Top 9 ways to use Stories in the beauty industry

Whether or not you will succeed in the beauty industry is largely dependent on your marketing. Even with top-notch products and services, you still won't see much revenue until you build your brand and establish it as a worthwhile industry presence. Now, it is important to mention that all beauty industry brands are well aware of this, which is why competing with them is an uphill battle. But, there are ways in which you can leverage your odds and see your brand come out on top. In this article, we will explore web and in-app stories as a marketing tool, and outline the best ways to use Stories in the beauty industry.

Web and in-app stories in the beauty industry

In our view, there are a couple of reasons why both web and in-app stories are excellent tools for marketing in the beauty industry. Most of these reasons boil down to their reliance on visual elements, relatively condensed format, and high level of customizability. Let's now take a closer look at what makes web and in-app stories so applicable.

Visual appeal

Beauty products are highly visual. Whether the product itself has appealing packaging  (which it definitely should). Or whether the results of using the product are easy to see. Showing beauty is the key part of any marketing for any brand in the beauty industry. Luckily web stories provide a platform to showcase beauty products in a captivating and interactive manner. The format allows for a combination of photos, videos, stickers, filters, and text, making it easier to create visually stunning and engaging content. Such content is tailor-made to outline the effects of beauty brands and showcase how they make customers look beautiful.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

A common use of story content, especially on social media, is as a temporary content format. Namely, if post a story on Facebook or Instagram, it will remain there for 24 hours. This temporary nature of social media stories gives the viewers a sense of FOMO. After all, story content will disappear after a set period, there is a sense of urgency and exclusivity to make use of what the content has to offer. Beauty brands can leverage this fear of missing out to promote limited-time offers, flash sales, or exclusive product launches, encouraging users to take immediate action.

Keep in mind though that story content doesn't have to be temporary. If you opt to use StorifyMe you can create story content that will last as long as you wish (not just 24 hours) or remain online permanently. Plus you will be able to host it on your website, within your beauty app, or in various other places that you might deem necessary.

Mobile-friendly

As a fairly modern type of online content, Stories are designed with mobile devices in mind. They offer a seamless user experience on smartphones and tablets. As mobile usage continues to grow, this format is ideal for reaching and engaging with the tech-savvy, on-the-go audience that dominates the beauty industry.

Interactivity

Another great thing about both web and in-app stories is that they can be quite interactive. Interactive features like:

• Polls
• Quizzes
• Question stickers
• Swipe-up links

They are all fairly easy to add to story content. Beauty brands can use these tools to gather feedback, conduct market research, answer customer queries, and drive traffic to their websites or product pages.

Reach and discoverability

Stories are prominently displayed at the top of users' feeds, making them more visible and easily discoverable. This placement ensures that your content gets noticed by a larger portion of your followers, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Stories are also fairly easy to combine on various platforms. For instance, is quite simple to integrate various social media features, such as tagging products, adding links, and cross-posting content. Furthermore, you can create your stories as widgets and easily add them to your website or online store. This integration enhances the user experience and allows for smoother navigation between different aspects of the brand's online presence.

Storytelling opportunities

Lastly, it is important to note that proper storytelling is one of the key characteristics of modern marketing. Stories allow brands to tell a narrative over a series of slides, enabling them to create compelling storytelling campaigns. This can be particularly effective in conveying the brand's values, mission, and story behind its products.

‍Best ways to use Stories in the beauty industry

To further highlight the marketing potential of Stories, we will outline how beauty brands tend to use them. You, of course, can use all, some, or none of the examples we will outline. The better you understand your brand, and the potential of web and in-app stories, the more creative you can be. Now, let's see the best ways to use Stories in the beauty industry.

1. Product launches

Product launches are one of the riskier endeavors for a growing brand. Putting a product out will require a fair bit of investment. And whether or not that investment will pay off is mostly dependent on customer interest. So, one way to utilize Stories is to build anticipation and excitement around new product launches. Tease sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes footage, and testimonials to generate interest among your followers. With easy sharing, your customers will get more and more excited as launch day comes.

2. Tutorials, reviews, and How-to guides

Create interactive and step-by-step beauty tutorials in Story format. Show your audience how to achieve various makeup looks, skincare routines, or hair styling techniques using your products. In this instance, UGC can be of great help. Here your customers can both provide valuable information and showcase your product. In doing so, they will both enhance their online presence and your brand's.

