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Social Media Marketing for Beauty Brands: Latest Trends 2024
There’s no doubt that consumers, now, are savvier than ever. People have a new understanding of social media and the beauty industry, thanks to evolving online trends and changing consumer behavior. They are not afraid to call beauty brands out when their products fall short of their promises or expectations.
The beauty and personal care market worldwide is expected to generate $646.20bn in 2024. In fact, in 2023, 46% of US consumers spent more on beauty products due to social media influence. Social media is the catalyst behind this phenomenal growth.
In this blog, we’ll be discussing the undeniable impact of social media on consumer purchase decisions in the beauty industry, and leaving you with actionable strategies to thrive as a beauty brand on social media.
Benefits of social media marketing for beauty brands
While the simplicity of buying beauty products from a counter may evoke nostalgia, effective social media marketing provides numerous advantages that can significantly boost your cosmetics brand.
- It builds a distinct brand identity with visual storytelling
Visual storytelling is the DNA of your beauty brand. Your brand’s aesthetic is what will reel customers in. By using high-quality images, videos, and user-generated content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, you can create a memorable brand identity and increase recall.
- It generates real-time customer insights
Social media lets consumers tell the brand if they love or hate a product instantly. The feedback may not always be positive, but it is definitely in your brand’s best interest to understand customer sentiment and refine your offerings.
In 2023, an American beauty brand released skin tints in 15 shades. Social media quickly let them know that a short shade range isn’t inclusive or enough anymore, so the company expanded its line in 2024 with 10 new shades. But the darkest shade resembled black paint and was later discovered to be plain black pigment. It had no undertone and didn’t match natural skin tones. The social media backlash was quick and sharp.
Feedback like this is invaluable in understanding customer preferences and making swift decisions to improve offerings.
- It amplifies reach with partnerships and collaborations
Influencer marketing has become the cornerstone of building a successful social media strategy for beauty brands. 74% of American Gen-Z consumers say they were driven by influencers while buying beauty products. They can authentically promote your products, providing social proof and driving sales.
Real-world example: In 2021, CeraVe collaborated with Charli D’Amelio, skincare influencer Hyram Yarbro (@skincarebyhyram) and dermatologists Dr. Muneeb Shah (@dermdoctor) and Dr. Howard-Verović (@dermbeautydoc). The TikTok exclusive campaign showcasing their iconic moisturizing cream got over 132 million views. CeraVe gained 300,000 followers and substantial sales and engagement as well.
💡 Pro Tip: Give each influencer a unique affiliate link that gives them a percentage of the sale and also offers an exclusive discount to their followers. This affiliate link allows you to attribute engagement and performance accurately. A win all around!
- It enables targeted reach and engagement
Social media platforms offer unparalleled targeting capabilities, allowing beauty brands to reach specific demographics precisely. Using tools like Facebook Ads Manager and Instagram Insights, brands can tailor their campaigns to target an audience based on age, location, interests and behavior. This ensures that your marketing efforts reach the most relevant audience, enhancing engagement rates and return on investment (ROI).
Social media content ideas that work for the beauty industry
Here are some tried-and-tested content ideas for the beauty industry to get your creative juices flowing:
Create beauty tutorials
Beauty tutorials are a staple in the beauty community. They offer step-by-step instructions for creating looks and using your brand’s products, encouraging customers to purchase the items needed to achieve those looks. There are other advantages as well, as beauty tutorials:
- Showcase your domain expertise
- Drive product sales
- Increase brand visibility
- Elevate customer engagement
- Help you gather consumer insights
Brands like Huda Beauty frequently post tutorials that garner huge amounts of views.
For instance, this tutorial by Huda Kattan, which explains how to create an Arabic lip look, has over 48,000 likes. Notice how she subtly launches a new product while doing the video.
Watch the beauty tutorial here:
Debunk beauty myths
Content that debunks common beauty myths can be both educational and engaging. These posts can address misconceptions about skincare routines, makeup applications or product ingredients. They also:
- Demonstrate your brand’s commitment to being honest and transparent about the industry
- Position your brand as a reliable source of information
- Help you stand out by offering evidence-based information
- Allow potential customers to settle their doubts and make informed decisions and purchases
For example, brands like Glow Recipe use social media platforms to clarify common myths. This type of content often sparks discussions and shares, increasing overall engagement.
