Online skincare and beauty stores are popping up every which way. So how exactly are you supposed to make yours stand out amongst a sea of competitors? The answer is simple: skincare marketing.
If you are selling or advertising skincare products online and are looking for a way to boost your sales, then you need to know what skincare marketing is all about. That is why we’ve put together this article with everything you need to know.
Here are 11 skincare marketing tips that will make your creams, serums, and magic skin potions sell like crazy:
- Showcasing converts
- Be trustworthy
- Content is key
- Get personal
- Give something back
- Before-and-afters are your best friend
- Customers = influencers
- Be real
- Try fun things!
- Be active
- Offer great customer service
1. Showcasing converts
Correct showcasing of your products can make ALL the difference when selling online. Especially where skincare is concerned: images make clients fall in love with your products, 5-star reviews convince them that other users have tried and tested them, and correct categorization guarantees that it’s the right match for them.
Ideally, your product page should showcase:
- Product images: aim to have at least two, and try to have at least one where you show the product’s texture and consistency.
- Accurate product description: not too short, but not too long either. If you can, describe how the product will help change the user’s skin – be it ingredients, overall results or innovative formulations. This is YOUR space to make a difference and communicate YOUR brand through the products you choose to sell. Take advantage of it and get creative.
- Stars and reviews: nothing speaks higher than the reviews of others who have tried the products before. Be sure to include this in your store.
- Correct categorization: make sure you have the product tagged for a specific skin type, skin concern and product type.
- Ingredient list: make sure it’s clear and easy to understand. That way customers can know precisely what’s in the bottle. Also, if your product has an amazing characteristic (like being vegan, or having beeswax), make sure to work these keywords into your description at least once.
- Related products / Frequently bought together: can help increase your sales since the customer is clearly already interested in the product. So why not help them find similar ones that will also make their skin glow? This is a great skincare (and sales strategy). Just ask Amazon.
Think about it: when you’re at a physical store, you just have to try out all the testers. You can see the product’s consistency and analyze how it feels, if it settles correctly on your skin and if it has the desired effect. But when you’re shopping online, you can’t do any of this. That is why you need all of this information presented in a clean manner – it’s your one and only shelf and your ticket to conversion.
Don’t forget!
The product image part is particularly important. Be sure to include plenty of images in each product page. If a client is able to see the product’s bottle or jar in great detail, to switch from different views and even be able to see the texture of the product, this can really help convince someone it’s the right product for them.
So be sure to take all the photos you may (or may not) need. Crack open the bottles and jars, show the product’s true face and your brand’s image. If you take too many photos and don’t use them for your website, you’ll always have extra content for your social media accounts.
2. Be trustworthy
As in any relationship, trust is essential. This also applies to online customer relationships. Make sure that your entire site is worthy of trust:
Secure it
Ensure that your site has an SSL certificate (HTTPS), which is used for secure communications over computer networks across the globe. Sites without this security perk can appear as potential fraud sites or websites that try to steal a user’s information. Better make your clients feel as safe as possible.
Different payment options
Credit, debit, PayPal, in-store payment and even one-click checkout are all different options you should offer your clients. This variety makes a user feel more at ease, since they are the ones that decide how they’re going to pay you instead of having a certain payment method imposed. It adds an aura of professionalism and security that your store shouldn’t miss.
Trust signals
Build up your clients’ trust by including certifications, product features, video reviews, blog posts, social media shares, backlinks, etc.
As a side tip, make sure that your social media pages reflect this security. A user feels a store is “safer” to buy from if it’s active on social media and engages with its community. It means the brand is real and you can trust it.
3. Content is key
Content marketing is another way to keep your customers coming back for more, as well as a cost-effective way to reach potential customers! Engaging content can make all the difference.
Expand your blog to themes other than skincare. Try fashion, beauty, relationships, psychology, or even horoscopes. You can even make a fun quiz where they’ll find out if they’re a gel or a cream-based moisturizer based on their personality. This is how you build an expert, 360º brand.
The main thing to keep in mind for your skincare marketing strategy is your target audience. Understand them, their needs, their interests, and all the related products that they may love and work towards that. For example, chances are your clients are interested in taking care of their skin but also in makeup and other tutorials or guides. Why not make a tutorial on how to make that red lipstick *pop* on a canvas of glowy, flawless skin?
You can learn more about starting a skincare blog here.
4. Get personal
Personalized recommendations are EVERYTHING in a world that’s saturated by options: skin type, skin concern, skin conditions and even dermatological illnesses. In this day and age, people expect a custom solution to their problem, and they expect it pronto. This is where skincare marketing comes in.
A fun way to get personal with your customers is through a quiz. You ask the questions, they get their custom answer. Is your skin oily or dry? Do you suffer from acne or from patches of flaky skin? Would you rather treat sun spots or wrinkles? They’ll go through a journey of self-discovery that will land them right where they want to be: their personalized recommendation. As a plus, we recommend adding an explanation or two about why you recommended these products specifically. For example: if your customer suffers from oily skin and sun spots, then a lightweight SPF along with a brightening treatment with ingredients like snail mucin, niacinamide or vitamin C would be their perfect match! Explain this to them – it’s more likely they’ll convert if they actually understand what you’re recommending and why.
