That’s pretty great for customers. But it’s also a huge opportunity for your brand. The average social media user spends 2 hours and 23 minutes a day on social platforms — that accounts for over a third of every minute spent on the internet. Because you now have the chance to engage with your audience in a more meaningful, direct way, you can turn literally every one of those minutes into a potential moment of conversion. 

Chapters:

1. Why does social shopping matter for brands
2. How brands in different industries win with social shopping
3. Access the full benefits of social shopping

Why does social shopping matter for brands

Social shopping addresses a shopper pain point by making it easier for people to connect with what they want to buy. Where social commerce focuses more on selling, social shopping focuses on research and purchases, and improving the whole shopping experience.

Our Shopper Experience Index, an annual report into consumer behavior, tells us that there’s no more debate about the importance of social media and shoppable content. Here’s why:

• Social media is the new search engine. Across the board, 58% of people are discovering products on social platforms. And before hitting the ‘buy’ button, 50% of shoppers are digging deeper, using social media to research their finds
• Young adults are leading the charge. Nearly three quarters (73%) of 18 to 24-year-olds find their next purchase through social media. It’s their mall, their catalog, and their wishlist, all rolled into one
• Buying is the new liking. With 50% of consumers making purchases directly through social media in the past year, the “double tap” has taken on a whole new meaning
• Voice of the customer is key. 78% of consumers feel more confident in a purchase when they view shopper content — that includes creator-, influencer-, and user-generated content

In short, social shopping allows you to meet your customers where they are and where they increasingly prefer to find, research, and buy products. 

How brands in different industries win with social shopping

At Bazaarvoice, we have the pleasure of working with brands across every industry under the sun. We’ve helped beauty, CPG, and hardware companies tap into the magic of social shopping and user-generated content (UGC), lift conversion rates, and increase average order value.

We learned a lot from helping our customers. Here, we distill the most important lessons and fascinating case studies to help you.

Health & beauty

The health and beauty industry thrives on visual appeal. Social media platforms are the perfect stage for brands that fall into these categories. They can showcase their products in action, with vibrant images and videos that do more than sell — they tell a story. 

UGC plays a starring role here. Rich visual content from customers offers authentic glimpses into real-life results and applications (e.g. is the eyeshadow patchy? Does this foundation look good on a complexion like mine? Is this shampoo the key to becoming the star of the live-action Tangled remake?). 

This authenticity is key in an industry where trust and transparency are as important as the products themselves. And if people like what they see, shoppable posts make it easy to click and buy on the spot, turning inspiration into action in mere seconds.

The Body Shop

The Body Shop, a decades-long player in the beauty industry, wanted to enhance its online customer experience. In the words of Indar Chanicka, the brand’s Vice President of E-Commerce, “we set out to fully utilize our social content to drive engagement and use it as a tool to educate customers through their purchasing decisions. We want customers to (…) see the actual products and their benefits through the experiences of real customers.”

To accomplish this goal, The Body Shop integrated social media UGC directly onto product pages. The results? A 28% conversion rate on product pages and a 13% increase in average order value. 

Iconic London

Iconic London is a shining example of how brands can bridge the gap between social media inspiration and e-commerce action. First, they recognized the disjointed experience between social platforms and their website. Then, they set out to create a seamless journey that maintained the authenticity and engagement of social media while guiding customers smoothly to the checkout page. 

Iconic London implemented Like2Buy, a tool that turns your Instagram pictures and videos into informative, directional, or shoppable posts. This approach allows customers to transition from social media to the website without feeling disconnected. 

By coupling UGC, Instagram, and Like2Buy, Iconic London was able to increase conversion rates by 126% and lift average order value by 11% in just 12 months. 

Apparel & accessories

Trying on clothes is a pretty important part of the shopping experience. How else will you know if that pair of jeans fits just right? In the context of e-commerce, apparel and accessories brands have found a savvy way to bring the fitting room to their audience, right through their screens. 

Social media brings fashion shows to every feed. Each scroll is an opportunity to show off the latest and greatest trends, pieces, and styles in action. 

Once again, UGC proves to be a valuable ally. Just like with beauty products, it offers a front-row seat to real-life product demos. Authentic, diverse, and oh-so compelling, this type of content turns everyday customers into the stars of your show, modeling the clothes in their own unique styles and settings. 

Isabella Oliver and Baukjen

Isabella Oliver and Baukjen acknowledge the value of showing their clothes on different bodies. The brand embraces visual UGC to enrich the virtual try-on experience and make online shopping feel as personal and engaging as visiting a store.

Their strategy is simple yet impactful: a monthly hashtag contest encourages customers to share their #BaukjenStyle, turning the competition into a curated display of real-world fashion. 

Bazaarvoice Galleries then takes these snippets and places them on product pages to create a digital window display that’s both beautiful and relatable. The feedback speaks for itself, with customers expressing newfound confidence in their purchases, inspired by seeing the clothes on bodies just like theirs. This confidence translates into tangible results: a 120% increase in conversion rates and a 10% lift in average order value.

We love Isabella Oliver and Baukjen’s approach because it proves that, in the online fashion world, the best way to know if those jeans fit just right is by seeing them in action.

Home improvement

In the home improvement sphere, the phenomenon of social shopping introduces a dynamic where the aspirational is instantly attainable. Instead of just sources of décor ideas, platforms like Instagram and Pinterest become marketplaces where inspiration seamlessly leads to transactions. 

And with a little help from UGC, facilitating this transition becomes easier. Shoppers don’t have to hesitate before buying because they don’t know whether that chaise longue would look good in their homes. You already have a library of relatable content showing them it will.

Dreams

Dreams took their success to new heights with UGC. The brand spotlights their bed frames, sofa beds, and furniture through the lens of real customers’ homes. The #mydreamsbed social media campaign (sensing a #theme here?) showcases customer-inspired bedrooms but also serves as a testament to the power of community in shaping brand perception. 

With high-quality, scroll-stopping images populating their homepage, Dreams has created an engaging first impression that draws customers deeper into their product range. Their strategic use of UGC has led to a 200% increase in conversion rate and a 62% rise in average order value. 

But perhaps more interesting is how the influx of customer photos has informed Dreams’ own creative direction. Octavia Benham, Dreams’ Head of E-commerce, explains how UGC inspires the team and helps them craft their own content. ”Previously, our own product images didn’t look very lived in, but we changed that based on the UGC content we were getting,” she says.

Consumer electronics

Let’s face it: the more expensive the purchase, the more we rely on other people’s opinions and the longer we consider handing over our money. Such is often the case for consumer electronics, where the price tags tend to be heftier and purchases less frequent.

Given social media’s role as the hottest rising star in consumer research and purchase, there’s an opportunity for brands in this industry to share social proof and nudge people towards purchasing in one fell swoop.

Midland Radio

Midland Radio, a leader in two-way communication devices, recognized the untapped potential of showcasing UGC to enhance their digital presence and boost customer engagement. The brand successfully curated UGC from Instagram, Facebook, and other social channels to enrich their site’s content and make it more relatable.

The results speak volumes: a 143% increase in conversion rate and a 27% increase in average order value. But Midland Radio’s approach didn’t stop with collecting and displaying UGC. With tools like Reveal, Showroom, and Like2Buy, they also enhanced their Instagram strategy, making it easier for followers to transition from browsing to buying. 

