TikTok is transforming the way customers discover and shop for beauty products.
Need proof? Maybelline’s new Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara sold out four times after going viral on the platform. L’Oréal’s Infallible Powder Foundation sold out almost everywhere after a TikToker’s review on the product reached seven million views. And then there’s E.l.f. Cosmetics’ success story. Their Vice President said that over the past two years the brand has jumped from the 8th to the 2nd most favourite beauty brand among teens, thanks to their viral #eyeslipsface campaign.
Nearly 50% of users have purchased a product after seeing it on TikTok. And with hashtags like #Beauty, #MakeUp and #MakeUpReview having billions of combined views, it’s no surprise that the beauty industry is among those benefiting from the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt movement (5.3B views).
@jamescharles eyes lips face… **waist 😇 #makeup #fyp #transformation
A golden opportunity for brands
TikTok has sparked a new wave of authentic product reviews that have the power to reach millions overnight. They’re subtle, blend into the FYP and don’t disrupt the user experience. That’s why brands, who want to achieve the same success as these organic viral videos, are advised to ‘make TikToks, not ads.’
Enter influencers. They are the experts in creating sponsored content that bridges that gap between authenticity and driving audience action. Estée Lauder recognised this when they chose Vamp to activate their latest campaign. It combined curated and polished Instagram content, with fun and spontaneous TikTok videos. The result was over £26k worth of sales for the brand. Here’s how they did it.
How Estée Lauder drove over £26k worth of sales
Objective
Estée Lauder wanted to drive sales among their iconic Double Wear and Futurist foundations, build brand advocacy and create original social content for repurposing.
Strategy
Estée Lauder identified 18 beauty-focused influencers across Instagram and TikTok. This diverse group had a range of skin types and tones. Long-standing brand ambassadors and fresh faces from Vamp’s platform created social content about the benefits of each foundation, while staying true to their own aesthetic.
@gracebmakeup
@hollyrebeccawhite
Phase 1
On Instagram, creators shared static images, tutorial videos and Stories. On TikTok, creators were encouraged to create content inline with their unique style on the channel. This omni-channel content embraced the benefits of each platform and showcased the product in the most natural way.
Phase 2
The Instagram content was then boosted directly from the influencers’ profiles. This further amplified the content, driving more awareness, product consideration and online sales. This strategy allowed Estée Lauder to extend the reach of their creators’ content and target specific customers.
Toolkit
- Managed campaign
- Influencer marketing
- Boosting
Results
- 2.9M impressions
- 2,750 hours of total TikTok watch time
- 5.9k link clicks
- 8.4% boosting engagement rate (16.5x higher than the platform benchmark)
- £26,356 conversion value
@theplasticboy AD the most iconic long wearing foundation you will ever need! #EsteeLauder Doublewear Stay in place Foundation #doublewear #Wearconfidence
@makeupbytammi #ad ladies and gentlemen… #EsteeLauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation 😍 #DoubleWear #WearConfidence
Use these tips to achieve your own TikTok success
#1 Keep it real
Some of the most viral TikToks have been accidental recordings, raw reactions and unpolished, spontaneously-filmed clips. ‘Realness’ resonates and that applies to beauty content on the platform too.
Users want to see creators bare, unfiltered skin before they start a makeup tutorial. They want to see the texture of a foundation and the ‘imperfections’ that remain. Why? Because that’s real life. Makeup isn’t an AI beauty filter. Consumers want to see what products will look like in reality and imagine it on them. So it’s best to keep your content down-to-earth and highly relatable.
#2 Showcase your product’s creative potential
Creativity is another huge aspect of TikTok. Loads of trends and challenges emerge from the platform each month and prove how innovative TikTokers are. But what’s more impressive is the exceptionally creative makeup artists that we see on our feeds. They’ll use everyday makeup products to transform their face into a work of art.
A great way to promote your products on TikTok is to highlight the power they have to create these out-of-the-ordinary looks. This will allow shoppers to see that your products have no limits, and can be used for their daily makeup routines as well as their creative looks. Do this by tapping into current makeup trends that hero creativity. Some examples include the ’10 seconds vs’ challenge and ‘my followers draw my makeup looks’ trend. Tapping into these trends will also allow your brand to join the social conversation, further increasing your brand awareness and product recognition.
#3 Partner with a diverse influencer squad
Each and every one of your customers is going to have a completely unique skin tone and skin type. It’s important that everyone has the ability to see how your products look on their skin, before they decide to purchase from you. If they don’t, it’s likely they’ll turn to another brand who can offer this experience to them.
A great way to ensure you reach as many consumers as possible is by partnering with a diverse group of influencers. This will ensure that all customers can see what your products will look like on them, no matter their skin tone or type. Vamp’s platform gives you the opportunity to find the perfect influencers at scale for your campaign. Connect with our diverse, vetted community, make your selection based on verified audience and performance data and manage the entire campaign on our platform.
Download our TikTok guide and learn:
- The six things every marketer should know about TikTok
- How to effectively use the app’s most popular features
- Five steps to creating a successful brand account on TikTok
- What type of organic TikTok content performs the best
- How to effectively partner with TikTok creators
- How to use the eight different ad options available to marketers
- What it takes to create high-performing TikTok ads that maximise your ROI
- How brands like Benefit Cosmetics, Sheridan, and Rimmel London achieved TikTok success with Vamp
Enter your details below to download Vamp’s free ‘Everything Guide to TikTok for Marketers’ and watch your brand become the next Duolingo.
