Here is a secret to digital marketing.

Are you ready?

There is no secret.

Yup, it’s hard work. That is the secret and it’s about time the beauty industry woke up to this. Yes your cream is the best, your ingredients the most authentic and your marketing perfect photographed but if you do not think about who you are marketing to then you will waste even more money.

…but there is an answer. In-fact there are 4; the four pillars of online marketing.

1. Thou shall treat they website like one’s most valuable employee
Do you let your employees turn up late? No. Do you let your employees give bad and outdated information to your customers? Nope. How about looking like they just woke up from an evening out that would make the Hangover movers seem tame in comparison? No again. So why do you not update your website with the best information and content possible?

Start by asking 5 friends to take a look at your site and give them a purpose e.g. “find the minimum quantity order for product X” or “find my phone number”. Essentially give them tasks to see how easy your website is to use. If you see things that need fixing then please do it quickly.

2. Thou shall treat content like money in the bank
Content needs research, experience and crafting. Everyone can write an article based on a few Google searches but they cannot reach into your head and learn the best way to get good leads at a convention? Or know the easiest way to source the right ingredients for an anti-aging cream. This comes from your experience and people want to read that. Tell your story, show off your experience and craft your content. One good piece of content a month is better than 1 okay ones a week.

3. Thou shall foster relationships
In the old days everyone was chasing links. “Link building” was such a buzz word in was entered into the Bees dictionary back in 2009. Suffice to say this method of gaining links is dead and the best way to get those valuable links is to user your relationships. Maybe one you know a blogger who would like to interview or review your business. How about the businesses that supply you, can they mention who they work with and you can gain a link that way? There are of relationships we make in the beauty industry over the years so it is time to make them work for us.

To be clear, you need an editorial link pointing to a relevant page on your website from a website that you have a relationship with. That is what Google loves and thus rewards us for.

4. Thou shall engage, gain reach and engage some more
Social Media Marketing is idea for the beauty industry as it is very visual. What works best on social media? Pictures and videos. There is a 25% potential increase in engagement if a status update contains a picture.

First create a Fanpage of your business and update it daily with a healthy mix of promotion, content and glimpses into life at your company. When on social media people are looking for connections to other people and not brands so your fanpage will be more of a sign post than a sales tool.

Then create a number of relevant niche groups/fanpages around what you do. If you are into Aloe Vera then create a group to discuss all the many benefits Aloe has on our bodies. Every once in a while (10:1 ratio) mention your company and link back to your company fanpage. Repeat this for all the potential niche topics you have.

For example I created a fanpage for each type of dog e.g. “I Love Huskies” and “Pit Bull Lovers” and used them to feed (pun intended) visitors to a pet beauty product website.

Think of social media marketing like a garden party. You need to water the plants and talk to the guests 🙂

Carl is speaking at  ‘The 4 pillars for online marketing success in the beauty industry‘ Marketing Trends Presentation at in-cosmetics Asia on 4th November 2015, 12:00-12:45, Marketing Trends Theatre

Carl is a passionate web designer, user experience designer, trainer and speaker with over sixteen lucky years of commercial experience. He has worked with many local and international companies including EPIC PLC, Barclays Bank and the United Nations. He is well known for his energetic talks at local Networking meetings and been invited to lecture at some of Thailand’s top Universities including Rangsit, Thamasat, Mahidol and Chulalongkorn. Carl is founder of for Web Courses Bangkok – www.webcoursesbangkok.com, the new leader in International Standards Based Web Design Courses in Thailand.