Food & beverage

Being able to taste a product on social might be a little ways down the road. Thankfully, humans have other senses that food and beverage brands can appeal to. When done right, visuals can almost convey flavors, aromas, and textures (drink if you’ve never “eaten” with your eyes!) 

Social media is the perfect place for storytelling. Food and beverage brands can get creative with their shoppable posts by sharing recipes that feature their products or partnering with food influencers and UGC creators who show the goods in action (yes, this does include eating said goods. There’s a reason mukbangs are still a popular type of content — some people just enjoy seeing other people eat. It is what it is).

T2 Tea

T2 chose to stir up their social shopping strategy with UGC and shoppable posts. They partnered with Bazaarvoice to amplify brand presence and cultivate a digital environment that mirrors the communal and sensory nature of enjoying a steaming cup of tea. 

“Our aim is to create a community of tea lovers,” said Sally Lennox, Head of Digital at T2. “UGC is a way for us to embrace our customers by hearing their unique perspectives and displaying that word-of-mouth content on our digital screens. It provides such powerful social proof when customers can see that others are loving our products.”

T2 celebrates its fans by capturing and posting social media UGC on its home and product pages with Bazaarvoice Galleries. The brand also implemented Like2Buy and shoppable posts on Instagram so browsers can immediately access the products that catch their eye.

Consumer packaged goods

The landscape of consumer packaged goods (CPG) is a competitive one, with direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies increasingly taking over a share of the market. Building trust and signaling safety is thus becoming more and more essential. 

Many CPG brands are turning to social media to push educational content highlighting how real people use their products to make their lives better/easier/more fabulous. And if there’s a direct path to purchase right there in the posts? That’s the cherry on top.

MAM

Understanding the concerns and desires of parents who want the best for their little ones, MAM UK harnessed the power of social proof. So the brand leveraged real-life experiences and endorsements from satisfied parents to reassure potential customers. 

To amplify their UGC strategy, MAM implemented social commerce solutions, effectively completing their full-funnel marketing approach. Bazaarvoice Galleries allowed MAM to curate and display authentic social photos and videos from advocates, creating beautiful product galleries on their website. 

The strategy made their products more relatable, which translated into engagement and profit — more precisely, a 258% increase in time on site, a 108% increase in conversions, and a 58% increase in average order value. 

Access the full benefits of social shopping

Social shopping isn’t a fad — it’s the new normal. And if you have the right tools and the right partners, there’s no reason why you won’t be able to adapt and thrive. 

Dive into the world of social shopping with the ultimate guide to social media conversion for more actionable tips on how to create captivating shopping experiences that impact your bottom line.

FEATURED RESOURCE

How to define and measure social commerce ROI and value

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Shoppers spend several hours a day browsing digital content, and much of that time involves seeking information about what’s new in beauty and skincare. For a while now, social media has been the go-to spot to learn about the latest looks from influencers, watch video tutorials, share inspirational posts with your friends, and buy beauty products on the spot.

As a result, the health and beauty market is surging. In 2022, consumers spent $430 million on skincare, fragrance, makeup, and haircare, and that’s expected to grow to $580 million by 2027, according to McKinsey & Co.

Health and beauty trends research results

To learn more about how shoppers across generations are discovering new beauty products and choosing what to buy, we surveyed just under 2,300 members of the Influenster community. Here’s what we found. 

1. Different platforms mean more to different generations 

Social media is increasingly a destination for health and beauty trends, education, and credibility — but not just from the digitally native generations. As social media natives, Gen Z has obviously been a priority for many brands.

But our survey also revealed some important trends regarding how other generations use social media. Specifically, different generations embrace different social platforms for beauty inspiration and education. For beauty inspiration, the platform each age group uses most is:

• Gen Z: TikTok (86%)
• Millennials: Instagram (82%)
• Gen X: Instagram (75%)
• Baby boomers: YouTube (48%)

It’s hardly surprising that the short-form video crowd (Gen Z) prefer to use TikTok, but what is surprising is that boomers, traditionally the “Facebook generation,” are using YouTube.

For beauty education, Gen Z prefers TikTok (83%). Instagram is the go-to for millennials (69%) and Gen X (61%), while baby boomers opt for YouTube (57%). 

2. Everyday social media users and creators gain credibility

Social media users seeking the latest health and beauty trends on social media put more stock in the credibility of who’s sharing the information. In general, the younger generations consider dermatologists to be the most credible, while boomers and Gen X would say family and friends. However, when we ask who is the most credible on social for skincare & makeup products, all four generations chose influencers..

They give me their honest opinion

Digging a little deeper, we found that 29% of people said everyday social media users influenced them the most, more than brands (27%) and subject matter experts (26%). Social media influencers and celebrities were the least influential. 

“They give me their honest opinion” is the main reason consumers are so receptive to influencers. And, 64% want brands to partner with everyday social media users. More than a third of respondents say their trust in everyday social media users is growing. 

Nearly 40% of survey respondents would like to build a career or side hustle as a content creator. But, 41% haven’t done it yet because they “don’t know where to start.”

Influencers provide product inspiration and show items being used in real life, offering a level of authenticity that helps drive purchases. 65% of consumers have purchased a product based on an everyday social media user’s recommendation. 38% are purchasing more products based on recommendations from everyday social users now than in the past. 

3. Social shopping keeps growing

A trend we’ve noticed beyond health and beauty: consumers aren’t just using social media for information and entertainment anymore. More are engaging in social commerce — that is actually buying products directly from social platforms. Over 30% of consumers of all generations say they’re shopping for beauty products more on social media platforms than in stores these days.   

Of the shoppers who’ve purchased a beauty product on social media, TikTok is the top choice for Gen Z (39%), and Instagram is where millennials (46%) and Gen Z (41%) mostly purchase. Baby boomers (38%) choose Facebook.

This is further supported by a separate Bazaarvoice research peak, looking at what drives purchasing decisions across a number of different industries. When it came to beauty products, the vast majority of consumers said they’ve shopped on social.

With the growing interest in social commerce, brands have a unique opportunity to provide customer experiences that are memorable. When shopping on social media, consumers prefer images and content from their peers, over professional photographs and marketing copy.

Photos showing the product packaging with the product or brand’s name clearly displayed and photos showing products being used are what shoppers like seeing the most. 

4. Consumers gravitate toward the ‘cleanical’ health and beauty trend

“Cleanical” beauty, which combines clean ingredients, scientific innovation, and proven results, has been all the rage lately. Consumers (of all ages) expect beauty brands to be transparent about product ingredients and performance. It’s your job to be a credible source.

One survey respondent said, “A beauty brand can gain my loyalty by being transparent about their ingredients. Making the switch to cleaner and natural ingredients is what will continue to keep me as a loyal customer.”

Over half of Gen Z (56%), millennial (53%), and Gen X (58%) consumers, and 61% of baby boomers are aware of the “cleanical” skincare trend. And over 40% of Gen Z, millennial, and Gen X shoppers and 50% of baby boomers know which ingredients are beneficial versus harmful for your skin type. 

5. Reviews are the primary source for product research 

We already know from separate research that almost all shoppers research products before purchasing them on social media. But our Influenster survey revealed that people from all generations specifically visit a brand’s website to read reviews before buying something on social media. 

