The BEAUTY of Social Media

For those of you who don’t know, my name is Cheri and I’m the Summer Intern at Talking Finger. I’m currently a student at The University of Connecticut and someday hope to work in the corporate side of the beauty industry. Some of you may wonder why I’m interning at a Social Media Marketing Company instead of a place like Vogue or Covergirl… WELL, beauty and social media are two of my big passions and I’m determined to intertwine the two into a career!

It all started a few years ago with a search of “smokey eye make up tutorials” on YouTube and discovering this new phenomenon of “Beauty Gurus.” Below is a short news clip about “Beauty Gurus” to get a better sense of what I’m talking about.

Sisters, Blair and Elle Fowler, started off as making video’s on YouTube about fashion and makeup as a hobby, with all of the subscribers they gained they both applied to become a YouTube partner, which basically means that they’re getting paid for making these videos.

The astounding amount of views and subscribers lead them to be contacted by many different cosmetic companies for reviews, casting for modeling jobs, their own website, cell phone case line through Celaris, spreads in Seventeen, hosting their own YouTube reality show sitcom, a novel, and now their own cosmetic line.

… this doesn’t stop with YouTube! These beauty gurus’ follow up with connecting with their viewers through all different platforms including: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Blogspot. Talk about the power of social media!

Cosmetic companies all jumped at the opportunity at working with these girls by providing them with sponsorships to mention them in their “Monthly Favorites” videos or free products to use in an upcoming make up tutorial. 

Most companies rely on word of mouth, and these girls were a direct connection to millions of their target audience. An issue of whether or not the beauty guru was being deceiving in their reviews came into play, which caused the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Law. Under the FTC Law, all YouTuber’s must state in their Drop Down Info Bar whether or not they are being paid, sponsored, are affiliated, or if they received free products by the company.

What I think is remarkable is how most of these “gurus” have little to no experience. They are not even official make up artists or have gone through any schooling for beauty/fashion, yet so many people turn to hear about their review of new products by MAC Cosmetics, L’Oreal, etc.

Though I’m not going to lie, I’m so jealous of the lifestyle of these girls and being a “Beauty Guru” would be my absolute DREAM… the reality is, however, that their time is limited and I want to incorporate my love for beauty in my career for the rest of my life (not just my teenage years.) I do have my own beauty blog, if any of you are interested on reading it.

There are many other social media sites that have a large focus on fashion/beauty such as” Polyvore, Pinterest, Lockerz, Lookbook, Pose, etc.

Many of you probably aren’t as interested as I am in the social media fashion world, but I think it’s something all businesses can grow from. YouTube can be used for more than just looking up that funny SuperBowl commercial… It is an awesome place for businesses to reach their target audience. Whether it is a review, tutorial, demo, or informational video, YouTube provides a great opportunity to market and increase sales!

Talking Finger is on the YouTube Bandwagon, are you?

 -Cheri, The Intern