Long gone are the days of TV based, high production advertisements filmed in studios. With the rise of social media a classic marketing campaign just doesn’t cut it anymore. Today, the importance of social media marketing prevails.

Whilst this may seem daunting to those brands who haven’t dipped their metaphorical toe in the social media pool, the importance of social media marketing cannot be understated in the digital age. 

Let’s break down why social media marketing is so effective and why your brand needs to be engaging with it. 

WHY SHOULD BUSINESSES CARE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?

Like many things, the pandemic had a huge impact on the marketing industry. There have been stark decreases in marketing budgets worldwide, with more than 400 North American and European CMOs still working at COVID budget levels. Taking a look at the numbers, on average marketing budgets have decreased from 9.5% of company revenue to 9.1% from 2022 to 2023. 

The importance of social media marketing is growing exponentially in this new era of smaller budgets. With an effective campaign, brands are noticing that they can do more with less. 

89% of marketers have claimed that social media is very important to their marketing strategy. On top of this, 82% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn and other platforms to build their brand community, with a whopping 80% of B2B social media leads coming from LinkedIn in 2017. 

If these numbers don’t convince you of the importance of social media marketing, let’s take a look at the potential customers you could be reaching if you hopped on this train. 

More than half the world’s population is active on social media. Of this, Facebook reaches 59%! Finally—and get ready for this one—13 people start using social media every second! That’s 13 more people you could be reaching every second if your brand had a social media marketing campaign. 

Alright, now that we have covered the stats on the importance of social media marketing for business, let’s dive into all the ways social media marketing is so effective. 

DEEP DIVE INTO THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Build Brand Trust 

Authenticity builds trust.

The modern consumer is looking for a brand that feels authentic and genuine. Statistics show that a consumer is more likely to trust the opinion of family or friends rather than a brand. The way around this is to establish brand personality and encourage the consumer to view your brand as an authentic, human driven company worthy of their trust. 

Via social media, you can highlight your brand values, showcase your relationship with your employees, and highlight positive consumer interactions.The more your clients view your brand as human driven and trustworthy, the more likely they are to engage with your product. 

Know Your Audience 

One of the many benefits of social media that shows the importance of social media marketing is its ability to generate data on your consumers. Social media provides you with demographic information on your customers, allowing you to quickly identify your real audience. 

By knowing the type of people who are engaging with your content, you are able to perfectly tailor your strategy to your consumer; thus, boosting efficiency. 

Maintain Interest 

Once you have gained a new audience, how do you convince them to stick around? Part of the importance of social media marketing is that with just the name of a potential customer you can follow up their interest in your brand with emails, targeted posts, and more.

Each post, email, or video you share is a reminder to your audience that a) you exist, and b) you’re awesome! 

Social Listening 

Another magical benefit of social media marketing is being able to easily track what is being said about your brand. Comment sections, dislikes, and shares all allow you to see what consumers are saying about your brand; good or bad. Keeping an eye on this allows you to adjust your posts and stay in a positive light. 

There is also room for community engagement. Liking comments and responding to tweets for example, creates a repertoire between you and your consumers that further adds to brand trust and authenticity. 

Grow Your Audience 

If people aren’t aware of your business, then it is impossible for them to become customers. Social media allows you to reach new people and new generations, thus growing your audience. 

The key here is to create relevant content that cuts through the noise of all the other brands out there; hence, the importance of a social media marketing strategy. Surveys show that articles, images and videos on social media are extremely successful at engaging customers and drumming up brand awareness. 

Thought Leadership 

Surveys are frequently showing that the modern day consumer is far more likely to trust the opinions of brands, NGOs and public figures over governments. A great way to tap into this through social media, is to establish your brand as a thought leader. 

Producing thought pieces that showcase your expertise in your industry promotes your brand as a thought leader, and thus improves consumer trust; further emphasising the importance of social media marketing. 

Influencer Partnerships 

A niche of social media that highlights the importance of social media marketing are influencer partnerships. By partnering with an influencer, you are allowing them to provide endorsements on your behalf. 

As mentioned previously, people are far more likely to rely on the recommendation of a friend or family member. In this era of parasocial relationships, an influencer endorsement feels, to many people, like a trustworthy opinion from a friend. 

On top of this, partnering with influencers with larger followings than yourself allows you to reach a far broader audience. Cool, right?

