What is TikTok?
Since the global COVID-19 lockdown and the late 2010s, we’ve witnessed a significant increase in social media usage. In particular, the rise of TikTok reached its peak in 2019-2020 with over 850 million downloads in just one year. This platform has had a huge impact on various industries, especially the marketing in the beauty industry. In 2023, the beauty sector saw a 14% year-over-year growth in revenue, mainly driven by TikTok’s viral trends and influencer marketing. According to reports by Circana data, beauty sales in the US reached $31.7 billion, changing how brands connect with customers and market their products online.
Why should the beauty industry take advantage of the TikTok platform for its marketing?
The beauty industry can benefit from TikTok as a marketing tool thanks to its large and highly engaged audience, from younger generations like Gen Z to older generations like millennials. With over 1.7 billion active users worldwide, it offers brands the chance to gain visibility, go viral through trends or collaborations with both big and small influencers. As seen in the past few years, many companies in the beauty industry have used TikTok to connect, share their values, and sell their products with the TikTok shop feature. A strong example of a successful app use is Medicube, a Korean skincare brand that has grown worldwide. Since launching on TikTok shop and collaborating with multiple content creators (over 33,000 creators) on the app, Medicube achieved a revenue of $102.9 M and now has best-selling products on TikTok shop.
How does TikTok’s algorithm give beauty brands a competitive advantage compared to other social media platforms?
First, the main difference with the algorithm of TikTok and any other social media platforms is that it prioritizes content engagement over follower count, allowing both new small brands and bigger ones in the beauty industry to go viral. On another hand, on Instagram or Facebook, posts usually depend on existing followers or paid promotions to gain visibility and new customers. For the beauty industry, having an algorithm like TikTok’s ”For You” page, which enables brands to reach a wide audience through trends, new content, reviews, and consumer engagement, has become the key to higher revenues, exposure, and better presence in the media. A successful example could be CeraVe, which experienced a rapid rise thanks to TikTok; its algorithm turned influencer praise (with reviews, crash tests, and unboxing) into viral content, driving sales and making the brand a Gen-Z favorite.
Finally, TikTok has transformed the beauty industry by reshaping how brands connect with consumers, build trust, and generate sales (through TikTok Shop or other websites). Through its algorithm, viral trends, and influencer collaborations, TikTok lets beauty brands of all sizes step outside of the traditional marketing models (the usual social media algorithm boosted by paid ads) and reach audiences far beyond their existing followers. TikTok’s ”For You” page makes it possible for beauty content to go viral overnight, turning product reviews, tutorials, or influencer recommendations into strong engines of visibility and growth. In conclusion, the beauty industry’s strategies on social media have now been redefined, with creativity, trend participation, and consumer engagement now becoming the key to success.
References:
TikTok for Business. TikTok, business.tiktok.com.
“TikTok Drives $31.7B in Beauty Sales: How Viral Trends Are Shaping the Future of Cosmetics.” CosmeticsDesign, 20 Aug. 2024, www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Article/2024/08/20/tiktok-drives-31.7b-in-beauty-sales-how-viral-trends-are-shaping-the-future-of-cosmetics.
TikTok Statistics. Business of Apps, www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/#:~:text=From%20there%2C%20TikTok%20snowballed%20into,850%20million%20times%20in%202020.
“Premium Brands Win Big on TikTok Shop: Medicube’s $102M Case Study.” Tramicheck, www.tramicheck.com/newsletter/premium-brands-win-big-on-tiktok-shop-medicubes-102m-case-study.
“Why TikTok Is a Key Engagement Driver for Beauty and Skincare Brand Awareness & Sales.” Beauty Packaging, www.beautypackaging.com/exclusives/why-tiktok-is-a-key-engagement-driver-for-beauty-and-skincare-brand-awareness-sales.