June 30, 2022

5 Proven Ways to Better Market Your Beauty Brand

Packed with all sorts of different brands, products, and personalities, the beauty and skincare industry is fiercely competitive, with recent statistics projecting the global cosmetics market will reach $415.29 billion by 2028. As one of the industries most affected by changing trends, marketing for the beauty industry can be especially challenging, especially if you’re a smaller business trying to make a name for yourself amongst more established brands.

Despite this challenge, capturing new customers and revenue in the beauty industry is still possible with the right digital marketing strategy in place. Here are five proven methods you can use to better market your beauty brand.

Complement Your Marketing Strategy with Engaging Beauty and Skincare Content

The lifeblood of any great marketing strategy is great content, and the same goes for advertising beauty and skincare products. Beauty and cosmetics customers are always on the hunt for the next big thing. Whether it’s tips on how to flawlessly apply lipstick or the best balms for sensitive skin, today’s shoppers are just as hungry for information as they are for new products. As such, one of the best ways to market your beauty brand is to publish click-worthy content that customers will be eager to read, share, and talk about with their friends, families, and colleagues.

Given the wide variety of beauty products out there, you’ve got a range of topics to choose from. For example, you could craft a quick comparison guide on the best lipstick shades based on your skin color. Alternatively, if your target audience also includes an older demographic, then an informational piece on skin care regimens for seniors could bring in valuable, conversion-friendly traffic. While these are just a few examples, they serve to showcase how easily you can tap into the kinds of information that beauty and cosmetics consumers are looking for.

To add to this, your research might indicate that your competitors are posting similar content to what you’ve already posted or had planned for your content calendar. While this might feel like an uphill battle (especially if you’re a smaller brand trying to make a name for yourself), you can use the opportunity to look into any content gaps they might have missed. If implemented correctly, this could give your brand the edge it needs to outrank those same competitors for specific beauty keywords, topics, or search queries. If you find yourself stressed about how to come up with the topic ideas on your own, consider hiring a beauty marketing agency to take on some of that work for you. Not only will this give you access to a second team of content experts, but that agency will likely have more tools and resources to optimize your beauty campaigns across multiple channels.

Keep Your Product Reviews and Testimonials Front and Center

One of the staples of a great brand experience is a glowing review. When you have a product that works well, you want people to talk about that experience, as the social proof that comes with that is incredibly valuable. In fact, a recent study by TrustPilot found that 9 out of 10 consumers make an effort to read reviews before committing to a purchase, with the figures saying fairly consistent regardless of gender. Naturally, this makes reviews one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal, meaning you should always try and keep your product reviews and customer testimonials front and center.

It’s not too difficult to understand why this is the case, either. After all, most consumers expect authenticity and transparency from the brands they interact with, especially if those brands are marketing products that could have lasting effects on their health or appearance. While your content marketing efforts might be enough to bring in those customers, they’re going to want to know your products work as advertised before pulling out their wallets. The more positive the review board, the more likely they are to convert. It’s that simple.

That being said, your negative reviews play an equally important role, and you should make an effort to keep those visible as well. Again, transparency is key, and it’s vital that consumers see that you take negative reviews seriously and learn from your mistakes. How you respond to negative reviews is critically important, as it will tell customers everything they need to know about how trustworthy you are and how genuinely you care about their experience. While your chosen voice should be considered carefully, it’s generally a good idea to keep that voice courteous and social-media friendly.

Stay Active on Social Media

Speaking of social media, every beauty brand should make an effort to maintain an active social media presence, especially on more popular, retail-friendly platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Millions of people look for beauty inspiration on social media every day, and on Instagram alone, the hashtag #beauty has racked up over 504 million entries and counting. While looking your best has always been important for many people, the rise of social media has only amplified its importance. This isn’t too surprising, as makeup and skincare are emotional topics that speak to people’s inner confidence, just as the perfect outfit can often make or break someone’s confidence given the right circumstances.

