It’s 2018 -- at this point you know building a brand-forward Instagram profile or Twitter feed is about way more than just putting a lot of content out there. Pulling off a head-turning social media campaign in the cosmetics space like one of the 25 Buzziest Beauty Brands of 2018 takes meticulous attention to detail -- and not all strategies are created equal. We did some research and pulled together the top six tactics social media gurus in the cosmetics industry use to build and inspire their consumers online.
1. Use Testimonials
If a famous or reputable consumer provides authentic support for your emerging products, new consumers will come out of the woodwork.
Drunk Elephant Skincare publishes testimonials on Instagram (@drunkelephantskincare) from sources ranging from Instagram users with under 200 followers to beauty magazines with thousands of subscribers to promote new and emerging products. In one Instagram post quoting a review by a beauty blogger, @theserumbottle reviews a Drunk Elephant Skincare moisturizer. The Serum Bottle states, “#Protini is the best moisturizer I’ve ever used.”
Even though all public acclaim benefits your brand, publishing testimonials from celebrities, beauty bloggers, and average consumers produces more effective content than publishing commentary from any one of those sources on its own. A beauty blogger with a few hundred followers on YouTube attracts different viewers than a mainstream celebrity would, so incorporating content from multiple types of social media contributors generates the largest overall audience.
Check out this video published by @surratbeauty. The film follows a simple premise: Kim Kardashian speaks on the phone with Kylie Jenner while Kim films a makeup tutorial. Although neither of the Kardashians directly promote the brand in question, the makeup artist uses the Surratt Beauty artique sculpting brush while doing Kim’s makeup. That’s all it takes.
2. Portray a Consistent Image
Decide on the specific type of persona your brand should convey and maintain this image across all media channels. Build your brand’s persona through each Tweet and Facebook post with cohesive hashtags, graphics, and textual content.
Keune Hair Cosmetics sports a minimalist form of this consistently in almost all of its Instagram posts by using #coloryourmood in some form within the caption. This minimalistic style conveys a clear marketing campaign: buy Keune products to participate in the #coloryourmood trend.
L'Oreal tries a different approach with this tweet. Promoting a new campaign describing a future in which the beauty industry becomes firmly rooted in “technology, quality, formulation, and individualization,” L’Oreal doesn’t just say this all themselves, they share an independently published article. Highlighting validation from outside the company on their social channels shows that L’Oreal is actually walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
3. Be Accessible
Work with your team to build a concrete public relations plan. Social media’s unique ability to connect brands and companies directly to their consumer bases allows you to engage directly with your customers online through starting one-on-one conversations in addition to mass branding.
Do your best to answer all comments and feedback aimed at your brand on social media immediately. Remaining active and responsive maintains the respect and attention of your followers. Prepare to repair a damaged reputation if necessary through your brand’s social media channels.
It’s easy to connect with people who are passionate about your brand, but tougher to bridge the gap with more passive consumers. Sunday Riley combats this issue by encouraging its Instagram followers to send in a video of their significant others stealing their Sunday Riley skincare products. This challenge encourages people to share their products with those close to them through word of mouth while also getting consumers excited about skincare by compelling them to send in videos.
Similar social media campaigns like competitions, giveaways, and question and answer sessions can encourage a similar form of engagement. Don’t pass up your opportunity to interact directly with buyers.
4. Spread Messages Across a Variety of Platforms
Share your most relevant content across multiple media platforms and remain current by updating outdated content. Experiment with new media and use social media innovation to drive your brand's overall online presence.
Velour Lashes takes to Twitter in an effort to link their followers to an ongoing Instagram contest. As demonstrated by this post, linking accounts exposes a larger number of viewers to a post and allows for more social media followers. Publishing the link to Velour’s contest via Instagram promotes both their contest and their Instagram handle quickly and successfully.
5. Be #Relatable
Continuously update your social media tactics in order to stay relevant. Because mixed advertising messages surround consumers each time they turn on their smartphones and online trends change each hour, remaining well-versed in social media prevents content from falling out-of-date.
Drunk Elephant Skincare takes note of a few specific trends in this tweet. By quoting an entire thread posted by twitter user @jawnita, the Deputy Editor of Jezebel, the skincare brand incorporates an emoji, interacts directly with a prestigious buyer, and informally publishes a narrative from a customer who loves Drunk Elephant products.
The caption of Milk Makeup’s Instagram post accompanies an eye-catching image and keeps the post trendy and relevant. Playing off a recent Facebook trend, Milk Makeup asks followers to “tag their flossiest friend.” This tactic allows followers to engage with both their close friends and the makeup brand simultaneously.
These examples bring new life to important concepts such as accessibility and publishing testimonials by incorporating prevalent in-app features, emojis, and trends. This type of multi-faceted engagement will push your brand toward success in the world of cosmetics social media.
6. Don’t Just Join; Add Value
Use relevant messages that engage your followers. Provide original and focused content that engages followers. Emphasize topics such as humor or social justice and avoid repetitive, jargon-filled content.
Taliah Waajid demonstrates her use of relevant content through encouraging her followers to converse directly with her (return of tip number 4) regarding a popular topic for women sporting natural hair: protective styles. By providing advice for consumers of the haircare brand while allowing followers to contribute directly to the conversation, Taliah pushes an overlooked topic directly into the social media spotlight.
This example demonstrates the benefit of creating original content that will appeal directly to a specific consumer-base. Achieve a similar effect through promoting exciting new events, eye-catching product designs, or a new charity campaign.
Check out more cosmetics teams that have mastered social media branding and claimed a spot on Repsly's 25 buzziest brands for 2017 (including Drunk Elephant Skincare and Sunday Riley) here!
As the social media presence of cosmetics companies continues to grow, make the most of every online interaction. Maximize your social media marketing and customer engagement campaigns through striving to achieve these best practices. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, following these steps to remain relevant and relatable will boost your brand’s social media campaign to the next level.