“The review includes relevant attributes based on the product (i.e., scent description for a perfume)” is the most important thing to consumers when they’re reading reviews. And, all survey respondents have purchased a product based on a recommendation from a fellow shopper that they saw online. 

Having detailed reviews is the single most important factor for consumers of all generations when researching a beauty purchase online.  

As one survey respondent noted, “A beauty brand can produce good quality, long-lasting products. These products will have good-quality ingredients, great customer reviews, good star ratings, and customer repurchases. I know I love a product when I will repurchase it many times.” 

The constant trend in health and beauty: UGC

Consumers are buying makeup, skincare, and other beauty products more than ever. Our survey revealed how social media continues to wield power over these purchasing decisions when it comes to finding inspiration, conducting research, and actually buying things.

It also shows how different generations are using social platforms, which is crucial for brands as they evolve their social strategies. But at the heart of these trends, whether it’s social shopping or ratings and reviews, is user-generated content (UGC).

Shoppers want to see authentic UGC about your brand from everyday people and content creators. Featuring this content across your social media, product pages, and beyond will inspire purchasing decisions and drive sales for your products.

Bazaarvoice has a full suite of solutions for collecting (and displaying) UGC — see which one works best for your brand here.

LEARN MORE

E-book: Driving sales in beauty, beverages, and everything in between

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But influencer marketing is much more than that show suggests. Influencer content has replaced the billboards and two-page magazine spreads of the past as the central marketing tactic for many brands. Fashion influencer marketing can make or break a brand in the social media age we live in.

Here we’ll take a look at the innovative influencer tactics that fashion brands of all sizes are using today to grow their customer base, foster trust, and sell their products.

Chapters:

1. What is fashion influencer marketing?
2. Why fashion influencer marketing matters
3. How to create your fashion influencer marketing strategy
4. How 16 brands run fashion influencer marketing campaigns
5. Find your influencers

What is fashion influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that promotes a brand or product using endorsements and product placements in exchange for payment. Usually, influencer marketing takes place on social media platforms. It’s how unknown brands become huge and compete with — or even eclipse — established giants like Nike and Victoria’s Secret.

It’s especially prevalent for the beauty and apparel industries. We recently surveyed over 14,000 global consumers to find out how they’re shopping on social. For every industry (apart from food and beverage), consumers are shopping more on social media than in-store. But for beauty and apparel, the homes of fashion influencers, social media is overwhelmingly the favorite.

This is how influencers like Christian Garcia have dominated the fashion market through social media, where he has 600,000+ followers on Instagram. His followers use his account as a place to keep up with fashion and beauty brands, and he’s even able to boast appearances from celebrities like Megan Trainor and Bhad Bhabie. A young rap artist, for those unfamiliar. 

Why fashion influencer marketing matters

In fashion, influencer marketing is particularly vital to brand awareness, conversions, and greater profits. It makes up 86% of the total earned media value of the top 30 fashion brands. 

Today, influencers who were once in a paid-post relationship with their brand have now become product collaborators.

This past year, Forbes states digital marketing strategists determined that “micro” accounts — or small influencer accounts — were just as profitable for fashion as macro accounts. That’s because the smaller accounts connect more deeply on a personal level with their followers. This means their interactions will be more impactful since the influencers are seen more as popular peers.

The numbers speak for themselves. In 2021, the market size of global influencer marketing was valued at a jaw-dropping $13.8 billion (more than double what it was in 2019). And according to Globe Newswire, it could reach $9.2 billion by 2026.

This fast growth is spurred by millennials’ and Gen Z’s heavy reliance on fashion influencers. Half of social media users between the ages of 16 and 34 report following fashion influencers, which is more than any other industry.

Fast fashion brand Boohoo has seen excellent results by investing in influencer marketing. The company pays celebrities to promote its products through Instagram to an audience of 16- to 24-year-old fans. As a result, its profits doubled.

Benefits of using influencers

Influencer marketing benefits brands in a number of ways.

• Builds trust with your audience especially Gen Z and millennials.
• Grows revenue because customers are more willing to buy from people they trust.
• Increases brand awareness and engagement. Influencers are doing the heavy lifting in terms of creating content and cultivating a community.
• Helps you glean customer insights, like customer sentiment.
• Flattens the sales funnel. Customers are discovering brands and buying products as a direct result of influencers.
• Helps you reach new demographics. Micro- and nano-influencers can introduce your brand to niche audiences.
• Helps luxury brands become more approachable with authentic content created and shared by someone your audience already knows and likes.
• Generates a new need for products. Fans and followers are interested in what influencers like, so they may consider a product that they never previously wanted.
• Enables you to quickly connect with customers when trends change, like the post-pandemic loose-fit jeans below.

How to create your fashion influencer marketing strategy

Before beginning your search for a fashion influencer, you’ll need to come up with a strategy.

Determine your campaign objectives

You’ll need to decide exactly what you want your campaign results to look like. This could mean driving brand awareness, discovering/appealing to a new audience, driving engagement, or gleaning customer insights. You will also want these to be measurable. One of the benefits of marketing through social media is that the measurements will always be at your fingertips.

Choose the channel

Where is your target audience hanging out? You’ll want to choose an influencer who has a large, engaged audience on that channel. This may involve doing some research to determine what medium your audience uses. You will need to gather demographic information about your audience, such as age, gender, race, location, and more, to help you know what social media channel they are using.

Decide how you want influencers to promote your brand

Post pictures, videos, reels, and live events on social channels. Highlight the brand by tagging it or using branded hashtags, wearing the brand in a video or at a class, mentioning it on a podcast, or repurposing influencer content on owned channels like your website and emails. Each of these methods can have different benefits. For example, posting pictures and videos can hit a wider audience over a longer period of time, while live events can be very personal and create a strong connection with your audience.

How 16 brands run stellar fashion influencer marketing campaigns

16 brands might seem excessive. Admittedly there’s many examples to follow. But one or two isn’t enough. You need to take in enough visuals to paint the overall picture of what other brands are doing. You need to see options so you can narrow down the type of influencer you want in your strategy. Because the right influencers are integral to successful fashion brands.

Here’s our favourite examples of fashion influencer marketing tactics to try for your own brand.

Feature influencer content in email marketing

Social media is the obvious choice, but many fashion brands now feature influencer content in their email marketing campaign. Do it like DWS and include fun design elements or text overlays.

Don’t forget to credit the influencer with their social handles.

Dedicate a landing page to influencer picks

Publish influencer content on a dedicated page of your website. Like Loft, you can include influencer picks and preferences and a link in your main navigation.

Using images of influencers on a “style assist” page can inspire your audience with new style ideas and purchasing suggestions.

This will help you fill in content and make your brand seem more authentic. Plus, online customers will feel like they are receiving real stylist help even though they aren’t meeting someone in real life.

Advertise on influencer-led podcasts

Advertising on influencer-led podcasts helps brands reach a younger audience that dislikes traditional ads. Conair has been advertised on Off the Vine, led by former Bachelorette and Bachelor contestant Kaitlyn Bristowe.

The podcast has 195k followers on Instagram, and Bristowe herself has 2M followers, so having her read the ad carries the potential to reach and influence a massive audience.

