Eye primer, lip gloss, contour creams…beauty products are exciting because they offer endless combinations. There are truly no limits to the ways you can express yourself.
Some self-described fashionistas pore over the latest makeup trends, testing new looks and techniques every day of the week. But while big cosmetic companies spend millions on advertising, many women and girls find their makeup tips online, and ecommerce sites are catching on to the trend.
Below are a few tips to boost your sales by meeting cosmetic customers where they are.
Glitz & Glamour
The internet has changed everything. A decade or two ago, most people bought glossy magazines and visited department stores to feed their fashion fix. But nowadays, style-conscious shoppers prefer visiting social media pages to find the next hot thing.
And why not? Digital gurus look and act more like the people in our everyday lives compared to the Mad Men-esque industries of advertising and PR. But that’s not to say that market is dead; it’s just different. And ecommerce vendors would do well to follow suit.
One way to do this is through brand ambassadors. These influencers can be popular YouTube or Instagram personalities that post tutorial videos and answering audience questions, for example.
- To start, try sending the content creator a message to see if they’d be interested in testing or showcasing your products in a future video.
- Try not to make too many demands on how you’d like your product demonstrated. After all, these YouTubers and Instagram stars know their audiences better than you do.
- Offer free product to your contact. If they ask for additional compensation, decide whether it is something your business can afford.
- Once the video is posted, cross-promote it to your own followers, email subscribers and fans!
Another way to sell makeup through ecommerce is to establish an on-page blog. Some ecommerce platform providers, like Shopify, allow users to post written content directly to their store’s page without the need for additional domains. However, you can still create a page of your own over WordPress or Blogger if you prefer.
To start a successful makeup blog:
Begin by identifying your audience. A blog entitled “Glitter Makeup Trends to Try” will play to a different audience than “Finding that Runway Contour at Home. Next, create a content schedule to manage your posts and develop a regular cadence for your blog. Two to three posts a week is optimal, but you might as well begin with one a week to get a taste for the work that goes into each post.
Finally, promote your blog posts through your social media pages and email subscriptions. It doesn’t do much good if your customers aren’t aware you have a blog.
Pro Tip: Go the extra mile by inviting brand ambassadors to share their content on your site.
Of course, nothing says that you can’t create your own video tutorials. Video marketing is a wonderful way to connect with consumers. Research shows that U.S. adults spend 5.5 hours with video content each day!
Coming up with video content is pretty similar to developing blog content in that you still need to focus on what your audience wants. However, video content is getting shorter every year, making it easier for audiences to watch while scrolling through their social feeds.
If you want to jump on the video marketing bandwagon:
- Keep your video clips under two minutes in length. Using a video editor can help you speed up movements and make strategic clippings. Here’s an example.
- No need to use audio in your video, other than a pleasant audio clip, because viewers rarely listen to the sound. Use on-screen text to narrate your video.
- Finally, promote your ecommerce site or logo in at the beginning and end of each video.
Now you are equipped with everything you need to know about online makeup tutorials and ecommerce marketing. Remember, your audience will only have as much fun with your marketing as you do. So, keep things light and fun. Best of luck!
*This article was contributed.
