Building up its supply chain and internal management software, Shein reinvented the model set by Zara and H&M and created a mega instant fashion enterprise. Nowadays, Shein sells over 600,000 products to more than 220 countries. In this part, we investigate how Shein wins the heart of Gen-Z through its social media marketing strategies and localization.

Shein Girls: User-Generated Content (UGC)

This online-only fashion brand is rather low profile in her marketing strategies, no mega advertisement on TV, no superstar brand ambassador, not even one single physical store. And yet, Shein’s ubiquitous online presence is found on Tiktok, Instagram, and Youtube. 

Being the most-hyped TikTok fashion brand, you will find millions of posts with the hashtag #sheinhaul, in which teen users share multiple Shein looks on the platform. This unique hashtag has accumulated over 3.3 billion views on Tiktok which has over 2.8 million followers. [1]

“Shein haul” is a search keyword with over 24,000 results on YouTube. Influencers review Shein’s clothes in the videos which give Shein massive exposure on the platform. Under US$100 SHEIN Try-On Haul is a very popular title for content creators to get attention from young viewers. This can create dramatic effects by trying on dozens of clothes with a budget of US$100 which the millennials love to watch. 

Multilingual Websites And Localization

The development of multilingual websites has created a chance for international brands to expand their influence globally. With the growing maturity of branding localization, it gives high flexibility to align with the target audience’s culture and habits. Furthermore, it opens up multiple new markets for brands to explore. Shein now offers over 30 languages on the site drawing over 50% of her site traffic from foreign markets. [2]

By utilizing the superpower of social media, Shein created Instagram pages for each major country, such as Japan, Singapore, the US, and Malaysia. Shoppers prefer brands that speak their language and feature the face of a KOL that they have seen and heard. It also allows Shein to better localize the fashion trends in that particular country. Based on the clothing styles and trending looks in each region, Shein creates a unique catalogue to match the locals’ preferences. On top of that, the multilingual expansion facilitates a local affiliate program where websites, companies, and influencers can join without language barriers. 

In-Apps Attraction And Massive Reviews

Shein highly encourages users to engage in the apps through gamification, rewarding customers with points for frequent visits, as well as writing reviews to earn points. The massive amount of reviews on Shein apps are unheard of. A piece of popular clothes can easily accumulate over 6000 reviews with user try-on images. Another hook from Shein is pop-up coupons and flash sales which customers will constantly check in to collect attractive deals. 

At the valuation of 15 billion USD, Shein has achieved over 100% annual growth in profit for 8 years in a roll. [3,4] Shein undercuts her rivals with rock bottom price, social network analysis, localization, and user-orientated marketing strategies making her conquer the leading position in the fast fashion industry in 2021.