What Can “Look Fantastic” Teach Us About Social Media Management?

With billions of social media users, it makes sense that every business should be actively using good social media management to build their brand, promote their products and establish a strong following. A survey from loyalty analytics company, Aimia, found that at least 31% of online shoppers use social media when browsing online for products to buy.

That said, some do it better than others and here at Contentworks, we are not ashamed to admit we have a bit of a brand crush on Look Fantastic. In fact, Lookfantastic.com, Europe’s number one online retailer for beauty, is a textbook example of how catering to your audience’s needs really works. With over 250,000 followers on social media, what can “Look Fantastic” teach us about social media management?

#1 They know their audience

Sounds basic doesn’t it but you may be surprised to learn how many big brands really don’t know who their target audience is. Not a clue. Not even a tiny bit. If you don’t know who your target audience is, how can you connect with them? In order for your company to stand out in a sea of businesses on social media, you have to address what your audience wants. “Sometimes marketers spend their advertising budget in vain because they do not understand their audience and can’t come into their world,” Ron Sela- content marketing influencer. In the case of Look Fantastic, they know exactly who their audience is. By offering incentives to complete surveys, social media quizzes and feedback forms, the company is very well informed. The end result is a set of social media pages that resonate, connect and entice their fans to purchase.

#2 They are Great Story Tellers

Social media users don’t want to hear buy this product, spend money on this, click here to purchase.. blah blah. The best marketers in the world know that storytelling, blogging and reviews actually showcase products in a much better light than all those boring ads.

Just recently, Lookfantastic.com launched their #IAmFantastic campaign to celebrate confidence and beauty. On their YouTube channel, they featured short videos of real people talking about their individual journeys, struggles and how they were able to celebrate their own, unique beauty. How awesome is that?

One woman talked about how she felt she didn’t fit in and how make up and experimenting with her hair color allowed her to express herself and figure out who she was.

The video is a great way to tell a story – it is relevant and inspiring, and it was also a subtle way to promote the products on Lookfantastic.com too. Let’s not forget the power of a potentially viral campaign on social media.

#3 They Nailed Influencer Marketing

Lookfantastic doesn’t limit their promotion to their own social media accounts. Instead, they partnered with industry influencers and they got these individuals to talk about them!

They invited nine top beauty influencers to swap beauty secrets with them which proved to be a very successful social media campaign. Among the influencers was Lydia Elise Millen, a famous blogger who has over 54K followers on Twitter.  Getting these influencers on board gave Lookfantastic.com a wider exposure, with their YouTube video getting over 195,000 views.

They also featured TV personality Louise Thompson over Easter for #TheBeautyEgg. Louise’s Instagram post about Lookfantastic.com’s product had over 7K likes and had her followers clambering to know where they could buy the Beauty Egg for themselves.

Working with influencers is awesome because these individuals already have a captive audience. You have to remember to choose influencers that are relevant to your niche, not only because they have a huge following. In Lookfantastic.com’s case, they focus on beauty bloggers, TV personalities and style icons as their brand ambassadors.

#4 They Offered Variety

Lookfantastic knows how to shake it up on social media. Photos, videos, gifs, contests, memes… their channels have it all.  Their Pinterest account even has boards about quotes, coffee, and brunch, but it is all aimed at their target market.

More importantly, they made sure that their social media accounts have their own identity. They understand that they have to offer variety and use different styles when posting on social media networks. For example, your post on Twitter should differ from Instagram and vice-versa.

#5 They Create Suspense

Look Fantastic knows that suspense = intrigue = demand = sales. Social media is a fabulous tool for building suspense and this is a brand that has nailed it. The contents of the brand’s famous “beauty boxes” are actually a mystery to subscribers who look forward to receiving them each month. However, Look Fantastic will give social media followers a sneak peak at just one item before the box is launched. This sparks a flurry of forum debates, hashtags and YouTube unboxing videos. They also limit the availability of products creating waiting lists, demand and need amongst users. Very smart indeed.

Credit where it’s due, Contentworks salutes you Look Fantastic! Want to apply the social media management strategies discussed in this article for your own brand? Pop us an email at hello@contentworks.agency.