Elsa’s Signature: Turning a passion into a business

Onyeiwu Ifunanya’s passion for perfume began when she was a young girl, finding herself captured by the sweet tones of fruity bases and the warming spicy scents that demand attention, she was hooked on finding the perfect fragrance. Years later, after becoming a wife and mother to three children, she decided it was time to turn her passion into a fully-fledged business.

In 2019, ‘Elsa’s Signature’ was born. Named after her daughter, Elsa, a special blend was created, bottled and sold to Onyeiwu’s friends and family members. With the perfume seeming popular with those that bought it, Onyeiwu wanted to expand her customer base to people outside of her family and social circle.

Looking for ways to utilise digital marketing to expand her reach, Onyeiwu explains how she came to making the first steps into digital marketing: “I stumbled upon an advert and decided to drive down for the seminar. I learned how the Google search engine works and how you can also place Google Ads.”

After implementing the knowledge learned at the seminar, Onyeiwu created a Google My Business profile and launched her first Google Ads campaign. “I never knew they would make such a dramatic impact,” says Onyeiwu. After creating the Google My Business profile and launching the Google Ads campaign, she went from selling three to four bottles a week to selling 25 to 30 bottles a week. She now has wholesalers from different states and when receiving new orders or enquiries, she asks how they got her contact —their answer: “I got it online.”

As the business continues to grow from strength to strength, Onyeiwu is thinking of taking her business to the next level by expanding internationally using Google Market Finder to help identify potential markets.

Reflecting on the progress she has made and talking about the impact of her business’ new digital presence, Onyeiwu states that “without Google My Business, my business would have been like having a hobby. But now I get to sell to people I don't even know.”