“Build it and they will come” is not a saying that applies to the cosmetics industry. Even if you have created a fantastic, all-natural product, produced in a sustainable and ethical way with beautiful packaging - and ingredients that really work - you won’t get the results you are looking for if you don’t have a cosmetic marketing strategy in place.

In order to properly and successfully expand or build your business, you need to know how to effectively promote your beauty brand. Here are our top tips for cosmetic marketing success in what is an increasingly crowded and competitive market. 

Determine your target market

Is your product aimed at females between 30-39 who live in the US and have a disposable income of more than $40,000? 

You need to determine who you are targeting so you know how you should be marketing your product. Casting too wide of a net and trying to target everyone - especially if you have a limited budget - will fall flat. In the end, you won’t resonate with anyone. It’s important to create a strong connection with your target audience to convert consumers into loyal buyers.

Once you’ve decided on the market, it helps to create buyer personas with pretty specific characteristics of your audience - and then you can make other product decisions based on this information. 

Decide how to package your product

Your target audience will also determine how you package, price, and distribute your product. Spend some time researching your target audience so you can determine what they like in terms of colors, textures, wording, shapes, and patterns. You may want to create a survey and ask consumers these questions if you’re not sure.

If you have multiple options, you can also test different prototypes of your products to see which is more popular. Product packaging is an important part of cosmetic marketing - putting in the time and effort to get this right will pay off in the long run.

Choose your channels wisely

Just as you don’t want your target audience to be too wide, you also don’t want to spread your marketing efforts too thin by using too many channels. When creating your buyer personas, you should include information on the types of magazines your target market reads, and what sites they frequently visit online.

Use that information to decide where you want to spend your budget to have the most impact. Remember to set goals and measure how your campaigns are performing so you can make adjustments to optimize ROI.

The same principles apply to distribution channels. Choose these channels according to the kinds of places you think your target audience will browse and shop. You can’t be everywhere at once – especially if you’re just starting out – so it’s better to be laser-focused and build your brand slowly. If you outsource your manufacturing to a company with experience in your industry, they can help you get these decisions right.

Interested in expanding your business? 

Schedule a consultation with S-Schwartz Cosmetics’ experts to learn how you can build your own customized product and gain from over 50 years of experience. Schwartz representatives will be at the upcoming Cosmoprof North America trade show in Las Vegas on July 28-30th. Visit our booth or set up a meeting with us for a one-on-one consultation! 

This blog post is for educational purposes only.