We have been keeping an eye on how beauty brands are using Instagram. We have noticed some great strategies being used to stand out, build brand awareness, and improve customer loyalty.
Here are five great examples of how beauty brands can effectively use Instagram.
1. Glossier product launches on Instagram Stories
We had to start with cult Instagram brand Glossier, which is now said to be worth $1.2 billion. As the business builds its popular product range, Glossier continues to focus on Instagram as the place to build strong relationships with its global customer base and potential customers.
Instagram Stories is a huge focus for the brand due to its huge popularity with users. Glossier has been creating batches of Stories to support new product launches. The recent new launch of facial serums, called “The Supers” contain bright, annotated product shots explaining key ingredients and benefits in a vertical format suited for mobile. Once the product has been shown, the next few Stories feature customer and influencer reviews of the product.
Glossier relies on its brand loyalists and the micro-influencer community to review and build hype around new ranges and products. Their Stories solidify product benefits and therefore demonstrate value to their community.
2. Evolve Beauty flat lays
We recently discovered the British organic beauty brand Evolve when searching for #organicskincare on Instagram. Evolve uses beautiful flat lays which really caught our eye on the results page. We quickly followed the brand to find out more. When flat lays are done well, they can be so effective for driving new customers to your business. We love the clean background and simple display of fresh ingredients around the product in these examples. They are also using Instagram Shopping to drive further interaction and sales.
3. Neal’s Yard Remedies #SundaySoak
Neal’s Yard Remedies has been one of our all-time favourite brands. And we actually trained some of the team in the very early days of Instagram. Their iconic blue bottles are a common feature of many a #bathroomshelfie. We love how they are gathering and sharing User Generated Content around a different hashtag though. They use the #SundaySoak hashtag, which has become a regular feature of the Neal’s Yard Remedies Instagram. This is picking up great momentum with their community.
4. Origins brand ambassadors
Origins UK has selected four influencers from the world of fitness, beauty, and nutrition to become Origins ambassadors for 2019. Origins picked relevant ambassadors who are passionate about similar issues. This adds a real sense of authenticity. They have created a brilliant microsite that explains who they are and what they do. According to the website, the ambassadors are “Four inspiring women with a love of natural ingredients, a passion for high-performance skincare, and a commitment to the environment.”
Origins has hosted several trips for the ambassadors to attend including a tree planting day at Chewton Glen. This resulted in some great Instagram content. The ambassadors all have strong creative skills so regularly post Boomerangs and stop motion videos endorsing the Origins products.
5. Balance Me founders
Sharing your founder’s story is a great way of making your brand more personal and meaningful to your customers. We love following the journey of Balance Me founder Clare and Rebecca on the brand’s Instagram. From behind the scenes at trade shows, to taking some downtime at a yoga retreat – it’s great to hear what the founders do to get inspiration for their next products.
WANT MORE EXAMPLES?
This July, we’re excited to be speaking at Enterprise Nation’s Beauty Exchange. Our founder Alison Battisby will be joining the line-up alongside retail buyers, entrepreneurs, and experts from the beauty industry. Alison will provide valuable insight on our experience with Estee Lauder and Bare Minerals, exploring other great examples of beauty brands using Instagram, and sharing top tips for budding beauty entrepreneurs.
Find out more about the event, and book your tickets here.