Unlocking the Beauty Secrets of TikTok: How the App is Reshaping the Beauty Community
Image Courtesy: Sweety High
If you spend class time scrolling through TikTok, don't worry — you're not alone. According to a 2023 survey, Americans spent more time per day on TikTok than on any other leading social media platform. Launched in 2016, the Chinese app has 1.67 billion users globally, with 150 million users from the United States alone. With short-form videos that are easy to digest and rewatch, it's no wonder TikTok is so popular among Americans.
Users can find all sorts of content on TikTok, ranging from lip-syncing videos to ASMR, but the app is notable for its beauty content. It has generated hype around skincare, haircare, and makeup. A viral 15-second video can sell out a product in a matter of hours. The app’s reputation for being a place for discovering new products is evident: in studies commissioned by TikTok, 52% of users now say they discover new products on TikTok.
Before the rise of TikTok, consumers read product reviews on blogs and watched YouTubers try on the newest launch. Now, TikTok is the first place most consumers go. With just a quick search on TikTok, consumers can find content ranging from all-day wear tests, "get ready with me" videos, and first impressions on trendy products. The social media app has proven to be an invaluable tool for businesses, driving peer-to-peer marketing to become one of the most vital forms of marketing.
Peer-to-peer marketing, when customers engage and market to one another instead of relying on a business's direct marketing tactics, helps build brand credibility and trust because consumers are more likely to trust each other than the brands themselves. What's a more foolproof way of knowing whether a business makes a good product than by hearing from other users?
By reading TikTok reviews and comments and hearing recommendations from popular influencers, consumers begin to trust brands, which can lead to purchasing decisions, increased sales, and brand loyalty. TikTok provides the perfect platform for brands to connect with consumers authentically. By showing consumers sharing their unfiltered reviews and responding to questions in the comment section, brands can interact with consumers in ways they never could before.
Beauty brands like Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty regularly respond to comments and even post TikTok with their respective founders, Selena Gomez and Rihanna, as part of their ongoing social media campaign. Having the founders involved creates a personal connection between their brands and their audiences. Actively engaging with their audiences shows that brands value customer opinions and are not afraid of possible feedback.
Because it's so easy to leave comments on TikTok, the instant interactions between a brand and its audience highlight the app's role in changing advertising for beauty brands. TikTok offers a real-time, interactive space where brands can connect with their consumers on a more personal level, building trust and loyalty but also showcasing the importance of engagement, transparency, and user-generated content in the beauty community.
Recently, TikTok has taken it one step further by introducing TikTok Shop, an e-commerce feature that allows users to instantly shop for products they discover on their For You page. This feature means there is now a direct way to access and purchase beauty products, potentially leading to more immediate and direct impact on sales and trends. As a result, TikTok Shop has the potential to reshape the way beauty products are marketed and consumed within the beauty community, making it more convenient and accessible for users to explore and purchase the latest beauty products.
Whether you spend minutes or hours on TikTok per day, there's no denying that the app has left a significant mark on how we discover, engage with, and purchase beauty products. As this platform continues to influence our choices and actions, it will be interesting to see how brands evolve to take full advantage of this new advertising landscape.
Angela Chiang