The Beauty Industry: The Birth of Influencer Marketing

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That age-old saying may be the reason that the beauty industry and Influencer Marketing are such a perfect pair. Beauty may arguably be the birthplace of influencer marketing, as fans have always flocked to recommendations of their favorite beauty bloggers well beyond recent years. In 2019, the US beauty industry market has reached upwards of $81.1 billion dollars with no signs of slowing down.

With the perfect Influencer on-hand to target the right customer, influencer marketing is a trusted marketing strategy for brands. These are a few reasons why beauty and influencer marketing seem to work effortlessly together:

Follower Connection: The followers of beauty influencers are interested in beauty content for a reason. Followers are looking to:

–       Recreate looks

–       Improve or enhance their personal appearance

–       Are always interested in the next big product

Followers are also likely to be engaged, asking questions about products directly through influencer content and viewing the beauty influencer as a source of reliable information. Followers have a genuine connection to beauty influencers because they are a source of information, inspiration, and aesthetic appeal. Part of this connection may boil down to the nature of the beauty industry. Cosmetics products promise the perfect arched and filled in eyebrow, and the right skincare product will take off at least 10 years from the skin. Influencer content and reviews can provide reasons to buy particular products over others.

Value of Content: Audiences get a huge perk from following their favorite beauty influencers, in that they are able to learn as much information about cosmetics/skincare products before making a purchase. Beauty influencer followers get to see a product in motion, on different skin tones, get firsthand reviews, or see ‘real-time’ results. Beauty influencers also employ before and after makeover techniques that are enjoyable to view.

Influencer Turned Brand: Every Influencer can be considered a brand within oneself. With that brand, comes the power to grow and monetize. Celebrity influencers such as Rihanna and Kylie Jenner take advantage of their online following and have both created successful makeup brands. Fenty Beauty earned close to $568 million in its first year and Kylie Cosmetics earned $420 million in the first 18 months of launch. Industry giant Hudabeauty has also leveraged her social following into a successful makeup line, bringing in $200 million in yearly revenue. Launching these lines make sense, they allow beauty influencers to promote products that may close any product gaps they personally feel are out there in the industry.

If you’re interested in learning more, please ping us and let’s set up an influencer marketing strategy for your beauty brand!