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23.01.2022 WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO? Do you know your ideal customer inside out? Do you know what they're reading, who they follow and if they have a glitter ball in their lounge (for those impromptu after parties)? If not, your creative messaging may not be hitting your target customer and that's a huge waste of your time. Download this free Customer Persona Workbook and get deeply familiar with who you're talking, which will help you craft copy that connects. Bedazzling your customer persona is optional, but recommended

22.01.2022 Hashtags; can’t live with them, can’t grow quickly on Instagram without them. If you’re hashtagging on the hop because sitting down to create a hashtag strategy for your responsible fashion business feels like too much work, then I know EXACTLY how you feel. How so? ... Because I went and researched 101 hashtags for responsible fashion folk like me and you and it took me AGES! One million and five hours in fact. I researched hashtags for quality, checking that: They’re relevant to our niche They’re not overrun by annoying bots [] They’re (mostly) under 1m in density meaning your content has a much better chance of being seen by those it’s meant for. So if you really don’t want to spend hours upon hours traipsing through Instagram’s hashtag laneways to find great ones to build your strategy around, then you can buy this from my shop for $27. What you get: A library of 101 hashtags for responsible fashion folk arranged by density of under 10k up to under 1m (and a few over 1m for good measure). This is in Excel and ready to plug ’n’ play, so you can add in your own hashtags and custom build your own brilliant hashtag sets. A 10 page guide on the lowdown on hashtags, seven steps to building your hashtag strategy and how to use your hashtag library right now and well into the future. Your content seen by the right people BONUS: You’ll save one million and five hours doing this research yourself. Keen? I’ve popped the link in the first comment if you want to have a look. Got any questions? DM me.

21.01.2022 Righto you lot. Which one of you chose ‘bonkers’ for your word of the year? Wasn’t me. I picked ‘growth’. And while my business did indeed grow, it wasn’t quite in the way I had intended. I won’t try to put into words what 2020 has been, because it’s been different things to different people. ... But I will say this: you people are incredible and you’ve impressed the hell out of me with your ingenuity, grit and kindness in 2020. You did it! Give yourself a pat on the back. (Socially distanced) hugs to all my friends, family, clients, and global community. I hope you get a little bit of what you need this Christmas and New Year, and armfuls of what you want for 2021. Merry flippin’ everything Joanna. x

21.01.2022 If you follow the common etiquette of reposting, tagging and crediting an image on your social channels [and you know you have!], you're missing an essential step. Read this little nugget of truth from Girl Friday IP and save yourself a hefty copyright fine.

21.01.2022 SLOW LIVING + RESPONSIBLE FASHION go hand in hand. So it was a joy to chat with Rachelle from the How To Live Slow podcast about the ways that any of us can make more responsible fashion choices, a wee bit at a time. Put this one on your playlist if you want to know more about how you can take little steps to making better fashion choices. Or if you just want to hear my very Scottish voice nattering on for half hour. ... Link in the comments

20.01.2022 Better fashionably late than never. There are a few new folks around here so I thought it was about time I swung past with a wee (re)introduction. I’m Joanna and if you’re one of the good souls championing for positive change in the fashion industry, then I like the cut of your jib. ... You already know I’m a social media strategist for responsible fashion folk, but you may be wondering how the hell I got here. Me too! My lightening bolt of love for responsible fashion started almost ten years ago when I left my ad agency role in social media and copywriting and decided to go solo with it, which is when Caravan Creative was born. BUT at the same time- very naively - I also took on a ‘side gig’ (Spoiler: it was NOT a side gig) My ’side gig’ was as a partner in a multi-faceted Melbourne-based business that included: A retail store for locally made independent fashion labels and vintage collections A sewing lounge with a program of vintage-inspired sewing classes A monthly market for indie fashion labels, local design and vintage sellers Yep. Naive. And because some lessons need to be learned twice, I also threw in another side gig a few years later when I owned a pop-up fashion market for ethical and sustainable indie fashion labels, vintage and preloved fashion. Can you spot the theme happening here? Yep. It dawned on me that maybe, just maybe, I should stop making life difficult for myself and drop the side gigs. So instead I brought my two loves together; social media sorcery and all all things responsible fashion. And it’s an absolute thrill to be dedicated to helping elevate the voices of those folks who are making positive changes across the fashion landscape. It took me a while (ahem: nearly 10 years). But I got here when I could. What about you? Did the course of your true calling run this smoothly? PS. If you want to know how HRH Prince Charles was involved in my foray into fashion, click the link in the first comment to find out. Hyggelig Photography #melbournefashion #wearyourvalues #ethicalfashion

