Social Media and The Makeup Industry: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

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Social media has really reshaped the makeup industry; many years ago, if you wanted to buy makeup you just purchased whatever was at your local drugstore and what you thought was your shade (because back then regular customers usually didn’t know anything about colour-matching or undertones) and becoming a makeup artist was not a well-known or easy career to get into. Now because of social media, it is easier than ever as a makeup consumer and an artist! There is so much information available and easily accessible, anyone can get into makeup. But not all of social media’s changes to the makeup industry are a good thing, and so here are the good, the bad, and the ugly:

The Good

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One good thing that social media has brought to the makeup industry is the ability to learn online; we now have easy access to information about products, ability to build our skills, and knowledge all about the makeup business right at our fingertips. This is especially beneficial to people in Canada because in order to become a makeup artist, we don’t technically have to go to school as it is not a regulated sector. Therefore, we could get all of our ‘schooling’ through social networks and become a makeup artist that way. If we decide we still want to go to school (in my opinion, social media does not replace actual education and I still think we would benefit from attending them), social media can help us as we have easy ability to research on the different beauty schools available. Social media is a huge tool for networking and building a business, especially for those in the makeup industry. Makeup artist’s portfolios are basically their social media; it is where they can market their skills instantly and it’s easier for old and future clients to get in contact.

The Bad

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Unfortunately, because of social media and the rise of the beauty industry online, the makeup field has become super competitive. Now that so many people have easy access and can share online, it is hard to get noticed in the tens of thousands of makeup Instagram accounts. The rise in beauty influencers is also not a good thing, mainly because a lot of them don’t really know much about makeup, or even worse, they’re not trustworthy people; they’ll sell and advertise anything for money, including products they would never use on themselves or even unsafe products. Jade Parker makes another good point in why influencers are not necessarily a good thing:

“The rise of social media has altered brand priorities to shift from trying to appeal directly to the desired consumers, to trying to appeal to beauty influencers with large social media followings.”

This is not good because beauty influencers are not a majority of the population, and a large population is being excluded. Social media can also make or break your business; one wrong misstep and your career is essentially over, especially with cancel culture becoming more and more popular in the online world. Where it may have taken more time before social media, now ramifications are instant and nothing ever really goes away on the internet.

The Ugly

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Online harassment is an ugly part of social media, and everyone faces it. As a makeup artist, people are constantly having their work judged, receiving negative messages and comments, or even online stalking. It’s unfortunately a part of social communications that doesn’t go away, and the more your work gets noticed the more trolls start to notice you and bully. Another ugly part of social media and the makeup industry is those who take it a step too far with cosmetic procedures – makeup is not enough anymore. Makeup is supposed to be fun but when people online lie about getting work done and pretend their ‘beauty’ is all makeup (or on the other end of the spectrum, when they advertise cosmetic procedures like injectable fillers and nose jobs and such), it affects people’s wellbeing and confidence. Lastly there’s lots of fake accounts and scams online, making it harder than ever to know what companies to trust, especially when influencers are constantly shoving products down our throats. This has brought ugliness into the makeup sector as not only is there a level of drama and distrust in the makeup community, but these things also ruin lives.

 

Can you think of any other changes that social media has brought to the makeup industry? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Facebook: How Has Social Media Affected the Beauty Industry? http://bit.ly/2HLmVvr

Twitter: The Good, Bad, & Ugly of #socialmedia and the #beautyindustry http://bit.ly/2HLmVvr

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Online Makeup Academy. “How Social Media Can Help You Succeed As a Makeup Artist.” 23 July 2019, onlinemakeupacademy.com/makeup-academy-blog-old/the-importance-of-social-media-for-a-makeup-artist

Parker, Jade. “How Social Media Has Evolved The Beauty Industry.” Chattr, May 2019, chattr.com.au/2019/06/04/social-media-evolved-beauty-industry/

Valentine, Olivia. “How Social Media is Reshaping The Beauty Industry.” We Are Social, 11 July 2019, wearesocial.com/us/blog/2019/07/how-social-media-is-reshaping-the-beauty-industry

How Social Media Consumerism Is Negatively Affecting You

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It used to be that when someone wanted to purchase a product, we would go into the store and talk to the store employee or ask a friend or family member about the product. We also usually only purchased the products that we needed and saved products we wanted for gifts. Now, we are constantly bombarded with people trying to sell us everything online, from detox teas to watches to appliances. We now have instant access to product information online, from reviews to specs and if we can’t find what we’re looking for we can post our questions on social media. We are constantly posting what we eat, what we buy, what we wear; our posts on social media have become consumption-oriented, there is much more targeted advertising, and it has become easier than ever (and immediate) to shop online. Here are some ways that social media consumerism affects you (and not in a good way):

Excessive Spending

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Social media has such a huge influence on how we spend our money, especially with a majority of what we see online being consumer-based. It is a huge marketing platform and seeing these kinds of posts can lead to excessive spending on our part, quite often on products we don’t actually need. Sometimes we aren’t even aware that what we are seeing is an advertisement because it is so specific. Trying to keep up with those you see online, impulse buys, or not wanting to be left out are all reasons that social media gives us for spending our money, and most of the time it convinces us to make purchases that we cannot usually afford.