That being said, each of the major social media platforms tends to provide its own unique benefits. Instagram and TikTok, in particular, are incredibly valuable for targeting a younger demographic, as both platforms offer substantial engagement opportunities via hyper-focused, short-form video content. For example, brands looking to build brand awareness might try to incorporate TikTok’s built-in “beauty mode” feature, having followers send in their favorite transformation videos featuring some of their most popular products. At the same time, beauty brands can take full advantage of Instagram beauty reels, creating the fun and authentic type of content that Instagram users love. Your brand might opt to create a 15-second highlight of your newest mascara, or even a 30-second reel of the top 5 reasons customers need your nighttime skincare regimen. The possibilities are endless.

If that weren’t enough, brands can tap into all the reach, visibility, and audience connection that YouTube advertising provides. At over 2 billion users and counting, the platform is filled to the brim with channels of all sizes, many of which serve to showcase people’s experiences with a variety of beauty products and accessories. Best of all, these channels provide a way for consumers to see these products in action, with “how-to” guides, unboxing videos, and product review channels being some of the more popular ways that consumers research and discover new brands.

At the end of the day, an active social media presence provides an open communication line between beauty brands and their customers, something that remains a key component of effective digital marketing. By leveraging all your available tools, you can reach your target audience at different stages of the buyer journey, using the data and metrics you gather to build on over time. While building your brand on social media certainly takes work, the process is a whole lot easier thanks to the diversity of platforms and their demographics, making those efforts more than worth the investment.

Leverage Influencer Marketing

To echo the above, beauty brands who wish to reach the widest variety of customers should put serious thought into adding influencer marketing to their overall strategy. With a global market size that crested $13 billion in 2021, it’s a rapidly growing industry, making it an especially powerful marketing tool for eCommerce brands looking to boost visibility and engagement with their target audience.

Encompassing everyone from high-profile celebrities to bloggers and entrepreneurs, the influencer industry is split into five categories, with nano influencers (those with 5k followers or less) and celebrity influencers (whose follower counts surpass 1 million) representing the lower and higher ends of the spectrum. Not only do these influencers command a powerful voice, but that voice is often seen as more personable and relatable, especially when it comes to consumers looking for tips, tricks, and products for diverse skin tones or complexions. For all intents and purposes, modern consumers want to see the products they’re interested in being used by real people, and in front of bathroom mirrors. While the airbrushed faces of a magazine ad are nice to look at, today’s beauty customers expect more authenticity, especially if that comes in the form of sharable video content. Quick, simple “how-to” guides on makeup application perform exceedingly well, while beauty transformation videos highlighting specific products can work wonders for conversions and sales.

To add to this, a recent study from Matter Communications found that 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations, with Generation Z consumers between 16 and 23 being the most influenced in their purchasing decisions. Where glossy magazines once ruled the beauty and fashion industries, the rise of influencer marketing has turned beauty marketing on its head, giving savvy brands the chance to communicate with their customers in a way that truly resonates. Brands with the budget to work with more established influencers often discover bigger opportunities for brand awareness and visibility, as these influencers are skilled at creating content that’s relevant and hyper-targeted. On the other hand, smaller beauty brands with a lower budget can still find success with nano influencers (those with 5k or fewer followers mentioned above) and micro influencers (those with followings in the 10,000 to 100,000 range.

While it might be tempting to focus on follower counts, influencer statistics show that smaller followings tend to provide higher engagement rates, with micro influencers being the easiest and most cost-effective choice.

Work with a Dedicated Beauty Marketing Agency

Ultimately, marketing your beauty brand requires a lot of tools, techniques, and strategies in order to be successful, especially if you’re a smaller brand going up against more established players. As a result, many beauty brands choose to partner with an experienced beauty marketing agency, one that understands what it takes to capture valuable customers and revenue in this wildly competitive industry.

When you work with VELOX Media, you gain a Google Premier Partner with over 10 years of SEO and digital marketing experience across a wide variety of industries, with proven case studies in the beauty and skincare industries. From paid advertising campaigns to content marketing and web development, our team has what it takes to help your brand capture valuable new customers and revenue. Learn more about what VELOX can do to help grow your beauty business today.