19.01.2022 Download your Customer Persona Workbook here https://www.caravancreative.com.au/customer-persona-workbook

18.01.2022 COUTURE IN THE TIME OF COVID Melbourne designer Kara Baker: I wonder if I could take my usual salon-style cocktail fashion preview, present it live online and sell without having an online store? Me: Hold my beer ... [Did someone say P-I-V-O-T?] With Melbourne’s stage 3 restrictions in place, in-person events are a no-go. But style sleeps for no one in Melbourne and the fashion show must go on. So I sat down with Kara on a video call and we planned out the digital aspects of the launch; the idea was to retain as many features of her in-person cocktail party preview parties as possible. Kara set a date, the RSVPs rolled in, and over two Zoom sessions, groups of new and exisiting clients gathered to see what Kara’s ready-to-wear collection, High Spirits, had in store for them. Inspired by the idea of post-pandemic dressing; when we’re ready to burn our leggings and reconnect with friends in the sunshine, this collection was all about loose fitting, cool cotton and joyful colours. Miss Pearls from Madame Brussels Cocktail Bar MELBOURNE created a simple but very delicious at-home cocktail for guests to make, which was included in the pre-event email. Throughout the preview, Kara narrated the inspiration and construction of each piece, and told stories of how she acquired her incredible archive of vintage fabrics as the model showed the key pieces from the collection. The full catalogue was dropped into the Zoom chat box for guests to look at in between outfit changes. Guests shared their thoughts and questions in the chat box. And after the preview there was a Q&A where guests could ask more about each garment and request the model to try on other items from the catalogue. We’d set a sales target We should have set a higher one because OMG within 12 hours Kara had sold 5 X the amount that we’d aimed for. This was one of her most successful launches ever! But not only that, what was absolutely gorgeous to see what the interaction between the guests, in the chat box and during the Q&A. It was such a lovely interactive event and the feedback from guests was brilliant. This was a really fun event for me to work on, ticking both my boxes of digital geekery and responsible fashion. Did I buy anything? Why yes, I bought two gorgeous cotton dresses that you can expect to see more of in the coming months. Swing past Kara Baker Couture for the catalogue going live this week. #madeinmelbourne #melbournefashion #responsiblefashion

17.01.2022 As designers and makers of slow, ethical, sustainable fashion, your designs have more longevity than your fast fashion counterparts. And you have greater opportunity to repurpose your content for much longer. Instagram Reels is an incredible channel to do this with. So Spend a little bit of time being creative and making a mini fashion film on Reels to showcase on one or two key pieces.... And then share it across your other channels over the coming weeks and months. Just like your fashion choices, let the emphasis of your content be quality over quantity. Share that into your Stories Link it in an email to your list Share it in the DMs when someone messages you about it Feature it in a curated guide Share that guide in your Stories and to your email list Link it in your email signature or sign up than you email. Share it in your Stories again. And again... Have you been using Reels for your fashion business? DM it to me, I'd love to see it. PS: There are three spots left for my live social media coaching program for responsible fashion folk starting 28 January. More in the comments... #ethicalfashionaustralia #melbournefashion #ethicallymadeclothing

16.01.2022 SUSTAINABLE SPIDER SILK ANYONE? Want to know how to 'milk' a spider for its silk? Have a listen to this episode from The Wardrobe Crisis podcast by Clare Press, it's utterly fascinating. ... Would you work with spider silk? Or does it give you the heebie jeebies?

15.01.2022 'Email marketing is dead' 'Except that it’s not. It’s very much alive and running barefoot along the beach, driving traffic and sales for those that use it creatively.' This blog unpacks all the reasons you tell yourself why you're not growing your email list and turns them on their head.

15.01.2022 ALLY IS A VERB, NOT A NOUN Hello Seven Business Coach Rachel Rodgers and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant Ericka Hines are generously hosting a live streamed town hall event to help small business owners like us to listen, learn and commit to building equitable, anti-racist organisations. This is a really important conversation. D'you want to be part of it? Click the link below to sign up It's FREE. #blacklivesmatter

14.01.2022 WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF FASHION LOOK LIKE? I'll be chatting live with Julia AKA Style Shifter Media about this very topic, from reCommerce to adaptive clothing, on Instagram Live at 7pm AEDT on Wednesday 4 November. Tune in over here https://www.instagram.com/style.shifter/ What do you want to see from fashion in the future? Let me know in the comments and it may find it's way into our discussion ... #ethicalfashion #thefutureoffashion #melbournefashion

