Influencer Marketing: How to Leverage Your Platform for Your Business
When people think of starting a beauty business, they often have misconceptions about what it takes to build a brand. With things like overall cost, marketing strategy, and supply chain demands, first-time business owners can have difficulty staying afloat.
What people often overlook in cosmetic branding is the importance of building a strong digital platform.
Business owners, entrepreneurs, and influencers should consider leveraging social media for their businesses, as this is a valuable tool to expand reach and establish credibility.
Whether you are an influencer launching a beauty brand or an entrepreneur looking to create a community, building your platform requires strategy.
The sentiment that “anyone can be an influencer” is a euphemism for the market saturation influencer beauty brands are experiencing. With so many influencers and new celebrity beauty brands entering the market, it can be hard to stand out. But knowing what makes you unique, what whitespace you fill, and who you are as a brand can help you break through the noise.
Mix in market research, the cost of investment, and budgeting realistic timelines for product production, and you should be prepared to leverage your platform and build a brand.
Marketing Strategies for Beauty and Personal Care Branding
On the digital marketing side, a cosmetic branding strategy is key. Here’s how influencers can use their platforms to make their brands stronger:
1. Create brand social pages and begin posting across all social media channels.
Social media marketing, in general, is crucial. Even more important is establishing brand consistency — this includes your own social media presence. Developing an authentic voice threads a cohesive message throughout your brand, and consumers love when things connect.
Spend time brainstorming a slogan or tagline you can carry through your messaging. Develop brand standards and writing guidelines to help you stay on track, then create your social channels! Post high-quality photos on your pages with cadence and engage with your consumers regularly.
2. Determine how much paid brand awareness you need on Google and social.
Whether you are an influencer, entrepreneur, or business owner, it is important to figure out how much paid brand awareness you really need.
For example, Huda Kattan or Kylie Jenner can spend less on marketing because they are their brands. They don’t have to spend time or money finding prominent people or developing elaborate brand strategies to elevate their voices. Meanwhile, companies like Estée Lauder and L’Oréal have chosen to invest in Instagram and YouTube ads to target their audiences (and consumers) directly.
There are benefits to paid and organic marketing, but don’t be afraid to enlist other influencers; focus on developing your unique brand story and your own organic content. You may be surprised to see how far that will take you in the beauty industry.
3. Talk openly and honestly about your brand to cultivate engagement.
Consumers appreciate authenticity — and they know when you are trying too hard. According to a 2019 Stackla survey, 90% of consumers mentioned authenticity as a leading factor in brands they like and support.
“Engagement” is often a buzzword when it comes to social media, but it is also a term that describes the number of followers who interact with your social media content, typically expressed in a percentage. More consumers interact and engage with your content when you talk openly and honestly about a brand or product. Maybe you ask a question, allow people to direct message you, create a poll — whatever you do, be yourself and don’t “over-curate.”
And don’t try to be something you are not. Run hard after what you are.
Wondering how to build a beauty brand? It starts with developing your original brand voice and showing up consistently where your consumers spend their time — online! Let’s do this!
