3.10.2023
Today, online beauty retailers offer so much more than simple ecommerce. The likes of Cult Beauty, Space NK, Boots and more have also established themselves as ‘beauty influencers’ in their own right. In fact, it's now become a mainstay for best practice stores to nurture their own thousands- or millions-strong social media followings, with captivating, conversion-driving content proving a source of education and inspiration for shoppers.
From video tutorials, to eye-catching swatches, to honest skincare reviews, etailers are doing it all – and that’s before you even get to their on-site blog articles. This convergence of etail and media has unlocked new possibilities for the brands that feature on etailers’ digital shelves. But, where there’s opportunity and visibility, there’s also competition.
So, how can you check how your beauty brand is being represented by a retailer? It’s not just about coverage across social media – the way in which your brand appears on the store is vital too. Here, we reveal the metrics you should be monitoring with your media measuring and etail tracking tools, so you can understand your current visibility and pinpoint areas of improvement.
Track these metrics:
#1: Presence on retailers’ social media feeds
Start with your social media presence. The right media monitoring tool will enable you to track a variety of metrics, including number of mentions, share of voice (SOV) and earned media value (EMV). Together, these figures help you build a picture of how valuable your etail coverage might be, and whether you’re gaining as many mentions as your competitors. It could help you increase sales.
#2: Share of voice on etail advertising banners
If you’ve agreed to and paid for co-op advertising on an etail website, it’s important to measure your share of voice over the campaign period. These advertising banners can prove lucrative on stores with high traffic and high trust, but low share of voice (meaning low visibility) will have a direct impact on your sales. Use an ad tracking tool to ensure you’re enjoying the best ad placement, and that your banners are appearing for the agreed time.
#3: Share of search on the etailer’s site
Is your on-site SEO strong? To increase visibility on etailer sites, check if your brand is ranking high for both branded terms and more general search terms, such as ‘women’s perfume’. If it currently isn’t, ask retailers how you can work with their on-site search algorithm, and update your product content accordingly.
#4: Product stock levels
A mention on an etailer’s Instagram feed or a high SOV banner ad becomes less valuable if the product they’re directing shoppers to is completely sold out. With an etail tracking tool, it’s important to closely monitor your stock levels across all SKUs, so you can make sure you’re meeting demand. Analyse these levels over time for more accurate stock forecasting too.
#5: Images videos, and reviews on product pages
The final stage in the path to purchase is also the most important; your product detail pages should engage, excite, inform and persuade shoppers to tap ‘add to basket’. Content is key here, so use an etail tracking tool to ensure etailers are displaying the correct number of images and videos per SKU. We recommend at least one video and three to five images for each product, as well as a minimum of 20 reviews. Analyse product ratings also to get the full picture on how your brand is represented. You may notice marks down because the ‘how to use’ or ‘product detail’ information wasn’t clear – something you can act and improve upon.
By tracking all of these metrics, you will start to see where your PR and etail strategies can be enhanced – whether that means strengthening retail relationships for extra coverage, or optimising the digital shelf to boost visibility.
Up next: Discover the complete guide to ecommerce excellence for beauty brands.