11.01.2022 Happy 9th Birthday to this little business of mine I was meant to be celebrating it sipping on flowing wine and nibbling on a delish grazing platter with some friends who’ve been with me along the way. But in the spirit of how things roll these Covid days, I’ve pivoted the party to have a roller disco cocktail hour for one in my home. There’s Donna Summer playing on the record player, Martinis and a little birthday cake for one ... And while right now is a very weird time to be in business, I wouldn’t swap it for a regular job, ever. Big thanks to all of the wonderful people I’ve worked with so far in this business. A special disco shout out goes to my social media sidekicks past and present, Anna, Ash and Rachel, Ami for being an amazing digital work wife, Tam and KK who are the best co-working crew anywhere in Melbourne, and of course every single client who has engaged me to work with them. Martini’s for everyone! Joanna xx See more

11.01.2022 Melbourne sustainable stylist and climate activist Nina of Eco Styles is featured in this list of responsible fashion folks to follow from Australian Style Institute. And the OG climate activist and influencer who was doing this work years before Instagram was a thing is on there too. Click to see who it is.

11.01.2022 IS THE OFFICE DEAD? Office life as we know it looks to be long gone for many of us. Bye bye commute - yay! - bye bye workmates - boo! Team Caravan has always had a flexible approach to the workplace Laptop Passport Wifi connection ... But for those of you less enamoured with the digital nomad lifestyle, what does the future look like for your office space and how do you feel about it? See more

09.01.2022 Hands up if you find yourself lost for words when it comes to writing really good social media captions? Well the Caption Kickstart is here to give you a hand and pull you out of the Caption Copy Black Hole (it’s a thing) It’s a caption-writing framework that uses simple copywriting tricks and classic storytelling structure to guide you from start to finish, quickly and confidently.... Smug feeling of achievement is optional Get it here https://www.caravancreative.com.au/caption-kickstart-free-o

09.01.2022 How fashion brands can use Instagram carousels for richer storytelling and better engagement. AND learn how to make your carousel content go further by reusing, recycling and repurposing. . . .... #instagramtips #ethicalfashion #responsiblefashion #sustainablefashion See more

08.01.2022 CREATIVE BUSINESS PLANNING: Stuck at a hurdle in your craft business and hankering after a bit of guidance? Joanna's first workshop of the year is with Craft members to help them move the needle forward. We will: Think strategically about your business... Look at your vision, objectives and direction Assess where you are at now Make a productive action plan Keen as a bean? Click for more details.

07.01.2022 Do your attempts at writing your own copy go something like this: You start writing and then quickly hammer on the delete key because your word jumble made you cringe. Then you try again but this time with a genius new angle and, eww, that’s rubbish! Delete delete... And repeat. Don’t put yourself through this time-sucking, soul-scratching painful ordeal again if you don’t have to. Crafting copy is more than putting one word in front of another. It’s your brand voice It’s writing to that one specific person It’s understanding what’s bugging them right now It’s showing them what that will look like if they don’t deal with it It’s offering them a solution It’s making them feel something It’s leading them on a journey It’s what they want to hear, not simply what you want to say... And if trying to write your own copy is taking up all your hours and minutes that you should be spending on the thing that you came here to do, it’s time to think about getting a copywriter on your team Word slinging is our thing. We get our kicks from bending and shaping words into the stories they want to tell. We can help you with: Writing your bio Writing your about page Your web copy Blog content And just about anything that needs words to entertain, educate, connect and sell. If you want to know more about working with a copywriter then go have a wander around on our website and get a feel for how we can help. www.caravancreative.com.au And if you’ve got any questions, you can pop them into Messenger or email

06.01.2022 Define your business goals. That's the secret. Because when you know where you are and where you want to be, you can map out the exact steps you need to get you there. Here's how to develop consistent content as part of your strategy that'll bring your audience along for the ride and turn them into customers and brand advocates ... 1. Define your business goals for the next month or quarter. All business goals are ultimately to make sales but there are different moving parts of your business that drive those sales that you can set goals for. GOAL: If you’re a small boutique fashion label with thousands of followers on your social channels but just a couple hundred on your mailing list, you might decide that your goal is grow your list to 1000 emails. 2. Develop content ideas that will help get you there. Come up with a seriously tempting and valuable offer that’s only available to people on your mailing list: OFFER VALUE: An exclusive VIP 30% discount code that’s ONLY for VIPs on your list. 3. Plan out your month’s content in advance. Map out all your content in a content calendar or planner. I’ve used an Excel month view calendar in the past but I’m currently using (and loving) Asana for it’s easy drag n drop function. Create a mix of content that offers VALUE, CONNECTION and PROMOTION. CONTENT IDEA: For instance, you may post a carousel of a bestselling garment and three ways to style it (providing VALUE to your audience). On that post, mention that if they’re a subscriber on your list they can get 30% off this with an exclusive code to be used in August. 4. Batch your content Posting on the hop can be very hit and miss. So get intentional and strategic about it. IMPLEMENT: Block out some time once a week or month to create and schedule your content in advance. Take time to get your captions and call to actions (CTA) right so that each post does what you want it to - drive engagement, start a conversation, take action... Creating good content, consistently, as part of your overall social media strategy will take you to where you're trying to get to. Got any questions? Pop them in the comments below or send me a DM. I'm always up for a chat. . . . #contentmarketing #socialmediatips #ethicalfashion #responsiblefashion #sustainablefashion See more

05.01.2022 PODCAST GOLD: If you're afraid of selling () this Steph Taylor podcast with sales coach Bay Bradfield drops more than a few a-ha moments that will make the process less painful and more fruitful for you.

