The rise of social
media has given way to an entirely new type of beauty entrepreneur: the social
media savvy influencer. As a brand placed in this changing marketspace, it can
be overwhelming and confusing to figure out how to stand out and be authentic
on social. As a journalism and marketing student specializing in beauty
content, I’ve identified two articles about the beauty industry and social
media that will help build your online brand.
The first article,
The
Biggest Trends In The Beauty Industry, comes from Forbes of all places.
Contributor Richard
Kestenbaum identifies the various circumstances that have made the beauty
industry so very lucrative in recent years. Indeed, he finds that half of the
growth in beauty is actually done online. Kestenbaum explains that three
circumstances holding up the beauty industry are as follows: consumers are on a
journey of exploration, meaning that they enjoy trying new products and finding
new brands; young, smaller brands continue to support a surge in creativity and
bring their own ideas about what it means to be beautiful to the market place;
and, creativity continues to surge because major beauty companies are
constantly acquiring smaller companies at incredibly high values. Kestenbaum
continues, outlining four major trends that young, fast-growing companies are
taking advantage of on social. The first is products that result in immediate
improvement or an instant fix; the second is using heavy makeup or surgery (or
perhaps Photoshop) to create a porcelain, perfectly smooth looking canvas; the
third is natural skincare; and the final is customization and personalization.
Ultimately, brands that utilize these trends are continuing to dominate the
online market.
Photo
by Drunk
Elephant
In her article for Allure, More
Than Just Hashtags: How Social Media Is Changing the Beauty Industry,
contributor Siraad
Dirshe reports on the social media savvy and their ability to infiltrate
the beauty industry. Most importantly, she recognizes their call for more
diversity and inclusion in the industry. She outlines how hashtags, like
#BlackGirlMagic, are creating communities of once marginalized voices in the
beauty community. Not only has social media helped quantify the number of women
who want products made specifically with them in mind, but it has also become a
place where beauty brands can see what their costumers want and how they are
feeling about the current climate of the beauty industry. Used correctly,
social media proves to be a powerful tool for beauty companies.
Based on these articles and my own
knowledge of both marketing and the beauty industry, I’ve created a list of
three action items that beauty companies should use when creating social media
marketing campaigns.
·
Work with
Influencers: Interacting with the social media savvy influencers, whether
it be through comments, sponsorships, or collaborations, brings your brand to a
whole new set of fans.
·
Create
Authentic, Engaging Marketing: When creating marketing campaigns, think
about the ways in which the product can connect to the audience and create a
narrative around it in which customers can get involved—no one wants to be
talked at.
·
Do Your
Research: Follow emerging hashtags and accounts in the beauty industry;
they are more attuned to the wants and needs of the consumers than you might
think.
The beauty industry must continue to leverage social media in order to succeed.
Danielle Cohen is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University majoring in journalism, minoring in theatre studies, and pursuing a certificate in integrated marketing communications. She specializes in lifestyle, beauty, and fashion journalism. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.
