Marketing is a tricky business, all the more for industries that are ever-changing, like fashion.

With trends changing faster than the seasons, the fashion industry is fickle and to handle the pressure, it requires a marketing channel that is fast, efficient and personal.

Customer loyalty is immensely important in the fashion industry. The big players in the market recognize this fact and utilize marketing channels which instantly grabs the attention of the customers – SMS.

Everyone is on mobile and so should be marketing.

Text messages play a huge role in any strategic marketing plan as SMS campaigns are one of the valuable ways of

• Increasing business traffic
• Growth in sales
• Customer loyalty

With a 98% open-rate, SMS is the most powerful medium of communication and it is this medium that allows fashion industry to reach their customers at every level.

Your Own Database

It is the first and foremost step towards effective marketing. SMS campaigns directed towards your opted-in potential customers are any day more effective than sending SMS to people whose data you have bought.

Finding dedicated customers is the easiest in the fashion industry as customers do sign up and register for loyalty or discount programs leaving their personal data with you – their name and contact details.

Points to remember

• Get your customer consent for marketing purposes
• Obey the personal data processing rules

On-The-Go Shoppers

Mobile is the go-to device for consumers researching a brand, an outlet or even shopping and an SMS plays an important role for these on-the-go and off-the-cuff impulse purchases.

On-the-go shopping is just like SMS marketing, fast-paced and instantaneous.

SMS here further allows marketers to provide an omnichannel customer experience. And since consumer decisions are spontaneous, they are more likely to open a well-timed SMS offering discounts or notifying the customer about new products.

Improved Ordering Experience

While online shopping is exciting, people still feel unsure whether their purchase will arrive on time or if at all. It is at such times that SMS adds a level of positivity to the customer experiences.

Confirmation messages and delivery update when the purchase is made, on the way and delivered can help cement your brand in the customers’ minds helping them overcome and solving their related concerns.

Personalized Messages

Every customer likes to be treated in an individual and priviledged way and since modern marketing is based on personalization it again adds to the experience.

Segmenting and targeting audiences allows marketers to send personalized messages but it might not be enough in the fashion industry as it is more about personal style.

| | | --- | | Hi Kate, We are excited to have included your favourite brand XYZ in our list! Get 20% off on all XYZ products this entire month. |

                                                                                                                        OR

| | | --- | | Hi, We now stock products from XYZ. Get 20% off on XYZ products this entire month. |

What do you think, which SMS would make a lasting impression on the customer?

Secured Payment Gateways

Shopping is exciting, but if the payment procedure is not secured, not many customers would be back.

Verify the customer and secure your payment procedure via two-factor authentication that offers security and peace of mind to the customer.

Time And Localization

Agreed, trends change fast and yes, it is your customer that gave you the consent to receive your SMS updates but that does not mean they want to receive it all the time.

Nobody likes to receive too many promotional messages. Avoid over sending and also segment the user base based on their locations if you operate from offline stores.

Regional Touch

Customers prefer to do business in their own language from both, a cultural and a linguistic point of view.

Not every fashion brand will have a use for regional SMS, especially if they’re targeting a homogenous user base. But brands that are looking to establish themselves locally can provide their customers with a clearer, more useful messaging experience.

Stay Connected

A relevant SMS is what allows your brand to stay connected with your customers.

Providing consumers with a connection via SMS encourages brand loyalty and return customers plus is a great way to improve customer experience.

Customer Retention

Customers want businesses to connect with them in a personalized way, more so in the fashion industry. By sending messages at the right time, your once-off customers could become your return customers.

Coupons, vouchers, offers, loyalty schemes and tailored promotions via SMS are all ideal ways to retain your customers. It shows that you haven’t forgotten about them after they made their first purchase with you.

| | | --- | | Hi Mary, use this text code to avail 15% off on your next purchase. Applies to new & sale items. Exp 30/9. |

Seller Alert

Sending shipping notifications and purchase confirmations are beneficial to customers but what about the sellers? For them to act instantly upon received order or delivery big industry players offer their sellers an SMS service alert.

To alert sellers about incoming orders big fashion brands send text messages with information regarding the list of unshipped orders and details of a selected order enabling the seller to dispatch their orders in a timely fashion.

Order Tracking

Customers can choose to opt-in for receiving tracking information via text message.

Buyers can be saved from constantly checking the delivery room or their mailboxes by updating them with an SMS with the tracking link of their order.

Custom Notifications

Customers are only interested in their orders and wishlist and through a custom text message you can let them know about their products.

| | | --- | | Mr. Kim, Your boots are repaired and available for pickup anytime between 12-6 PM. Thanks for choosing us! |

 

An SMS campaign can be a game changer for a fashion house that wants to boost sales. To make an SMS campaign for your fashion house highly likely to reach your targeted audience and succeed:

• Tailor your SMS to make them even more enticing and this can be done by using the data collected.
• Increase app downloads and site traffic by providing a shortened URL in your SMS directing customers to the specific page.
• Keep them short and to the point, resonating with audiences that aren’t interested in wading through the promotional material to reach the end link or promo code.
• Rather than having customers navigate your website to find out about the sale, send them an SMS with details and a link to the right page.
• Sending a thank you message when someone has signed up to your mailing list can also create a strong relationship with new customers.
• A well-timed message is more likely to convert a potential consumer to a customer.
• Messages are opened instantly means that you’ll have a better chance of garnering conversions and leads.

 

Thanks to the high open rate and low barrier to the communication of SMS, the possibilities continue to grow for the fashion industry to creatively use this powerful communication platform for exceptional customer service and beyond.

These are some of our insights into SMS marketing for the fashion industry. But we are curious to know what role text messaging is playing in your marketing campaign?

 

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