Cosmetic retailer Sephora has been a pioneer when it comes to cultivating a community in the digital space. Sephora has mastered the art of marketing across various channels seamlessly to build sales and a robust and lasting community. As a leading makeup brand, Sephora’s digital marketing is something that companies in every industry can learn from — no matter how big or small. We’ve not only broken down why Sephora’s marketing strategy has been successful but also how you can incorporate it into your Shopify marketing. 

Lessons from Sephora — Building an Empire with Your Shopify Marketing

The Story of Sephora

Before we dive into the marketing strategy of Sephora and how it can help your Shopify marketing, we should give a little backstory on the brand. Sephora was founded in 1970 in France by Dominique Mandonnaud, who was a painter and sculptor. Mandonnaud brought the idea of self-service to fruition for makeup, which is why there are product testers around every corner in Sephora. In 50 years, Sephora has built over 2,600 stores in 36 countries. In addition, customers can join the Beauty Insider Community to earn rewards and exclusive offers from Sephora. Beauty is treated as art in every store, which is also apparent in their marketing tactics. 

The Online and Offline Marketing Behind Sephora

Sephora has made its mark in the thousands of stores opened up worldwide and in the digital space. They’ve worked to build a seamless experience from online to offline, making it memorable and enjoyable. First, let’s touch on the brick-and-mortar stores. As we mentioned above, there are samples down every aisle of a Sephora to allow customers to test out and find exactly what they want to purchase. The staff also delivers a hands-on approach by ensuring that guests are greeted at the entrance and helped whenever needed. In addition, Sephora locations have areas that allow makeup artists to makeover customers or color match their skin to the perfect shade of foundation, concealer, and more. 

From there, we move on to how they transition into the online experience. The Sephora team developed an app that has a primary focus on education. Users can learn about:

• The greatest and latest beauty trends
• Experience a virtual makeup artist
• Book appointments
• Track Beauty Insiders Community points and redeem

Sephora’s Social Media Marketing

Sephora continues to blur the lines of online and offline marketing through all of its social media channels. Makeup is an extremely visual art, making it the ideal industry for Instagram. Currently, Sephora has over 20 million followers on Instagram and over 19 million likes on Facebook — clearly showing that they know what they’re doing. 

The tone of Sephora’s social media is also important to note when discussing its success. They are extremely relatable to their target audience by keeping up with current trends and using specific vocabulary geared towards younger generations. Their team has implemented a consistent voice and style over all their social media channels, including building brand awareness and loyalty. Sephora’s social media content is educational, informative, and helpful — everything they are in the store and on their mobile app. 

Key Takeaways from Sephora

It’s obvious that Sephora is killing the marketing game, but what can you take away from a makeup brand trying to connect with Gen Z? Building an experience that is seamless over every customer touchpoint is crucial. Sephora’s main goal is to educate and inform, but what are your company’s main goals regarding the customer experience? There must be a well-thought-out connection between your website, physical store, social media, email marketing, and anything else you decide to use to market your brand. 

When you are thinking about what you can learn from Sephora, remember these main points:

• Connect with your community
• Build your community 
• Keep a consistent set of goals through every channel
• Take advantage of social media and digital marketing

As a growing business, it’s essential to consider all your options for Shopify marketing. Always remember that consistency is critical for the customer, no matter which channels you decide to use. At Responsival, our team of professionals is here to ensure that your website, social media, and advertisements are all aligned with your brand at the core. There is nothing more valuable than building a solid community around your brand, and we can help you achieve that. Contact us today to discuss your marketing goals and how we can get you there.