Marketing a beauty or skincare brand online in Canada can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re working with a limited budget.

From influencer partnerships and paid ads to email flows and SEO, there are hundreds of options. The problem? Without a focused strategy, it’s easy to burn through money with little ROI.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to build an effective digital marketing strategy for your beauty brand in Canada—without wasting a single dollar. These are the same strategies we use at Zrafted to help small beauty and skincare e-commerce brands grow profitably.

Claim your free growth audit from Zrafted’s marketing team to see where your budget will work hardest.

1. Start with Clear, Measurable Marketing Goals

Before launching campaigns or spending a dime, define what “success” looks like for your brand.

Common Marketing Goals for Canadian Beauty Brands:

• Drive traffic to new product launches
• Increase repeat purchases from existing customers
• Grow email or SMS subscriber list
• Build brand awareness in a specific Canadian city (e.g., Toronto or Vancouver)

Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). For example:

“Increase website sales by 30% in 90 days using Instagram ads and email retargeting.”

2. Build an Organic Content Foundation First

Before spending on ads, maximize your unpaid channels. Organic content builds brand trust and long-term visibility.

Organic Content Must-Haves:

• Instagram/TikTok content plan with product demos, routines, and customer testimonials
• Keyword-optimized blog posts for SEO (e.g., “Best Face Serums for Dry Skin in Canada”)
• Email newsletters with skincare tips, routines, and exclusive promos
• UGC (User Generated Content) from happy customers

This foundation supports every other channel and reduces your reliance on paid media.

Need help planning a content calendar? Zrafted’s content team specializes in digital marketing for beauty brands in Canada.

3. Use Social Media Ads Strategically (Don’t Boost Random Posts)

Running social media ads for skincare products can work incredibly well—but only when done right.

Where to Advertise:

• Instagram & Facebook for visuals, storytelling, and product discovery
• TikTok for organic-feeling product demos and trend-based reach
• Pinterest for high-intent beauty shoppers planning routines

Budget-Friendly Tips:

• Use video testimonials or routine demos instead of polished studio shots
• Retarget website visitors or IG engagers with “15% off your first order”
• A/B test creatives in small batches ($10–$20/day) before scaling

Avoid pressing the “boost” button and instead build campaigns in Meta Ads Manager for more control.

Need your ad account professionally set up? Zrafted builds cost-effective social media ad strategies for beauty brands.

4. Leverage Nano & Micro-Influencers in Canada

Forget celebrity influencers—smaller Canadian creators (5K–25K followers) often drive more engagement, trust, and affordability.

How to Work with Influencers:

• Send free product + affiliate code
• Ask for 1x Reel, 1x story, and usage rights
• Focus on creators whose audience matches your ideal buyer
• Use their content in paid ads for a double benefit

Look for influencers in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, or even rural wellness communities depending on your product positioning.

Zrafted manages influencer outreach and UGC licensing for skincare and wellness brands across Canada.

5. Launch Retargeting Ads (Your Highest ROI Campaign)

If someone visits your site but doesn’t buy, don’t let them go.

Best Retargeting Campaigns:

• Abandoned cart ads: “Still thinking about that serum?”
• Viewed product ads with testimonials or education
• Email retargeting with limited-time discounts

These warm-audience ads cost less than cold traffic campaigns and have the highest conversion rate when done right.

Platforms to use:

• Facebook/Instagram
• Google Display
• Klaviyo or Omnisend (for email/SMS)

6. Use Google Ads with Intent-Driven Keywords

While social ads are great for discovery, Google PPC ads target shoppers already searching to buy.

Examples of Winning Beauty PPC Strategy:

• Search Campaigns targeting:
  • “Buy retinol serum Canada”
  • “Best moisturizer for dry skin Toronto”
• Shopping Ads showing price, reviews, and availability
• Branded Campaigns to protect your brand name

Start small (e.g., $10–$25/day) with tightly targeted keywords and use exact match to avoid wasted clicks.

Zrafted can help set up your entire Google Ads funnel for Canadian beauty e-commerce brands.

7. Create Landing Pages for Promos, Campaigns, or Product Sets

Sending traffic to a generic homepage is a budget-killer.

Instead, create landing pages tailored to specific campaigns or product bundles.

Example Campaign Ideas:

• “Hydration Boost Kit for Canadian Winters”
• “Vegan Skincare Starter Pack – Only $49 This Month”
• “Shop Our Clean Beauty Bestsellers in Toronto”

Each landing page should have:

• One core message
• Focused CTA (Add to Cart or Sign Up)
• Limited navigation to reduce distractions
• Social proof (reviews or before/afters)

Zrafted designs conversion-optimized landing pages that turn clicks into customers.

8. Use Email & SMS for Retention and Reactivation

Most beauty brands focus only on acquisition. But your highest ROI often comes from existing customers.

Email/SMS Campaign Ideas:

• “It’s Time to Restock Your [Product]”
• Loyalty rewards for repeat orders
• Seasonal skincare tips
• Birthday promos or first-purchase anniversaries

Platforms like Klaviyo allow segmentation based on buying behavior so you can send highly targeted, automated messages—all while staying budget-conscious.

Want to automate your marketing? Zrafted sets up high-converting email flows for skincare and wellness brands.

9. Track ROI on Every Channel

If you’re marketing without measuring, you’re guessing—and wasting budget.

Tools to Use:

• Google Analytics 4 – track traffic, revenue, ROAS
• Meta Ads Manager – for CTR and conversion tracking
• Klaviyo/Omnisend – for email revenue attribution
• Hotjar or Clarity – for watching user behavior

Identify your top 2–3 performing channels, double down on them, and pause or optimize the underperformers.

Not sure where your budget is going? Zrafted offers free audits of your beauty brand’s digital performance.

Case Study: How a Clean Skincare Brand Grew 300% in 6 Months (Without Overspending)

A Vancouver-based skincare startup approached Zrafted with a simple goal: grow sales without blowing their small budget.

What We Did:

• Built an SEO blog and product content strategy
• Launched Instagram retargeting ads
• Set up Klaviyo email automation for first-time buyers
• Created a “Winter Hydration Bundle” landing page for Google Ads

Results:

• 3x revenue growth in 6 months
• 28% reduction in customer acquisition cost (CAC)
• 32% of revenue now driven by email/SMS

Final Thoughts

Marketing your beauty brand online in Canada doesn’t require a massive budget—it requires a smart one.

By focusing on high-ROI channels, building organic content, and using targeted paid ads, you can grow your skincare or wellness e-commerce store profitably.

Start small. Test consistently. Track everything.

And if you need help crafting a lean, focused digital strategy that works…