#casetifyartists

[casetifyresources]

Trend report: SS17 inspo PT2

We’re excited to bring you a second roundup of spring/summer trends we’ve been loving lately. Let these runway styles inspire you when creating new designs (but don’t copy!). 

1. Brighter than the sun 

From royal blue to sunshine yellow, rainbow-brights are so in this season. Our one rule? The bolder the better. Oh, and don’t be afraid to colorblock. 

2. Word play

We’ve been spotting sassy slogans everywhere lately. Whether you want to make a political statement or otherwise be extra sassy, the key is to keep your font simple, clean and easy-to-read. Mix it with a print if you absolutely have to. 

3. 80s glam

Time for a major throwback! Embracing the classic DIY look (think embroidery, ruching and statement sleeves), this trend is not for the faint of heart. We definitely see these pairing well with fashion illustrations. 

4. Pretty picnic staples

Once seen as only a picnic blanket print, gingham is officially taking over. SS17 You can make it either feminine or masculine because this classic look is pretty ambiguous. Word on the street is that straw bags will also be making a huge debut this season. Best of all, there’s a lot of room to play with different shapes and structures here. 

[casetifyresources]

Trend report: inspo for SPRING/SUMMER 2017

We’re already looking ahead to SS17--we’re especially loving the bold colors and poppy prints that have been gracing the runway. 

Below, we’ve rounded up a few of the trends that our team will be looking to feature starting today! 

Be inspired and upload your own take HERE. 

BLUSH + ROSE

RUNWAY ACCESSORIES

HAVANA NIGHTS

JUNGLE FLORALS

TROPICAL PARADISE

[casetifyresources]

Fashion forecast: trends for spring, summer and beyond + how to spot them

Let’s face it- what’s hot today might be old news by tomorrow, which is exactly why as a brand you always have to stay on top of the latest trends and create new designs to fit what consumers are looking for. 

Though navigating the fashion world may seem like a daunting task at first, it’s actually quite simple: just do your homework! 

What’s trending right now: 

Spring

Spring’s go-to color pallet? Pastels and soft, muted tones! You can never go wrong with floral prints either. This season is best known for its fresh blooms after all.  

We’ve also noticed that festival friendly looks (think seventies hippie meets Coachella) have been a hit in the media lately and your brand can get a piece of the action too. Run wild with paisley prints, elephants, and lace. 

Summer

Sunny days are ahead! Shoppers are looking for warm-weather essentials now so create and upload new summer-ready designs ASAP.  

We don’t know about you but we’ve been seeing all things tropical practically everywhere. Palm leaves and hibiscus prints are totally in right now and will continue to be throughout the summer. 

And just like that, this summer’s trends are also taking us to basically the opposite end of the climate spectrum: the desert. For the hip and trendy crowd, cactus and succulents are a must-have. 

Summer wouldn’t be summer without nautical favorites like stripes, anchors, seashells or sea creatures. Also take note that colorful geometric and abstract designs are back and here to stay! 

Prints and patterns not your thing? Go for quotes that scream summer instead with themes surrounding travel or adventure for example. 

Tip: Stay close to bold, vibrant colors that POP! For laid-back vacay vibes, pair shades of blue + white together. 

Beyond

So not that you’ve got your bases covered for this season and next, here’s how you can spot trends yourself the next time around:

1. Study influencers 

Immerse yourself in the world of fashion bloggers because these influencers are at the forefront of fashion and set trends for their millions of fans that are sure to follow in their footsteps. 

A quick Google search will set you in the right direction. There’s a huge variety of bloggers like artsy types, moms, hipsters, girly girls and street stylists. Find a few that stick out to you and relate to your brand and follow them on their social media. Pick up on what they style, as well as study what their fans are saying about it too.  

They’ve basically done the hard work for you by figuring out what looks good, so get inspired by not what just they wear but what they say in their captions as well. 

For example, refer to our photo below. Blogger Aimee Song of Song of Style (left) was one of many who showed off the marble trend and Casetify artist Natalie Liao drew inspiration from this by designing a white marble case (right). 

Tip: Visit websites that are dedicated to reporting on the latest trends like Who What Wear or magazine publications like Elle or Glamour. Study your favorite brands and see how you can emulate that style into your own designs. 

2. Stay current

Pay close attention to what’s going on in the media so you can reference pop culture the next time you’re coming up with something new. 'Don't Worry Be Yoncé, anyone? 

Keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s fashion-forward can inspire an entire collection of designs. Follow these tips and see for yourself how they can grow your sales! 

3. Plan ahead 

Stay ahead of the curve by keeping in mind upcoming holidays or significant life events. For example, we’re in the midst of graduation season and Father’s Day will be here before you know it.  

Tip: Align the rollout of your new designs accordingly and promote these at least a month in advance of the actual holiday so it’s on people’s radar. 

Image source

[casetifyresources]

Let’s get Pinteresting part 2: how to manage your visual blog

So you know how to create desire and bring products to life on Pinterest. But now what? 