Watch how Glow Recipe debunks common beauty myths here:
Tap into trending content
Creating content around current topics helps you captivate audiences, stay relevant and engage better. Moment marketing is the strategy of quickly creating content around current events or social media trends. It has many benefits:
- Increases visibility and reaches a broader audience
- Demonstrates your brand’s commitment to stay up to date
- Increases brand awareness and establishes you as a thought leader
Let’s take a look at e.l.f.’s 2024 Super Bowl commercial. Competing on the world’s most prestigious advertising stage, e.l.f. leveraged Netflix’s cultural impact by featuring iconic characters from the show Suits, alongside Judge Judy, a beloved American television figure. Talk about pop-culture relevance! The ad was a huge success, garnering 5.3 million views on YouTube alone.
Watch your favorite television lawyers do what they do best here:
🌶️ Uncover hot trends in real time before your competitors do
Keeping track of what’s "in” on social media manually by visiting the trending sections of various social platforms can certainly be a painful experience. Luckily, you can make use of an AI-powered social management solution, like Sprinklr Social, to figure out what the talk of the town is in a jiffy, and here’s how:
👂 Topic-based listening: You can tune into thousands of online conversations to uncover real-time, actionable insights about your brand, customers, industry and other relevant areas of interest.
📈 Real-time trend analysis: You can find out what's trending all over the world as and when it happens and analyze those trends based on brand, country, topic and severity.
Successful social media campaigns from major beauty brands
Many beauty brands have mastered the art of social media management to connect with their customers and drive sales. Here are a few that stand out:
Fenty Beauty
The masterstroke: A diversity revolution on social media
Fenty Beauty’s 2017 inclusivity campaign set new standards for diversity by introducing 40 foundation shades, which has now expanded to 50, showcasing the brand's ongoing commitment to inclusivity.
Why it worked: Social proof and mass appeal
The market impact of Fenty Beauty was immediate and significant. The brand was named one of Time Magazine’s best inventions of 2017 and generated $100 million in sales within its first 40 days. By 2018, it was the top-selling beauty brand in Sephora, with sales touching $570 million. This success can be attributed to the brand’s inclusive approach and ability to resonate with a diverse customer base.
What makes Fenty Beauty such a success on social media?
Rihanna’s strong personal brand and social media skills helped boost Fenty Beauty's success. Her 2023 Super Bowl performance featuring her Invisimatte Powder had a $5.6 million media impact value and an 883% rise in Google searches. Her casual touch-up on stage while pregnant drove a 3,333% increase in searches on whether Fenty is safe for use during pregnancy.
Relive the iconic marketing moment here:
Glossier
The masterstroke: A brand built on community
Founded by Emily Weiss in 2014, Glossier used insights from her blog, Into the Gloss, to create minimalist products based on community feedback. This consumer-first approach, embodied in the motto “Skin first, makeup second,” drives Glossier’s trendsetting, customer-focused product development.
What they did differently: Customer-driven product development
Glossier raised $2 million to develop a 26-product line based solely on user feedback from engagement on its social media communities. Valued at $1.2 billion in 2022, the brand is projected to reach a valuation of $463 billion by 2027. Glossier honors “Into the Gloss” subscribers with loyalty programs, where they can test and try out new products each month and get access to special events and sales.
Proof they got it right: Sales success and social proof
Boy Brow is Glossier's signature product. It was developed because customer feedback indicated a need for a user-friendly, non-fussy brow product. It is a great example of the brand’s innovative community engagement strategies. In 2018 — the year Glossier sold a tube of Boy Brow every 32 seconds — the company doubled its revenue, hitting the $100 million mark.
What’s more, based on customer feedback, Glossier developed the Milky Jelly Cleanser, a gentle yet effective wash, and Cloud Paint, a dewy gel-cream blush. This focus on user input builds customer loyalty and enhances social media brand presence.