Other customers can later respond to these videos, and outline their impressions. Snaps (Snapchat Stories) are a great option for this, as they represent short, easily identifiable visual content. Keep in mind that this is just a format for UGC, and that platforms like StorifyMe can help both you and your customers create it. Overall, the more UGC you can stir up, the better off your brand will be.

3. Before and after transformations

Before and after transformations are one of the staples of marketing content for beauty brands. After all, what better way to showcase the transformative power of your beauty products than with before-and-after images or videos? Especially when it comes to skincare and makeup products. A simple Short can put a tremendous amount of spotlight on your beauty product, even if you use little to no words. Just think of YouTube Shorts or TikTok videos, where in a few seconds you see the before and after results of beauty products.

4. Influencers

A great way to grow your brand and establish a decent online reputation is to Collaborate with beauty influencers. What you can do here is to let them take over your Stories for a day or a limited time. If share their personal experiences with your products they will engage with their followers on your brand's platform. In doing so, they will naturally draw customers to your brand. Of course, you will need to outline the details regarding the content they will create (especially from the legal aspect). But, ideally, you should give them full creative freedom and have faith in your products.

5. Exclusive offers and discounts

As Stories can be temporary, it is only natural to use them to announce limited-time offers, discounts, or flash sales. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages immediate action from your audience. Keep in mind that you can personalize your Stories to cater to specific demographics within your audience. Therefore, you can announce offers and discounts that specific customers are likely to find interesting.

6. Behind-the-scenes content

Take your audience behind the scenes of your beauty brand. Show them the process of product development, manufacturing, or photoshoots. This helps humanize your brand and build a deeper connection with your customers. Here is the best place to use marketing storytelling as an effective way to showcase your brand. You'd be surprised at how effective storytelling can be, especially when it manages to convey a clear emotion.

7. Polls and Q&A sessions

If you need a way to engage with your audience, you can try using interactive features like polls and Q&A sessions in Stories. By doing so, you will gather feedback, understand customer preferences, and answer their queries directly. Furthermore, you will give your customers a feeling that they are a part of your brand's development. Therefore, they will feel that much more loyal to it.

8. Seasonal and Holiday themes

Seeing that beauty product are one of the common presents for loved ones, it is advisable that you customize your Stories to fit seasonal themes and holidays. This keeps your content fresh, relevant, and in tune with the current trends. Luckily, it is fairly easy to customize story content and ensure that its tone fits the ongoing season.

9. BTS of Events and Trade Shows

If your beauty brand participates in events or trade shows, share behind-the-scenes footage and highlights on your Stories to keep your audience engaged, even if they can't attend in person. You can even look to create a live feed of the event and showcase how your brand is doing. Here it is best that you have an established spokesperson that is charismatic and pleasant. They should look to respond to your live feed while ensuring that your brand is shown in the best possible light.

Final takeaways

In conclusion, web and in-app Stories offer an array of compelling benefits that make them exceptionally suitable for beauty brand marketing. The beauty industry thrives on visual appeal and authenticity, and Stories provide the perfect platform to showcase products in an immersive and engaging manner. By leveraging the fear of missing out and creating a sense of urgency, beauty brands can drive customer action through limited-time offers and exclusive product launches. Additionally, the interactive nature of Stories enables brands to gather valuable feedback, answer customer queries, and conduct market research, fostering a deeper connection with their audience.

The mobile-friendly and discoverable nature of Stories aligns perfectly with the habits of the tech-savvy, on-the-go consumers that dominate the beauty industry. This format allows for seamless integration with other social media features, enhancing the user experience and streamlining navigation within the brand's online presence.

While there are endless ways to use Stories in the beauty industry, we suggest that you understand the ones that are currently most used. Product launches and limited-time offers are shown best through short Stories that give a sense of urgency. Tutorials and reviews give room for your customers to talk about your brand and for you to promote UGC. In similar regard, pools and Q&A sessions allow you to connect with your customers in a unique way. All this is to say that Stories are a multi-functional tool with tremendous marketing potential. Whether or not you will use that potential depends entirely on your understanding of the industry trends and your brand.