t properly reflect your brand.
Images by: Tim Wright, Matthew Henry, Crew
The post How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels appeared first on CBF Labels Inc.
from CBF Labels Inc https://www.cbflabel.com/communicate-brand-values/
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How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels
Starting or managing a clothing brand is a multi-faceted endeavor. From finding affordable manufacturers to managing distributors and choosing fabrics, the logistics aren’t always easy. But as you design and plan your company, there’s one important aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked: labels.
Whether it’s a woven shirt label or a cardboard hang tag, the branding elements on a garment have a huge impact on how customers feel about your brand. And as How to Start a Clothing Company explains, marketing and advertising simply aren’t enough to sell your product. So instead of relying on external factors, here’s how to create a garment that communicates your brand values through labeling and brand elements.
Using Brand Values to Stand out
People purchase clothing from many different stores and retailers throughout their lives. As an apparel company, your brand helps you stand out from competitors and create loyal customers. According to Ben Scrivens, owner and operator of the horror T-shirt company Fright-Rags, today’s apparel brands need to showcase their authenticity. “Branding is as simple as finding those things you do that sets you apart and honing in on them.”
For apparel companies, labels and tags are one of the best ways to communicate and reinforce brand differentiators. In the same way that your homepage is your marketing piece online, Peter Renton, founder of Lightning Labels, explains that your label is your marketing piece out in the world. That’s why it’s so important to create a label that attracts people’s attention and shows how your values are different from your competitors. But what exactly are people looking for, and what attracts their attention?
Brielle Yang of SilkCards says that effective hang tags include company information and details that a customer wouldn’t normally expect. For example, you may decide to explain how your product is made or describe the unique materials it’s made from. You also could add information about where the product is made and how that place supports the brand story, or how the brand originally came about. All of these details are unique to your brand, and they’re what help you stand out from competitors. Your clothing label and hang tag can work in conjunction to support a brand’s ideas and reinforce a strong, clear message.
Labels and Product Image
Your labels are an important aspect of your brand’s visual communication strategy. Pulkit Rastogi of I Love Fashion Retail explains that labels, brand tags, fabric material and fasteners all portray your product’s values visually. In professional product shots, these elements influence the buyer and leave a lasting impression.
Labels also provide your brand with an opportunity to establish emotional connections. StartUP FASHION explains “great branding offers acceptance, provides a sense of comfort, and yet challenges a customer. Branding inspires a customer on a level that is not solely about the brand.” And if you want to establish strong, emotional connections with your audience, it’s important that you understand their needs and desires.
Real Thread adds that understanding your audience is one of the most important aspects of owning a clothing brand. If your customers are outdoorsy and adventurous, they may desire clothing tags that are durable and simple. If you have an upscale, city-oriented audience, then it might make sense to choose a high quality tag that evokes class and luxury. Understanding your target market and how they go about their day can help guide you towards the right label and tag design.
Label and Tag Design
Regardless of which materials or styles you use, Print Aura explains that simple is always better. Rather than taking up the entire tag space with a long product description, keep it succinct. Choose a few key product features and summarize them in a handful of words for a powerful message that customers remember.
Color Psychology
All apparel companies should have a basic understanding of color psychology. Because no matter what color the clothes are, your branding materials and labels can make or break how a customer feels about your brand. Graphic designer Nick Spence reveals that a signature brand color can boost recognition by as much as 80 percent. If you want to establish security and trust — values that are especially important for selling clothing online — blue is the best color to choose. If your labels are a consistent blue color that align with the rest of your brand, for example, you’re much more likely to establish trust and stand out in customers minds.
If it’s excitement and independence you want to portray, red shades can do the trick. Smile.io explains that red is associated with passion, life and energy, so a red label could be well-suited for a brand seeking to define a new niche or be seen as a trendsetter in the industry. When it comes to creating happy customers who associate your product with joy, Help Scout says yellow might be the best choice. In fact, yellow is psychologically the happiest color in the entire spectrum.
But just because yellow evokes happiness doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your brand. If you’re marketing to children or millennials and your brand mission is about helping people enjoy life while they wear your clothes (a bathing suit or exercise company, for example) yellow could be a solid fit. If, on the other hand, you’re creating high end suits for corporate executives, yellow isn’t exactly aligned. Your label colors are also a part of establishing brand loyalty, because a customer will continue to rely on you to evoke a certain image once you’ve told that story through a color.