Make it easy for influencers to sign up

Once you’ve identified a fashion influencer marketing strategy, you need to find influencers that align closely with your brand and values. One easy way to do this is to include a straightforward signup box for ambassadors to join the influencer program. For example, Conair includes a link to its signup box in the footer of its website.

Glow Recipe does something similar with its Glow Pro Program. It’s a partnership between the brand and professional makeup artists and estheticians. Glow Pro gives these professionals product discounts and early access to new products, in addition to featuring their work on the brand’s social channels.

Discover everyday influencers

You should encourage everyday users to drive brand engagement through user-generated content (UGC). When your fans want to find you or share their UGC, make it very simple to do so by posting your branded hashtags in your bio, as Conair does.

Branded hashtags carry an added bonus: your influencers will all send your followers to the same location.

Partner with celebrity influencers

Conair also partners with famous influencers to create co-branded products and campaigns like this Wild Primrose one with influencer @sazan and the @scunci and @walmart brands.

The brand went on to partner with singer/songwriter @ashleysuppa, whose band @plushrocks has 29.6k followers on Instagram.

Partnering with micro-influencers like this can help brands connect with new, niche audiences.

Create compilation videos on TikTok

Once you’ve collected some compelling UGC, you can compound the influence of a handful of users by creating a compilation video on TikTok. For example, Conair combines different user-generated videos and review posts into one ad.

To extend your reach even more and have fun with a slightly different tone, create an alter ego TikTok account like @conairman that comments on the regular brand posts.

Repurpose trending styles from Instagram

There’s arguably no better platform for fashion influencer marketing than IG. If you feature influencers on your home page, link their image to your product page where shoppers can purchase what the influencer was wearing, as Nothing New does.

This approach also encourages new social shares when you suggest a branded hashtag.

The Marks and Spencer brand also created a strong Instagram presence by posting trending styles on its main website, then tagging the influencers who originally styled and posted the image.

Invite influencers to write guest blogs

Besides visual content, influencers can also assist your brand in writing guest posts for your blog. For example, Primary (a children’s apparel brand) posted a blog written by guest contributor Amelia about the ways families can celebrate Earth Day.

This type of guest post works well because the influencer has an engaged, niche audience of 7.7K followers on her Instagram, @mtnmamatales, that is interested in her content and will flock to Primary’s website. She also offers engagement via her Outdoor Family Chat Facebook group, camping books, camping courses, as well as her own blog, Tales of a Mountain Mama.

Tag an expert

Below, Sephora has taged Sephora Collection National Artist @helenkphillips. In the same post, it features (and tags) different branded products like @fentybeauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint.

Tagging experts and complementary brands helps to increase your own brand awareness and authority.

Create co-branded products with a celebrity

Partnering with celebrities that fit your brand’s values and target audience is always a strong strategy. They may endorse your brand and wear your products publicly, where they’ll be noticed and mentioned in the media.

Celebrities may even help you create a new co-branded product, like Nike’s co-branded sneaker with LeBron James and Kylian Mbappé. The brand posted and tagged the celebrities on social media with videos of kids playing sports while wearing the shoes.

Additionally, Tiffany & Co. partnered with K-pop star Roseanne Park, letting her redesign some of its fashion lines to create and model her own #TiffanyHardWear line.

Tiffany & Co. tagged other influencers and creators on Instagram to showcase the HardWear designs, such as this post where it tagged the jewelry designer Elsa Peretti.

The post even includes a link to the designer’s official shop, and both include a branded hashtag to encourage more UGC.

Use TikTok transitions

TikTok’s transitions make it easy to showcase multiple items quickly, and it’s a tactic that’s perfectly suited for fashion influencers. For example, influencer Elizabeth Pehota posted this TikTok to showcase Elie Tahari tops.

Create TikTok challenges

Brands can also take advantage of popular TikTok challenges to discover new audiences and seem more approachable. Videos related to the #chanelchallenge have earned over 5.8 billion views. In it, creators like @ingyinkhine55 choose seemingly random and/or secondhand pieces of clothing to put together an outfit.

The end of the video shows snapshots of a photoshoot where the creator models the outfit like a Chanel model. Similar challenges exist for other luxury fashion brands like Dior and Gucci.

Assemble an all-star cast for outfits

Lesser-known brands can gain great exposure from influencers who pair pieces from multiple brands, like this post from @janetgunngratefulgardenia.

In the post, she tags each item’s brand like @elietahari and includes popular hashtags like #ootdinspiration (meaning “outfit of the day” inspiration), which inspire fashion aficionados and help them discover brands.

Curate a best-seller box

Collaborate with other brands to create a best-seller collection. To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Glow Recipe partnered with eight other AAPI-founded beauty brands to create a curated best-seller box and shared its unboxing on social media.

The strategy created an opportunity for each brand’s audience to discover other brands. It was also an effective way to show solidarity with other founders and the AAPI community — for each box purchased, Glow Recipe donates $10 to organizations that support the AAPI community.

Pursue media mentions with influencer content

You probably already know that influencers mention brands on TikTok and Instagram. But they can also give brands some extra social proof by mentioning them in articles they write for magazines like Insider.

In the above example, writer and aesthetician Emma Freece recommends 10 different beauty products, including brands like Glow Recipe, which is featured in the main image. Freece also posts how-to videos, hauls, reviews, and unboxing videos on TikTok, where she has 78.3K followers.

Answer common questions

Influencers can offer authentic and trustworthy responses to common customer questions about a product or style. For example, Sephora launched #SephoraSquad in 2019 through the paid ambassador marketing platform Fohr. One of the Squad members, @rochellemoncheri, posts Stories, Highlights, and Reels on IG, answering common questions like “How do I avoid flakey foundation?”

The above post earned over 3k likes. This is a natural way for influencers and brand ambassadors to provide value for current and prospective customers while also creating engaging content for the brand.

Focus on shared values

Besides generating how-to content and tips, successful influencer programs like Vuori’s spread a brand’s purpose through a focus on shared values like sustainability and community. Its partner athletes and fitness enthusiasts share what they like about Vuori.

Additionally, the brand features community leaders who share their values of creating positive change, like ICU nurse @adleyparriott.

Due to authentic marketing tactics like this, Vuori is competing with big names like Nike and lululemon.

Inspire everyday users

Thanks to the oversaturated ad space, everyday users crave authenticity. One way to appeal to them is by inspiring them with inclusive messaging, as Savage x Fenty has done.

The brand’s body-positive messaging clearly resonates with and inspires everyday users. In fact, its TikTok haul videos have earned 334.1M views.

The brand is closing in on becoming the market leader in women’s lingerie, thanks in large part to inspiring UGC as well as paid partnerships like the one above.

Lean on famous influencers for rebrands

If your brand needs an overhaul due to changing trends or media backlash, lean into fashion influencers to recast your brand in a positive light and take your marketing in a new direction.

Victoria’s Secret missed the boat on body positivity, and multiple TikTok videos portrayed the brand negatively. To recover, VS partnered with influencers like Megan Rapinoe, Eileen Gu, and Paloma Elsesser to rebrand itself as more body positive and inclusive.

Now users are posting UGC on Instagram, modeling products in more inclusive shapes and sizes.

The rebrand seems to be working. Now VS is focused on comfort with a new Love Cloud Collection.

