Social media plays a huge role in product discovery for beauty consumers

Nowadays when a consumer wants to learn more information about a product or is considering a purchase they are most influenced by advice from friends and other consumers who have experienced the product.

With social media, consumers can interact instantly with brands and also share opinions on the latest mascara or foundation: what works and what doesn’t.

Big boys starting to play​

It took a while, but now most of the industry big boys are making waves in the social media ocean.

Procter & Gamble announced earlier this year that it would be turning to Facebook and Google​ in an attempt to cut its multi-billion dollar advertising costs, whilst L’Oréal announced that social media is the last piece in its ‘digital revolution’ puzzle​ when it comes to consumer interaction.

Estée Lauder has also been commended for its approach to digital and social media as it employs a ‘brand-led, locally communicated’ approach.

This ensures that there is a broad strategy in place, but that each brand adopts different techniques depending on its target consumer, and where in the world they are.

Facebook and Twitter are the most popular platforms around the globe and brands such as Estée Lauder’s Bobbi Brown or Beiersdorf’s Nivea have taken to these platforms to enhance consumer experience and give application tips.

There are also some lesser known social networks that are popular in certain countries; such as Orkut in Brazil or RenRen in China.

Engagement still the key factor​

Whichever platform is used, engagement is still the key factor. By interacting regularly with brands, consumers build a sense of trust and loyalty, and are more likely to spread the word to friends as well.

With this interaction brands can also target key influencers and this will inevitably drive traffic and can have an effect on total business.

Key influencers can be targeted in a number of ways. One way is to work with beauty bloggers who already have an interest in the brand and have a large audience of their own to recommend to.

Beauty companies can also take to video sharing platforms such as YouTube where bloggers, vloggers and consumers can share reviews and tips on certain products.