Eco-Friendly Options
If you’re an organic cotton shirt brand or a company committed to sustainable practices, a label made from an eco-friendly material can help reinforce your message. Lindsay Patton of One Green Planet says that hemp and soy are two plants that have minimal impact on animals and the environment. Creating labels from these materials can help reinforce your values as a brand committed to sustainability.
You can also communicate earth friendly commitments by letting your clothing label’s natural color shine. Author Marissa Stapley explains that organic cotton usually comes in pale, cream or light green naturally. Instead of following suit with other brands and dipping these labels in chemicals to change their colors, let their natural hues shine. These colors already evoke a sense of calm, so it’ll help reinforce your message.
Consistency
Another important way to communicate your values through labeling is to ensure that all labels are consistent. This helps a brand uphold its values and ensures that all customers receive the same brand message over time.
According to Retail Insider, having all of your clothing labels and hang tags designed by the same company is one way to ensure consistency. From the label color and material to its overall quality, working with a reliable manufacturer is key to sending a strong and consistent message. It’s easy to adopt a branding or label trend just because all of your competitors are. But adopting trends can have serious implications on your business if they don’t properly reflect your brand.
Images by: Tim Wright, Matthew Henry, Crew
The post How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels appeared first on CBF Labels Inc.
from John Harison's wayhttps://geometricallyspocking.tumblr.com/post/164212157715
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How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels
Starting or managing a clothing brand is a multi-faceted endeavor. From finding affordable manufacturers to managing distributors and choosing fabrics, the logistics aren’t always easy. But as you design and plan your company, there’s one important aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked: labels.
Whether it’s a woven shirt label or a cardboard hang tag, the branding elements on a garment have a huge impact on how customers feel about your brand. And as How to Start a Clothing Company explains, marketing and advertising simply aren’t enough to sell your product. So instead of relying on external factors, here’s how to create a garment that communicates your brand values through labeling and brand elements.
Using Brand Values to Stand out
People purchase clothing from many different stores and retailers throughout their lives. As an apparel company, your brand helps you stand out from competitors and create loyal customers. According to Ben Scrivens, owner and operator of the horror T-shirt company Fright-Rags, today’s apparel brands need to showcase their authenticity. “Branding is as simple as finding those things you do that sets you apart and honing in on them.”
For apparel companies, labels and tags are one of the best ways to communicate and reinforce brand differentiators. In the same way that your homepage is your marketing piece online, Peter Renton, founder of Lightning Labels, explains that your label is your marketing piece out in the world. That’s why it’s so important to create a label that attracts people’s attention and shows how your values are different from your competitors. But what exactly are people looking for, and what attracts their attention?
Brielle Yang of SilkCards says that effective hang tags include company information and details that a customer wouldn’t normally expect. For example, you may decide to explain how your product is made or describe the unique materials it’s made from. You also could add information about where the product is made and how that place supports the brand story, or how the brand originally came about. All of these details are unique to your brand, and they’re what help you stand out from competitors. Your clothing label and hang tag can work in conjunction to support a brand’s ideas and reinforce a strong, clear message.
Labels and Product Image
Your labels are an important aspect of your brand’s visual communication strategy. Pulkit Rastogi of I Love Fashion Retail explains that labels, brand tags, fabric material and fasteners all portray your product’s values visually. In professional product shots, these elements influence the buyer and leave a lasting impression.
Labels also provide your brand with an opportunity to establish emotional connections. StartUP FASHION explains “great branding offers acceptance, provides a sense of comfort, and yet challenges a customer. Branding inspires a customer on a level that is not solely about the brand.” And if you want to establish strong, emotional connections with your audience, it’s important that you understand their needs and desires.
Real Thread adds that understanding your audience is one of the most important aspects of owning a clothing brand. If your customers are outdoorsy and adventurous, they may desire clothing tags that are durable and simple. If you have an upscale, city-oriented audience, then it might make sense to choose a high quality tag that evokes class and luxury. Understanding your target market and how they go about their day can help guide you towards the right label and tag design.