Embrace augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) isn’t just for serious gamers — now it’s infiltrating the fashion world. American Eagle partnered with @dressx to celebrate Earth month with digital jeans. In the campaign, everyday users were encouraged to purchase digital jeans and use an AR app to try them on — including a water superpower. Then the users received their photos via email so they could share them on social media.

This technique engages tech fans and sustainability-minded users while helping them create interesting social media content.

Find your fashion marketing influencers

Finding your influencers is essential to reaching your brand’s market. So you need to know how to reach out to them. These influencers can engage current fans and expose your brand to new audiences. Now that you know the benefits of fashion influencer marketing, reach out to everyday users who are already posting UGC. Or partner with an agency or platform that handles this.

If you don’t want to spend time searching or don’t know which influencer directory is the best one, start with ours. BV’s Sampling program puts your products into the hands of an influencer with an engaged audience. In exchange, you receive authentic UGC for use across multiple channels. What are you waiting for?

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Masterclass: 3 ways to revamp your influencer strategy — and get more out of it

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To find out the latest trends and sentiments around cosmetics and skincare in 2021, Bazaarvoice recently surveyed over 10,800 Influenster members. The highest composition of respondents were Millennials, followed by Gen Z, Gen X, and then Boomers.

When asked what beauty decade they identified with most, 42% of respondents said they’re all for the Kardashian-inspired looks of the ‘10’s. This was followed by the ’70s, with 21% saying that minimal makeup and shimmery eyes are their things (Boomers especially were more likely to choose the ‘70s). 

In addition to these beauty-by-decade prompts, we asked questions about some of the trends that are resonating right now. What did we find? These are five big trends dominating the beauty world today that brands and retailers need to know about. 

The current beauty trends consumers are following:

1. Sustained focus on skincare
2. Expressive cosmetics
3. Experimenting with new techniques and products
4. Personalized skincare and cosmetics
5. Demand for brand transparency

1. Sustained focus on skincare 

A sustained focus on skincare has been a popular beauty trends for the past few years, but the pandemic has heightened this trend. In fact, close to 2 in 3 respondents said that they’re more focused on skincare now than they were pre-pandemic. This makes sense because people have had more time to dedicate to this type of care during quarantines and stay-at-home orders.

In addition to educating themselves on how to best treat their skin, respondents also said that new ailments have led to this increased focus on skincare. About 56% of people said they’re focused on targeted products for their specific skincare concerns. 42% prioritize purchasing cosmetics that offer skincare benefits.

Many women told us that they’re also now experiencing acne for the first time in their lives, likely due to stress and that dreaded “mascne” (mask + acne) the pandemic has brought on. Or they were starting to get more fine lines, which wasn’t a previous concern.

How can brands and retailers meet this need? Showcase social proof from customers who have seen results from products on your Instagram and other social channels. This will help promote products for particular skin concerns, highlight loyal customers, and give followers the chance to engage directly with your brand. 

2. Expressive cosmetics

Because of the skincare focus from the past few years, minimal makeup has also been a beauty trend to let glowy, smooth skin shine through. However, through this most recent survey, we found that when consumers wear makeup, it’s more a form of expression rather than an “everyday look.” About 8 in 10 respondents said they’re interested in makeup looks using color cosmetics, like bright eyeshadows, rosy cheeks, and vibrant lips.

Knowing this, brands and retailers should make an effort to focus on those bolder products in marketing and social media campaigns. Especially now the world has re-opened up and people start engaging in more activities outside again. 

And while we’ve been observing a trend of “less makeup-wearing” at home (what’s the point of doing a cat-eye when you’re just binge watching that new show everyone’s been telling you about?), over 25% of respondents said that even though they’re wearing less makeup now, they’ll return to ‘full-faced’ makeup soon. 

3. Experimenting with new techniques and products 

As we mentioned, consumers used all the extra time on their hands to experiment with new products and techniques. About 79% of shoppers have explored new makeup and/or skincare products and brands in the past year due to COVID-19, with close to 75% getting their inspiration from Instagram. (However, Boomers are more likely to choose a brand’s website for their makeup inspiration).

Some proven ways brands and retailers can engage more consumers on Instagram are:

• Creating product tutorials
• Responding to user comments and DMs
• Building a library of user-generated content (UGC) by asking customers to post using a branded hashtag
• Sharing UGC on feeds and in stories
• Hosting contests or giveaways
• Teaming up with influencers
• Going live occasionally 

The other places people are seeking inspo right now? The second most popular answer was “Bloggers and influencers,” followed by YouTube, friends and family, TikTok, and brand websites. 

4. Personalized skincare and cosmetics 

When stores were shut down at the height of the pandemic, shoppers had to rely on brands to virtually match them to the right product. In our survey, 2 in 3 respondents said they’d taken online quizzes on brand sites and apps to figure out the perfect shade of makeup or skincare formulas for skin concerns. And, people are trusting the results of these brand quizzes. 

For those who have taken these approaches to figure out their shade or formula, 55% said it helped them decide what to try and/or buy next. 30% said they would try these resources again. And finally, 29% found their perfect shade/or formula. 

To establish even more trust with consumers, brands and retailers should understand the right audience specific to the respective skincare concerns. It’s also important to have claims from consumers before, and at launch, so you have proofs of concept ready. Product sampling is a great way to get products into the hands of the right consumers and ask them about their experience, validate claims, and get testimonials that can be used in marketing materials and advertising.

5. Demand for brand transparency 

One emerging beauty trend is transparency. In addition to finding the right shade or formula, consumers are also paying attention to a product’s ingredients and how it’s made. Nearly 66% of respondents said it’s their priority that brands provide more information about product ingredients and their benefits. The following are the most important to today’s consumers: cruelty-free, clean, hypo-allergenic, natural, organic, vegan, and green.

As well as transparency, consumers also care about the “behind the scenes” of a product’s creation. We always ask shoppers questions about brand and product messaging, claims, and packaging, and we continuously see that consumers care about a product being cruelty-free and green.

It’s essential for brands to provide education and visibility to consumers. For example, one Peter Thomas Roth acne treatment showcases its ingredients on the packaging. Still, the brand also wants to ensure that its consumers understand how those ingredients are changing their skin. 

Through a Bazaarvoice sampling campaign, it sent this treatment to women struggling with acne. The brand provided information on the packaging about each ingredient and its efficacy. Bazaarvoice prompted recipients to post their experiences with the product on social media and share their recommendations. 

Beauty trends are always changing. But it’s evident that the pandemic has rapidly changed the way consumers approach makeup and skincare. With endless products out there, your brand needs to take time to understand these trends and develop messaging, campaigns, and materials that resonate with today’s consumers to stand out from your competition. 

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The 101 on UGC: Health & Beauty

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So it’s no surprise that Instagram is the social network where the majority of beauty brand interactions occur. In fact, more than 90% of engagements take place on the photo-centric platform, compared with only 8.6% on Facebook and 1.1% on Twitter.

But with thousands of Instagram beauty brands competing for customers’ attention (and their dollars), it can be challenging to entice customers to click “follow” — and even more difficult to turn that follow into likes, comments, and purchases. Some beauty brands have perfected this though, so let’s take a look at those Instagram beauty pros for 13 tips on how to increase engagement.