Improve Website Traffic 

Increasing website traffic is further fantastic evidence of the importance of social media marketing. By including links in your bio, or even in posts, you are making it easy peasy for your followers to find out more about you. 

This is also a sure fire way to get readers the second you publish on your site, rather than waiting for consumers to find your work on their own.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

With the average user spending upwards of 74 minutes per day watching videos on YouTube, video engagement is one of the best ways for you to get your brand out there. But how do you get people to properly engage with the content you’re creating? 

Like most things worth their salt, creating engaging videos isn’t exactly an easy business. But, we promise it’s worth it, and once you’ve figured out how to make engagement work for you, it’s simple! 

But first, let’s back up a bit. What exactly is video engagement? 

It refers to the likes, shares, comments, saves, etc that a video receives. 

Simply viewing a video isn’t engaging with it, unfortunately, otherwise this would all be a whole lot easier. Good engagement means that you have a high engagement rate, which is just a fancy way of saying that most of your viewers are performing engaging actions.

High video engagement ensures brands are reaching their maximum audience and building lots of positive relationships with their consumers. On top of this, video engagement allows you to collect important analytics data that is crucial for marketing strategy. Finally, video engagement ensures you are selling your product in the most effective way. 

Good video engagement is the key to online success and we’re here to help you achieve it.

How to measure video engagement on YouTube 

Now that we know what video engagement is, let’s take a look at how to best keep track of it. 

Start by taking a look at each video individually. Each video is a little piece of the puzzle that adds up to your video engagement. Next, take note of all those video engagement metrics we talked about. Likes, comments, shares, even dislikes, are all crucial to measuring your video engagement. Now, it gets a bit mathy. Don’t be scared, you’ve got this. 

To calculate your engagement rate for a specific video, use the following formula: 

(Total number of engagements / total impressions) * 100 = Engagement rate %

Your total number of engagements is just the sum of all your likes, comments etc. Your total impressions are provided to you by your YouTube engagement stats (score!) What this fancy little formula gives you, is your engagement rate for that video. 

Now, to find out your engagement rate for your whole account, you need to find your engagement rate for each of your videos, then calculate the average. Ta dah! 

Once you’ve got all that information under your belt, you can start to take stock of how your engagement is doing. Is your rate higher than you expected? Or lower? Are certain videos getting better engagement? What’s the common thread between those? Take note of anything and everything you can deduce from your investigation. 

Tips for increasing video engagement 

How exactly do you achieve good engagement and high engagement rates? To help you out, we’ve put together the best ways you and your brand can maximise engagement on your videos and benefit from video content as much as possible. 

Understanding your audience

The first great way you can up your video engagement is by understanding your audience. Your viewers want relevant videos that speak to them and their needs. Rather than wasting their time, and yours, ensure that each video you share fits in with your channel, and with what your audience desires. 

Thumbnails

Studies show that the best video engagement videos have effective and aesthetically pleasing thumbnails. In fact, a great thumbnail can increase your engagement by up to 154%! Make sure that your thumbnails show what your video is about, are custom, and showcase your brand’s personality. 

On top of this, thumbnails that feature a human face do far better than those without. Faces in thumbnails humanise your brand, making you seem more authentic and personable. 

Subtitles

Another key way to increase your video engagement is by including subtitles. It is shown that 75% of all videos are watched on mobile devices, and 85% of videos watched on Facebook are done so without the sound on. 

Your viewers are far less likely to sit through a video on the tube, or discreetly in the office, if there’s no way to do so without sound. Make sure you’re catering to the needs of the modern audience and plug in those subtitles! 

CTAs

Ensuring that your videos have a call to action is a sure fire way to increase your engagement. Tell your viewers to visit your website to get more information on the topic at hand, or maybe embed a blog right there in your video. 

Studies have shown that calls to action increase video engagement stats by a whopping thirty-one times! That’s 3100% more! Wowee. 

Video length

The next key tip is making certain your videos are the appropriate length. 

Despite the many rumours that us humans have the attention spans of goldfish, shorter videos do far better in the digital age. Make sure you aren’t rambling on, or including too much information at once. Try making a multiple part series if you want to cover a lengthy topic, encouraging your audience to follow through to the next video. 

Oner Active did exactly this by splitting its documentary up into chapters for YouTube.

Relevance

Now, let’s move on to relevance. 