Label and Tag Design
Regardless of which materials or styles you use, Print Aura explains that simple is always better. Rather than taking up the entire tag space with a long product description, keep it succinct. Choose a few key product features and summarize them in a handful of words for a powerful message that customers remember.
Color Psychology
All apparel companies should have a basic understanding of color psychology. Because no matter what color the clothes are, your branding materials and labels can make or break how a customer feels about your brand. Graphic designer Nick Spence reveals that a signature brand color can boost recognition by as much as 80 percent. If you want to establish security and trust — values that are especially important for selling clothing online — blue is the best color to choose. If your labels are a consistent blue color that align with the rest of your brand, for example, you’re much more likely to establish trust and stand out in customers minds.
If it’s excitement and independence you want to portray, red shades can do the trick. Smile.io explains that red is associated with passion, life and energy, so a red label could be well-suited for a brand seeking to define a new niche or be seen as a trendsetter in the industry. When it comes to creating happy customers who associate your product with joy, Help Scout says yellow might be the best choice. In fact, yellow is psychologically the happiest color in the entire spectrum.
But just because yellow evokes happiness doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your brand. If you’re marketing to children or millennials and your brand mission is about helping people enjoy life while they wear your clothes (a bathing suit or exercise company, for example) yellow could be a solid fit. If, on the other hand, you’re creating high end suits for corporate executives, yellow isn’t exactly aligned. Your label colors are also a part of establishing brand loyalty, because a customer will continue to rely on you to evoke a certain image once you’ve told that story through a color.
Eco-Friendly Options
If you’re an organic cotton shirt brand or a company committed to sustainable practices, a label made from an eco-friendly material can help reinforce your message. Lindsay Patton of One Green Planet says that hemp and soy are two plants that have minimal impact on animals and the environment. Creating labels from these materials can help reinforce your values as a brand committed to sustainability.
You can also communicate earth friendly commitments by letting your clothing label’s natural color shine. Author Marissa Stapley explains that organic cotton usually comes in pale, cream or light green naturally. Instead of following suit with other brands and dipping these labels in chemicals to change their colors, let their natural hues shine. These colors already evoke a sense of calm, so it’ll help reinforce your message.
Consistency
Another important way to communicate your values through labeling is to ensure that all labels are consistent. This helps a brand uphold its values and ensures that all customers receive the same brand message over time.
According to Retail Insider, having all of your clothing labels and hang tags designed by the same company is one way to ensure consistency. From the label color and material to its overall quality, working with a reliable manufacturer is key to sending a strong and consistent message. It’s easy to adopt a branding or label trend just because all of your competitors are. But adopting trends can have serious implications on your business if they don’t properly reflect your brand.
Images by: Tim Wright, Matthew Henry, Crew
The post How to Communicate Brand Values Through Apparel Tags and Labels appeared first on CBF Labels Inc.
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Let me guess:You have followed all the best tips found on the Interwebz.You create fresh content daily. You use the right hashtags. You post 3 times a day. You reply to everyone who comments on your posts.Yet.The number of followers on your Instagram account remains pitiful. You don’t even remember the last time your follower count went up.At this rate that this is going on, you are going to give up.How can Instagram be a profitable channel for your restaurant, if your number of followers don’t grow?Fret not.I am here to help.I reached out to several Instagram marketing experts, and got them to answer this one question:“If you were to grow a brand new Instagram account from zero followers to 10,000 followers in under 30 days, how would you do it?”Below are their answers.And I am 100% sure you will find something new to try… and skyrocket your Instagram following.1. Zach Benson (Assistagram)Powerliking methodCost $1200-$1700 a month, depends on how many likes per day 1-3x.What are powerlikes and why does it work?Powerlikes are likes/comments from a network of large accounts (100k+ accounts are considered large) as soon as your post goes live. The intent is to play into Instagram’s algorithm where a post’s first ten minutes are most crucial for gaining traction and determining how it’ll do in reaching beyond your current following.It works two-fold: By flooding traffic from the large accounts over to yours from the ‘Following’ tab, as well as triggering the algorithm to recognise that large accounts are enjoying that