Increased Negative Feelings

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It is well known that social media is not good for our mental health; we constantly compare ourselves to those we see online and due to the push on consumerism, we are frequently reminded of what we don’t have. Everyone is out enjoying their fancy vacations and good food, and here I am at home eating crackers, feeling terrible and wondering why I’m not in Greece eating whatever it is you eat in Greece. I am well aware that a majority of social media is fiction, but it still feels unfair. Research done on the link between consumer-based content and well-being found that these posts trigger social comparison, which lowers self-esteem and increases anxiety levels. These feelings sometimes led to retail therapy and shopping sprees, as participants in their survey hoped to close the gap between what they saw online and their own lives (Hillbun, 2018). Of course, this didn’t solve the problem and actually created more troubles as it increased financial debt for the participants (and of course, the comparisons don’t stop).

Social media is a great tool as we can use it to make informed decisions about our purchases, but we need to be more aware of how social media affects our spending and how it contributes to over consumerism. Creating a budget, asking yourself if the item is a ‘want’ or a ‘need’, and being more self-aware are a few ways to disrupt social media’s influence on your wallet (Carter, 2018).

Were you aware that social media affects you? What other affects have you found social media has on your spending habits? Leave me a comment below!

 

Facebook: Is Social Media Affecting Your Spending? http://bit.ly/3bCj2Xr

Twitter: watching out for #consumerism on social media http://bit.ly/3bCj2Xr

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Becker, Joshua. “How Social Media Influences Us to Buy.” Becoming Minimalist, 2019, becomingminimalist.com/social-media-consumerism/

Carter, Shawn. “Social Media May Be Making You Overspend-And It’s Not Just Because of the Ads.” CNBC, 15 March 2018, cnbc.com/2018/03/15/social-media-may-make-you-overspend-and-its-not-just-because-of-ads.html

Collins Community Credit Union. “How Social Media is Affecting Your Spending.” 8 January 2018, collinscu.org/whats-new/blog-press/how-social-media-is-affecting-your-spending

Ho, Hillbun. “Commentary: Unhealthy Culture of Consumerism on Social Media Fueling Anxiety and Low Self-Esteem.” CNA, 7 August 2018, channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/sharing-shopping-on-social-media-unhealthy-anxiety-10576258

How Social Media Impacts Our Eating

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The number one thing I use social media for is food. I follow over 50 food and health accounts on Instagram, some of the hashtags I follow include #sweetpotato and #plantbasedfoods, and I have 1,485 recipe pins on Pinterest (yes, I checked). It is impossible for me to log online and NOT see food. I don’t mind it, as social media food content is where I get my inspiration for cooking and helps me keep up to date on nutrition information (I have a degree in nutrition, in case you’re wondering why I am like this). Having access to food content on social media has really benefited me, and it has really changed my eating habits and relationship with food. However, not everyone has a nutrition background like I do, and I know there are both pros and cons when it comes to food content online, so here are four ways that social media affects our eating:

PRO: Better Access to Healthy Food Prep and Recipes

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I’ll just say it: if it wasn’t for social media, I wouldn’t know what quinoa is or how to cook it. The only reason I even tried quinoa was because it became such a phenomenon online and I was seeing quinoa recipes and videos EVERYWHERE.

Social media gives us access to foods we otherwise wouldn’t know about or try. As Arnold says in his article, “Blogs and social media channels are leading people to be exposed to cuisines that they may have never seen before”. People are being exposed to new cuisines, new fruits, new vegetables, new spices, new cooking techniques; social media is bringing variety into our diets and our ways of cooking.

PRO: Easier Access to Professionals

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Depending on your location or income, it’s not easy to have access to healthcare professionals, especially when it comes to food and nutrition. Social media gives these professionals a platform to share their advice and experiences with the world. Dietitians, chefs, bakers, and other food experts can help thousands of people with social media that they wouldn’t otherwise reach in their regular practices. From diet information to vegan recipe videos, it is now easier than ever to access accurate and helpful nutrition information from qualified professionals.

