6 Social Media Strategies for Your Skincare Brand
Whether you have just launched your skincare brand or have hit a tough spot, there is no doubt that social media could be the way to see you succeed. Skincare lovers are inundated with hundreds of posts on social media tailored to their interests, with tutorials, behind-the-scenes access, and product reviews taking centre stage.
While it may seem impossible to stand out in this crowded market and truly make a name for yourself and your brand, we are here to let you know that it is possible. This guide will take you through the best social media strategies you can use for your skincare brand to stand out against competitors and grow an audience that engages with your content and support your business.
Competitor Research
When starting a social media page for your skincare brand, one of the first steps should be researching your competitors. There is much to learn from those who have come before you, so don't overlook the importance of this!
We recommend that you look at the social media channels of at least five brands (indie or mainstream) that are similar to yours. For example, say someone was launching an accessible skincare brand with evidence-based ingredients; they should look at brands like The Ordinary, The INKEY List and CeraVe.
Once you have highlighted your main competitors, delve deep into their socials. Which platforms do they use the most? What type of content performs best/do they put an emphasis on specific posts? Do they use hashtags? Do they team up with other social media creators?
The above questions are an example of what you should look out for and the thought process you should go through. Streamline your thoughts to being analytical and objective to gain the most out of doing this, and you will likely find trends that give you a better understanding of the type of content that performs well in your industry.
Keep An Eye On Trends
In the world of social media, nothing is more important than researching trends and knowing how to capitalise on them. The great thing about the beauty industry is that there will always be a few products and online trends that you can easily join in with.
An app that allows you to showcase your brand's personality and reach new audiences is Tiktok, and it has seen many influencers and small independent brands grow large followings in the past couple of years. However, when it comes to the beauty and skincare side of the app, there are many trends that we have seen blow up and reach a whole other level.
For instance, ASMR skincare videos perform amazingly on the app, and having an aesthetically pleasing video doesn't go without a miss! We have also seen K beauty trends and natural skincare overtake the overpriced and ingredient-heavy products that would have been popular in the early 2010s, with many popular skincare TikTok videos showing us raw and unfiltered tutorial content.
Understand Your Demographics
When you start posting, you should always check your demographics regarding your content. In addition, looking into your analytics will help you gain a more in-depth understanding of your audience and the type of content they engage with on your page.
On platforms such as Instagram, you can see analytics for your audience's age, gender, location and most active time. For specialised content analytics, you can also see how well your post performed regarding engagement, reach and impressions.
Initially, knowing precisely what to do with this information can be challenging. But, noting how your posts perform will help you understand which content to continue sharing. For example, if you share an Instagram reel and notice your account's engagement goes up by 35%, it would be wise to continue posting reels and keeping an eye on if this engagement continues to grow.
Relatable and Tutorial-Based Content
As we briefly touched on earlier, one of the most lucrative sides of skincare social media is posting aesthetically pleasing yet raw and unfiltered content. This may sound like a juxtaposition, but it makes a lot of sense when we break it down.
In the past decade, viewers have become tired of seeing the same beauty content they can't relate to due to unrealistic filters and retouchers. So, now that more relatable platforms such as Tiktok are showing viewers more candid and raw content, this is where the most engagement is heading.
But, just because the content is natural doesn't mean it looks bad! Using good lighting and a clear backdrop will help you to make videos that are aesthetically pleasing to look at, while a good microphone can help you when doing voice overs or ASMR-type videos.
We also need to point out that tutorials are always viral, with titles such as 'take my makeup off with me' gaining much traction. So, don't be afraid of including video content with your brand's social media, as we have seen that it works for many other beauty creators!
User Generated Content
You have put so much thought into creating content your followers and brand demographic enjoy and engage with, so why stop there? User-generated content is one of the top ways you can get your followers involved in your brand's social media, which in turn helps your accounts reach. For example, you can create user-generated content by creating hashtags that your followers should use when posting a video or photo that uses your products.
An example is when Rare Beauty uses the hashtag 'RareReminder', where their followers share a photo of themselves with an inspirational quote as the caption. They then repost their favourites onto their page. This is great as it ties in nicely with their brand's message of being an accessible and caring platform while getting their followers directly involved in their branding and social media marketing.
Giveaways
One of the quickest ways to grow a following online is by setting up a giveaway. Of course, it is best to do a giveaway for a specific reason, such as when you reach a milestone follower count or sell a certain amount of products.
When you set up your giveaway, make sure your terms and conditions regarding entry make sense. For example, most social media giveaways ask all entrees to follow the brand and tag three friends. This creates a chain of more people following your brand to enter, with more comments to heighten your engagement.
Final Thoughts
The best way to truly strategise your skincare brand's social media is by understanding your demographic and the trends they follow. Once you know this, you can tailor content based on their interests and the content they will engage with to help you grow a dedicated following that enjoys your posts.
Adding elements such as giveaways, user-generated content and collaborations with influencers can help you to focus on the followers you already have whilst also reaching new potential customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do beauty brands use social media?
Beauty brands use social media as a virtual platform to drive traffic to their e-commerce stores. They do this by displaying their products in content that attracts audiences to click to buy and find out more about their brand.
How do you create a social media strategy for a brand?
You should start your social media strategy by researching your competitors, your target audience and trends to see which type of content is performing best in your industry. From here, you should create content according to your findings while constantly looking at your analytics to see areas that are performing best.
Which social media platform is best for beauty products?
Instagram is currently the best social media platform for beauty products. As the content is based around photos and videos, beauty brands can showcase their products in the best way whilst integrating their website links and product links within the post for a smooth customer experience.