In the world of e-commerce, paid advertising is often considered a crucial element for success. However, Nel Mokhtar, the co-founder of Next Level Skin from Sydney Australia, has proven that it's possible to achieve extraordinary growth without spending a single dollar on paid ads.
Along with her sister Palvasha Naziry, Nel started the skincare brand on Shopify and used social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to promote their products.
The results speak for themselves: in just 16 months, they generated over $740,000 in revenue. In this article, we will dive into their journey and learn about the strategies they used to build a thriving skincare business without relying on paid advertising.
Nel Mokhtar (left) and her sister Palvasha Naziry (right)
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Let's dive into this article...
Getting Started
Nel says that she was living at her parents' house with her husband and 2-year-old child during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021. She had no job and no income and was heavily pregnant with her second child. Starting a business was not on her mind at the time.
After giving birth to her son, Nel developed dermatitis all over her face, including her eyelids and neck, causing her face to become red and itchy with dandruff. It was a painful experience, and she visited the doctor, who prescribed two topical ointments to soothe dermatitis.
She wanted to find a natural alternative, so she started researching natural ingredients that people had used decades ago on the internet.
“I started ordering natural oils online and testing out what worked on my own skin”, Nel says.
Nel ordered the raw ingredients and started blending them in her parents' kitchen over the summer to make a facial oil. It was trial and error, but eventually, she found the right mix that worked for her.
“My sister, Palvasha Naziry, tried it out and told me that we had to start selling the product – She invested 5,000 Australian dollars in savings, around $3,363, in the business and became my business partner,” Nel says.
Together, they invested the money in buying new ingredients and packaging. They started with thin rubber bottles and named their brand Next Level Skin, with their first product being called the Supercharge Facial Oil.
Using TikTok and Instagram to Build a Following Before Launching
Nel says that they began posting videos on TikTok and Instagram in July 2021 to create excitement for their upcoming launch. Her sister Palvasha had already built a substantial following on TikTok by sharing her experience with acne, which proved to be beneficial for their skincare business.
As Palvasha started using Nel's facial oil and her followers inquired about her skincare routine, they saw an opportunity to market their product on TikTok. Palvasha posted daily videos showcasing their product and demonstrating how she used it in her skincare routine.
To build a buzz around their launch, they offered free samples of the oil to interested followers. A few lucky recipients of the samples posted about the product, and Nel and Palvasha shared the feedback with their followers.
“Once we launched through Shopify, we sold out of stock”
Nel made the facial oil for Next Level Skin in her mum's kitchen while also looking after her son, who would wake up crying every half an hour.
After getting their accreditation from the Australian Department of Health, she and her sister launched their shop on Shopify in October 2021. They linked their account to Palvasha's TikTok and their Instagram page for promotion.
On their launch date, they had 120 face oils stocked and hoped to sell them all in five weeks. However, Nel was scared that they wouldn't sell anything. To their surprise, they sold out all their stock in just 24 hours. It was unexpected, and they had no idea demand was that high.
Palvasha's TikTok videos had brought in so many customers.
Using Influencers to Promote the Product for Free
According to Nel, their product began to spread via word of mouth. Many of their messages from customers stated that a friend or family member recommended the brand. Often, when someone purchased their product, she noticed that they would post about it on TikTok or Instagram and tag their brand in their posts.
Nel also observed that five or six influencers bought their product and posted about it working for them without even being asked. Soon after, they started receiving emails and messages from influencers asking for their product.
Nel decided to send it for free but requested the influencers to try it out for a few weeks before posting about it.
Investing in Better Design and Packaging
Nel and her sister Palvasha started to develop new products in the first month, including a balm she had made to help her son's eczema and a clay mask. When they sent out their oil to customers, they gave them a free sample of their masks. They've kept their money-back guarantee so customers could get a full refund if it didn't work for them in 30 days.
They spent money on developing their packaging. They bought custom boxes for the products. Their mom, dad, and brother had been helping them package the balms, and they were able to start paying them. Nel's dad was able to retire from his job — it was so nice to give them something back.
Outsourcing the Manufacturing and Inventory Handling Process
For the first three months, Nel made the products in her mom's kitchen. But she couldn't keep up with the demand, so they decided to outsource the manufacturing to a third party in Australia in December. They also ran out of room in Nel's parents' house to stock all their products.
They hired a space in Melbourne last July, where all their products and boxes are stored. However, they still get products shipped to Nel's house. Nel's mom puts the products in their boxes, and Nel's brother-in-law posts them to customers around the world every day.
Seeing Success
When Nel and her sister made AUS$100 000 in February, she took the whole family out for a meal to celebrate. It was an unbelievable feeling.
The biggest moment for her came when they made AUS$36 000 in sales over a weekend in October 2022. They offered free shipping, and their site went crazy with orders.
In her first job as a receptionist, Nel's yearly salary was AUS$36 000. She remembers how hard she had to work in that job to earn that amount. Now, with Next Level Skin, she's making the same amount in just a few days while sitting at home and checking her phone.
Now Nel says that she has the time to focus on the business-development side, she is busy developing new products and planning to grow the business. Although they may start paying for advertising in the future, it would mean needing to hire another warehouse to house more stock.
Next Level Skin has made AUS$1 112 304, or around $740 000, in sales to date.
“If I hadn't started Next Level Skin, I would've spent decades of my life working to make someone else rich. But we've done it all for ourselves and our family. I have much more money and time to do what I want.”, Nel says.
Conclusion
In just 16 months, Nel Mokhtar and her sister, Palvasha Naziry, generated over $740,000 in revenue by selling a skin care product online. They did all this without having to spend on paid ads.
Nel and Palvasha's success story is a testament to the power of social media and influencer marketing. Instead of investing a significant amount of money in paid advertising, they chose to leverage organic social media channels to reach out to their target audience. They used platforms like TikTok and Instagram to showcase their products and share skin care tips and routines with their followers.
The sisters also used influencer marketing to drive sales for their brand. By collaborating with influencers in the beauty and skincare niche, they were able to tap into their existing audience and reach a wider pool of potential customers. This strategy proved to be effective, as many of the influencers they worked with went on to become regular customers of Next Level Skin.
What's even more impressive is that Nel and Palvasha achieved all of this with just a starting capital of AUS$5 000. They were able to bring in AUS$100 000 in sales within the first three months of launching their business. This early success motivated them to continue growing the brand and expanding their product line.
Nel and Palvasha now have more freedom to pursue their passions and interests. They are also able to provide for their families and loved ones. Their story serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to create a successful online business without relying on paid advertising.
