Piper Blue Makeup is a natural beauty brand founded by Jamie Jensen. The brand was born out of her personal journey overcoming stage IV chronic kidney disease and other health challenges.
Through her path to healing, Jamie discovered the importance of eliminating toxins and embracing total body wellness, but she couldn’t find truly clean makeup that aligned with her values.
That’s how Jamie set out to create her own brand. Piper Blue Makeup only uses wildcrafted, organic, and ethically sourced ingredients. All of their cosmetic products are safe, nourishing, and free of harmful chemicals like titanium dioxide.
Starting a new cosmetics brand is no easy task, especially in an industry filled with experienced competitors. The founder of Piper Blue Makeup knew she had to take a unique approach to reach customers and share her mission of clean beauty. That’s why she turned to affiliate marketing.
When partnering with affiliates, Jamie was able to build a network of passionate advocates who believed in her products and could spread the word to their audiences.
Piper Blue Makeup chose UpPromote as their affiliate marketing software from day one. The app has empowered the brand to recruit affiliates, keep them motivated, and equip them with the needed tools and resources. UpPromote simplifies the whole process, so the team can manage their affiliate program with minimal effort.
Keep motivating partners through a tiered commission structure
Piper Blue Makeup understands that a flat commission structure doesn’t always inspire affiliates to reach their full potential. With the help of UpPromote, the brand implemented a tiered commission structure to drive better performance and reward affiliates for their efforts.
That way, high-performing affiliates can earn higher commissions while mid-tier members are encouraged to push harder to reach the next level.
While most affiliate programs in the clean makeup industry offer commission rates between 2% and 15%, Piper Blue Makeup starts with an impressive commission rate of 30%. Then, affiliates can move through four tiers as their sales grow:
- Ambassador Program Level 1: 30% commission (entry level).
- Ambassador Program Level 2: 35% commission for sales exceeding $251.
- Ambassador Program Level 3: 40% commission for sales exceeding $1,001.
- Ambassador Program Level 4: 45% commission for sales exceeding $2,001.
UpPromote also offers flexibility in setting tier conditions. In addition to sales values, brands can choose metrics like total commissions earned, the number of referrals, and more to define tier levels for their partners.
Expand the partner network with Multi-level Marketing (MLM)
Piper Blue Makeup has introduced a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) model to complement its affiliate program, making it even more rewarding for affiliates. Powered by UpPromote, this system allows affiliates, referred to as “uplines,” to recruit others (“downlines”) into the program. Uplines earn a percentage of their downlines’ sales in addition to their own commissions, creating a powerful incentive to grow the network.
The MLM structure is tied directly to the brand’s four-tier system, with increasing rewards for higher levels:
- Ambassador Program Level 1: Uplines earn 1% of downline sales.
- Ambassador Program Level 2: Uplines earn 2% of downline sales.
- Ambassador Program Level 3: Uplines earn 3% of downline sales.
- Ambassador Program Level 4: Uplines earn 4% of downline sales.
For example, an affiliate in Level 2 can earn a 2% commission on the total sales made by their downlines. If one of their downlines generates $1,000 in sales, the upline will receive $20 (2% of $1,000) as a network commission.. As affiliates advance to higher levels, they not only increase their personal commission rates but also boost the percentage they earn from their network’s sales.
This MLM system is a win-win for everyone involved. Affiliates have a clear incentive to bring more people into the program, as it increases their income. Meanwhile, Piper Blue Makeup can expand its affiliate network effortlessly, relying on the enthusiasm and networks of their existing members.
Thanks to UpPromote’s MLM system, the brand can also add recruitment bonuses to the Ambassador Program Level 3. In addition to earning commissions from their downlines’ sales, uplines receive a $50 bonus for every new member they recruit into the program. This dual incentive provides strong motivation for affiliates to expand the program.
The whole strategy has proven successful, with Piper Blue Makeup now having over 800 affiliates onboarded and actively promoting the brand.
Equip partners with essential tools and resources
Affiliates are the key to every affiliate program, with no exception for Piper Blue Makeup. The brand offers their partners plenty of the tools and resources they need to promote the brand’s makeup products effectively.
Alongside affiliate links, every affiliate is automatically given a unique 10% discount code they can share with their audience. With the help of UpPromote, coupon codes are automatically generated based on the affiliate’s name as soon as they join the program. For instance, an affiliate named “Sharon Emory” might receive a code like “SHARONEMORY”.
The system is fully automated. There’s no need for manual work, saving the brand time while ensuring a seamless experience for affiliates. Affiliates can start promoting immediately, and their audience benefits from exclusive discounts.
Moreover, Piper Blue Makeup even hosts Tip Tuesday Zoom calls to support their partners further. In these sessions, affiliates receive training and insights about the makeup products.
When affiliates have a solid understanding of the products, they can communicate more accurately with their audience. These calls also provide a space for affiliates to engage directly with the brand, ask questions, and gain valuable insights.
What’s more, within UpPromote’s media gallery, the brand regularly uploads high-resolution product images that affiliates can use in their promotional posts. Therefore, affiliates can create polished and attractive content that captures the attention of potential customers.
Additionally, UpPromote enables merchants to upload various types of media, including tutorial videos, banners, and guidance documents.
Results
Piper Blue Makeup has achieved remarkable success with UpPromote by streamlining its affiliate program through automation, providing affiliates with valuable resources, and offering consistent support. These efforts have allowed the brand to manage a growing network of affiliates while empowering them to promote effectively.
The results speak for themselves:
- $30,000 in monthly affiliate sales
- 30-40% of the brand’s total revenue generated through affiliate marketing
- Over 800 affiliates recruited and managed
When asked about their advice for other fellow merchants, the founder of Piper Blue Makeup, Jamie Jensen, shared:
I mean, if I were going to start again, like start over with UpPromote. The best thing I think you guys could do for me is have video training on how to use every feature of your program.
That’s exactly what UpPromote is doing! We’ve created a library of tutorial videos on YouTube to help merchants learn every feature of the platform. Be sure to check them out now to make the most of your affiliate program.
Ellie Tran, a seasoned SEO content writer with three years of experience in the eCommerce world. Being a part of the UpPromote team, Ellie wants to assist Shopify merchants in achieving success through useful content & actionable insights. Ellie's commitment to learning never stops; she's always eager to gain more knowledge about SEO and content marketing to create valuable content for users. When she's not working on content, Ellie enjoys baking and exploring new places.
