Fashion Email Marketing: Common Types, Best practices and inspiring examples

The fashion and garment industries have never gone out of style, but with ad revenue declining and third-party cookie restrictions on the rise, email as a marketing tool is more crucial than ever for online merchants.

So, with that in mind, I’d like to share with you 9 fashion email marketing strategies that you can use to boost your marketing efforts. These emails will assist in converting readers into subscribers, purchases, and, with luck, returning customers into brand loyalists.

6 Common Types of Marketing Emails In Fashion

Here are 6 common types of emails fashion brands often send their subscribers.

1. Welcome Email

A welcome email is your brand’s first one-on-one engagement with the customer. It’s similar to a first impression. As a result, make sure it’s effective, has a distinct style, and isn’t too forceful. You don’t approach someone for the first time and ask them to marry you, do you? Emails are the same way.

Don’t try to sell something in your first email. Another reason welcome emails are critical is that they have the greatest open rate across sectors. When people give you their email address and agree to receive your newsletter, they are also curious about how it will look, or if there will be any instructions or wonderful deals in it for them. As a result, open rates are high.

As a result, use welcome email to establish an emotional connection with the reader. Then, of course, you can promote your store and show them around.

The following items can be included in a welcome email:

• Thank you for signing up politely.
• Tell your distinctive brand story. Deliver on whatever deal you promised on the signup form.
• To connect further, use the social media channels provided.
• Include a call to action: A welcome email isn’t trying to sell something, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t include a call to action. Check out your blogs, your new collection, or make a lookbook.

2. Content Email

One thing marketers overlook when creating email campaigns is that if there is something in it for them, they will engage and open the email. The simplest method to keep subscribers is to provide them with useful information. Some content possibilities for fashion brands include:

• How to Mix and Match Clothes in Your Wardrobe
• How to Keep Your Shoes Smell-Free
• Interview with a fashion star on styling
• If you make garments for pregnant women, you may host a webinar on how to better bond with the baby.

Engagement will help you to increase open and click rates, indicating to inbox service providers and spam filters that your emails are worthwhile. As a result, your emails will be less likely to end up in the spam box.

3. New Collection Launch

When you offer new designs, more colors of the same products, or a new category in your business, you should build a buzz about it to attract customers.

Some email marketing tactics to craft your new collection launch email are:

• Link to the new collection: Don’t just take your prospects to the homepage and leave it up to them to figure out where the new collection is. However, direct them to the real page where all of the information on the new collection can be accessed in one spot.
• Photos: Shoot a professional, aspirational image to generate interest in the new items. One of the most significant aspects is the fashion visuals. Through these graphics, assist folks in imagining how they will appear and feel.
• Send several emails: The first email you send advertising your new collection will not reach all of your subscribers. Send many emails (depending on the size of your audience and business) to generate excitement about your launch.

4. Sales Promotion Email

If you have a lot of products that you want to get rid of or if you need a sudden infusion of cash, sales promo emails can be very helpful. Whatever the deal is - 50 percent off, buy one get one free, free shipping, giveaways, etc. - you must present it in an attractive manner in order to convert consumers.

Here are some points to do the sales promotional emails the right way:

• Scarcity: You can use ‘offer valid till stock lasts’ scarcity, but you can also indicate time-scarcity, i.e. offer valid until a specific date.
• Instructions: Make it obvious how to get the discount by including steps and instructions. If there is a promotional code, include it in the email and provide a simple means for copying it.
• Occasion: If possible, tie the promotion to an event or theme, such as a year-end sale or your brand’s anniversary sale.
• Segmentation: Keep in mind that if you are conducting a deal that is only relevant to a specific type of audience, you should omit the remainder of the list.

For example, if you’re having a sale on women’s shoes, create a separate segment of ladies and send the promotional emails to them solely. Another example: if you are running a promotion for a specific type of shoe, excluding customers who have recently purchased those shoes.

This is known as segmentation. It guarantees that you only give individuals relevant stuff, so they don’t feel like you’re spamming their inbox. As a result, the unsubscribe rate is reduced. Here’s an example of an email with a discount offer:

5. Abandoned Cart Email

According to statistics, approximately 70-80 percent of people add products to their cart but do not complete the buy. That’s a lot of high-intent traffic that didn’t result in a sale at the end. The good news is that not everything is lost.

The researchers also discovered that cart abandonment emails can recover 18-20% of the sale that was previously assumed to be lost. Cart abandonment can occur for a variety of reasons, including being distracted by someone, a botched transaction, an expired credit card, or simply second thoughts.

Abandon cart emails and give customers another nudge to buy the item that made it to the cart. As a result, there is a good likelihood that they will convert.

If you use an ESP that supports abandoned cart emails, you may automate this process. However, it is still your job to create the structure for this email, so here are some key elements to add in your abandoned cart emails:

• Include a photo of the item that was left in the cart.
• Provide an incentive to return and buy, such as free shipping or a discount.
• Include links to customer service or directions on how to obtain answers to frequently asked questions. People sometimes don’t buy at the conclusion because they have questions, such as “Will I be able to exchange the shoes if they don’t fit?” Is the fabric of this dress going to shrink after the first wash?
• Use social proof to show the person that others who are similar to them have purchased and enjoyed the product.

These emails are issued within one day of the cart being abandoned. You can experiment with the number of emails you need to send to get individuals to convert. Typically, 2-4 emails should suffice.

6. Post-Purchase Email

The journey of a customer with you is not done even after they have bought the product. You can use the post-purchase stage to:

• Ask for referrals
• Get feedback or testimonials
• Upsell or cross-sell other products
• Ask them to share on social media

Thank them for their purchase and inform them that they can contact you if they have any problems, even after they have paid for the product. Post-purchase emails improve and make the customer experience memorable so that they return to your company the next time they need to buy anything, resulting in customer loyalty.

