Authentic Marketing: How ditching TikTok influencers for raw authenticity drove a postpartum brand from $8k to $3.6M

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While most brands are rushing to work with influencers, one postpartum wear company found its millions by doing the exact opposite...

BEFORE: Influencer miscommunication about product purpose

Misty Phases initially leveraged influencers on TikTok. Their strategy was to use real moms explaining the products’ features and benefits.

However, the strategy struggled to generate traction. The product was new and unfamiliar, and influencers couldn’t accurately convey the brand’s message – they mistakenly labeled it as ‘shapewear,’ downplaying its postpartum recovery benefits.

In August 2022, the influencers’ videos ranged from 300-1,400 views on TikTok.

Four months later, the team only had one video from an influencer they partnered with that had gained some traction, and it featured their lowest-priced product ($28) that didn’t reflect the full value of their product range. At that point they had generated $8,000 in sales, almost entirely through paid Facebook ads.

Paid ads is what the brand’s founder knew best, after all. “Before Misty Phases, I launched two companies that each generated millions in revenue over six years – 100% through Facebook and Instagram ads,” said Lizeth Cuara, CEO, Misty Phases.

Add that background to the fact that TikTok views only increased to 500-2,200 per video by June 2023 – despite consistent posting and relevant keywords like ‘faja,’ ‘postpartum’ and ‘belly band’ – and you might think the team would walk away from organic content and focus on paid advertising exclusively.

Creative Sample #1: Postpartum wear company’s brand Tiktok account showing view counts for influencer videos in June 2023

But Cuara believed the team needed to stick with an organic content strategy. “With Misty Phases, I knew paid ads alone wouldn’t be enough. The brand introduced products that customers had never seen before – most of our designs are patented or patent-pending. Developing and launching these products took nearly four years,” she said.

Well before June 2023, she realized the current content strategy wasn’t working. So the team pivoted their strategy. Instead of relying on third-party content creators to explain their products they would communicate directly with their audience.

AFTER: Speaking mom-to-mom in Spanglish with content that helps “whether or not they buy from me”

On January 18th, 2023, Cuara launched her first video on TikTok where she explained the products in her own words. Her biggest fear was her bilingual way of speaking using Spanglish (a mix of English and Spanish). She was nervous about how this would come across, but she decided to give it a try, as it was the most authentic way she could communicate.

The videos included real and detailed explanations of how the products worked, why they’re essential, and how postpartum moms could benefit from using them. The videos were very detailed – when to use the products, how to use them, and for how long.

Videos began going viral, with some reaching over a million views. Engagement increased as well as users asked questions, shared their own experiences, and connected with the brand on a personal level.

Creative Sample #2: Tiktok account for postpartum wear company’s founder, showing higher view counts in January 2023

Currently, Cuara’s personal TikTok is performing better than the brand account. She has 93,500 followers, 3.4 million likes, and her most popular pinned video has 3.8 million views.

The brand account with many reposted videos from influencers has 31,300 followers, 47,800 likes, and it’s most popular pinned video has 293,900 views…but that’s a re-post of one of Cuara’s videos. It’s second-most popular pinned video had 93,100 views and came directly from the brand.

When she shares the product, she rarely tells viewers what it is, where to buy it, or where it's from, while influencers typically start with something like, ‘Misty Phases sent me…’ Her videos are usually instructional, focusing on the product’s benefits rather than the product itself:

Before: Example of promotional content from influencer

"Misty Phases sent me a postpartum belly wrap. I’d been looking for something like this, the fabric is soft, and it’s easy to adjust."

After: Example of value-driven instructions from founder

"Using belly wraps can really help with core muscle recovery after pregnancy. It's important to use wraps specifically for postpartum recovery, wearing them for 3 to 4 hours daily. Start with light compression and stay consistent."

Before: Example of ‘what’ content from influencer

"Misty Phases sent me their postpartum herbal bath – it helps you heal after birth."

After: Example of ‘how’ and ‘why’ content from founder

"Here’s how to do a postpartum bath." (In the video, the founder demonstrates each step – boiling the herbs for 30 minutes, standing over the steam for another 30, and covering up afterward.)

“It’s about giving people information they can use whether or not they buy from me,” she said. “A lot of the time, I even talk about what not to do, or I encourage people to explore other options. Since I have viewers from all over the world, most of them aren’t even my potential customers, but I’m still dedicated to giving them something valuable.”

And she now sees the use of Spanglish in the videos as a feature, not a bug. “Speaking to them in this blend of languages allowed us to reach them where they are most comfortable, which in turn created a more trustworthy, relatable brand experience,” Cuara said. “This insight aligns with findings from a recent TikTok study shared in Forbes, which highlighted that bicultural consumers expect bilingual messaging on social media.”

But she also knows that some in her audience will speak only English or Spanglish. Over the past year, she has seen that videos where she used the word ‘faja’ continue to do well, but videos using ‘postpartum kit’ or ‘kit postparto’ perform just as well, if not better.

RESULTS: $3.6 million in 2024 sales, operating on pre-orders due to overwhelming demand

“Sales jumped to $55,000 just one month after launching my own TikTok content in Spanglish. We spent most of 2023 out of stock,” Cuara said.

Sales surpassed $1 million in 2023. By November 2024, Misty Phases had reached $3.6 million in sales for the year and operated on a pre-order-only basis for much of the year.

They have also shifted their focus to working with content creators rather than traditional influencers. It’s more important that the message aligns with their values and resonates with the audience, rather than simply working with someone who has a large following. “We want to spread awareness and provide valuable information, not just make people buy something they don’t need,” she said.

Related resources

Authentic Brand Storytelling: Embed creative within your business model (podcast episode #105)

“Authenticity” vs. “Professionalism”: Should you be your authentic self in your brand’s content and marketing? Or must you adhere to certain strictures considered “professional” in your industry?

How To Authentically Build Communities: From the co-founder of Reddit