PERL Cosmetics drives 40% of revenue from email using Klaviyo as its pore-fect automation partner

After losing her job during the pandemic, Isobel Perl decided to scrub management consultancy and follow her passion for skincare instead. She launched PERL Cosmetics, which specialises in clay face masks that can be customised to suit your skin type. Isobel has developed her own formula using natural ingredients and the products are handmade in the UK in small batches. They’re also waterless, which means they’re packed full of good stuff and nothing else.

Unmasked: PERL’s strategy for increasing revenue and brand loyalty

Challenge

The skincare startup grew organically using social media and by selling products on its online store and TikTok shop. But using TikTok has some disadvantages. Hardly any customer data from the app is shared with vendors, which makes it impossible to build relationships with customers. PERL wanted to own more customer data and be less reliant on these ‘anonymous’ sales. 

With its Shopify store the brand used Mailchimp to send email campaigns with a separate plug-in to handle subscriber sign-up forms. But it was a clunky and expensive set-up for a small enterprise. Another business owner recommended Klaviyo to Isobel because the unified customer platform does both, and lots more besides.

My business coach had told me that Klaviyo was a more user friendly platform, as well as having better analytics. He mentioned switching to Klaviyo, and initially I was hesitant as I thought it was a more expensive platform, however, it ended up being cheaper, which was great!

Solution

Switching from Mailchimp was simple using Klaviyo’s built-in integration, which migrates all of the Mailchimp data to Klaviyo via a one-time sync. Now, with email, automation and forms on a single platform, the brand is saving both time and money. 

PERL can also be more creative and ambitious with its marketing since it has more data to play with. As well as all the browse and purchase data from Shopify, PERL can use Klaviyo to identify the most and least engaged subscribers. Pre-built segments for 30, 60 and 90-day engaged subscribers allow for more refined targeting than was possible in Mailchimp. And building automations – even complex ones – is more straightforward with Klaviyo’s flow builder.

Strategy

Acquiring new subscribers is a key priority for PERL and its list has grown by 77% over the past year. Klaviyo’s forms have given the brand the flexibility to try new things, such as an exit popup that achieves an impressive 3.3% submit rate. 

Once they’ve signed up, 13% of subscribers are converted by PERL’s welcome email. In fact, automated emails drive two thirds of the revenue attributed to email because the brand uses triggered flows throughout the customer journey. 

To retain customers after they’ve made a purchase, PERL uses a series of personalised email nurture flows. First of all, a thank-you email acknowledges customer loyalty by recognising  when someone has returned to the store. Next, it enhances the customer experience by providing product-specific tips on how to blend the masks with natural oils to achieve the best results. Finally, another flow cross-sells complementary products from the range – such as cleansing pads.

The email flows combine skincare content with promotional messaging to avoid being too salesy. This has resulted in very high engagement with post-purchase emails averaging a 9% click rate. The result? Cross-sell emails convert at 1.7% and replenishment emails convert at 2.2%, both above the industry average.

Post-purchase flows are incredibly important to a skincare brand to retain customer loyalty. It’s nice to add a personal touch in a thank you flow as well as offering complimentary products to their purchase. In addition to this, we’d also expect our customers to need to replenish their products once they have used them up. We offer refillable options to help be more sustainable as a brand which we then promote in our post-purchase emails.

To protect margins, PERL is careful to avoid giving away purchase incentives too readily. Discounts are reserved for the welcome email and refill reminders, with value-adds used elsewhere, such as free shipping in the abandoned cart flow.

The brand has also started to identify its VIP customers – face mask-lovers who’ve made multiple purchases. Members of the V.I.PERL programme receive back-in-stock emails before anyone else plus early access to new products, the chance to be product testers for exciting new product releases, and first dibs on new stock.

I’m excited to continue to expand out Klaviyo campaigns and introduce more flows so we can automate as much of the process as possible, without losing the personal touch. Switching has been one of the best business decisions I’ve made this year, and I wish I had done it sooner!