Maximize your digital marketing investment by leveraging industry trends, insights & consumer data
By Emily Rose Campbell, Senior Account manager & Emilie Chan, Account manager
Beauty, Cosmetics & Hairstyling Marketing Industry Trends
It’s an interesting and shifting time period in the beauty industry. With the significant increase of time spent at home for many consumers, the time spent on self-care and brand exploration has also increased. Haircare, cosmetics, and skincare regimens have helped some have a sense of normalcy and routine during this challenging period of time. In parallel, consumers now have the opportunity to (and are significantly more open to) researching and discovering new brands and routines as seen in search trends across the US, with skincare searches and sales are steadily on the rise (Google Trends, 2020). Brands who are able to fulfill orders during this time are benefiting from a reduction in cost per acquisition due to a decrease in competitors’ investment.
Despite an initial shock to search in March, shown by Google Search Trends seen below, skincare and cosmetics-related searches have increased over time (Google Trends, 2020). Looking for feel-good substitutes for bi-weekly manis and root touch-ups, there has been an increase in “how-to” searches, many related to hairstyling and hair coloring (Google Trends, 2020). This trend provides unique opportunities (not limited to hair care brands & salons) to reach new consumers and start new conversations, as well as reconnecting with past customers.
Here are some tips for brand awareness and digital discovery:
1. Leverage consumers’ time spent at home: Consumers are eagerly indulging in full and elaborate skincare routines and are receptive to new products. For everyone from up-and-coming indie beauty brands, to small-to-medium sized beauty brands, it’s possible and now arguably easier to reach new users with a minimal budget while maximizing your media investment with search ads (on eg. Google) and social media ads (eg. on Facebook & Instagram).
2. Utilize rich media content: As there aren’t many opportunities to test & feel products IRL, demonstrating and highlighting the textures, features, and of your products is a great alternative. Brands can use videos to showcase the textures and consistencies of products, and offer expert advice on how to use them. High-quality images with the option to zoom in can simulate in-person product examination. Describe products with vivid imagery that elicits familiar smells, tastes, and textures.
3. Use visually engaging & interactive ad formats: Experiment with ad formats that can showcase product ingredients, close-ups, and application processes. Great ad formats for introducing products to users include collection ads and carousel ads on Facebook and Instagram.
4. Reduce consumer hesitation: There may be reservations in transacting due to the difficulty with returning products during this time. A great way to introduce new products or product lines to more customers is by sending trial sizes of these products to your past purchasers or customers. Couple this with a retargeting digital media strategy.
5. Target the right people: Wondering how to advertise your brand with a minimal budget and conservative investment during an uncertain time is hard. To be cost-efficient, build similar audiences to your most valued customers when introducing your brand to new users. Reach qualified users with the right messaging and low-ticket items.
6. Practice customer retention: Hold on to users who are interested in your products. If something is out of stock, collect their emails, ideally asking them to sign up for your newsletter (if you have one) and put them on a waitlist. This is great for retargeting.
7. Set up realistic expectations: Delivery and shipment times may be delayed, but customers will understand. Simply be transparent and let them know prior to their purchase. This won’t deter their motivations as much as you may think.
8. Optimize your website: Take advantage of this time to get your website optimized, up to speed, and fully functional to be able to meet consumer demand (especially if you’re prospecting and introducing your brand to new people). Having a functional website and shoppable feed have more advantages than just user experience. Google has recently changed Google Shopping to include organic results (Google Support, 2020), and apps such as Shop by Shopify (Shopify, 2020) are enabling the discovery of businesses with shoppable feeds during this time.
Final thoughts
During this time, it’s important to stay connected and remain reliable to your existing customers. Despite the uncertainty of the situation, it is still possible (and strategic in the long run) to recruit new users. Leverage industry trends and consumer behavior to facilitate digital discovery and raise brand awareness.
About Emilie Chan
Emilie Chan is a Digital Strategist and Account Manager who specializes in consumer products and omnichannel marketing strategies. She holds a Master’s Degree in consumer behavior and is particularly passionate about the intersection between data and human behavior.
About Emily Rose Campbell
Emily is a digital marketing specialist skilled in both paid search & social. She has extensive experience in building multi-channel digital strategies to meet the diverse goals and needs of companies of all sizes. She has worked with a variety of beauty brands, such as MAKE UP FOR EVER, Dior Beauty, Guerlain, as well as smaller Korean beauty brands.
About Labelium
Labelium is a global, full-stack, digital performance agency with expertise in SEM/SEO, Digital Media, and Amazon Advertising. We develop tailored e-commerce growth strategies, customizable dashboards, and reporting while offering trainings and education for in-house teams.
Categorized in: Trends/Insights