Category
Industry/Vertical Insights
Tags
DTC Insights Marketing Social Media

According to Alibaba, the beauty industry is expected to grow by an average of 5.2% each year from 2020 to 2023. While the beauty, cosmetics, and skincare industries may be saturated, there is still room for more. The key to successful social media advertising for beauty and skincare brands is to find a unique differentiator to break the mold in this competitive market. Notice what consumers are in need of but are missing, and that’s the entry into the market. While it may be a challenge, the goal is to offer a solution to a need that is not being met by your competitors. From new ingredients, more effective products, to different packaging, there is so much that can be done to offer a unique experience for consumers of the beauty industry.

That unique experience goes beyond just the products. The past year we saw a big shift in the way consumers shop. In-store shopping transitioned to more online purchases as the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns and social distancing. Because consumers preferred shopping for beauty and cosmetics products in-person (due to the ease of trying products and seeing them in real life) brands had to make way for augmented reality, virtual reality, and other technology that allows the customer to “try on” the product without having to leave their home. Social media became even more important as brands shared more Live videos displaying the products and even offering tutorials. Not only that, but consumers became more aware of what they were putting in their bodies, which led to a greater interest in natural products, and most importantly more brand transparency and education.

Using the right platform is key to connecting with consumers and driving more online sales. Leveraging social media to increase online revenue and run campaigns to scale and hit the bottom line is key to success. Below we’re sharing how DTC beauty brands can fit social media marketing into their funnel to generate more conversions.

What platforms are best for beauty & cosmetics brands?

While there are many social media platforms, it’s important to know which ones to be a part of and how to leverage them correctly.

Instagram

With roughly one billion users, Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps. Not just used for entertainment, Instagram provides an opportunity for users to learn and engage with friends, brands, and influencers easily. In fact, currently 70% of consumers look to Instagram for product discovery and influencers play a key role in their decision to purchase. Influencer Marketing is the modern-day, social media version of “word of mouth” and influencers have a strong authority over what consumers choose to purchase. The advantage of working with influencers in a platform like Instagram is the ability to purchase directly. From Instagram Story swipe ups to Instagram Shops, generating a direct conversion organically has never been easier. That is not all, though. Paid media also offers the opportunity to target your ideal audience to generate conversions with a variety of ad formats and campaign objectives. From awareness campaigns to conversions, driving a consumer through the sales funnel is made possible with Instagram ads.

TikTok

Another platform that has quickly risen is TikTok. From #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, to ads, and influencers on the platform, consumers have access to so much content to make an informed decision about what to purchase. In terms of paid media, brands have the opportunity to run Branded Hashtag Ads that incorporate influencers while generating engagement and brand awareness. But that isn’t the only ad format. Branded Effect ads offer the opportunity to engage users and Brand Takeover ads, as their name suggests, take over the user’s screen to catch their attention.

Tips For Successful Social Media Ads

  • Product Photography/Creative Assets
  • Reaching Your Demographics
  • Giveaways/Contests
  • Beauty Hashtags
  • Capitalize on Trends
  • Missing Forward/Brand Loyalty

Product Photography/Creative Assets

Arguably one of the most important aspects of social media marketing is having the right creative. Whether it’s an organic post or an ad, the right product photograph, lifestyle image or video holds a lot of power. Consumers have a low attention span nowadays so having the right “hook” to engage consumers quickly is key. Think clean, high quality images or short videos that get to the point quickly while keeping users engaged.

Reaching Your Demographics

In order to reach customers that convert, knowing your target audience is key. Think about customer personas like their demographics and interests to better understand how to market them. Then, via hashtags (more on that later), influencers, and paid media you can reach them. The advantage of ads is the opportunity to target customers with specific interests or demographics in mind (like targeting Gen Z specifically), as well as learning what resonates with specific audience groups.

Giveaways/Contests

Giveaways are a great way to generate engagement and introduce your brand to new audiences. While committing to purchasing a product may take a few steps along the way, giving consumers the opportunity to win the product is a much easier way to engage them and convert them into a customer down the line. There are different ways to run giveaways but it is important to check the platform terms as giveaways in exchange of Likes on Facebook goes against their terms.

Beauty Hashtags

As previously mentioned, hashtags are a great way to target your ideal audience organically. Hashtags allow you to find people who are interested in your specific products or benefits. Think #JBeauty or #AntiAgingSkincare. Plus, it also gives you the opportunity to create a branded hashtag so you can connect with customers and even gather user generated content.

Capitalize On Trends

With the rise of TikTok we’ve seen the importance of capitalizing on trends. From audio trends to specific content, taking advantage of these not only allows you to reach more people, it also personalizes your brand and helps a consumer further connect with it.

Mission Forward/Brand Loyalty

Brand loyalty increases the likelihood of a customer coming back and trying new products from the same brand. It’s important to maintain brand loyalty by connecting with your shoppers and one of the best ways to do so is through social media listening. This allows you the opportunity to get to know what your customers are looking for and how you can continue to fulfill their needs.

The Stable’s Social Media Experts

Social media advertising for DTC beauty brands is an evolving landscape. This means your digital marketing strategy should be agile and strategic. We help beauty, cosmetic and skincare companies of all sizes to grow their brands, find new leads, create more qualified sales opportunities and generate revenue from social media. We take away the stress by doing work in real-time so you can focus on what’s really important—your business. Get in touch with us today to speak to an expert.