It can be a difficult task to keep up with the ever changing trend landscape, but it is crucial to make certain your videos are relevant. Do this by keeping track of what trends are currently doing well on YouTube and engaging with them. Make sure to tailor the trend to your specific brand, however. 

Another great way to stay relevant, is by implementing search word optimization, or, SEOs. This is done by finding keywords that are trending and plugging them into your description, title, or any other space you can. This ensures that whenever that keyword is searched, your video is at the top of the list. 

Promote

The final tip we have for you is, promotion! 

It may seem obvious, but make sure you are self promoting your content as much as you can. It is important to make sure you’re making it super easy for your audience to find and engage with your content. Post upcoming videos on your social accounts, send emails about videos to your subscribers, or even just mention other videos in your outros. 

So, there you have it; how to maximise your video engagement. Given the effectiveness of videos as a marketing strategy for business, seeking high rates of engagement is a no brainer. Apply these tips to your brands videos, and you’re sure to see great results on all your hard work. 

FAQ’s 

What is video engagement? 

Video engagement is essentially every way that a viewer can connect with your content that isn’t simply viewing it. The most important ones are likes, shares, and comments. 

What is good video engagement? 

Good video engagement is when you are receiving lots of engagement on your videos. Having a high engagement rate is the way you measure if your engagement is good or poor. 

How is it measured?

Video engagement is measured through the number of likes, shares, comments, etc. your videos are receiving. More specifically, video engagement is calculated by your engagement rate. This, in turn, is found through the formula below. 

(Total number of engagements / total impressions) * 100 = Engagement rate in %

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

A common goal we all share when joining a new social media platform is finding a community to join. Being part of a like minded community enhances the social media experience and turns the platform into a space users actively want to visit and send their thoughts/content out into. 

On Threads, in particular, communities are catered for and encouraged due to the platform being text-based and set up for conversation. Through conversation is how communities best thrive. Inviting users into a space where their thoughts are reciprocated is a sure way to encourage loyal followers, and, for brands, loyal customers. 

But with Threads still yet to see some form of Thread rediscovery function, what can community hosts and community scouters do to ensure they are finding their tribe? 

A lot of the solution is owed to the Threads algorithm doing its job. The Threads algorithm showers a user’s Feed with a mix of content from those they follow and completely new accounts. This balance puts new content in front of potentially interested eyes, aiding discoverability and benefitting all parties involved. The user is presented with new content, while the creator is put in front of new eyes. 

Algorithm aside, there are other avenues content creators can explore for the sake of growth and discovery on Threads. Before we explore these, it is first important to note the state of communities on the platform, where their power lies and how they are beneficial to brands and creators looking to up their social media game. 

Community life on Threads

Compared to X, Threads is likened to a warm hug. Its group chat style offers a safe space for users to comfortably share their opinions and thoughts on things they otherwise wouldn’t on other social platforms. Engagement features such as the reply and reshare buttons aid an account’s growth and discovery on Threads by allowing other users to contribute their thoughts and get a conversation flowing. 

Contributing to Threads of relevance will prove to be a community host’s greatest strength if wishing to improve their growth and discovery. 

For brands, hosting communities on Threads can be great for building customer relations, strengthening your position within your industry and humanising your brand – just to name a few benefits. Threads’ more casual approach to social media and ease of access allows brands of all sizes to run their marketing efforts here. 

Today, the majority of social media platforms require brands to put their best foot forward if they want to achieve some form of online success, be it in the form of followers, engagement, traffic etc. Threads, however, allows them to re-introduce themselves without the performative facade and connect with their community members on a deeper, more human level. With the character limit set at 500, and short-form video scarce, creators and brands are forced to think more carefully about what they send out into the social-sphere. How can they attract similar audiences with just their words? 

Luckily, the key to growth and discovery on Threads is conversation. More specifically, meaningful conversations. Visual content still reigns supreme, but the modern social media user is looking for something more. Threads offers exactly this. 

To ensure these meaningful conversations are put into practice, community hosts must be seen to be contributing to and implementing themselves into relevant Threads across the platform. This is a great way to let your followers know where you stand on certain topics. Moreover, continuously appearing in the comments section of similar Threads will put you on the radar of potentially new community members. 

Alternatively, community growth can look a lot like the following:

Consistency: with Threads being in its infancy, it is a lot easier to rapidly grow your community through consistently posting engaging content. Studies show that accounts that publish more than 15 posts per month have an average of 50% more views than those publishing less.

