Email Marketing for Fashion Brands: What The Hell Are You Meant To Send?
So you’ve set up your email marketing, you’ve got your flows sorted and now you’re staring at a blank campaign wondering what the hell you’re meant to send?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you. We know email takes up a lot of energy, and you’re way too busy to think about it - so you send out when you remember, or when you have something to say. AND we know that email feels unapproachable. Unlike Insta or TikTok it hasn’t had a PR glow up yet, (we’re working on it), and so the assumption about email marketing is that some guy with a briefcase is going to come out, shaking out his cufflinks, and telling you you’re doing it all wrong.
But it’s time we rewrite history, drag email marketing out from the 90’s kicking and screaming and put her to work. Because let’s be honest, she’s always been THAT GIRL when it comes to making money for brands.
Email segments: who the hell should you actually be sending to?
Imagine your entire audience like a delicious Terry’s Chocolate Orange (no idea what that is? Please google it and promise yourself you’ll try one). You’re not going to fit that entire chocolate ball in your mouth, are you? No, that would be insane. You can eat the whole thing, sure, but you do it in dainty lil’ segments like the absolute goddess you are.
Are you following the metaphor? No? Okay, fuck it. Unless your list is relatively new and quite small, there is no reason to send to the entire list every time you shoot out a campaign. Instead, you should create dainty lil’ segments to send to. To begin with, Engaged 30 Days (an easy win), these are your most engaged subscribers, the ones who open and click and purchase. Also, exclude your recent purchasers from sends (whether that’s anyone who purchased in the last 7 days, or 14 days) unless it’s a launch or a sale, there’s nothing worse than buying from a brand and receiving marketing emails trying to push you to buy again. READ THE ROOM.
How often should you send marketing emails? (Less than they told you)
We get asked this question a lot. And again, we say this comes up because of that whole ‘unapproachability’ of email marketing. There are so many sleek boring agencies out there spreading that to squeeze every part of revenue from your customers you need to send 10 times a day to 10 micro segments and this is the only way to make your email marketing pay off. We don’t believe that. Maybe it’s a hot take, but we think stripping it back is better (and healthier).
And so, the answer would be, two times a month or four times a month. Some of our biggest clients with huge intimidating-looking lists make incredible revenue returns with just four campaigns a month sent only to the warmest of the warm. They could start segmenting by “anyone who purchased the pink t-shirt” or “anyone who viewed the grey tracksuit”, but often you find that they don’t perform as well as your engaged segments anyway.
Okay, here's the hot goss. What the hell should you send?
First, take a good look at your empty calendar and decide what’s reasonable for you. If you’re not outsourcing it and want to do it yourself, two times a month might be totally reasonable. So, if you’re stuck only emailing your list when you have a launch, what else could you send?
Let us enlighten you.
Fill your calendar with holidays. The biggest mistake brands make before they come to us is being reactive, meaning they need Black Friday emails on the week of BF/CM, or they forgot all about Christmas and are panicking just before everyone goes on their hols.
So, pop your holidays in first, and then build around it. “What’s next?” You ask, “I don’t have anything else to saaaaaaay!” Cool it babe, you do. You just need a zap of inspiration. Consider us the inspiration fairies because we’ve got you.
COLOUR DRENCH
Round up products that share one colour story, or a pairing, like plum and yellow, cigar and pink. It reduces audience fatigue by showing something visually stunning, and it quietly sells your slow movers by sticking them next to your hero piece in the same palette. Bonus: you can get behaviour from people who click certain colour combos - helps you to know your customer eveeen better.
Subject line: This colour combo?
BTS
Show the sampling, the fabric sourcing, the BTS of the latest shoot. As well as bringing your customer into your world (that sense of community is PRICELESS for building a brand), it’s also price objection handling. Every person who's ever thought "£180 for a dress?" is answered by watching what goes into it. It also pulls opens from people who scroll past product emails, which keeps your engagement (and therefore your deliverability) healthy. You can also use this format before a launch, teasing the forthcoming prods.
Subject line: Join us on set
STYLE GUIDE
"Will I actually wear it?" is the thing killing your conversion rate, and this is the email that answers it. Show one piece styled three ways. It doesn't read as a sell, it reads as help.
Subject line: Wear it well
EDITS
Weather turning, a long weekend, packing for a trip. Edits sell to a moment rather than a product, which is what lets you bundle across categories that would never sit together otherwise. You’ll see brands doing this for wedding guest edits, what to pack for a trip to Italy etc, it’s similar to a style guide which shows you how to pair it, but this shows you know them. You know what they’ve likely got coming up and that they’re thinking about buying things for it.
Subject line: Your packing list
Right. You've got a few ideas now. And if you're wondering why letting your list go cold for two months until you've got a launch is such a bad plan, here's the scoop: you're talking to real people. Real people sign up and forget they ever did, or why. Real people open one email, never hear from you again, and never think about you again. And real people who haven't heard from you since June will see your name in August, feel mildly irritated, and unsubscribe on the spot.
Keeping them warm, reminding them why they're there and actually giving them something is always wayyyyy better than going quiet and hoping they still care when you've finally got something to sell.
And if you'd rather not spend your Sunday night thinking about your email strategy - that's what we're here for.