1. Create tutorials

Plenty of beauty brands create product tutorials, and for good reason: they have high engagement rates, they promote products, and they can establish your brand as an industry leader. Plus, they’re the most popular type of Instagram video content.

But while any makeup company can teach viewers how to contour their faces or line their eyes, consider what your brand has to offer that no other brand does.

Haircare company Bumble and bumble, for example, categorized common hair complaints into four categories and offered customized tutorials, tips, and products to help followers solve them.

2. Analyze content to see what performs best

Photos that feature people make up the majority of Instagram beauty brands’ most engaging posts. Why, then, does cosmetics brand Laneige post so many product photos? Because that’s what its particular audience responds to. Scroll through the brand’s Instagram account, and you’ll see that photos featuring people get substantially fewer likes and comments.

Take a regular look at your brand’s Instagram analytics to determine what kind of content is capturing users’ attention. Which photos receive the most likes and comments? Which videos are people watching all the way to the end? What product posts are getting users to convert?

Use this information to develop your Instagram beauty brand’s unique social strategy and give your followers exactly what they want to see in their feeds.

3. Be accessible

One of the benefits of social media for brands is the opportunity to engage in mass branding and respond directly to customers as well as have one-on-one conversations. And today, that’s what consumers expect. In fact, 72% of millennials say they’re more loyal to a brand that quickly responds to social media feedback.

So stay up to date with user comments on posts, as well as direct messages, and respond to customer questions, complaints, and feedback in a timely manner. This will help you develop a reputation as an Instagram beauty brand that’s respectful and responsive.

Beauty store chain Sephora does an outstanding job with this, replying to everything from casual product inquiries to negative comments about in-store customer experiences. When responding to sensitive comments, such as accusations of racial profiling by employees, Sephora’s social media team is prompt about apologizing and asking that the customer DM them for more information, so the situation can be addressed.

4. Use a branded hashtag

A branded hashtag is a must for numerous reasons. It enables you to see your brand’s reach, it helps you keep an eye on what customers are saying about your products, and it enables you to build a library of user-generated content. But another perk is that a branded hashtag makes it easy for customers to engage with your content.

For example, users who are curious about cosmetics brand Thrive Causemetics’ offerings can search the 31,000 mentions of the #thrivecausemetics hashtag to read customer reviews and see how products look on real people. This also enables users to interact with fans, influencers, and the brand itself, which just may lead to a follow — and even a sale.

Plus, Thrive Causemetics can track the use of its hashtag to measure engagement and monitor how customers are responding to its products.

5. Share user-generated content

Instagram beauty brands’ posts that feature users’ content receive 28% higher engagement. Why? Because sharing UGC shows that brands value their customers’ opinions, and it helps them build community and kickstart conversations directly with buyers.

Natural skincare company Go-To Skincare regularly posts UGC, including satisfied customers’ before-and-after photos. This kind of content not only highlights a customer, increasing the individual’s brand loyalty, but it’s also a piece of social proof that tells viewers that Go-To Skincare’s products are effective — and just might entice them to add some products to their carts.

And most of hair color brand oVertone’s Instagram is a curation of user-submitted photos showcasing their latest hair hue.

Plus, there’s another big benefit to sharing UGC on Instagram: sharing customers’ photos, videos, and stories inspire more followers to create and share UGC — and that means more great content for your brand.

Want to find and do more with UGC? Bazaarvoice can help.

6. Host a contest or giveaway

Contests and giveaways are a surefire way to generate buzz about your brand, engage your audience, and even transform a one-off interaction into long-term loyalty.

Conducting frequent giveaways entices readers to follow your brand and monitor it closely, so they don’t miss out. For example, Tarte recently celebrated its twentieth year of being a cruelty-free cosmetics brand by holding a giveaway on National Dog Day, which not only engaged its audience but also gave itself a subtle pat on the back for its mission.

Regular contests are another way to entice followers to interact with your posts. NYX’s annual Face Awards, an online makeup competition for vloggers to showcase their cosmetic skills, generates lots of buzz and plenty of Instagram engagement since the audience picks the winner.

7. Be inclusive

These days, customers expect companies to be inclusive and diverse, not just in their hiring practices but also in their products. When Fenty Beauty launched in 2017 with 40 different shades of foundation, its focus on inclusivity and “beauty for all” helped it amass more than 1.4 million Instagram followers in four days alone.

Rihanna’s beauty brand regularly features men and women of every skin tone on its Instagram, and it’s paid off. While most beauty brands have an engagement rate of about 9.3%, Fenty Beauty made headlines in 2017 for its 10.41% engagement rate.

8. Use stickers to get feedback

One-third of the most-viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses, so take advantage of this opportunity to engage directly with your fans by adding stickers to your Stories.

Polls, quizzes, and emoji sliders invite viewers to interact with your beauty brand, ask questions, leave feedback, and more.

High-end skincare brand Sunday Riley often uses stickers in its Stories. Sometimes the brand asks for followers’ opinions or quizzes them about skincare routines. Other times, it employs stickers to suggest a product by first polling its audience, as in the example above.

And skincare company GLAMGLOW regularly lets its fans ask questions on Instagram Stories and brings in experts to provide answers and make product suggestions.

9. Develop a consistent image

Customers are more likely to engage with brands that they identify with or aspire to be like, so develop a consistent brand image that’s immediately recognizable like Aesop Skincare does.

This beauty brand takes a unique approach to Instagram. It doesn’t tag products; instead, it focuses on the design inspiration behind its creations and showcases the distinctive look and feel of its in-store experience.

The distinctive look lets fan instantly know when they encounter Aesop content, and users of the high-end brand can engage with the posts without ever being directly sold to.

10. Go live

Interact with your followers in real time by regularly taking advantage of Instagram Live.

Sephora generates a ton of engagement by going live with experts to do Q&As, talking with influencers and beauty brand founders and doing real-time makeup tutorials with professionals answering viewers’ questions. The content is entertaining and provides value to followers, so it’s no surprise that Sephora’s broadcasts amass thousands of followers within minutes of going live.

11. Post social proof

Instagram beauty brands can share social proof like reviews and testimonials to showcase products and highlight customers. This not only promotes products, but it also highlights customers and gives followers the chance to engage directly with the brand and its featured customer within the post.

Drunk Elephant frequently publishes testimonials on Instagram from a variety of sources, including beauty publications, influencers, and even customers who have only a handful of followers.

And Glossier is known for posting product reviews on its Instagram feed that generate thousands of likes and, very likely, quite a few purchases as well.

12. Team up with influencers

One of the fastest ways for Instagram beauty brands to grow their following and increase engagement is to work with an influencer who already has a large, engaged social audience.

L’Oréal did this exceptionally well when it created its Beauty Squad composed of a diverse group of social media stars.

The influencers announced new products, created tutorials, and helped L’Oréal expand its reach by giving the brand direct access to their own massive followings.

13. Get creative

As much as your followers may enjoy makeup tutorials and product announcements, they can get that content from virtually any Instagram beauty brand. So give them a little something more, have fun, and show your company’s personality and sense of humor.

No beauty brand does this better than Soko Glam, an online marketplace that specializes in Korean beauty products. In addition to showcasing its offerings, the brand frequently posts adorable animal photos, celebrity pics, and relevant memes that garner thousands of likes and comments.

