“Everything I can explain, I have learned firsthand. It’s not that the agencies tell us what to do,” says Albert Chong, vice president of digital marketing at ILIA Beauty.
Chong runs the digital marketing division of ILIA, a cosmetics brand that has gained traction online with its loyal following. Chong says the brand’s internal approach to digital marketing allows his team to learn how to retain customers and understand their customer lifetime value.
Albert Chong, Vice President of Digital Marketing, ILIA Beauty
“I’ve learned that following up with customers is key,” says Chong. “When customers buy [skin tint and foundation] After learning about our skin tips or after visiting the site for the first time, we ask ourselves: how are we following them?
ILIA’s technology stack is internal. Over the past year, the cosmetics retailer has seen DTC’s web sales increase in low triple-digit growth, says Chong. The average order value (AOV) has grown more than 55% in the last two years due to its investments in technology and customer-centric marketing strategies, she says.
“Also, our first-time customer AOV is 10% higher than returning customer AOV, which I think is unique to see,” says Chong. “But it shows that we have a good understanding of communicating value to customers even before they have tried our products. We hope that after they try the products, they will be customers for life.”
ILIA Beauty Skin Tint Test
ILIA offers buyers a questionnaire. Buyers select which models they think match their skin tone and receive the shade recommendation via email. The questionnaire is an opportunity to capture your own data.
“We are providing a service by sending the result via email,” says Chong. “But it’s also an opportunity to suggest matching or complementary products, like concealer.”
Shoppers can submit selfies for ILIA’s team of customer service agents to review and follow up with personalized recommendations.
But ILIA started getting selfies in emails from buyers asking them to suggest their shade. Customers also sent selfies via DM (direct messages) on Instagram. That prompted ILIA to offer shoppers the ability to upload a selfie image for review on its website. What started as a one-person team reviewing selfies has grown into a team of 15 customer service employees.
“They can read comments, answer questions, or read product reviews,” says Chong. “And the number one question for our team is ‘What’s my tone?’”
By giving shoppers access to a human team of trained customer service agents, Chong says ILIA gets more than just an email address. Agents can keep track of customers. They can provide assistance or answer questions about returns or exchanges and handle product issues, she says.
“It’s an opportunity to interact directly with customers,” says Chong. “This is not AI based.
“Plus, it’s less waste for us because getting the shade right the first time is so important,” he continues.
Buyers can also take a quiz by answering questions after reviewing the images. The buyer is requested to enter an email to receive the results.
Augmented reality technologies and artificial intelligence
ILIA has not launched any technology-based color search. Chong says that when he talks to customers, he says they want a one-on-one conversation with someone who knows the brand.
Chong has surveyed stores in person to listen to shoppers as they search for their share of the foundation.
“Nobody likes talking to a chatbot,” he says. “No one likes going through an algorithm. The conversations I hear tell me that the technology is not there yet. There is disappointment.”
Chong has visited competitors who offer the service on their websites.
“It can lead to disappointment or being left without a clear choice,” he says. “The buyer wants to ask someone questions. That is why I want to expand the ILIA team and continue to find the problems that customers have.”
Other issues arise for clients when trying to determine which foundation color swatches best match their skin tone and how a shade of lipstick or blush will actually look on different skin tones. “Because they can all look very similar,” she says.
In response to this problem when shopping online, Chong says that ILIA offers a shade comparison module, another suggestion from customers.
“I read every review and comment, and look for ideas to increase our performance marketing,” says Chong.
“We wanted to show what this colored blush looks like in six different models,” says Chong.
Social media channel flexibility
Chong says ILIA will continue to optimize its digital budgets “as far as our customers are,” whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Facebook.
“The best part is that we see these percentages change daily based on a unique real-time incremental marketing attribution approach,” he continues. “One day we could be very heavy on TikTok and the next day we could switch to Instagram, then YouTube. [It] it all depends on real-time performance.”
ILIA declined to disclose what percentage of its web sales come from which channels. Chong says that in addition to tracking social platform feeds, email growth, SMS growth and Google brand search, ILIA is also fueling its other channels, including Sephora.com and traffic. from Sephora in store.
“This means that our social platforms drive higher awareness and performance for each [company] with whom we work, including our own,” says Chong.
Register
Stay on top of the latest developments in the eCommerce industry. Sign up for a free subscription to Digital Commerce 360 Retail News.
Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Be the first to know when Digital Commerce 360 publishes news content.
Favourite
Source: www.digitalcommerce360.com