How an SMS campaign can push sales in the fashion industry

SMS marketing in the fashion industry

The fashion industry can be fickle, with trends coming and going as soon as the seasons change. Marketing for the fashion industry can be pretty difficult, but an SMS campaign can help immensely to boost sales in the retail sector once new trends come in, and the disruptive nature of mobile marketing means that retailers will either need to adapt or die at the end of the day.

Customers become aware of alternate brands by researching online, and technology in marketing means that many brands are also aware of this. To enhance the retail experience, you’ll need to reach customers at every level, so an SMS marketing campaign is an ideal part of this solution.

SMS is ideal for on-the-go shoppers

Today’s consumers are often using their mobile devices to research an outlet, a brand, or even to do their shopping. Fashion is an industry that benefits immensely from these on-the-go and off-the-cuff impulse purchases, which makes an SMS campaign the perfect tool for driving fashion sales.

Almost sixty percent of fashionistas use their mobile to make online fashion purchases, which increases the likelihood of them opening your promotional SMS tenfold. A personalized message with a link to your online store will have consumers clicking ‘Safe Checkout’ in their carts in record speeds. On-the-go shopping is fast-paced and instantaneous, and SMS marketing allows marketers to provide an omnichannel customer experience. Because consumer decisions are spontaneous, they’ll be more likely to open a well-timed SMS offering a discount or notifying them of a new item of clothing in your online store.

Use an SMS campaign to keep consumers connected

Using a bulk SMS campaign in your fashion marketing strategy allows consumers to stay connected to your brand, encouraging loyalty, and return customers. However, it’s important that you don’t overwhelm your consumers with too many SMS messages. Rather, keep it for pertinent times, such as seasonal sales or new releases from a fashion house.

Providing consumers with a connection to your store through SMS is an effective way to improve their customer experience and encourage them to choose your brand over others. Rather than have customers navigate to your website to find out about sales, send them a simple message with important 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.

Improve the ordering experience

While shopping online is an exciting experience, many people are uncertain about whether their purchase will arrive on time, or at all. For fashion houses, this an extremely important aspect of keeping return customers, and using SMS technology in marketing can help immensely.

Sending out a delivery update SMS once the customer’s order is in the warehouse, another when it is on the way to them and another once the delivery has been completed, will help to cement your brand in their mind as one that truly cares about their fears and about solving the problems related to these fears. Confirmation messages, such as before and after they have paid for their order, add another level of positivity to their customer experience.

Customer retention

Customers believe that businesses should communicate with them more, and this is especially true of the fashion industry. An SMS campaign is highly effective in retaining customers, and by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into your SMS marketing strategy you can create highly personalized messages to send out to your customers.

SMS coupons, vouchers, tempting offers, loyalty schemes, and tailored promotions are all ideal ways to retain your customers. It shows that you haven’t forgotten about them after their first purchase. By sending SMS messages at the right time, your once-off customers could become return customers. SMS is effective because it’s instant and the messages are short and to the point, resonating with an audience that isn't interested in wading through promotional material to reach the end link or promo code.

Related: The benefits of SMS solutions in retail marketing

Instant opening of messages

Almost everyone these days has a mobile phone, and even the most basic of devices is capable of receiving an SMS. People who have their phones with, on, or near them are more likely to open an SMS within seconds of receiving it, making an SMS campaign for your fashion house highly likely to reach people and succeed.

Tailoring your messages will make them even more enticing, and this can be done by using the data collected by an AI platform combined with machine learning. You can increase app download rates and site traffic by providing a link in your SMS directing customers to a specific page of your website or to a promotional campaign page. The fact that messages are opened instantly means that you’ll have a better chance of garnering conversions and leads.

In today’s fast-paced world, an SMS campaign can be a game-changer for a fashion house that wants to boost sales. Find out more about why your customers want SMS messaging and how this can work for you.