CON: False Information

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Now that being said, there is a LOT of fake food and nutrition information circulating the internet, especially from people who are not food and health professionals, and a majority of people get their health information from the internet. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to nutrition, and a lot of these people online use fear as a tactic to get their opinions across to their audiences. This can actually have the opposite effect for our eating habits, as it can cause us to restrict our diets or avoid certain foods due to fear and confusion.

Sometimes it’s easy to know when the information is wrong (for example, detox teas do NOT detox your liver and avocados do not cure cancer). However, sometimes it’s not (is coffee going to boost my metabolism or is it bad for my heart?). So here are some things to ask yourself when you come across health information online:

1. What are the person’s credentials? Do they actually have any education in nutrition/health/food?
2. What are their sources? Do they even have a source or is just their opinion?
3. Is there much scientific evidence to back their claim up?
4. Is this a trend? In my personal experience, if it is a trend, it’s usually not true.

And keep in mind, roughly 90% of health information shared from influencers online is wrong!

CON: Eating Disorders

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Although social media is not the main cause of eating disorders, it can really disrupt and influence our eating habits and is a contributing factor. In one study, participants who spent more time on social media were more likely to have concerns with eating and body image. With constantly being bombarded with dieting, exercise plans and beautiful bodies on social media, the fear of weight gain is real. And let’s not get started on the marketing of unhealthy eating habits!

 

Social media has positive and negative affects when it comes to our relationship with food, from being inspired to cook healthier meals to leading to negative thoughts and behaviours. In order to better use and understand social media when it comes to eating, I suggest:

1. Be aware of how social media affects your relationship with food (is it positive or negative?);
2. Be conscious of who you follow online;
3. Know when to unplug.

 

One particular person I highly suggest you follow is Dr. Joshua Wolrich, a British surgical doctor who posts great content about our relationship with food and debunks a lot of the fake nutrition information on the internet (#nutribollocks is his hashtag).

 

Has social media affected your relationship with food?

Do you follow a great food or health influencer?

Leave your answers in the comments below!

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Facebook: Social media affects everything, including your eating habits  http://bit.ly/36TtTZn

Twitter: How social media impacts your eating habits and what to do #socialmedia #foodrelationships #eatingdisorder  http://bit.ly/36TtTZn

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Arnold, Andrew. “How Social Media Can Impact Your Consumption Habits.” Forbes, 14 Jan 2019, forbes.com/sites/andrewarnold/2019/01/14/how-social-media-can-impact-your-consumption-habits/#6bc5cddd2796

Forrest, Adam. “Social Media Influencers are Dishing Out False Nutrition and Weight Loss Advice 90% of the Time.” The Business Insider, 30 Apr 2019, businessinsider.com/social-media-influencers-give-bad-health-advice-90-percent-of-time-study-shows-2019-4

Gleissner, Greta. “Social Media and its Effect on Eating.” Huffpost, 5 Oct 2017, huffpost.com/entry/social-media-and-its-effect-on-eating-disorders_b_591343bce4b0e3bb894d5caa

3 Social Media Marketing Ideas to Keep Your Brand’s Feed Interesting

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One of the hardest things about running a brand’s social media platforms is coming up with engaging and original content. You are expected to produce quality subject matter for your audience, but it is difficult to come up with new ideas (eventually people are going to notice that you’ve shared the same meme 3 times on Facebook).

Luckily for you, I’m here to help you out! Here are 3 social media marketing ideas to keep your brand’s feed interesting:

 

1. Host a Giveaway

People can’t resist free! In my personal experience, giveaways are a great way to not only engage your current audience, but also grow your audience. In a study done by Tailwind for Instagram, they found that accounts that hold giveaways on social media can grow their followers 70% faster than accounts without. And yes, planning a giveaway takes time but it’s really not a complicated process! All you really need is:

1. A relevant item to giveaway to your audience. Is your brand known for making gift baskets? Then your giveaway should consist of a homemade gift basket! Always try to keep your giveaway item relevant to your brand.
2. Rules. Having rules not only makes it easier to track who is correctly entering your giveaway, but it also makes your giveaway more legitimate (there’s a lot of scammers on the internet).
3. A way to enter. Don’t choose too many ways to enter your giveaway, as people will lose interest if it is too complicated. I usually do 3: you have to like our page, tag a friend in the comments, and share. Remember, the goal is getting your brand out there and noticed; the more engagement, the better.

