There are no shortages of businesses involved in B2C selling in today’s digital and consumerist Western society. There is, however, a broad range of methods that these businesses use to engage with and sell to current and potential customers.
In my opinion, Sephora’s Instagram presence is particularly successful for three distinct reasons: engagement, representation, and alignment.
Sephora first creates an abundance and a variety of content to attract a wide audience, then engages with the audience. Not only do agents respond to questions in the comments of each post, employees also post makeup tutorials and other videos. Because the campaign focuses on diversity in terms of race, sexual orientation, and physical ability, their target audience is represented in their advertisements.
The variety in product offerings and emphasis placed upon representation create a look, feel, and experience that feels well aligned with and authentic to the brand. This creates the hook for B2C selling, which is then complemented by the numerous deals and sales they offer in their Instagram stories.
Ultimately, Sephora’s approach appears to be successful because their Instagram page is more than a digital advertisement for their products. They’ve created a digital community in which artists, creators, and customers alike can engage and take away what is most useful to them, such as a discount, knowledge about new products, or an application technique.
Sephora has blended corporate branding with personal branding to create an environment that is truly conducive to B2C selling.
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 