My portfolio boasts campaigns, launches, and solutions for Fortune 500 but occasionally I take on projects that allow me to work small, be creative, work in a different industry vertical, try new things, and learn fast.
Challenge taken.
For their website I focused on the following:
> Adjust landing pages and navigation to support three main business goals: book an appointment, browse product, and provide meaningful content (haircare tips, educational information about hair extensions, etc.)
> Design, Develop and Launch their online store
> Set up hyper-targeted online campaigns
> Tap their customer base with meaningful email campaigns, loyalty programs, and eGift card opportunities in time for holiday shopping season to lift return business.
> Create short branded videos for web and social media, and co-write blog posts and articles that improve organic page rank and share the spirit of their brand by educating customers.
My focus was on growing their online presence with a small but focused effort, doing experiments on keywords and search terms (SEO, SEM, and SERP) as well as revamping their online presence. Part of the bigger plan included tapping new revenue streams (online sales, loyalty programs, promo codes, etc.) aka. growth hacking, email marketing strategy and content strategy which includes social media.
I worked with them to transpose their in-store inventory of professional haircare, and styling product into a 1X and subscription-based retail experience. One of the many things customers rave about is TILT88’s knowledge on what it takes to keep healthy vibrant hair. While they are known for creating beautiful hair styles for men and women they are quick to point out what is needed to maintain a healthy hair and scalp often ‘prescribing’ a combination of products to help each customer’s hair situation (ex. curly, gray, treated, etc.).
Over the past few months we have been working on a manageable social media strategy that focuses on four things; showcasing before/after hair transformations, aligning the TILT88 brand with the industry leading hair treatment, and haircare brands they use (ex. K18, Unite, Olaplex, Redken, etc.), build thought leadership, and build the TILT88 brand to be know throughout the entire NW region.
Specifically for social media, I implemented the following:
> Designed a social media calendar that supports the company’s business goals: align with top product brands, show-off latest work, sell product, and be authentic.
> Set a clear brand voice and implemented SoPs for online engagement
> Content focus on video-first strategy (i.e. stories, reels, YouTube, etc.)
> Employed standard tactics: giveaways, raffles, loyalty programs and a simple hashtag strategy
> Scheduled profile launches and simple campaigns for new channels based on current customer demographics: TikTok, SnapChat, Threads, and X. Provide different content per channel and demographic that expands the brands narrative.
Brand Development. I decided to create a bare bones design kit for them so I could create a unified look across the digital ecosystem and in-store experience.
My design strategy was simple enough; use a simple classically modern approach to colors, fonts, and icons, and any brand photography will remain in black and white (*harking back to old masters like Avedon, Newton, and Penn) therefore allowing crushed/saturated photo treatments on customer photos to give them needed color pops and star treatment.
Metrics Snapshot. Here are some of the latest metrics behind these efforts:
> ONLINE TRAFFIC: Up 400%+, Ave. page views (485%+)
> SOCIAL MEDIA: 450%+ uptick in followers, 1.25%+ in engagement, 5-star review rating maintained
> SALES: 55%+ increase in holistic sales (services & products), 24.82%+ increase in sales per customer
> OVERALL GROWTH INDEX: 98%+ YoY growth
All of this was achieved with their same marketing budget, I simply reworked the channel spend and implemented some automation into their marketing cycles. They have pushed up their expansion date, and are cautiously optimistic which I find prudent. They’re waitlist has doubled.
They’re drawing customers from all over the state and they’re on track for becoming both influencers and thought leaders in their industry. And quite honestly, they’re a little angry at me because they’re too busy. As I tell my kids the only thing you really need to be prepared for is success.