Social media marketing strategies for the beauty industry
Strategize your social media presence to connect meaningfully with your audience, showcase your beauty products, create brand recall and drive engagement.
Choose the right platforms
Social media platforms to market your beauty brand aren't limited to YouTube and Instagram anymore. Platforms like BeReal and Lemon8 are gaining traction.
Each platform has its unique strengths. Discover where your target audience is. For instance, TikTok is ideal for visual content and younger audiences, while YouTube is perfect for in-depth tutorials and product reviews.
Focus your efforts on the platform that aligns with your social media goals and audience to create effective campaigns and build stronger customer communities.
Create high-quality visual content
Aesthetic appeal matters for a beauty brand. High-quality visual content, from product photography and makeup tutorials to user-generated content, adds to a positive brand image. Social platforms like YouTube, Pinterest and TikTok favor visuals. Investing in professional photography and videography boosts brand appeal and engagement.
Leverage influencers and customers
Influencers provide high-quality, engaging content that resonates with their followers, while customer reviews and swatch videos add authenticity and relatability.
Influencer tutorials, product usage demos and transformation videos can drive significant social media engagement. Customer reviews and sample videos can help potential buyers see how products perform on similar skin tones, enhancing trust and purchase confidence.
💡 Pro Tip: Effective influencer management hinges on precision targeting. Use Sprinklr’s Influencer Marketing Platform to identify and engage influencers who align with your brand vision and target audience.
The features offered will help you:
🔎 Identify suitable influencers: Sprinklr’s influencer discovery feature lets you identify and analyze the influencer content that’s most relevant to your audience.
🎯 Create tailored outreach messages: Send personalized messages to influencers based on their interests and content style.
📊 Track and measure performance: Use Sprinklr’s analytics to analyze campaign effectiveness.
Enhance user experience
Beauty brands should aim to improve user experience to build brand loyalty and improve customer satisfaction. Virtual try-on tools and showcasing swatches on different skin tones can improve the shopping experience.
Example: Sephora
Sephora focuses on enhancing user experience with digital tools. Sephora's Virtual Artist allows customers to try on makeup products virtually. This way, consumers can leverage augmented reality to preview how each product will look on them, enhancing product discovery.
How to strengthen your social media presence as a beauty brand
Here are some proven strategies to boost engagement, recall, reach and influence as a cosmetics brand:
1. Build engagement through interactive content
Create content that encourages direct interaction from your audience. This could include:
- Giveaways: Giveaways are an excellent strategy for beauty brands to boost engagement and grow their customer base.
- Polls and quizzes: Use Instagram Stories or X (formerly Twitter) polls to ask your followers about their beauty preferences or skincare routines.
- Live question-and-answer sessions: Host live sessions where your followers can ask questions about products or beauty tips.
- User-generated content contests: Encourage your audience to share their own content using your products with branded hashtags and feature the best entries on your profile as part of social media contests.
💡 Pro Tip: Direct customer feedback should dictate your content strategy. Gather insights by:
1) Conducting regular surveys: Routine surveys will help you learn what content your audience wants to see more of.
Example 💫: "What content type do you prefer viewing: product reviews, tutorials or behind-the-scenes snippets?"
2) Using social media features: Instagram Stories, X (formerly Twitter) polls and Facebook Q&A sessions can open dialogues and gather real-time feedback.
Example 💫: “Instagram Story poll: What’s your biggest makeup concern?”
3) Analyzing comments and engagement: Collect clues from interactions about what your audience appreciates most.
Example 💫: Notice if comments on your posts ask for product details or recommendations and respond accordingly.
4) Segmenting your audience: Tailor your content to serve audiences based on demographics, interests and behavior.
Example 💫: Create separate content for young adults and older adults for the same product, as they will have different skin requirements.
5) Implementing feedback: Refine your content based on the insights gathered from your audience.
Example 💫: If your audience asks for clean/vegan beauty products, highlight this in your content.
2. Cultivate your community with exclusive groups and events
Foster a sense of belonging among your followers by:
- Creating private groups: Establish exclusive groups on online platforms for loyal customers to discuss tips and reviews. Offer them early access to new products.
