Ann Inc.'s Loft is attempting to ramp up its followers and raise awareness of its spring clothing lines by rolling out a photo contest on mobile application Instagram over the course of seven days, proving that establishing an emotional connection with consumers on social media is still key for clothing retailers.

Loft, which is the sister brand of Ann Taylor, is geared more towards millennial working women, prompting its decision to leverage a popular photo-sharing tool to fuel users to upload photos with a specific hashtag that can then be curated for its Web site. Many retailers are employing the strategy of pulling fans? outfit posts from social media and reposting on their sites to offer visitors real-life examples of how pieces can be worn or mixed and matched.

?According to research from Forrester, 87 percent of Instagram users are under the age of 35 and 55 percent are female,? said David Naumann, director of marketing at Boston Retail Partners, Boston. ?An Instagram contest is a perfect fit for the female millennial Loft shoppers who are fashion-conscious, heavy Instagram users and appreciate the thrill of a deal.?

Skill-based contest
Loft is starting a social media blitz by asking users to follow its daily prompt posted on its Instagram account, and tag their uploaded photos with the #liveinwhatyoulovecontest hashtag. Winners will be chosen each day based on the skill sets demonstrated in the photographs.

The composition accounts for 35 percent of the judging score, with 35 percent and 30 percent dedicated to how well entrants answer the challenge and the photo?s clarity, respectively. Consumers are also asked to check Instagram daily to ensure that they do not miss a prompt.

The contest is in its third day, with the campaign expected to culminate on April 13. Users must be following the @loft handle to be eligible, as well as have a public Instagram profile.

The first day?s challenge featured the brands showcasing a puppy wearing two hair scrunchies, and asked fans to post an image of their favorite spring outfit with the designated hashtag. The prize for each challenge enables the winner to select their favorite Loft accessories for springtime, up to a $140 value.

The hashtag currently has almost 500 posts over the course of two days.

However, some experts believe that the retailer could be even better-poised for a successful spring season if it also showcased some of its new styles as part of the contest.

?Asking the customers to show you themselves is not bad, but I?d prefer they lead with company products and then have their clients show how they mixed and matched to their best advantage,? said Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at Retail Systems Research, Miami, FL.

Social media influencers
The brand is also teaming up with various social media influencers for guest judging opportunities. On the second day challenge, Loft partnered with popular food blogger Jeanine Donofrio, asking users to share what their snack of the day was.

Ms. Donofrio has nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram.

The retailer also posted a photo of one of Ms. Donofrio?s snacks, avocado toast, to entice consumers to eat a healthy snack and upload their carefully crafted photos.

An increasing amount of brands is tapping social media influencers and bloggers for cross-marketing opportunities, due to their ability to resonate with the millennial crowd.

A Schick executive at the 2015 Mobile Marketing Association Forum New York affirmed that tapping social media influencers on YouTube catapults the effectiveness and reach of mobile video advertising, provided that the influencers are allowed creativity to expand on the brand?s message (see story).

?Many shoppers are using photos on social media to get feedback from their friends to help guide their purchase decisions based on ?likes? and it is becoming a hot trend for fashion purchases,? Mr. Naumann said. ?Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform and it is a great promotional vehicle to increase the awareness for visual products like clothing.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York