In 2019 I suggested to a family friend that she host a giveaway on Facebook in order to market her brand’s Christmas Open House. The post alone had a 3,300+ organic reach on Facebook, with 472 post clicks and over 100 likes gained on her page (for a small business in the middle of nowhere, these are big numbers). The best part was the large number of people at her open house who told her they found out about her page and event through the giveaway! This really works! Give it a try next time you want to do a social media campaign, whether it’s for a new product launch or event.

NOTE: Even though giveaways are a great marketing strategy, they should be used occasionally. Keep in mind, we want to keep our brand’s feed fresh and interesting and not posting the same thing week after week.

 

2. Keep Your Feed Consistent

Image from Pixabay

Continuing on with my story about the Christmas Open House, my family friend (let’s call her Sara) asked me why people weren’t seeing her posts she was making on the Facebook page. After taking a look at her brand’s Facebook page, I told Sara:

• Your audience is not seeing your posts on your brand’s feed because they are not interacting with the brand,
• Your audience is not interacting with the brand because you are not consistent on posting on your brand’s feed.

Consistence is key when it comes to social media marketing. Since there is so much content on people’s newsfeeds, social media platforms (specifically Facebook) are all about showing users relevant content; the more a user interacts with a brand, the more they will see them on their newsfeed because Facebook sees them as relevant. Posting consistently also helps you develop trust, credibility and helps to not confuse your customers (Simpson)

Sara thought that posting on her brand’s Facebook page once or twice a month for a few months and then posting randomly 4 times in one week was fine, but it isn’t. There’s no consistency here, and those months that go by where she is barely posting is not only causing her to lose visibility on Facebook, it is also significantly decreasing her chances of gaining new members of her audience because her page seems out of date.

It is important for your brand that you commit to a schedule when it comes to posting on social media. Now here you will have to do a little research of your own, because there really doesn’t seem to be an optimal time to post on social media that works for everyone; some articles say to post during peak hours where the most people will be online, while others say the perfect post should be sent at non-peak hours. So, pay attention to your engagement with your audience; utilize things like Facebook Insights or Google Analytics to find out what days and times your content performs best and utilize these numbers to help you create a content calendar to keep you on schedule.

 

3. Create a Series

 

Every Sunday for the last 2 years, I have posted a #SunsetSunday photo on my family’s business’ social media accounts (my family owns a small resort in Northern Ontario). It is a series that I started because a) a majority of my photos from the resort are of sunsets (I mean I have hundreds upon hundreds of sunset photos), and b) it was a way to keep my posting consistent without having to overthink and struggle with what to post. Now I know what you’re thinking: aren’t we supposed to be coming up with new content ideas? And I am not going against what I said before, new and relevant content is needed. However, I have found that starting a series on your feed really has a lot of benefits, as it’s something for your audience to look forward to and it keeps your scheduling of posts consistent. The subject matter is up to you: choose something that is relevant to your brand, and easy for you to have access to many photos of. Looking online at different daily hashtags, such as #sunsetsunday, #wellnesswednesday, even #throwbackthursday counts!

Image by Falcon’s Lair Resort

A neighbour who works outside of the province once told my dad that he enjoys our sunset Sunday posts because every Sunday he gets a little taste of home. Now that’s what I call positive feedback!

 

Of course these are not the only social media marketing strategies out there, and with a simple internet search you can find many more social media marketing ideas to try out. These 3 ideas are all based on what has worked in my personal experiences with managing a small brand’s social media accounts, and I highly suggest you give them a try. Whether you have a Facebook page, Instagram account, Twitter or all of the above, these tips will work great keep your brand’s social media feed from growing stale.

 

Have you tried any of these strategies before? Do you have another marketing strategy that worked for your brand? Let me know in the comments below!

Running out of content ideas? Here are 3 social media marketing ideas to keep your brand’s feed interesting!

#socialmediamarketing ideas to keep your brand’s newfeed fresh!

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Christopher, David. “Instagram Contest Ideas That Will Grow Your Followers 70% Faster.” Tailwind Blog, 13 Feb 2017, blog.tailwindapp.com/instagram-contest-ideas-that-will-grow-your-followers-70-faster/

Lee, Kevan. “Anatomy of a Perfect Facebook Post.” Buffer. 29 Oct 2014, buffer.com/library/anatomy-of-a-perfect-facebook-post.

Patel, Neil. “Facebook’s Algorithm Revealed: How to Remain Visible in The Cluttered News Feed.” neilpatel.com/2016/07/10/facebooks-algorithm-revealed-how-to-remain-visible-in-the-cluttered-facebook-news-feed/

Simpson, Jon. “Why Content Consistency is Key to Your Marketing Strategy.” Forbes, 11 Feb 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/02/11/why-content-consistency-is-key-to-your-marketing-strategy/#692c5644ef57.