The next step is learning exactly what to pin and when to pin in order to retain old customers, acquire new ones and ultimately increase the reach of your brand.

Pinterest Do’s: 

1. Put your best foot forward

Pinterest is your digital portfolio. When a new visitor lands on your page, you want to impress them so they stay on your page. That means publishing the best content you have. 

Remember: an average of 47 million pairs of eyeballs are on Pinterest every month. Pinners are 10% more likely to make a purchase compared to those on other social networks, which is even more reason to maintain an accurate representation of your design aesthetic. Provide a direct link so Pinners can shop that exact case, MacBook sleeve, watch band--you name it. 

Tip: Don’t go overboard and pin pages upon pages of your designs. Instead, carefully select ones with different audiences in mind (i.e. Pinterest mommies, DIY enthusiasts, fashionistas, etc.) and organize them into categorized or themed boards. 

2. Share your P[inspiration]

Get personal! While you should be working hard self-promoting your products, it’s also important not to lose sight of what makes you unique. Create boards and pin things that you love, find interesting or inspiring. There’s more to you, the artist, than meets the eye.

3. Show off the creative process

Pinterest is the perfect space to share your visual story and to connect on a deeper level with your fans. 

It’s here where you can share behind-the-scenes goodness that customers can’t really find elsewhere. Let Pinners take a peek at your work space for instance, or tease sketches or projects that are in the works. This helps to create buzz and build hype! 

4. Return the favor

Engage, engage, engage! Growing relationships with customers is so important in making sales so it’s important to always be on their radar. Re-pin content from your followers and give them permission to pin to your boards as well. Plus, if you keep up a good rep with your followers, more likely than not they’ll refer you to their friends- this is HUGE! 

Tip from Julia Di Sano (ebiemporium): “Try to connect with other artists and cross-promote each other's pins and follow each other's boards/accounts. Follow back on many of the accounts that follow you, since people love to be followed back.”

Image source

5. Be a know-it-all + cover your bases 

Make sure you’ve got the best times to post on Pinterest down pact. Thankfully, researchers have made our jobs easy by getting it down to a science. 

Post between 5-30 posts per day. Try Pinning on Saturdays and in the afternoons and evenings. 

Tip: Promote that you’re on Pintereset on your other social pages, preferably your more popular ones, because your fans may be unaware that it exists. Do this more than once! 

That’s it! You’re ready to rock ‘n roll. Start pinning HERE.

[casetifyresources]

Let’s get Pinteresting part 1: how to maximize your earning potential

Get ready because we’re about to make a bold statement: Pinterest has the potential to be your best social e-commerce tool yet. 

Why? Users login to this visual discovery tool with the mindset to shop. In other words, they come prepared to “add to cart”. Orders have increased by 79% since last year and the average order value hovers around $60. In fact, Pinterest drives more web traffic than any other social network. Wowzers!

Pinners look to Pinterest to plan and organize their future: the things they want to do, the places they want to go and products they want to buy so we’d say it’s pretty important that you know how to absolutely own it.  

The most successful pins: 

1. Inspire desire

Carefully styled photos will prompt customers to make a purchase because jaw-dropping visuals make customers feel like they can’t live without your product. Pin unique content that YOU create and that can’t be found anywhere else. 

Aspect ratio: Stay tall. Use vertical pins with a 2:3 to 1:3.5 aspect ratio and minimum width of 600px. Images that aren’t vertical get shrunk within Pinterest’s platform. With a taller aspect ratio, you’ll be able to stand out and take up more real estate on the site. Look at what a difference it can make, above. 

Lifestyle shots: Taking pretty photos takes time but it’s worth it: you’ll find what resonates with your audience and how to improve your account’s performance. 

What to avoid: Stray away from pinning dark or distracting photos. Simplicity is key. For tips on how to take great photos, refer to our mobile photography tips. Where to grab product photos: Pin professional, good-looking photography and visuals located on Casetify’s Facebook or Instagram. 

Multi-product shots: Give Pinners the full picture by pinning photos with multiple designs. If you provide users different options within one photo, you’ll appeal to a wider audience and drive up your click rates. Though a customer might not like one of the designs pictured, he or she might like another one. 

Text overlay: Work around a clear theme and add some text overlay like our example below. California Lovin’ + the corresponding designs scream laidback west coast vibes.  

2. Bring products to life 

Since you’re selling online, Pinners can’t see or hold the physical product in their hands so you have to help them imagine what it would be like to own your product through a detailed description. 

Details: Give Pinners a reason to click by making pin descriptions informative and useful. Mention the most compelling aspects of the product like its features but don’t reveal everything- hint at what more there is to find if they click through to your brand’s website or in this case, your Casetify store. Always provide a soft call-to-action like “shop the entire collection” or “free standard shipping worldwide”. You want customers to act, not just view your products. 

Tip from artist Julia Di Sano (ebiemporium): “The details should all be relevant and it's best to think like a shopper or buyer and use descriptors you think someone might type into a search bar when looking for products similar to your item.”