Instagram beauty brands should post every day

Of course, to grow your account’s engagement rate, you need to be posting consistently. In fact, the Instagram beauty brands with the highest engagement post an average of 2.04 posts per day.

So make posting on Instagram part of your beauty brand’s daily routine, and don’t just stick to sharing photos and videos in your feed. Take advantage of the social network’s other opportunities to engage your audience by going live, sharing Instagram Stories, and uploading Reels.

For more Instagram best-practices, check out the rest of our Instagram content here.

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These evolving habits have inspired new health, beauty, and wellness trends, and it’s changing how people shop for these products. Brands should take note that many of these behaviors will likely stick around post-pandemic.

We surveyed more than 11,000 consumers, mostly women, in North America, the U.K., France, and Germany to find out what health and beauty products consumers are buying and how they’re engaging with brands. Here’s a look at what we discovered:

Shoppers have discovered new products and become loyal to new brands 

Remember the empty store shelves from a few months ago? Just as consumers struggled to find toilet paper and cleaning supplies, some health and beauty products were also scarce. When they couldn’t find their go-tos, consumers tried something new.

According to our survey of the Influenster community on health and beauty in October 2020, two out of three respondents in North America and France, and three out of four in the U.K. and Germany discovered new brands and stores because of limited product availability during the pandemic.

What’s more, 77% of North American and 66% of European shoppers plan to keep buying from these brands long after the pandemic.

Shoppers want more ways to sample products virtually

Trying out new products has long helped shoppers decide which beauty products to buy. But, product sampling has been challenging during the pandemic, with social distancing and hygiene measures in place to protect consumers.

More than 30% of respondents are “not sure yet” if they’ll return to in-store product sampling post-pandemic. So, shoppers want brands to get creative and offer new ways to sample products virtually.

According to one survey respondent in North America, “Allow for us to get virtual assistance from representatives via FaceTime or camera features so they can best help shade match or help with skin concerns.”

Another consumer suggested “brands make more minis and sample sizes of best-selling products, put how to/informational videos of new launches on YouTube and TikTok.” 38% of shoppers in North America and 47% in Europe have ordered product samples at home.

Shoppers also want stronger online product descriptions, more color swatches, the ability to see products on different skin tones, and better return policies. Recently, shoppers are relying on tech assistance to purchase beauty products, with 46% in North America and 53% in Europe saying they’ve tried artificial intelligence (AI) apps to see how makeup and hair color looks on them.

Want to connect with new customers through product sampling? We can help – let’s chat.

With in-store product sampling mostly on hold, most consumers—63% in North America and 72% in Europe—are also looking to influencer recommendations. According to our Shopper Experience Index, 77% of consumers have been satisfied with their purchases after being influenced by an influencer. 

Consumers are wearing less makeup and focusing more on skincare

Makeup and beauty routines have shifted because of the pandemic. These days, many women are only opting to wear makeup for Zoom meetings or other virtual gatherings.

Our survey found 41% of consumers in North America and 35% in the Europe are wearing less makeup now, but plan to return full-faced makeup soon, and nearly 40% are wearing just as much makeup as before. Mascara, lip balm, and concealer are the most-used cosmetics. 

Though, more than 20% will continue with their less-makeup looks, while many shoppers are focusing more on skincare. When purchasing skincare products, nearly half of all consumers are paying more attention to ingredients lists, and preferring to buy products labeled “cruelty-free,” “clean,” “hypoallergenic,” and “natural.”

At-home beauty routines will continue, even as spas and salons reopen

Spas and salons were closed for several months, prompting consumers to try at-home grooming routines. As spas and salons have reopened in some places, a third of consumers have resumed regular visits, but many others may keep up their at-home treatments long term.

Among North American shoppers, the most popular at-home salon and spa routines include manicures and pedicures (60%), hair coloring (37%), teeth whitening (31%), anti-aging treatments (31%), and haircuts (30%). 

Fitness, nutrition, and self-care have become a priority  

The stress and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic has inspired more consumers to embrace self-care habits. In October, our survey found 65% of respondents in North America were practicing self-care, compared to 43% in May. Preferences for activities like taking walks, working out, reading, breathing exercises, using meditation apps, and taking supplements have increased over the past few months.

Shoppers are also purchasing more items, like furniture, décor, linens, and appliances, to make their homes more comfortable and relaxing.

Fitness equipment is another popular pandemic purchase, with 15% buying fitness items because of COVID-19. About a third want to purchase fitness products but can’t find them. 30% of North American consumers and 45% of European consumers are spending between $25 and $100 per month on health and fitness, including classes, subscriptions, and equipment.

Online subscription services are growing 

The work-from-home and stay-at-home lifestyles brought on by the pandemic have led to an increase in online shopping and subscription services. Beauty product subscriptions have been the most popular, followed by online workout classes, meal kits, and health supplements.

Consumers have so enjoyed receiving these items that 34% in North America and 40% in Europe plan to continue the subscriptions moving forward, while more than 40% “aren’t sure yet” whether they’ll continue them post-pandemic.

Health and beauty brands should be paying attention to how shopping habits are evolving and what behaviors consumers will continue post-pandemic. Shoppers are expecting brands to come up with fresh, innovative ways to allow them to try out new products in a safe way. And, consumer focus is shifting to skincare, health, and self-care, and ways to make spending time at home more enjoyable.

New behaviors learned during lockdown have become engrained pandemic habits, and that goes for health and beauty products too. With months of uncertainty ahead, meeting your customers where they are will be crucial for your business.

From rethinking how we socialize with friends and how we do our jobs, to how we cut our hair and how we work out, the pandemic has changed almost every aspect of our work and personal lives. And with many salons and spas still closed due to social distancing guidelines, many women have been inspired to experiment and change up their health and beauty routines.

We asked 5,100+ women of the Influenster community over the age of 13-years-old to share how their routines and shopping behaviors may have changed during the pandemic week-over-week. Here are some of the trends we’re seeing for health and beauty specifically from two member surveys in May 2020.

There’s more trial and experimentation with at-home beauty treatments 

The closure of salons, more time at home, a need for distraction, and the urgent desire to maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails has resulted in women being more open and experimental with DIY health and beauty treatments.

We heard from women that the at-home treatments they have been trying the most are manicures/pedicures (49%), facials (42%), hair coloring (26%), anti-aging treatments (24%), hair trims (22%), and teeth whitening (22%).

A variety of treatments that were once reserved for the professionals, women are now trying themselves.  When we asked respondents to share the treatments they were trying out themselves, they shared:

“I’m doing my own nails- manicures and pedicures, at home hair color- full color or touch up when needed, doing more at home face masks and facial treatments, deep conditioning for my hair, which I’d normally have my hairdresser do, tweezing my own eyebrows instead of getting them threaded, and sunless tanning products instead of tanning beds or sprays from a professional.”

“…I have learned to cut my own bangs, I tried a color touch up product, I have been doing at home manicures, and I have been using a lot of skincare: sheet masks, other masks, serums, and focusing more time on my skin. I have also used white strips.”

“… I feel during this pandemic I’m getting a chance to use the products I’ve bought but never used due to not having the time.”