piece of content.This will not only increase the post’s reach to more of your current followers but increases its chances significantly in hitting the Explore page, where you’re reaching beyond your current audience and grow organically and quickly.Telegram groups/roundsTelegram is a messenger app that has become solely used for Instagram engagement groups. It’s hugely popular as you can code bots that take over the entire process for you, making everything automatic.Below are screenshots of arguably the best and most exclusive engagement group, XPLOR Rounds.Prerequisites: 80k+ followers, 2k+ likes per post avgNiche: General/allDirect message groups (free method)Create a DM engagement group of 15 people with similar accounts, niche and a high quality audience— in this strategy, multiple Instagram accounts help each other grow organically by mutually liking & commenting on their content. The larger the accounts participating, the more effective it is. You will need to be in 50-100 groups and participate constantly throughout the day, each and everyday.Better to hire a VA to do this.Shoutouts/giveaways/contestsNetwork with other big Instagram accounts in your niche and try and set up a giveaway contest with them. This is a great way to grow your following fast. By collaborating with a 3 million follower account and 300k + account, you could grow up to 2,500 -3,000 + in less than a week. For example, maybe you have a hotel page and want more travel followers, you could create a 2 night all inclusive stay in your best suite for 2, full-board. To be entered into the contest, you have to follow these accounts (the two large travel accounts and yours) and the more friends you tag, the higher chances of you winning. The set up price of these contests vary in price and could cost you anywhere from $500 to a couple thousand dollars. It just depends on who you know, like how big your network is and what you can offer these huge accounts in return to create a mutually beneficial business relationship.Post viral contentOpen up your Instagram app, look at whats on your Explore page tab. All viral videos and pictures with thousands and thousands of views and likes. Most of this content is what we call viral content, unique and original and “way out there”. The more open you are to posting viral content the higher chances you will have of going viral on instagram while using the above methods.Be consistentTo be good at anything, you must do it every single day. For example, you aren’t going to be an awesome sports player if you only play 1-2x a week. You have to practice each and every day. Same with social media, you have to be consistent and posting each and every day, respond to comments, direct messages, like and comment on your target market, do market research, research and rotate hashtags daily, participate in engagement groups, use Instagram lives, stories, etc and create original epic content. Easily 3-4 hours a day. If you don’t have time to do this, outsource it. Build your brand. Your name is your most important asset. Reputation is what other’s think you are. Character is what you are. Grow your following, provide great value for your fans, teach, inspire, give, give, GIVE and watch your circle of influence grow, network expand, and more opportunities will come your way. You will find that it’s a lot easier to negotiate anything, seal deals, pretty much do anything when you grow your following and brand. You are the brand. You are the commodity. Think of Instagram as your new name card, so when you are out and about and you meet someone, exchange biz cards but then say hey let’s stay in touch via Instagram, pull up your account on their phone and then they are like WOW you have 100k followers. You are legit! Definitely peaks their interest more and helps you stand out from everyone else they met that night.2. Nathan Chan (Foundr Magazine)I would research the market I’m looking to serve, then create great looking content and post 3x a day.Then I would find other Instagram pages that serve this target market and get them to share my content as much as possible from either paying, or working out reciprocal deals using my own accounts as leverage.Then I would find other big accounts that serve this niche and convince them to like and comment on my posts.Then I would run at least 2 competitions/giveways to get people to like and follow us – I would give away something that of super high value that would attract my target audience / niche – (that way we’re building a following of buyers too around this market).3. Alex ToobyMy answer will help you reach 10,000 REAL and TARGETED followers.. Not just any follower because what’s 10k followers worth if they’re not going to engage with your content or purchase your products or services?So having said that.. here’s my approach: if you want your account to take off quickly you need to create a feeling of authority – like you’ve been doing this for ages and have perfected every inch of your Instagram strategy. To do that you need to laser focus on what your account is all about. It shouldn’t be “food, fitness, healthy lifestyle, travel, etc” it should be just ONE of those thing.Niche down as far as you can then curate images that fall into a very specific theme.Aesthetics are everything.. are your images white and bright? dark and moody? are they all desaturated except for the pinks