I occasionally feature “eCommerce Conversations” episodes that focus on my business, Beard Brands. I’m not doing this to promote the company, but to share our challenges and successes in hopes of helping others.
In 2024 alone, I have worked on: Last year’s sales decreased, Continuing hurdlesthe annoyance of. Change fulfillment provider. me too interviewed our lawyersuccessfully defended us in a lawsuit alleging accessibility violations.
We have now overcome many of our operational challenges. We had to relaunch some products and switch manufacturers. We moved to a warehouse here in Texas so we can have more oversight. Once these issues are resolved, the focus returns to growth and finding new channels.
That’s what we’re going to explain in this episode. My entire audio is embedded below. The transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
black friday, cyber monday
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 campaigns did not meet expectations. Historically, our BFCM has focused on product launches rather than discounts. We wanted to introduce new products on Black Friday, but the launch was delayed until Cyber Monday, and then to mid-December. This disrupted holiday sales. Although sales did not decline, there was a noticeable drop due to missed new product launches.
Last year, we introduced a bundle promotion (buy 3 items, get 4th free). And it was so well received that we kept it as a permanent feature. There was no similar Black Friday promotion this year. We considered subscription-based discounts, but decided against it due to concerns that it would send the wrong message to customers and that it could be complicated to manage.
They also accidentally sent an email urging customers to wait until Cyber Monday instead of taking advantage of the Black Friday sale.
Cyber Monday was our highest revenue day since Black Friday in 2023. The company was scheduled to launch a utility deodorant this year, but this has also been postponed to mid-December.
We are back to providing it from Monday. Before launch Pricing for loyal customers. They only had a short period of time to purchase the product at a low price. This strategy is my preferred way to handle discounts because it feels more like a product release with dynamic pricing than a price drop.
We sent three emails during Cyber Monday promoting our final launch, which led to an increase in sales. However, there were some logistical issues. Pre-launch prices weren’t displaying correctly and had to be fixed last minute. Despite the challenges, the promotion went well and achieved sales goals.
sales growth
Sales in November 2024 increased by approximately 8% compared to the previous year. However, they are replacing lost YouTube organic sales with ads. In 2022, 48% of new customer sales came from YouTube, generating approximately $670,000. By 2023, that had dropped to $366,000. This year we will be lucky to reach $250,000. As YouTube became less effective, we had to move to social platforms like Facebook and X, and overall ad spend in 2024 increased by 75% compared to last year.
Adapting for 2025
Going into 2025, we are in a better position financially, but we need growth channels. Beardbrand products are consumables and ideally should be reordered by customers. We may consider new fragrances and product sizes in 2025, but we won’t launch too many. The goal is to have consistent customer education and communication and focus on the best-selling products.
Our business is fundamentally changing. You should evaluate the growth potential of organic channels like YouTube or shift to advertising for customer acquisition instead.
I never set sales goals. Instead, focus on the inputs and let the outputs follow. Companies need to appreciate their hard work and effort, whether it works out or not. Factors such as timing, market conditions, and even packaging can influence success, as well as a little bit of luck.
At the end of the day, it’s important to enjoy the journey. Every day is a gift. There’s no right or wrong way to build a business. The key is to align it with your values and goals. That’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur.