3 Best Fashion Email Marketing Strategies

A successful email marketing campaign can assist generate traffic to your website (or business to your bricks and mortar store). It can aid in the development of trust between your customers and your company, resulting in more loyal customers. Here are a few examples of how fashion businesses can benefit from email marketing:

1. Incentivize subscribing

To reap the benefits of email marketing for your business, you need to persuade people to join your mailing list. After all, it’s pointless if no one reads the emails you’re sending! People should be able to subscribe to your email list as easily as feasible. Put a clear and straightforward sign-up form on your website, or ask customers for their email addresses when they make a purchase in-store.

Incentivize subscribing in some way to really increase signups to your mailing list. You can give your consumers a modest percentage discount if they sign up for your list, or you can do what New Look does and enter every new subscriber into a competition

You’ll notice that this sign-up form also enables new subscribers to state their preferences. That way, they get a personalized email experience.

2. Promote your benefits

Despite the fact that it is becoming more mainstream, some people are still hesitant to purchase fashion online. They may be concerned that they will not like the item once they see it in person, or that they will be stuck with an item that does not fit them correctly. You can alleviate these concerns through email marketing.

When someone joins your mailing list, send them a welcome email outlining all of the benefits your business provides. Emphasize how simple it is to shop with you and your delivery alternatives, and provide a mechanism for customers to contact you if they have a problem or a question. Mint Velvet sent the following email to new subscribers:

3. Keep your emails seasonal

Your marketing emails should highlight products that your customers are likely to be interested in purchasing at the time. The simplest way for a fashion brand to do this is to use email as each new season approaches to exhibit clothes and accessories that are suited for that season.

This will demonstrate to your customers that you are attentive to their demands. Roman Originals sent this email to their subscribers to give them a sneak peek at their new summer arrivals:

As you can see, email marketing can be a powerful tool for fashion brands. Used correctly, it can help build confidence in your customers, and help you build a long-lasting, trusting relationship with them.

4 Best Fashion Email examples

But even if you aren’t in the fashion industry, there is a lot you can learn from what brands are doing and how they appeal to their customers. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite fashion businesses that are dominating the email marketing game, as well as essential principles that any brand can apply to their email approach. Let’s get started.

1. ASOS Knows How to Incentivize

ASOS is a lively, new, and quirky fashion business, and their communications reflect that. The usage of incentives is one of ASOS’s most successful email methods. They provide clearance bargains, birthday promotions, holiday deals, and more. Email allows them to communicate offerings faster and with more context than anyone else.

Take a look at this email, for example. They not only have an appealing up to 70% off deal, but they’ve also split it further into products under GBP 15, 20, 25, and 30 - giving subscribers an even more enticing incentive to click through to.

Another excellent approach is the mention of well-known brands that are part of the offer. Their finest bait, though, is the ASOS VIP list. Not every subscriber is accepted into their VIP email list, but those who are are given first and early access to sales. This is an excellent approach to reward active members while encouraging others to read their emails more frequently.

2. Nordstrom Delivers on Customer Service

The phrase “customers first” is at the center of Nordstrom’s whole marketing and sales strategy, and it percolates down into their email strategy as well. Nordstrom’s use of routine customer support emails to communicate with its buyers sets them apart from the competition.

Every piece of communication is an opportunity to reach out to subscribers, and Nordstrom does it deftly without coming across as a pushy salesperson. Their product recommendations are tailored to the individual. Even if a buyer returns an item, Nordstrom’s return confirmation email suggests similar products at comparable prices. Genius!

Their abandoned cart email not only shows the items the customer already added to their cart but also other items they may be interested in.

3. Net-A-Porter Incorporates Content Marketing

Fashion provides us a plethora of chances for integrating content in email marketing, and Net-A-Porter takes full advantage of this.

Many people who buy at fashion stores want to be aware of seasonal trends and celebrity fashion. They want to replicate runway trends and seek inspiration from fashion periodicals. Net-A-Porter recognizes this category as their major target customer and tailors their brand experience to meet their expectations

Net-A-Porter sends out a newsletter called The Edit (a tough thing, but they’ve made it work) that looks like a fashion magazine in addition to regular discounts, sales, and product showcase emails. What’s the hook? Through their mailbox, the reader is able to participate in the world of editorial fashion.

There are many luxury fashion brands in the sea, but which of them has honed in on a single insight and turned it into a comprehensive, effective marketing strategy? People who shop premium apparel are inspired by runways, according to Net-A-Porter, and want to be a part of the supposedly ethereal high-fashion world.

4. Zara Leads with Style

Personal style is one of the most important insights in fashion. People connect with individuals who share their likes, and fashion manifestations make people feel like they belong to a tribe or community of like-minded people.

Zara has done an amazing job of sticking to her trademark look. Minimalist layouts with a splash of color. This is a brand that focuses mainly on email and social media promotion, rather than costly billboards. You can check this article out to learn more about Zara marketing strategy.

You can tell whether an email is Zara’s from a mile away – that’s how powerful their brand is. And, if a fashion brand isn’t about fashion, what is it about? These are some stunning emails, works of art in and of themselves. Their professional appearance is enhanced by their clean layouts.

Best Tool For Fashion Email Marketing

AVADA Marketing Automation is a multi-channel email and SMS marketing tool that can help you facilitate your email campaigns for your fashion business. If you’re in need of a tool to help you with your campaign, try out this one. It will be very worth your money.

Final words

That’s it! I hope this article has provided you with valuable information about fashion email marketing. Please feel free to leave comments below for further discussion on this topic!