Every text Topicals sent this year

To have a really successful SMS program, the first step is to create a product that people actually want. That people REALLY want. This is the first thing skincare brand Topicals has done right. Unique formulations combined with glossy, sexy, inclusive vibes, have made Topicals a TikTok darling.

But how do you take that brand heat and actually do something with it? How do you convert a follower into a buyer? And how do you stay in the room after the first purchase? That's where SMS comes in.

For today’s post, I read every text Topicals sent for the past year. Their thread is full of ideas you can borrow.

Here’s what’s ahead:

Let’s get into it!

Topicals was born on social media and it is a master of this channel. Not only is their content original and eye-catching but it strikes a great balance between content that delights and content that drives customers into the conversion funnel.

Sweepstakes do both, and it is a key driver behind the growth of Topicals’ SMS list. Want a year’s worth of Faded eye masks? Want to win $1,000 for your next creative project? Want to win a v-kini from partner Voight? These sweepstakes are posted on social, but you have to join the Topicals SMS list to enter, either by texting the keyword or tapping the link in bio.

Topicals has a steady drumbeat of sweepstakes like this. They know their audience well and they ensure that their sweepstakes and prizes are varied but not random. If you’re going to do this, make sure you put as much effort into designing promotions that reflects your audience’s interests.

Another important workstream behind Topicals’ SMS growth is aggressive A/B testing of pop ups. Helena Youhana, Topicals’ Head of Growth, emphasized their focus on A/B testing pop ups when she appeared on a Postscript panel in 2023, and the team continues to experiment and optimize their pop ups 3 years later. Here are just two of the popups they are testing on site today - including a non-monetary offer and a mystery offer.

Do I see opportunities to make both of these better? Yes. But the more important takeaway is that they are testing many different versions of their pop up on any given day, looking for the most efficient sign up unit for each customer segment.

Now let’s look to the actual texts that Topicals sends to see what ideas we can borrow.

At its heart, Topicals is a science-backed skincare brand and they strive to include educational content on the calendar without being too wonky.

They do this in the SMS channel by offering factoids dressed up as trivia questions, and reward correct answers with a coupon. This serves two purposes - they engage customers who are interested in the science and they avoid the monotony that can come with promo code texts. Topicals was running this trivia series weekly last year, but they have pulled back to a less frequent cadence. That’s a signal worth noting - this feels like a tactic that works in moderation.

Another tactic to learn from is Topicals’ “Skin Challenge” run through SMS. This program invites highly-engaged customers to opt in to a 4 week conversation with a team member about their skin routine and progress. This is an idea that can translate nicely to any category where habit building is important - beauty, wellness, personal finance, or petcare for example.

The overarching theme that runs throughout Topicals’ program is that SMS subscribers are VIPs. Topicals treats SMS subscribers as the first to know and the first to get access. It makes subscribing feel like an unlock rather than a coupon clip.

Now you’re probably imagining that SMS subscribers get early access to things like Topicals’ Black Friday sale - which is true. Topicals consistently uses early access as the hook rather than deeper discounts. That's a more durable value proposition for keeping subscribers opted in.

But Topicals’ CEO also uses SMS as a product testing channel, positioning subscribers as co-creators with actual influence over what gets launched. That feels much more insider-y and it’s a framing you can steal as well. That is, if your goal is to build and maintain a cult following like Topicals’.

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Thanks for reading and see you next week!