Elle Morris, Senior Vice President of Global Strategy at Marks11.17.22
Social media moves at an unparalleled pace, and particularly in beauty, as compared to other categories. Here are a few observations—and tips for how beauty brands can build brand loyalty on social media.
Gen X Is Making Their Presence Known
While social media is dominated by Gen Z and Millennials, Gen X (65 million people strong) is largely overlooked on social platforms, regardless of the fact that they are at their peak earning potential—leaving these beauty consumers both frustrated and neglected. However, platforms like Facebook and TikTok have helped this cohort build communities with other people who share their needs/wants.While Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are undeniably popular with 40-somethings, 74% of American Gen Xers use Facebook, and TikTok’s beauty reach can’t be discounted.
Beauty influencer Kim Spader (shown above, @kspader79 on TikTok), is a 40+ American woman who has amassed over 180,000 followers. She recreates beauty looks and creates a myriad of tips-and-tricks. She is also a member of youth-focused beauty retailer Ulta’s 2022 Beauty Collective, with over 7 million followers.
Gen X (true to their character) is expressing themselves and making their presence known on TikTok.
They are making their views heard as seen with more representation by beauty brands of their age group, the products that work best for them, the products that don’t live up to the hype and honesty regarding plastic surgery and anti-aging treatments, etc.
Watch this space – there will be some Beauty Gen X influencers that reinvent the game through their social power and ability to gain engagement from younger users.
Openly Speaking About “Pro-aging” vs. Anti-aging
‘Pro-aging’ is gaining pace: just 13% of UK consumers think ‘anti-aging’ is a positive way to describe a product. The term Pro-aging is becoming the norm by influencers on multiple platforms. Gen X is leaning into going grey early and aging in a way that is most comfortable for them vs. the “going down swinging” anti-aging approach that Boomers took on.U.S. brand Spoiled Child's disruptive “getting old is getting old” approach to hair and skincare uses artificial intelligence (AI) – aka the SpoiledBrain – to deliver personalized products in recyclable space-age capsules. Users are asked a stream of questions by the AI to determine the correct regime for their skin and haircare goals. The use of social media and the Internet is a cornerstone of building this beauty brand and many others.
Rising “Digi-gagement” Spaces Build Confidence
TikTok commands so much attention from teen beauty fans, brands getting it right on the platform can gain serious followers and spend.Think truthful storytelling, shareable packaging, and cult-appeal products. Whereas Instagram is heavily driven by ads, TikTok products go viral because they work.
Thoughtful, truthful storytelling and “real” people showcasing products unedited and unfiltered build confidence and trust among consumers. Nothing speaks louder than consumers who use a product and are passionate about the impact that it makes on their appearance.
Tik Tok creates so much purchasing interest that users are making videos called “Tik Tok made me buy it…”. To be fair, once purchased, if a brand doesn’t live up to the hype, it needs to be prepared for vocal backlash from Tik Tok posters. Brands that deliver have nothing to fear.
How to Build Beauty Brand Loyalty on Social Media
It’s not easy to get this right but the brands that do, reap the rewards in sales, solid two-way relationships with their consumers (i.e., it’s a mutual communication stream) and are leading in innovation.The brands mentioned above are succeeding—and anticipating their community’s needs based on the content that their consumers are creating.
4 Key Takeaways
- Be inclusive: brands should involve the communities they are representing.
- Humanize product posts with user-generated content: consumers want to see themselves and their peers engaging with the brand.
- Integrate community marketing into video content strategies: be very clear and very relevant to the target audience; it takes two seconds to swipe up and be dismissed.
- Establish clear content buckets: to ensure the content is reaching the right people; producing timely, germane content for specific audiences will generate a loyal following.
