Social media shaping the beauty industry

Social media has emerged as a mainstream marketing channel where brands and consumers interact and engage in real time. Almost all businesses that have an online presence are present on social media and are using it to market their products.

However, no other industry has benefited from the social media marketing boom as much as the beauty industry.

How Social Media is Shaping the Beauty Industry

The growing popularity of social media and the sheer number of active users on social platforms have made it an integral part of every brand’s marketing strategy. The beauty industry has significantly benefited from this and has evolved to be a $5.5 trillion industry.

Here are two of the most notable changes that the industry has seen due to the growth of social media.

It Has Opened Up New Sales Channels

Beauty brands have capitalised on the popularity of social media platforms and have brought their shops to the consumers, instead of asking them to visit.

Visual social media platforms like Instagram are being used as virtual stores with feeds acting as virtual product displays. Take the beauty brand, Sephora, for example. On their Instagram feed, users can simply click on a picture to shop.

The Industry Has Truly Gone Global

Another big way in which social media has changed the beauty industry is that it has made global selling a reality. Gone are the days when you could only order products available in your region and had to wait for a relative to travel abroad to get that coveted beauty product. Now, you can order from any brand from the comfort of your home, thanks to the emergence of social media resellers.

You might argue that numerous beauty brands already provide global shipping, so why would anyone buy from social media sellers? The fact is that ordering products from other countries costs a lot because of the shipping and import charges.

These social media resellers order products in bulk or find other ways to avoid paying heavy import duties. That is why they are able to sell the same products at a much lower cost than what you would have paid by ordering from an international website.

Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content is a goldmine because it does not require any effort on your part and it is likely to be well-received by your audience as it is authentic. And, it can give you enough content to post frequently, even when you can't create fresh content for your social media accounts.

All you need to do is encourage your audience to create that content for you. You can do this by asking them to use a brand hashtag for a chance to get featured on your page. And, of course, they need to be seen using your product in their pictures. In the case of beauty companies, this means someone creating a look using a brand’s products.

Conclusion

The growing popularity of social media has played a big role in the evolution of the beauty industry and making it truly global. And, the beauty industry is embracing social media in all its glory and leveraging it to its full potential.

However, this has also led to increased competition within the industry with everyone trying to get the attention of consumers on social media. In light of this, we have curated a list of the most useful social media strategies for beauty brands to help you win at social media marketing.

Leverage the strategies above to excel at social media marketing.