We have put together 3 ways the beauty industry has been redefined by social media. As social media emerged into becoming an integral pillar of marketing, it forced various industries, such as the Beauty & Makeup sector to diversify.
It can be arguable that in fact in today’s society more than ever, humans are more conscious about their appearance, and that has been particularly fueled by the impact of social media, and its fallacious reinforcement of how one should look.
Here are some figures from an online report, that help paint the picture a little better:
- The beauty industry generates over $100 billion in revenue worldwide.
- Beauty companies are expected to spend $7.7 billion on advertising in 2022.
- The male personal care market is projected to hit $276.9 billion by 2030.
- Cosmetic retailers report $17.09 billion in online sales.
Over the past few years, it is due to mostly consumer demand, that we have globally witnessed major breakthroughs. The rise of the conscious consumer is shining a light on the ethical credentials of companies operating in the industry.
Consumers are seeking for increased transparency, and greater engagement with brands, hence the rise of Influencer marketing, which helps facilitates this.
Outlined below are some of the most powerful ways that social media has helped the beauty industry reform and diversify.
Provide informative content to your targeted consumers
The OG YouTube guru’s such as Zoella, Carli Bybel, and Michelle Phan paved the way, many years ago for posting beauty tutorials and advice.
With a few of the most popular names in the business starting out as early as 2007, it was very difficult for a YouTuber to be paid in order to promote or talk about a product. More times than often, these creators were doing it genuinely.
Fast forward to now, these days you don’t know if someone actually likes a product, or if they’ve been paid to rave about it!
With millions of subscribers under their belt, these women were known for producing informative product reviews and captivating tutorials.
A lot of the time, adverts either in glossy magazines or online will showcase a photo-shopped model who’s wearing the product, painted on perfectly by a professional. Going back to the need for transparency, consumers would much rather have real people who can on-camera use the same products and give real results. Influencers are able to deliver this effectively, whilst advising and informing their viewers at the same time.
Whether it’s on YouTube, IGTV, or TikTok – there are multiple mediums for content creators and Influencers to post their beauty-related content.
Perfectly put in an article by the NY Times, “they’re not just giving a makeup tutorial, they’re telling a story about themselves. If you watch them every day, you’re going to get to know them very well.”
Creating a strong brand image & voice
A big advantage of social media on the beauty industry today, is that is enables brands to create a distinct brand personality and deliver this to consumers.
When you think of Chanel, you think of luxury and high-end products and this is reflected throughout their social media channels such as Instagram.
Consequently, let’s take Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Jenner’s beauty & skincare brand. Her Instagram feed for the business is cohesive, the primary colors are pastel pinks and this is incorporated throughout her socials.
Using social media, not only can you curate a certain aesthetic that you wish to portray to consumers, but you can also create a brand voice.
You can use various ‘tones’ of voice such as, playing on humor or perhaps you want to be viewed as more ethical and serious such as The Body Shop. Regardless of how you wish to be perceived, social media has enabled businesses in the beauty industry to take ownership of their branding like no other.
Opened up various sales channels
Visual social media platforms, such as Instagram & TikTok are used as a substitute to visiting stores to purchase.
Social media has streamlined the purchasing and decision-making process dramatically, by allowing users to simply click on a post directly and pay in-app, or by being directed to the company website.
Feeds have turned into virtual stores, displaying products and comment sections are utilized for reviews.
Looking back 10 years ago, Pinned-shopping through posts was a fascinating concept that today has permitted brands to capitalize.
The beauty industry was one of the primary adopters of social media marketing, taking us back to the good old YouTube era of How-to tutorials & shopping hauls. It has since evolved dramatically and reformed the way brands communicate with their audience, and boost sales.
It is evident that consumer demand, and advancements in the realms of marketing, have allowed the industry to excel and unlock its full potential on a global scale.
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