- Hosting virtual events: Organize virtual meet-ups or workshops where your community can interact with beauty experts. Offer goodie bags to encourage user-generated content.
- Arranging physical events: Hosting physical events creates memorable experiences, builds strong relationships and generates buzz around new products on social media, too.
Which brand did it right?
Rare Beauty, founded by Selena Gomez, launched its tinted powder by hosting several events across the US. This created a lot of buzz and extended the brand’s social media reach. Selena Gomez also created content with influencers, bolstering her connection with the Rare Beauty community.
3. Strengthen brand identity with consistent messaging
Develop a recognizable and cohesive brand presence by:
- Maintaining visual consistency: Use a consistent color palette, typography and style in all your posts to create a strong visual identity.
- Crafting a brand voice: Develop a unique and relatable tone for your posts that resonates with your target audience, whether it’s playful, professional or educational, or a mix of traits.
Which brand did it right?
Made by Mitchell has a strong brand identity because of its consistent visual messaging, unique aesthetic and focus on authenticity. Its imagery is about inclusivity, self-care and empowerment. Its tone of voice is consistent — casual, friendly and relatable — and this is integrated across platforms.
Download E-book: How and Why to Create Your Own Social Media Brand Guidelines
4. Target strategically with personalized content
Enhance your reach and relevance by:
- Segmenting your audience: Use insights to create targeted content for different audience segments, such as skincare enthusiasts, makeup lovers or eco-conscious consumers.
- Leveraging ads: Target social media ads based on user interests, behavior and demographics to reach potential customers who are more likely to engage with your brand.
5. Optimize performance with analytics tracking
Ensure your strategies are effective by:
- Monitoring key social media metrics: Track engagement rates, click-through rates and conversion rates to gauge the success of your social media performance.
- A/B testing: Experiment with different types of social media content and posting times to see what resonates best with your audience and adjust your strategy based on the results.
6. Remain relevant with trend integration
Stay current and engaging by:
- Capitalizing on trends: Incorporate trending memes, beauty topics, hashtags or viral social media challenges into your content strategy to stay relevant and capture the interest of your audience.
For example, quiet luxury has been trending all over social media, right? Create content positioning your products as luxurious yet understated to appeal to customers who value elegance over flashy displays. - Creating seasonal campaigns: Develop content around seasonal trends, holidays or special events, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Halloween, to keep your brand top-of-mind throughout the year.
Learn More: 11 Social Media Trends in 2024 [+Actionable Tips]
Take your beauty social media strategy to the next level
From Instagram to TikTok, beauty brands have leveraged visually driven social channels to reach broader audiences and create impactful marketing campaigns.
However, beauty brands now face challenges such as staying ahead of rapidly changing trends and maintaining consistent engagement across multiple platforms.
Sprinklr Social helps brands overcome these challenges with its comprehensive set of capabilities that are tailored to the beauty industry. With it, you can make your brand’s marketing more impactful by:
- Keeping track of customer conversations across 30+ digital and social channels
- Maintaining on-brand content and engagements with enterprise-grade governance
- Getting a complete overview of your posts, events and campaigns from a single place
- Publishing content across multiple social channels simultaneously and at AI-recommended times
- Performing in-depth social media analytics to gain actionable insights
Want to see how it can help beautify your cosmetics brand’s social media efforts first-hand?
Frequently Asked Questions
Beauty brands can measure ROI by tracking metrics such as conversion rates, customer acquisition costs and the lifetime value of customers acquired through social media.
In 2024, beauty brands should consider platforms like Threads, which focuses on short-form content and conversations, and BeReal, which emphasizes authentic and unfiltered content.
Small beauty brands can leverage niche targeting and personalized engagement to stand out. Creating unique, high-quality content and fostering a strong community around the brand can help build loyal followers on social media and add to the word-of-mouth factor as well.
Common pitfalls in using social media for the beauty industry include neglecting to engage with followers and focusing too much on aesthetics rather than authenticity.
User-generated content provides valuable insights into customer preferences and trends, helping beauty brands tailor new products to meet actual demand. By analyzing feedback and incorporating popular user suggestions, brands can innovate more effectively and build stronger customer loyalty.
