Occasionally I’ll focus an episode of “Ecommerce Conversations” on Beardbrand, my business. 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 dealt with last year’s decline in sales, ongoing obstacles and difficulties with changing fulfillment providers. I also interviewed our attorney who successfully defended us in an accessibility violation lawsuit.
We have now overcome many of our operational setbacks. We had to relaunch some products and change manufacturers. We’ve moved into a warehouse here in Texas, which gives us more visibility. Once these issues are resolved, the focus shifts back to growth and finding new channels.
That’s what I’m going to discuss in this episode. My full audio is embedded below. Transcript edited for clarity and length.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday
Our Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 campaigns fell short of expectations. Traditionally, our BFCM has focused on bringing products to market instead of discounting. We wanted to introduce a new product for Black Friday, but the launch was delayed until Cyber Monday and then pushed to mid-December. This disrupted our holiday sales. Sales didn’t drop, but the missed product launch made a noticeable dent.
Last year we introduced a promotion – buy three items, get the fourth free – and it worked so well that we’ve kept it as a permanent feature. We didn’t have any similar Black Friday promos this year. We considered a subscription discount but decided against it due to concerns about sending the wrong message to customers and the potential complexity of managing it.
I also inadvertently sent an email encouraging customers to wait for Cyber Monday instead of taking advantage of Black Friday deals.
Cyber Monday was our best day of revenue since Black Friday 2023. We had planned to launch our utility deodorant this year, but that also got pushed back to mid-December.
On Monday we returned to the menu before starting prices for loyal customers. They had a short window to buy the product at a lower price. This strategy is my preferred way to handle discounts because it feels less like a price cut and more like a dynamic pricing product release.
During Cyber Monday, we sent three emails promoting the eventual launch, which helped drive sales. However, there were a few logistical snags. Our pre-launch prices were not displaying correctly and we had to fix it at the last minute. Despite the challenges, the promotion went well and we achieved our sales targets.
Sales growth
Sales in November 2024 were up 8% compared to last year. However, we replace lost organic YouTube sales with ads. In 2022, 48% of new customer sales came from YouTube and generated roughly $670,000. It drops to $366,000 by 2023; this year we’ll be lucky to hit $250,000. With YouTube becoming less effective, we had to move to social platforms like Facebook and X, and our total ad spend in 2024 was 75% higher than last year.
Adaptation for 2025
Moving to 2025, we are better off operationally, but we need growth channels. Beardbrand products are consumable – ideally customers will order again. We may explore new scents or product sizes in 2025, but we won’t go overboard with the launch. The goal is to focus on best-selling products with consistent customer education and communication.
Our business is fundamentally changing. We need to assess the growth potential of organic channels such as YouTube or switch to advertising to acquire customers instead.
I never set sales goals. Instead, I focus on the inputs and let the outputs follow. Businesses should appreciate hard work and effort, regardless of whether they succeed. Factors such as timing, market conditions, and even packaging can influence success, as can a little luck.
In the end, it’s important to enjoy the journey. Every day is a gift. There is no right or wrong way to build a business – it’s about aligning it with your values and goals. That’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur.
