Independent beauty brands like Anastasia of Beverly Hills and Tarte are leveraging the popularity of Instagram to amass millions of cult-like followers. The visual nature of the platform, along with its ability to bring together communities of passionate, like-minded consumers, have made Instagram important for digitally savvy beauty marketers. Here, we offer five tips for beauty brands to consider before launching on Instagram.
Determine how Instagram fits into your overall social strategy
Developing an Instagram marketing strategy is more than just posting a lot of pretty pictures. Marketers should ask themselves what Instagram allows them to do that other platforms don’t and decide how to align their Instagram strategy with other social media networks and advertising channels. Next, develop a clear, consistent point of view for your brand and create eye-catching imagery that conveys your story—is your brand bold and fashion forward? Natural and organic? Feminine and pretty? The most successful brands employ a consistency in storytelling, color, backgrounds, and hashtags. Finally, when planning content, consider a balance of content types (products, video, GIFs, user generated content) to tell your story and keep it interesting (and fun!) for consumers.
Create a community
Creating a welcoming, inclusive community is only half the equation. Tap into your consumer’s networks by inviting them to upload their photos or videos and feature them in your Instagram feed or on your brand website. Fans feel connected to brands that include consumers as part of their brand story. Extend your reach by partnering with influential beauty bloggers and vloggers who already love your products and share this content across other platforms like Facebook and Snapchat. Most important, make sure your community manager is constantly engaging your followers so they feel that they are being heard and part of a community.
Authenticity thrives here
One of the most fascinating things about visual communities like Instagram is that they turn products into experiences. Beauty marketers that embrace the brand’s personality and values create an environment that allows consumers to emotionally connect in an authentic way.
It’s not just a brand, it’s a lifestyle
If you scroll through the Instagram feeds of brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Nudestix, or Anastasia Beverly Hills, you’ll see plenty of colorful products, tutorial video, and user-generated content, but you’ll also see images of the brand founders and get a glimpse into their glamorous lives. Brands that leverage their insider access invite followers to be part of an exclusive community. Alternatively, Benefit Cosmetics and LUSH Cosmetics incorporate products into lifestyle photos that illustrate the role the brand plays in the consumer’s daily life. Both approaches invite the consumer to become part of the brand, rather than just a spectator.
Listen…and learn
Researchers found that 62% of Millennials say that if a brand engages with them on social, they are more likely to become loyal customers. With that in mind, let Instagram become an incubator for product development. Marketers that create a dialogue between their brand and consumers on social media better understand what’s in demand, effectively creating mini focus groups to learn what consumers like and what they don’t. Today, the consumer wants to be in control and social media offers a space where they can be heard and for brands to respond. Inviting consumers to be part of the process early ensures that brands will be at the forefront of the latest trends and helps marketers to understand the consumer’s unique perspective.
Althoughindie brandsmay launch their campaigns on Instagram, they will eventually need to take a bigger-picture approach to reach their full potential. A cross-channel media approach offers brands a multitude of engagement & messaging moments along her path to purchase. Women’s Marketing offers proven experience in growing emerging beauty brands into household names. Contact us today to learn how we can take your brand from #Instagood to long-term success.
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