Congratulations on starting your first beauty line! The hardest part is making the decision to create the line, so now that you’ve decided to do that all you have to do now is create the brand, the products, the marketing and the strategy for how you’re going to reach your customers. To make that process more simple, narrow down your decision making process by getting to know your consumer before you begin creating your brand or product. Here are 6 tips for branding your beauty line to make your branding process easier from conception to shipping.
Do Market Research
Before you begin determining what kind of product you want to sell, get to know your target demographic. Collect as much data as you can on everything from the age, interests, geographic location and budget of your desired demographic. This will determine everything from the color scheme of your products to the font you use in your packaging.
Target Your Market
Once you’ve done the market research, use that information to tailor your brand and product directly to the market you want to reach. You want this data to be as specific and as detailed as possible so you can make decisions based on that, rather than hoping your decisions will create a successful brand and product.
Be Consistent
Have you ever seen a product and immediately recognized the brand it came from without having to look at the label? The best and most successful brands, especially in the cosmetics world, are consistent in their branding and packaging across their entire product line. Once you’ve determined your brand, stick with it so that your products are recognizable to your consumers over time.
Create a Voice
Take some time to look at the ‘voice’ that other products—not just cosmetics—use in their marketing and social media. Maintaining one unique voice will make your brand recognizable and relatable, so that customers that identify with that brand will be able to identify your brand and relate to your message easily. But be careful about being authentic, because customers can sense inauthenticity faster than you would think.
Build an Online Presence
Don’t have a product yet? That’s ok. Curate your brand’s social media page once you’ve got an understanding of your brand to begin building a following even before you’ve created a product. Once you’re ready to announce the product, you’ll have a dedicated following of people interested in the same aesthetics and tone your brand is already delivering.
Don’t Aim too High
Like we said before, understanding your demographic will help determine everything about your brand. Figuring out how to price your product is important, and should be determined by the budget of your consumer just as much as the cost of your product. If your consumer has a lower budget, do not go overboard on nicer packaging under the assumption that your consumer will splurge on your product. Instead, opt for more affordable packaging or ingredients in order to meet your consumer at a price that is friendly to their budget.