Challenge

While they were already growing as a brand, EM Cosmetics understood there was untapped potential to leverage a new marketing channel to really interact and create more personal connections with customers.

The over-saturation of the beauty space was a major challenge for the brand, with countless others trying to make a name for themselves and capture consumer attention first. In order to stay competitive in this market, it was critical that EM Cosmetics stand out to existing and potential customers alike, without having to compromise their brand essence or be overly promotional. Since they viewed their customers as a community with shared values and interests, not just as consumers, they decided it would be worth exploring a new channel to connect with them on a deeper, more human level.

By providing a direct connection to their audience’s phones, SMS seemed like a great option to stay competitive in the beauty space and, simultaneously, build strong customer relationships. The EM team was especially excited about the opportunity to connect with — and hear directly from — their most loyal customers. Plus, access to this audience would allow them to more holistically understand these customers through data about their shopping habits and preferences, as well as insights like their loyalty status. The EM team searched for a trustworthy SMS marketing solution that would not only understand these goals, but also empower EM Cosmetics to achieve them. “We wanted a reliable and accessible provider. Because we had already worked with Yotpo for Reviews and Loyalty, it made the most sense. We were super familiar and comfortable with Yotpo, we knew they’d do an amazing job,” says Lauren Dills, Digital Marketing & eCommerce Specialist at EM Cosmetics.

Solution

Since EM Cosmetics was already using Yotpo Loyalty and Reviews, they were confident that Yotpo SMS & Email would be a great addition to their tech stack, especially because they already had a trusting relationship with the Yotpo team. Onboarding was also simple, which was a requirement for their smaller team. “With our business growing fast and our team being small it was a huge priority for onboarding to be easy and intuitive," says Dills. "Plus, we were looking for a lot of assistance and knew we could find that with Yotpo.”

It was the seamless and brand-centric onboarding process that solidified EM Cosmetics’ decision to choose Yotpo SMS & Email and strengthened their already incredible partnership. From day one, EM Cosmetics wanted to find a way to communicate directly with their audience, yet still remain the playful and whimsical version of themselves that customers know and love. Yotpo SMS & Email would allow them to do just that — giving them the ability to quickly respond and connect with customers as friends would.

Yotpo SMS & Email's Customer Success Manager and Strategist worked closely with EM Cosmetics to capture their brand voice and personality in every text, from product drops to exciting sales. They achieved this largely through leveraging the power of MMS, using images, GIFs, videos, and emojis in about 50% of their messages to increase engagement and bring their brand to life. For a makeup and beauty brand, visual engagements like these are key to conversion. Through MMS, EM Cosmetics could not only promote their products, but also the sense of community and sanctuary that they strive to provide, rather than sounding automated.

EM Cosmetics was able to further increase engagement and overall ROI through the power of Yotpo’s synergistic platform. They were able to easily integrate Yotpo Loyalty and Reviews with SMS & Email and use it to their customers’ advantage, such as by letting SMS subscribers know when they had loyalty points or rewards to redeem. “Using Yotpo’s products together has really helped us gain exposure for our loyalty program. Now we can utilize SMS flows and campaigns to share loyalty details and easily drive traffic to our site,” says Dills. The ability to leverage all three products in unison, without having to leave the platform, was one of the biggest benefits of choosing Yotpo SMS & Email.

Results

After adding SMS to their marketing strategy with Yotpo SMS & Email, EM Cosmetics saw an incredible jump in customer engagement, as well as significant ROI and revenue results. They are currently seeing an ROI more than double industry benchmarks: 57x ROI and a revenue increase of 28%, all through connecting on a personal level with their trusted community of customers.

Part of what drives their success is giving SMS subscribers early access to product launches. Dills says, “Product launches connect really well with our audiences. CTR and the newness of SMS entices customers because it’s so exclusive.” But it’s the brand’s thoughtful approach to SMS that really pays off, as they ensure every message they send resonates with their audience for the highest chance of engagement. Their strategic use of MMS messaging in particular — featuring aesthetically pleasing content that best captures the essence of their brand — has allowed them to maintain incredibly low unsubscribe rates of less than 1%. “In terms of reaching customers directly, it’s given us real insight into what promotions our customers want, what’s exciting to them, what their expectations for us are, and how to plan out our marketing calendars,” says Dills.

EM Cosmetics’ SMS strategy starts and ends with their customers, and they’ve worked hard to create an exclusive SMS list that is emblematic of their strong community. Since they are careful to not be overly promotional, their subscribers feel they are connecting deeply with EM Cosmetics, and look forward to the messages they will receive. “Texting creates more personality and connection, especially when people get a response and realize someone is reading their responses!” says Dills.

Looking back, EM Cosmetics is glad they decided to take the jump into SMS marketing, especially as a growing brand in a saturated space. While their revenue growth is impressive, their success in connecting with customers is all the proof they need that adding Yotpo SMS & Email to their marketing strategy was the right choice.

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