Beysis are makers of quality eco products that can be personalised online in a few clicks, giving customers the ability to make sustainable choices in daily life without compromising on design.
“Up to now, living sustainably has often come at the expense of good design. We have flipped that notion on its head by creating re-usable products with a strong design aesthetic that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Nothing in our range is more than $60,” Beysis co-founder, Ariana Hendry told Retailbiz in a recent interview.
Beysis launched in 2019 with a single water bottle line and by 2020 became a profitable seven-figure business. “We expanded our range beyond eco products to other everyday items – all of which are thoughtfully designed and create a blank canvas for our customers to personalise.”
It was 2020 when Beysis created a TikTok profile to promote the business afterexperiencing a significant increase in CPA (Cost Per Action) across other digital channels and were looking to diversify into new platforms.
“In the past we took a traditional approach to marketing, investing a small fortune on well produced, highly curated content, including high end video productions and studio shoots. TikTok has allowed us to market our business in a more authentic and cost-effective way. We have pivoted towards showing the people behind the brand as much as the products and it has been well received by our audience,” Hendry explained.
The business has grown by more than 200% since launching on TikTok, experiencing exponential revenue growth in the last three years, largely attributed to the platform.
“We have found that content that shows how we produce our products in a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek way has resonated best. We have done a series of #packanorderwithus videos where we select a song that features the name of the customer in it. These videos have attracted our highest engagement rates.”
Hendry’s advice for maintaining audience engagement is to “embrace imperfection” and be willing to show “the real inner workings, not a polished façade”. Recognising this may feel uncomfortable at first, it is the only way to build a genuine community.
“Consumers are desensitised to being aggressively sold to these days, so resist the urge to shamelessly promote your product or service. There are long-term dividends to be paid if you invest the effort into telling your business’ story instead,” she said.
Tips for other retail businesses starting out on TikTok
1. Skip the lip sync. “The TikTok algorithm favours long form original content so don’t fall into the trap of dancing and lip syncing to pad out your content. Be true to your brand. We understand as a small business, you don’t have the depth and breadth to throw a full-time resource at TikTok. So, rather than facing the pressure of reinventing the wheel every week we recommended identifying five themes that relate to your business and build content under those five content pillars. Consider them like episodes in a series.
“For example, we currently have a content theme which involves interviewing people on the street, or as we like to call it, Beysis on the Block. We also have a cocktail series weaving our products into the segment, called get Boozie with Beysis.”
2. Act as a creator rather than a company. “Use being a small business to your advantage. The beauty of TikTok is that it is the first platform to give SMBs a leg up over big multi-nationals because people want to see the human element of a brand. Don’t be afraid to pull the curtain open and show a sneak preview.”
3. Use organic post-performance as a litmus test of what will work best as a paid ad. “We keep a sharp eye on our analytics and within 72 hours, it is obvious if an organic post is a strong performer. We then take these strong organic performers and use them as the foundation of our paid campaign structure.”
“TikTok has now emerged as a cornerstone of our omni-channel marketing strategy, breathing life into our brand’s journey. Its power for paid advertising, particularly in steering website traffic and engaging consumers at the forefront of the marketing journey, is undeniable. In a world where brands are competing for attention, TikTok stands as a cost-effective digital connection.”
On a final note, Hendry said: “Be proactive not reactive. Like every other facet of running a small business, success awaits on TikTok if you are willing to invest the time and energy to post consistently. We have found that rather than being reactive on the platform, it pays to be strategic and have a plan for your content creation.”