Intro
So, if you are committed to beauty, or if you’re in a marketing role, then you should probably spend some time looking at the beauty industry.
You may be thinking: I already know a lot about beauty and how to sell it—I know what it takes to be a good hair stylist, make-up artist or hairdresser. But I don’t know anything about beauty fads and trends. What do I need to know? What do customers really want?
Well, when we started out, we thought we could answer those questions with facts and figures… But the reality was that none of those answers filled us with confidence. We needed more than numbers; we needed an idea. Something more like an experience than numbers. Something more than “here” but “there.” Something more like “all of this is here…”
How to use beauty chic products
As a beauty blogger, I often get asked questions like “what’s the best makeup for me?”. My response is usually: “there are no products that are 100% perfect for everyone – all products have their own strengths and weaknesses.”
I know there are lots of beauty bloggers out there who want to be gurus at everything, and that doesn’t always mean they should be. Messing around with makeup isn’t necessarily the most important thing you can do in your role as a blogger – but it is definitely something you should do.
If you really want to learn how to do it right, take a look at real professional makeup artists who will tell you what works for them and what doesn’t. If you really want to have an impact on yourself, take some time to read about the science behind it (as well as the steps involved in applying any given look).
And if you really want to learn more about beauty blogging and blogging in general, check out this article from my friend Lisa Larson-Walker here . She has written a book called Practical Beauty Blogging . It is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn more about how we run our businesses (and ourselves).
Why beauty chic products is better than others
The concept of beauty chic has been around for some time, but I’ve always seen it as a marketing slogan rather than a way of doing business. I don’t mean to downplay the merits of the product: it is a great example of how things can be done better (or at least differently) and this post isn’t about that.
Beauty products are an umbrella term for products that provide simple, quick and effective ways to improve appearance and make people look great. The most common examples are cosmetics and skincare, but the category has expanded to include hair styling tools and other beauty aids.
There are a lot of beauty related products out there, so it’s hard to find any one list that would be comprehensive in covering everything. Here is what I think is best practice in the beauty industry:
1. Know your audience: your customers will tell you when they want something (your product) or when they need something (they need help). Your product should be designed with their needs in mind (for example, you shouldn’t shave off all your hair with one stroke). Know what features they value most, then build those features into your product(s).
2. Be fair: If you aren’t asking for specific features like “she needs a lighter shade of lipstick that matches her skin tone” then don’t do them — do what they want instead and they will respect you more for it (they will also like it more as well).
3. Own the experience: if you sell clothes or shoes, don’t just fixate on selling lots of them because that makes sense — think about offering services like mass customization or one-on-one styling instead (this could be another service offered online or offline).
4. Focus on value: Don’t hawk too many lipsticks because that will turn off potential buyers — focus on selling high-quality products with realistic price points and clear benefits like reduced breakage or improved longevity vs similar products from competitors who offer similar benefits but sell at lower prices. There are many examples of brands who have done well in this space by taking on this challenge (I personally love Chloe [both brand] as an example; she sells through brick-and-mortar stores as well as online via her website), but there is no guarantee that other brands won’t take away market share from you if you assume everything works
Is it worth buying?
Before we dive into the topic of beauty, I’d like to mention that I have a personal preference for natural brands. I would have no qualms about spending more money on a product, but it is what it is. Here’s why:
1. Natural brands are cheaper
Consumers are willing to pay more for products that are made with more natural ingredients. This is driven by consumers’ desire to be informed and their belief in the power of science and nature, who will tell them what is good for them (whether or not they want to hear it).
2. Natural brands provide better value — and at lower price points
Natural brands don’t sacrifice quality for price, which means you can buy from a variety of small businesses and receive top-notch products at a fraction of the cost (and probably without the long wait times for shipping).
3. It feels good knowing that you’re supporting a person in need — or at least helping them work with their budget better
Natural brands (especially when made from natural ingredients) feel good because they make people feel like they are supporting someone who needs what they have. Countless studies have found that people prefer natural brands because they offer tangible benefits like ethical sourcing and less packaging waste, as well as intangible benefits such as providing more fulfillment and meaning than other products do. And while this may not seem like an obvious reason to buy a product, give yourself a pat on the back! You just saved someone’s life! ?
Conclusion
This post originally appeared on my personal blog ( http://beautychic.com ), and I was asked to curate it here. It was originally written in part as a reply to an email I received, asking what it would take to attract more readers. The answer to that question is ultimately very simple:
It takes doing marketing, which is easy if you already have a product idea and the right team around it. But it’s not enough just to have a product idea. You need to get the right people involved in the process of getting your idea out there in the world and make sure they are doing everything they can to create as much value for you as possible.
People will act like your ideal customer (the one who buys your product) will never get excited about any other products unless yours is first, so you need to make sure people will care about your product before you do anything else but launch it! If you see something that might interest your ideal customer, then do something about it!
In this post I’ve tried to explain how I think products should be created, how we can get them out into the world (and what we should do along the way), and how we can get our creations noticed by both potential customers and media outlets. As always, comments welcome!