and greens? Figure out what your aesthetic “style” is and stick to it like glue.Upload a variety of photos to populate your feed, then post at least once per day moving forward. Select hashtags that aren’t too large (limit yourself to 5 tags that have over 1million posts associated with them) and write engaging captions that evoke a feeling, educate, or provide some sort of value to your audience.Then.. the most time consuming part. Put yourself out there and start engaging with your target market. Like, comment and follow as much as you can (without getting blocked by IG) in the most authentic way possible. Make real comments, start true conversations, show your audience that you’re a real person who cares and is present behind the account. You could easily spend upwards of 1 hour a day doing this.On top of this you can add SFS with complimentary accounts, run a giveaway, add relative content to your Instagram stories daily and go on IG live often to answer your audiences questions.Bottom line is – Be present! Show up, be authentic and provide value.Good luck!4. Ali Mirza (ISocialYou)I would piggyback on the giant. Let me explain…You are just starting out and have no audience. Right?But there are so many other people in your niche who are 10 steps ahead of you (with huge audiences).So reach out to them and ask them to feature you.Yes, you may have to pay a little bit but it’s totally worth it.If you pick the right influencers, their followers is your target audience also.So don’t hesitate to spend some money.Let’s create a step by step process so we can easily follow1 — Find 10–20 Instagram influencers in your niche2 — You can search on Instagram or use 3rd party tools (e.g. RightRelevant, Kear, Ninja Outreach)3 — Find the contact info of the owners. Note: If their contact info is public on their account, this means they open for business)4 — Reach out and find out how much their charge for a “shout out” or “feature post”5 — I would pick 10 and have them feature my brand new account. Then pick the best 3 to 4 best performing influencers and do it again.“You either build the audience from scratch or go to someone who already has the audience you need.”5. Leon Benjamin (TripleYourTribe)Here’s my answer.The main steps are 1. Who I’m looking to attract 2. My content + hashtags 3. Get easy quick followers 4. Shout campaign 5. Giveaway campaign 6. Engage with existing fans dailyFirst determine who’s my account for. And think about who else is serving them right now. What other instagram accounts are currently BIG that have them. I’d make a list of at least 30 of them who have over 40k followers and a fairly active comment section where discussions arise.Next, I’d find out what type of content those accounts put out thats interesting for them to engage with. Make at least 30 posts that are similar to those kinds of post and add a twist to them with my brand. The rest can be posts with quotes related to the market.Also from the previous listed accounts, scrape some of the hashtags that are in the medium range 20k-200k posts. And some in the more popular range +500k. From there I’d look a bit deeper to find more related tags through suggestions. From there, I schedule the posts with later.com to go out once per day. And another post uploaded manually. While rotating 60 hashtags across 2 posts per day. (that’s 30 tags per post. NOT 60 tags per post – which can get you into trouble!)Next, I’d ask my current network of friends, or fam to follow my new account. Just for the sake of growing momentum and some social proof.Now for the giveaway campaign. I’d create a document of value either from my knowledge or from interviewing influencers in the market or get an existing product of value (maybe around +100$) that that audience will want. Something thats related to the market. And offer it for free. In a giveaway. They would have to follow and tag in someone to enter for a chance to win. The winner would be announced on the last day of the 30 days. All participants receive part of the document or online product as well as a bonus.Then, while that’s being promoted in the account, I’d get others to share it as well. I’d reach out to that list found in step 1 and ask them to give us a shout on their page. In exchange, shout them out on my page, or give them something of value in return.While they promote the contest, I’d manually get traffic. The way I’d do that is by engaging (by liking or commenting or replying to stories) to the people who are active on the posts from accounts of list one.In summary, 1. find my audience, 2. the content they’d like, 3. the tags that attract them,4. Ask existing network for some social proof followers 5. Create a contest 6. Get shouts from relevant accounts 7. Manually engage with the marketThat could make me hit 10,000 followers easy. But in reality, hitting the 10k mark can be done by purchasing them.. however, would not make your account valuable to you or your market..What would be the most bang per buck (your buck being in terms of your energy and time), would be to have an engaged and interested following instead.So growing through the steps above, ensures you get interested followers. And less of the ones that unfollow you later.If you like more strategies recommended by 14 other top Instagram marketing influencers, you can read them here.
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