For many beauty brands with a marketing strategy that is heavily focused on social media promotion, the goal is to create and produce content that goes viral. Much like the spread of an actual virus, viral content is shared swiftly throughout social media users to extend the reach of a piece of content to as many viewers as possible to reach the maximum amount of potential audience members.
Recently, CosmeticsDesign sat down with Lash Therapy Australia co-founders Lauren Rugolo, Emma Spiliopoulos and Jessica Arthur to discuss their success on social media, including how they have experienced exponential growth through their viral marketing campaigns to help achieve international brand reach and market penetration.
CDU: How did you set about creating a viral social media strategy?
Jessica Arthur (JA): I would say that from the beginning of our business, before we'd even launched, we'd seen other Australian brands and global brands grow their business tremendously through the power of TikTok. From the beginning it was something that we knew we wanted to focus on.
We tried out so many different strategies. It was just a real hit and miss, and we followed what was trending at the moment. We tried this and that, and we even gave ASMR a go as well as some behind the scenes posts. We just kept trying until something hit. Really it was just trial and error.
CDU: When you went viral, how did it actually happen? When did you know and what was the content?
Lauren Rugolo (LR): As Jess said, we tried different types of content and then we posted a before and after image showing the results from our lash serum, and that video basically went viral from there. From that, we learned that was the best type of content for us.
We just kept posting those before and after results because they're instant and in your face. We were wowed by it because it was so massive.
CDU: Once you established you’re viral, how did you maintain that momentum?
Emma Spiliopoulos (ES): I think just making sure you're consistent on the platform is pretty important. Posting every day is what makes a difference, and then repurposing content, especially with before and after images. And then, reaching out to people all around the world, which has helped to build our audience as well.
We also used a lot of micro-influencers and just normal people that have loved our products and then reposting their content. By simply embedding the products into their normal everyday makeup routine, that has helped to generate more sales and build our brand even more.
CDU: A lot of your initial popularity happened in Australia, but it's since gone international. Which international markets have proved to be particularly successful?
JA: It would be the USA that is now our biggest market. Around 50% of our customers are coming from there, that also translates to our social media following.
Our TikTok following is over 60% USA in origin. Our Instagram following is significantly USA as well. So, it's been our biggest market. I think that the Americans are very active on TikTok and this was especially the case during COVID.
When we first launched, it was a very big platform in the USA at the time. It's great for us because I feel like Australian and American culture intertwined that bit more. Our content translates well to them, and Australians again love the USA, so it goes hand in hand. When we have Americans posting our products, that prompts Australians to want to try it.
CDU: Which particular social media platform has been the most successful for you, and why do you think that is?
LR: It would definitely be TikTok because we feel like it is very user friendly. It is very much everyday people going on there to look up everything from business trips to cooking. I also feel like it has so much potential to reach so many more diverse people from anywhere in the world in an organic and spontaneous manner.
JA: With Instagram you only see the posts of the people that you're following. But with TikTok the content can reach anyone with an account. You don't even have to be following Lash Therapy for us to show up in your feed, which has been one of the main reasons why it's been so beneficial to us.
CDU: Could you see TikTok Shop becoming a significant retail channel for you in the future?
ES: Australia has yet to endorse TikTok shop, but we've heard lots about it in the USA and how popular it is, so we're excited for it to come to Australia. We've heard that it is coming to Australia soon, so we're excited to use it. Hopefully it’s going to be introduced in Australia in the next coming months.
We will definitely be jumping on board with it. We've used TikTok ads and other strategies as well within our platform to boost our business in Australia, but so far everything else in the United States has been organic reach, so the TikTok Shop could boost things significantly there.
CDU: What about your long-term strategy for promoting the brand? Is it going to be multi-channel, or where do you want that to go in the future?
JA: I think our big plan is to become a name brand in the USA. We've really established ourselves in Australia, we've done pop-up stores and events, and we've thrown parties. That's the sort of thing that we want to bring into the American market as well.
You see the brand in real life, or you might see it even on a billboard. We've done a billboard in Times Square. I think that the transition from seeing something online to then seeing it in your everyday life. That really brings it to the forefront that the brand exists and triggers the desire for a consumer to go shop for it.
CDU: Obviously you have a clear focus on the US market, but are there any other markets that you are interested in and breaking into?
ES: Yes, the US is definitely the first one that we want to dive into, but we are interested in Europe, and particularly the UK, because it is such a significant market. I’d also say Canada because the consumers there are also quite similar to Australians.
JA: I would also add that after attending the Cosmoprof Miami event, we have also seen significant interest in our products from South America. We did not really anticipate that, but I think it's opened our minds to the possibility of this huge market as well.
