Marketing might be difficult and stressful for small- to medium-sized businesses in fashion apparel and retail. There are a whole lot of moving parts and approaches to think about. From social commerce and text messaging to streaming ads and radio spots, marketing today is complicated and dynamic.

Chris Muller, vp of Money Under 30 and a marketing veteran who works with retailers on strategies, has three suggestions for SMB retailers in the style apparel, footwear, beauty and luxury industries to think about in the brand new yr.

First, Muller said to not be afraid to take possibilities and get creative with marketing. Muller said the style industry is notoriously difficult to interrupt into, “and SMB retailers often need to depend on creativity and innovation to face out from the gang.”

“It’s possible that you will have some great ideas for the way to market your small business, but you’re afraid of what other people will take into consideration them,” Muller said. “If that’s the case, then it’s time for you to start out being brave. Consider some strategies that aren’t typically utilized by other brands in your category and take a look at them out on a small scale first.”

Muller suggested starting small to see if the approach works “before taking things up a notch.”

Secondly, Muller said SMBs must be sure that their marketing materials are top quality. That seems like a no brainer, but he said retailers and types must have customers “associate their experience along with your brand with quality — for each themselves and their products — so use only high-quality materials when creating your marketing materials (this includes all the pieces from packaging materials to web site design).”

Muller acknowledged that investing in high-quality materials can look like an expense at first, “nevertheless if done appropriately, it should actually prevent money by increasing customer satisfaction levels, which leads on to sales.”

Lastly, Muller said retailers and types should embrace change. “This tip may appear counterintuitive — in any case, it’s easy to fall right into a rut and do the identical thing over and once again. But when you desire to stay ahead of your competitors, it is advisable be willing to alter up your marketing strategies now and again.”

Muller said the most effective approach to do that “is by testing out latest ideas on a small scale before rolling them out company-wide; this may let you see what works and what doesn’t before committing an excessive amount of money or resources.”