How Sephora Engage in Groundswell on Twitter

  I believe that every lady had experience of buying cosmetics on Sephora. However, why you choose the Sephora store instead of other stores? How can you choose the skincare and makeup products that fit your skin in the Sephora store? For the first question, people choose Sephora because it is user-friendly. For the second question, it is quite a problem for everyone, including me, as well. Like other ladies, I have tried various products until I found that one brand is suitable and effective for my skin. With this long process, from knowing to buying, there are multi-channel for me to engage in the product, such as the recommendation from Sephora email, the advertisement of delivery from each platform, Sephora community discussion, product reviews and ratings, and referral by my friends. From these ample channels, I most likely to buy product recommend by my friends and high reviews and ratings under the product. This is called  “word of mouth” from groundswell.  

As groundswell mentioned, “people want to depend on other people,” because they are more reliable and believable than media. According to WOMMA, “word of mouth is the most honest form of marketing, building upon people’s natural desire to share their experiences with family, friends, and colleagues.” It can’t be faked, but it can be encouraged. 

Three techniques for word of mouth promotion

1. Tap into customers’ enthusiasm with ratings and reviews.
2. Create a community to energize your customers
3. Participate in and energize online communities of your brand enthusiasts.

On the Sephora website, most of the beauty insiders would like to share their experience with the products, whatever good or bad. Sephora also has different category communities for insiders to join and discuss their feeling about the products. Moreover, Sephora staffs sometimes participate in discussions with members of the community.

All right, let’s take Sephora on Twitter as an example, and dig out what they really do.

As groundswell mentioned, “Twitter’s users have an outsized level of influence because More than 70 percent of twitterers say they often tell friends about products that interest them, which is far above average”. On twitter, Sephora post each new product with an attractive picture or video, they also post upcoming activities to energize fans to join in, such as getting new products first, earning more points, or winning a prize. 

So, why Sephora succeed on Twitter?

Listening to Twitter

Listening is fundamental for getting in Groundswell. Sephora has appointed persons to monitor the trends and watch the comments about whether some influential people talking about the brand, whether good or bad. Once something gets worse, they will solve the problem for the first time.

Talking to Twitter

Most influential comments have been responded to by Sephora staff. Some people would like to say their issues about the products, such as allergy issues, package issues, and incentive issues. The staffs on Twitter answer their comments on a case by case basis. Also, they reply to some positive comments with supportive words. The response could make a massive thrill for fans, and they get more loyalty. They may tell friends that Sephora answered my question, and they solve my problem on Twitter.

Energizing with Twitter 

Sephora energizes fans by retweeting their content and replying to them, and also provide some fantastic content for fans to retweet. Also, Sephora always posts the community information and link on Twitter for people to participate. Plenty of people from different ages join the community to share their experiences, ask questions and answer the questions. These people from communities with passion have an affinity for each other, and they also exert influence on other spectators who are interested in the products that people discussed. It is really a quite cost-effective promotion

Embracing with Twitter

Collaborating your costumers on products or marketing strategies is a kind of innovation and development. Some of the loyal fans would like to post suggestions on the Sephora Twitter account. Adopting some useful and novel advice is faster for Sephora to develop marketing strategies because these loyal fans are the real users for your brand. It is trustworthy for the brand to pay more attention.