Twitter is “so last season” as Instagram steals the show at #LFWAW16

Everything we have come to associate with London Fashion Week, from the "frow" to the exclusive behind-closed-doors events has been pushed aside in the digital revolution. Designers now focus on live streaming shows and allowing clothes to be bought straight off the catwalk.

Social media has played a key part in this revolution, but with a huge choice of channels available, retailers need to carefully consider the social networks that best suit their brand and that reaches their target shoppers.

For the first time, London Fashion Week was more about Insta-style than Twitter-trends with four times more posts being shared on Instagram than Twitter. It’s no surprise that fashionistas are attracted by the visual emphasis that comes with Instagram. It’s possible to get an instant feel for the key trends and designs straight from your mobile phone.

This increasing popularity of the photo-sharing platform will make Instagram the social media channel of choice for instant access to engaged shoppers, with users drawn in by captivating imagery being shared by designers, celebs and attendees.

Instagram announced in February that it has reached more than 200,000 advertisers since opening up the platform in September. A clear sign that brands have cottoned on to Instagram’s popularity and potential. The visual nature of the platform means that brands are able to showcase their products and sell a lifestyle, in one upload.

On the flipside, Twitter has become “so last season” with fashion fans. The Greenlight Digital research found only 1,718 Twitter mentions using #LFW2016 in the lead up to London Fashion Week 2016, compared with over 6,000 Twitter mentions using #LFW2015. Twitter’s declining popularity at London Fashion Week could be attributed to the platforms well documented, waning popularity.

In light of this, savvy fashion retailers are directing marketing efforts towards Instagram instead of Twitter. Heralded as “the shop window of the future”, Instagram offers marketers incredible promise to grow and attract their audiences, as well as influence and enable consumer purchases.