And while women shared a variety of success stories of covering up grays, trying a newer and bolder look, or achieving that perfect sun-kissed glow (without leaving the house), they also shared their flops and how they are eager for the reopening of salons, spas, and their aestheticians.

Through the open ended responses, we found that they’re most excited about getting professional manicures, pedicures, haircuts, waxing, eyelash extensions, and eyebrow waxing, threading, and tinting.

While she’s wearing less makeup at home, when she does, it’s to feel good and confident

With more people working from home and generally staying in, lower-maintenance looks are the go-to. 

Close to half of respondents say they’re wearing less makeup, 22% said that they’re wearing about the same, and 21% said they’re wearing no makeup now during ‘stay at home’.

For those respondents still wearing makeup, 47% said they are doing so when trying out a new look, the same percentage said that they only did when they left the house, 30% said they will for video calls with family and/or friends, and 25% will wear makeup for work video calls.

Over half of the women agreed that they were still wearing makeup as it makes them feel good and confident. For those respondents who are not wearing makeup, 31% said they didn’t see the point as they’re not seeing anyone, 29% said they would like to take this opportunity to let their skin breathe, and 25% said they’re more focused on skin care right now.

The top cosmetics that women consider to be essential to purchase right now include lip balm (62%), mascara (50%), foundation (41%), concealer (37%), and eyeliner (25%).  And the top products that she’s prioritizing when wearing makeup include mascara (81%), lip balm (65%), foundation (63%), concealer (60%), and eyeliner (53%).

She’s choosing more simple hair styling techniques for when she is seeing people IRL or URL

Over half of respondents said they’re washing their hair about the same as they did pre-pandemic, 23% of respondents said they’re washing their hair less, and 10% are washing their hair more.

41% of respondents said they’re styling their hair about the same as they did pre-pandemic, a third of respondents said they’re styling their hair less, and 16% are styling their hair more.

Ponytails, buns, air-drying, and wearing hair natural are popular social distancing trends. Hair serums, dry shampoo, and hair spray have been popular products as many shoppers prefer no-fuss routines for a full day of Zoom calls or staying at home.

While many consumers feel wearing makeup and hair styling is pointless while social distancing. There are many women who are sticking to their beauty routines to keep up a sense of normalcy and because it makes them feel good and confident—or because they’re connecting with friends, family, and co-workers virtually and still want to put their best face forward.

Another product women are purchasing to feel that sense of normalcy is fragrance. Our survey found 70% are still wearing their favorite scent while at home to feel good about themselves, and to smell good for their roommates or partners.

Clean purchases still matter, especially for beauty products

Pre-pandemic, 93% of women said they were “more inclined” to buy clean beauty products and used product reviews, social media, online searches, and brand sites to research products and make sure ingredients were nontoxic, sustainable, vegan, hypoallergenic, or cruelty-free.

We found that 43% of shoppers are still prioritizing clean products during the pandemic, and 68% still read ingredient labels before purchasing. 

Facial skincare, makeup, and hair care are the most-purchased clean beauty categories, both before the pandemic and now.

Shoppers are ready for retailers to reopen safely

Shopping for products online has been a necessity for most during the pandemic, and there has been a surge in online buying for many beauty products. . But, consumers look forward to stores reopening—3 in 4 women  plan to start buying cosmetics in-store when retailers open up. 

Additionally, when asked If beauty retailers were to stop  in-store sampling and product trials, 70% would still want to purchase in-store, while 30% would no longer as brick and mortar loses its appeal. For those women, who want to continue to shop in-store their top reasons include the ability to compare colors, textures, and products in person, a need to receive their products ASAP (vs. waiting for delivery), and a need for human interaction and experience that stores provide.

Beauty shoppers expressed that in order for them to feel comfortable and safe in store, they would need retailers to communicate how often they’re sanitizing their stores, enforce masks and social distancing requirements for both employees and customers, pause on in-store testing and product returns, offer individual pre-packaged samples instead, and provide touch free pay options.

“Extensive and frequent cleaning, staff provide/handle testers only, not customers. I definitely need to colour match with a tester or small sample before purchasing an expensive base product!” 

“More safety measures, like gloves and masks, increased sanitation, distance between shoppers, and making sure packaging on beauty products are intact (no open seals, no swatches or usage of products, etc).”

It’s no surprise that due to the current conditions, consumers have altered how they use beauty products and re-invented their daily routines. Women have embraced more DIY treatments, tips, and tricks, they’re being more bold and experimental with new looks, and have mastered how they can simplify their styling, yet still feel positive, and ultimately create a sense of normalcy that they crave. As cities and salons begin to reopen, only time will tell which of these routines and habits will stick and who will be running to be first in line for a salon appointment.

With the explosion of new health and beauty brands in recent years, and even traditional brands and retailers throwing their hat into the ring, this growth comes as no surprise. Take H&M, who launched their cosmetics brand in 2015, closely followed by Zara in 2018. But while health and beauty products can mean big business for brands, there’s much more to consider than just getting your products on the shelves. 

Last week, we hosted our first Healthy and Beauty Breakfast Briefing with Influenster, a product discovery and reviews platform who we acquired in August. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the event to help you increase consumer satisfaction: 

Consumers want brands with a conscience

Conversations at our event were heavily focused around the rise of vegan and organic products, as well as the growing industry focus on product sustainability. According to a survey by Nielsen, 81% of global respondents feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. Not only do customers want great products, they want said products to help them create a more sustainable lifestyle.

Doing good for the environment should not be a casual endeavor for companies – it should be an integral part of their brand. Lush does a great job of this, ensuring that their message of sustainability is incorporated heavily into their marketing and products, so their customers know where they stand. In a retail landscape where shoppers have access to more choices than ever, brands who commit to sustainability must not only make those core values a central part of their corporate messaging but execute on them flawlessly as well. 

Consumers want something different

Because health and beauty is such a booming industry, competition is steep. With more customers open to trying new things, this can be a great opportunity for brands to make an impression. According to Nielsen, 42% of global consumers say they love trying new things and nearly a further half (49%) of consumers – whilst preferring to stick with what they know – can be moved to experiment.

We are seeing our clients investing in new product development now more than ever. Leveraging a sampling campaign is a great way to release new products to a small audience before it is available to the general public. Listen to your customers’ feedback when bringing new products to market and make sure to keep listening even after it hits the shelves.

Consumers want to be heard

Due to social media and the meteoric rise in online shopping, consumers don’t just have more access to brands than ever before, they have more access to each other. They don’t just want to hear what a brand has to say – they want to hear from their fellow consumers, and they want to be heard themselves. 

According to our annual research, 64% of shoppers we surveyed consider ratings and reviews, consumer-submitted questions and answers, and consumer photos important. It is imperative for brands to have the tools in place to collect and highlight consumer feedback not only on their product pages, but on social media and other marketing materials, as well. As online channels multiply, consumers become more channel agnostic. Brands need to showcase the voice of their consumers across all of their e-commerce platforms, social channels, and even more traditional avenues. 

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As the health and beauty industry continues to grow and evolve, it can feel like there are too many important focuses for brands, and it’s difficult to know which to place at the top of the priority list. Making sure your brand has a strong, sustainable, and unique story to tell, and using the voice of your consumer to help tell it, is a great way to help your health or beauty brand stand out in the crowded market.