Objective:

Business Wire projects that the global cosmetics industry will reach $675 billion by 2020. Additionally, more consumers are purchasing makeup and skincare products online rather than traditional retail.

Our client required a strategy that would help them stand out in a crowded industry. Relying almost exclusively on online sales when the campaign commenced, we needed an aggressive campaign to grow their online presence. We also needed to use creative mediums to remain relevant and unique in an industry that was growing rapidly.

To increase brand awareness, promote new products, and create a loyal community, WTM Digital developed an influencer marketing strategy. We knew that influencers could generate buzz and impact the client’s bottom line.

Strategy:

The digital PR initiative enabled us to identify publications frequented by their target audience; however, we needed to supplement our brand marketing strategy. Influencer marketing was an effective way to reach potential buyers and increase credibility.

We identified influencers who could tell the brand’s story, but with their own voice and perspective. Each influencer already had an engaged, loyal following. We just needed to find the right influencers who could be extensions of the brand.

To create a successful influencer campaign, we also needed the right platform. Where is their target audience going for product reviews and makeup tutorials? YouTube. There are billions of user-generated beauty videos on YouTube. With makeup being a very visual industry, YouTube made sense. Many of these YouTube influencers also blogged, so we were able to reach consumers through different types of media.

We worked with mid-tier influencers to send free product samples for review. We were also able to develop long-term relationships with select influencers, and the client collaborated with influencers to create products sold through their ecommerce site.

Results:

Our outreach efforts enabled us to build relationships with reputable beauty influencers. Referral traffic increased 25% year over year. Not only were we able to reach new consumers, but we impacted purchasing decisions. Looking at referral data, the client’s top 10 influencers combined for 134,704 sessions and $59,076 in product revenue over the course of the digital PR campaign. Many of these influencer campaigns occurred over multiple posts/videos, rather than one-off campaigns. This helped us build rapport not only with the influencer, but also with his or her followers.

Our influencer marketing strategy had a positive impact on organic performance. We were able to acquire inbound links and mentions through unique, compelling content, thus earning more search visibility. Organic traffic increased 35% YoY at the peak of our influencer campaign. Through finding the right influencers, we were able to not only increase traffic to the site but drive product sales. Organic revenue increased 65% YoY.

One of our most successful influencer relationships was with a blogger/YouTuber. Over a five-year span, her blog was the client’s fifth top referral source, accounting for almost $50,000 in revenue and over 1,600 transactions. This data excludes revenue from her YouTube channel.

Knowing the impact this influencer had on their bottom line, the client worked with her to co-create two products, one of which accounted for the most revenue of any product on the site to date. Since launching, both of her products contributed nearly $7 million in revenue.

 

Case Study Highlights

Industry: eCommerce – Beauty

Goals:

  • Increase brand awareness
  • Increase referral traffic
  • Increase online organic revenue

Results:

  • Branded searches increased 22%
  • Referral traffic increased 53%, while organic traffic increased 35%
  • Organic revenue increased 65%