My recent discussions about niche marketing and Facebook and Instagram come full circle!
My recent discussions about niche marketing and Facebook and Instagram come full circle! Yes, it’s time to look at a boutique (that’s fancy talk for a small-scale outfit) clothing operation that is thriving because its co-owners picked a very precise market that’s experiencing steady growth and then turned to social media to bring an international buying audience within reach.
Let’s take a moment to get to know So Mote It Be Clothing. Its name comes from a phrase commonly used by Freemasons. Freemasons? Don’t they have secret handshakes n’ stuff? Maybe. But what’s certain is that the co-owners of So Mote It Be Clothing are putting a fresh, modern spin on some centuries-old emblems, logos, and traditions. Seriously, their designs are so squared away that any traveling man would have a hard time not giving his pocketbook a secret handshake!
Modern? Aren’t Freemasons mostly old timers? Well, more and more young men are joining the fraternal organization all the time, and those guys are the ones So Mote It Be Clothing is targeting with its apparel. It just so happens that co-owners Jason Michaels and Chris Alsip are 30 and 36 years old, respectively, and are very active in the fraternity.
Michaels and Alsip are fairly new to the garment game, but in a short time have fielded numerous orders domestically and from overseas—we’re talkin’ England, Scotland, Italy, Australia, and more. The duo hooked up with social media to help promote their brand. They also use a very clean, straightforward e-commerce platform and conduct all of their business electronically. These solutions keep their costs way down—an important factor, because the clothing business isn’t their primary source of income.
So Mote It Be Clothing maintains an active presence on Instagram and Facebook and has roughly 900 combined followers so far, many of whom are customers. Michaels and Alsip post updates about merchandise, photos of the clothing, and pictures of people goofing around and having fun while wearing threads from So Mote It Be Clothing. And what’s more, the co-owners promote charitable giving—a key part of Freemasonry—by donating a portion of proceeds from their sales. Not only is that the right thing to do in general, but it also demonstrates that these guys know the market.