From Blog to Billion: Glossier and the Rule of 7
Right time? Right person? Right price? In the digital era, that’s the formula every brand is chasing. Buying online has never been easier thanks to convenience, accessibility, and competitive pricing. But here’s the catch: when consumers don’t know the brand, trust is low. They can’t see or touch the product firsthand, so they often doubt whether what they see on the screen will match reality.
That’s why the chances of someone buying online from a brand they’ve never heard of are low. To earn trust, there must be several touchpoints that build awareness, recognition, and credibility, eventually leading to a sale. The more interactions a brand accumulates, the higher the probability of maximizing both sales and ROI.
Accumulating interactions is what keeps a brand top of mind. Success today comes from crafting a curated, thoughtful customer journey built on multiple touchpoints that reinforce trust and recognition. As Harvard Business Review (2016) notes, “If you want to make an impact, you need an integrated approach that sees across all touchpoints, measuring what works and what doesn’t.”
This aligns with the Rule of 7, which states that a customer typically needs at least seven interactions with a brand before making a purchase. As Forbes (2023) explains, “The Rule of Seven helps you look beyond a singular piece of content to understand how different slices play into your broader content strategy.” This means repurposing cornerstone content into multiple formats (social posts, visuals, blogs, or videos) so that each audience segment can engage in the way that resonates most with them.
Glossier is a great example of a brand that has successfully integrated multiple touchpoints into its customer journey, one of the key reasons it became a billion-dollar brand. Founded by Emily Weiss, a former model, the company grew out of Into the Gloss, a blog where she interviewed celebrities and influencers about their beauty routines. Into the Gloss quickly gained traction, and Emily later launched Glossier with just four products. The brand was rapidly embraced by the community she had already cultivated through her blog, gaining momentum with its message of promoting natural beauty and the idea of “be you, but better.”
Glossier’s community-first approach, minimalist aesthetics, and savvy digital marketing were essential to its nine-figure success.
Glossier’s 7 Touchpoints
- The Blog: Into the Gloss built trust, community, and credibility before selling any products.
- Instagram: Consistent pink-themed content reflecting simplicity, fashion, and aspiration, along with reposts of real customers and shareable aesthetics.
- UGC Collaborations: Instead of relying on big influencers, Glossier focused on micro-creators to generate trust and make their products feel like a friend’s recommendation.
- TikTok Virality: When a customer’s perfume story went viral, Glossier amplified it with a Spark Ad, scaling organic buzz into measurable sales.
- Retargeting Ads: Personalized, subtle nudges reminding customers of the items they left in their cart.
- Email Drips: Thoughtful follow-ups with product stories, customer reviews, and user experiences, not just discounts.
- In-Person & Pop-Ups: Showrooms designed as perfect Instagram spots, creating memorable experiences and extending the journey offline.
By the seventh touchpoint, Glossier wasn’t “just another beauty brand.” It was familiar, trusted, irresistible.
Buying rarely happens after a single interaction, which is why brands must carefully plan, understand and constantly revisit their customer journeys as consumer behaviors evolve. Glossier shows that layering interactions over time builds familiarity, strengthens intent, and drives sales. By delivering content in different formats and reinforcing it across multiple touchpoints, brands can expand their reach, maximize ROI, and steadily grow brand equity.
The Rule of 7 isn’t about bombarding people; it’s about designing a journey where every touch feels authentic and memorable.