04.01.2022 Gather 'round, responsible fashion folk! If social media feels like one big mystery and you've been trying all the tactics but nothing seems to be working, then this is for you. My Signature Style Strategy coaching program is designed to get you clued-up and confident in six jam-packed sessions. ... You'll come away with a 30+ page signature strategy that's unique to your brilliant business and will be your guide to take you from where you're at to where you want to be. This program is designed for fashion and accessories designers, vintage and preloved fashion sellers, stylists and make up artists and other business owners who are treading responsibly within the world of fashion. The wait list is now open. I've dropped the link in the comments to find out more. And hey, if you've got any questions at all, send me a DM and we'll chat. Joanna . . . . #ethicalfashion #responsiblefashion #sustainablefashion

04.01.2022 STEP AWAY FROM THE CANVA TEMPLATE and close your content calendar. There are other (easier) ways responsible fashion folk like you can get more engagement on Instagram without creating more content The link is the comments Have a read and let me know what you think. And if you've got engagement tricks of your own, let me know - drop them in the comments or DM me.... . . . #instagramtips #ethicalfashion #responsiblefashion #sustainablefashion

04.01.2022 A brilliant PSA to the Melbourne fashion community: Melbourne Fashion Hub has been launched as an open access program to support new and recent fashion graduates toward pathways to starting a fashion brand as well as a retail space where emerging designers can connect with their customers and the wider fashion community. This is the first of it's kind in Australia and is a really exciting initiative for our new, talented designers.... Watch the video and follow MFH for updates on how you can get involved.

02.01.2022 This is why I do what I do. It’s a real thrill to see my brilliant clients gain confidence on social media and really make themselves at home in their digital spaces. Like Belinda from Chasing Springtime who worked with me to understand how to showcase her brand on social media in a way that really connects with her audience.... The results? More followers, more engagement, more customers. And that means Belinda gets to do what she came here to do: to make women feel fabulous in their clothes everyday with clever and highly wearable fashion that's also kind to people and planet along the way. How. Nice. Is. That? PS, the waitlist for my Signature Style Strategy coaching program is open and I’ll be taking bookings in a few weeks. DM me if you want me to put you on the list or give me a wave / in the comments if you want me to drop the link to find out more about it. #madeinmelbourne #melbournefashion #melbourneiloveyou

01.01.2022 Pssst! Guess who's been asked back by Craft Victoria to run another business planning workshop? I'll also be hosting an advice clinic where you can book in for a 15 minute slice of one-on-one time to gain some clarity on how to get from where you are to where you want to be. When, where & how ... 10 November 2020: The Business of Craft business planning webinar 17 November 2020: Professional development advice clinic This time around it'll be hosted online from the comfort and safety of your home and mine. If this sounds like your kinda thing, the links for each event are in the comments below See more

01.01.2022 Hey Rebel Rebel, let's talk about your business, your rules! This is a PSA to all the responsible fashion folk out there: Just because another brand is doing that thing with their social media doesn’t mean you have to. And just because a social media professional ( me included) tells you that you ’should’ be doing that bombwhizzy thing, it doesn’t mean you have to. ... What I’ve been hearing from clients lately is that they need to do X because of Y but it’s overwhelming the hell out of them. Or their friend at This Fashion Brand is doing this thing so they feel that they need to do it too if they want to get results. Not true. There’s more than one way to get the result you want. In fact there are many different pathways to reach your business goals through all of the different features, strategies and tactics available to you on your social media channels. If the ‘rules’ don’t work for you, make your own. It’s great to learn the rules to understand what they’re trying to help you achieve. But if they don’t work for you, find your own way to get the results you want. Here’s what to do: 1 Write down your business goals and the social media goals that align with them 2Think about the features, strategies and tactics available on your channels that fit with your ethics, your brand and the time you have available to you. What appeals to you? What feels right for your brand? What will get you the best results for the time you have to invest? 3And then experiment. Test it out Review the results Adjust where you think it needs it Test it again Then consider, did that strategy or tactic work? If no, take the lesson but move on and try something else. If yes, that one’s a keeper. What about you? Are you a rule keeper or a rule maker?