Also, don’t be afraid to get contacted! Tell people they can reach out to you via email or social media for a more in-depth recommendation. Perhaps you could even set up calls or video meetings where they explain their problems and you provide a thorough answer along with their new skincare routine, featuring YOUR products. This personal touch could go a long way and can make all the difference on where a customer decides to shop… and if it’s with you.
5. Give something back
Loyal customers will keep coming back if they have something they can only get from you. You could start a rewards program, where a customer gets a certain discount after a defined number of purchases, a referral program, where they earn points or discounts for bringing friends over, a review program, where they can earn discounts or free products if they review your products.
6. Before-and-afters photos are your best friend
There’s no denying the power of hard evidence. A comparative picture of how a person’s skin has improved since using a new skincare product or practicing a new skincare regime can be astounding. Ask your clients to record this and make sure you get some amazing before and after photos for each review you make – this is a skincare marketing trademark that you shouldn’t overlook.
A great product always makes a difference. Be sure to record it.
7. Customers = influencers
Sometimes, you don’t need a famous person to sponsor your brand. Finding loyal customers who are actually interested in your products and have a varied amount of followers (albeit maybe not tens of thousands) can actually help your business grow in a better and more engaged way.
Sure, an influencer with 100K followers will be sure to reach many people. But not many of these will convert. This is because it’s obvious that it’s a sponsored mention, and not an actual product said influencer uses or even believes in.
On the contrary, a customer who truly loves your brand can showcase exactly how your products changed his or her life and can reach more engaged potential customers. Keep in mind – these “influencers” are actual clients, people who have already converted. When they share their real results and recommendations, other people may be more convinced to try your products. Their word is trustworthy, therefore your products (and the results) must be real. This is the type of engagement that you want to build on.
8. Be real
No stock photos or copycats here. Build your brand and make sure it does what it’s supposed to do: connect. Try to stay away from “basic” skincare branding and make sure that everything has your very own touch.
Client influencers are a great way to do this. Use REAL people, NOT models. Potential customers are more likely to engage with a brand that actually tries to connect with them, instead of relating to one that posts the same content as the rest. We believe that this particular skincare marketing tip will make a huge difference in boosting your sales.
9. Try fun things!
You can do more things than you imagined. Sharing Instagram stories and quizzes, launch live social media sessions, create webinars, and even make memes! The Internet makes everything fast-paced, but this also means that we can get more creative in the ways we interact with people.
Communicate your brand’s message in an original way. It can be through social media, newsletters or even text and video content. Our recommendation? Try your hand at something you wouldn’t have considered before, like a TikTok video account where you create 15- second videos with songs. They’re a great way to reach more people and a fun way to get them to know your brand.
10. Be active
Socially, of course. Contests, giveaways and brand alliances are an amazing way to get people to interact with your brand and get to know your products. Look for other companies that are related to your skincare line (Perhaps a beauty store to complement the look? Or even health supplements for glowy skin from the inside out?) and band together for a single message: a healthier you.
Also, it never hurt anyone to post frequently. Try to get something across your main social media accounts consistently (bonus points if you manage to post daily!).
11. Offer great customer service
This is an extra tip. Try to be available “24/7” for your clients. We put this in quotation marks because we know it’s impossible to be available all day, every day. But try to answer your clients’ questions as soon as possible: great service and fast responses make people happy. Happy customers lead to better reviews, returning clients and more sales.
Even if you don’t have an answer for a particular client’s problem straight away (i.e. package is lost in transit and you can’t locate it straightaway), let them know that you’re aware of the problem and are working hard to fix it. This lets people know you’re involved and what’s more important, you care.
Also, don’t expect to only be reached via email. Communication has come a long way and people expect businesses to be available on social media as well. Plus, it’s much easier to send an instant message than to compose an email. Stay tuned to your Instagram, Facebook and Twitter inboxes for recent messages.
So there you have it. Basically, to stand out amongst all the other skincare stores you have to do one thing: BE YOU. Get personal, be absolutely real, and keep in mind that the most important thing here will always be your clients. So land your target audience through new and fun ways and communicate your brand’s uniqueness with these tips. You’ll have increased sales in no time.
And if you want, we can help you grow your business through skincare marketing. We can manage your social media accounts or even create new and innovative content. In the end, we’re here to help you make the world a better place, one glowing skin at a time.
2 Responses
Great suggestion, skincare is a quite big industry to make money. Thanks for posting such detailed information, I agree that creating personal touch in presenting things and embed affiliate links in blogs will certainly help you make more sales as no women try a product before searching about it online.
Thanks for sharing this content with us this content is really helpful I love how you explain each topic in depth with examples! i also have suggestion for people who want to get a best idea to how they can start a skin care bussniess