Limit hashtags: Not only is it annoying for users, but it actually leads customers away from your store when customers click on the hashtag in your description. 

There’s more to come! Stay tuned for Let’s Get Pinteresting (Part 2). 

[casetifyresources]

How-to: Use Facebook to your advantage

With over 1.4 billion active users (say wha?!), Facebook is the social platform. If you’re wondering how to your grow your brand through Facebook, thumbs up! You’ve come to the right place.

Here are a few pointers:

1. Less is more 

Posts with less than 80 characters receive 66% more likes and comments compared to lengthier ones so it’s okay to be straight to the point. Don’t confuse the reader! 

Tip: Always provide a call to action. EX: Shop here: casetify.com/myawesomestore

2. Size matters

Post photos that are 1200 x 628. Not only do images look better in the feed, but they perform better too. Sit back, relax and watch the likes and comments roll in.

Tip: Try creating a 4 square photo using images of your phone cases. This is a super easy way to show off what ya got, multiple cases at a time. (Rec’d tool: Fotor)  

3. Let’s get personal 

Connect with your fans! Start a conversation and ask questions or make the them feel extra special by ‘liking’ any comments they leave on posts. After all, Facebook is a social space. 

Tip: Get people excited by hosting a giveaway with the referral codes you’ve built up. Refer more now here. 

4. Purchase ads

You can’t sell a product to someone that doesn’t know you exist: this is where Facebook ads come in. Ads start at as little as $1 per day and help target a specific demo by geographic area, age, gender or interest to name a few. 

Tip: Start small by investing in a short-term ad to see if it works and go from there.

Ready to get things started? Let’s GO! 

Image source

[casetifyresources]

Build your brand: why you should be your own marketing machine

Everyone knows what a brand is. Google, Starbucks, McDonald’s. But here's something to chew on: as an artist selling products to consumers, you (the artist!), are your own brand too.

Whether selling on the Casetify platform is a hobby or full-time job, you must embody what it means to be the owner of your business. It’s 2015, social media is on the rise and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Managing your online presence and controlling how people see your brand is no longer an option—what you sell and how you sell it says a lot about you.

Think of it as being your own PR and marketing guru. Who better to represent you, than you?

Here’s why social media is your friend:

1. It gets your name out there

Social media is the easiest way to increase your visibility. 

Posting beautiful images of your designs spurs conversation. Word of mouth marketing works wonders when a referral is made between one source to another. This snowballs into something much greater. The best part? You did it for free.  

2. It makes sales 

Let’s face it. Practically everyone is on social media. Post lifestyle images that these people are going to want to shop like the one below. All you need is Photoshop! 

Tip: Provide a link to your Casetify store and a call to action with words like “explore” or “shop”. Feel free to grab and post images from our Instagram, use the flyers that we send you via email or create your own.

3. Figure out what your fans like!

Treat social media as a space where you can study and engage with your audience. Each comment, click or like can provide valuable insight that you can use to improve the effectiveness of your content.

Ask engaging questions or share witty quotes in your captions to get more likes. Don’t be afraid to switch things up!

Tip: use tools like Iconosquare to track the type of content that resonates with your customers.

4. Reach bigger audiences through influencers

Connecting with influencers (bloggers, techies or even friends with a large social following) is one of the most valuable ways to tap into a wider audience.

Who is someone you follow that would love your design? Reach out to them and ask if they want to try out a case so that they can share it on their feed. 

Tip: use Casetify referral credit you’ve built up

Remember that building your empire through social media doesn’t happen overnight. Keep at it until you find what works!

Questions? Email our artist relations point-person: [email protected]  

Image source: CarbonStamps

[casetify]

Pinning With a Purpose: How Casetify Artists Should Utilize Pinterest

With more than 70M+ users currently using Pinterest, it comes as no surprise that this powerful visual discovery tool can be used to drive traffic to your online portfolio and Casetify store. Casetify is on Pinterest and here are a few reasons why we think our artists should be too: 

1. Boooost your Casetify sales:

Pinterest users are already in the mindset of shopping. There's a correlation of those artists who promote their cases on Pinterest, have higher number of sales. Best part? It's so easy to pin: go to your Casetify collection and click on the "Pin It" red icon. 

2. Use Pinterest as a digital portfolio of your Casetify phone cases:

Since it heavily relies on attention-grabbing visuals, Pinterest is a great space to upload and share your designs from past and present, including your new iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus cases. You never know who may stumble upon them! When pinning a picture of one of your designs on one of our cases, don’t forget to tag #casetify and provide a link to your online store. 

3. P[inspiration]: 

Keep what inspires you all in one place using boards (albums or collections with a theme) so that Pinners can see too. Show your true colors- be yourself and pin things that you love and find interesting, not just self-promotional items. Get personal! 

4. Show off the creative process:

Allow your followers to see the design process from start to finish! Have a cool work space? Snap a picture and pin it! We love seeing where the creative juices flow.

For more tips n’ tricks for navigating Pinterest, read this by our friends over at Yahoo. Happy pinning!