Storytelling and personalisation: as a rule, those who know how to tell a story through relative and personal content receive the most engagement. To grow your community, consider infusing storytelling into your content. 

Collab with others: taking advantage of collaborating with bigger creators within your niche is a sure way to aid growth and discovery on Threads. 

Once your community is established, maintenance is key. On a platform like Threads, effective community management is necessary for longevity. As the epicentre of each community, conversation hosts should be looking to correctly monitor and prompt activity where necessary to ensure community members feel seen, heard and prioritised. This will make or break your growth and discovery on Threads.

Discovering your tribe on Threads

Communities are great…if you can find them. 

If you’re yet to see evidence of your community appear on your Feed, it would be wise to do the following:

Search for those you follow on other networks: it might just be a case of them not yet being active on Threads. And if they are, then go ahead and click that follow button. The algorithm will make note of who you’ve manually searched for and adapt your feed accordingly. 

Put yourself out there: growth and discovery on Threads is fed by the algorithm pushing new content and creators onto a user’s Feed and there is no reason why you can’t be among them. Instead of looking for your community, let your community come to you. Putting out relevant content might just land you in the laps of your tribe. 

The comments section is your best friend: just finding one successful, relevant Thread can open you up to a whole host of like minded users. Take time scrolling through the comments section and decide whose responses resonate. This is your tribe.

The future of growth and discovery on Threads

As your community grows and things generally progress regarding your presence on Threads, you can begin to shift into a hosting role. 

Rather than searching the platform in the hope of finding relevant Threads to insert yourself into, you should be aiming to reach a point where you drive certain Threads and the discussions that come with them. This will only aid your growth and discovery on Threads going forward. 

Being the pioneer of certain discussions taking place on the platform will not only solidify your standing here, but also increase your credibility. In turn, the aim is to carry this credibility through to other platforms on which you are present. Consumers of social media are looking to follow those deemed credible within their sector. Partly because everyone else is already following them, but largely because they know they’ll be interacting with real, thought-provoking content. The Threads creators harnessing their growth and discovery on Threads are those setting themselves up to step into this role. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Societal norms regarding representation in the media are now deeply rooted in inclusivity. Genuine inclusivity. Not how an outsider thinks a marginalised group deserves to be depicted. 

Showing up is important, particularly for marginalised groups who have little to no access to their own voice. The social media platforms practising and using their privilege and reach to amplify these voices are those who are succeeding in 2023.

Since its launch, Pinterest has proved its dedication to plus-size representation on social media, creating spaces for anyone and everyone to feel seen and heard. This has earned the platform 465 million active users, with 79.5% of these being women. 

Taking this into consideration, it only makes sense that Pinterest’s next venture tackles the heavily female-focused body image epidemic in a bid to speak to its most frequented user. 

It’s answer? A new body-type technology. 

@pinterest

The journey to a more inclusive Pinterest starts here. Your favorite plus-size fashion tastemakers helped Pinterest develop new tech that champions diversity. Now you’ll see more body shapes, sizes and skin tones when browsing our women’s fashion and wedding categories. But it won’t stop there. Stay tuned to see this change across the platform in the coming months because inspiration starts with inclusion.

♬ original sound – pinterest

Pinterest has set out to internally reshape the platform’s algorithms to increase plus-size representation on social media within its women’s fashion and wedding-related content. Head of inclusive products at Pinterest, Annie Ta, touches on the platform’s decision to do so:

“We’re attempting to increase representation by building this proprietary, inclusive technology that powers recommendations and […] to create a diverse experience on Pinterest. We’ve learned from our users that, if you identify as a plus-size woman, you don’t only want to see plus-size fashion. And you want to see that plus-size women can be fashionable when you’re looking [for it], but you don’t want to work extra hard to find it”.

Basing the new technology off of its pre-existing skin tone technology, Pinterest will essentially widen the aperture of plus-size representation on social media. Its implementation will enable users to see more images and examples that align with their body type integrated into pre-existing content that would traditionally exclude them. 

But why now? 

Pinterest’s latest announcement comes during a time where a lot of people’s attention is focused on fashion weeks around the world. Shrouded in controversy, fashion week’s are the catalyst for discussions surrounding plus-size representation on social media and in mainstream fashion. Being a frontrunner in tackling these topics, Pinterest sets itself apart from the competition. 

Similarly, allowing plus-size women to see themselves represented in mainstream media will see many new users flock to the platform. With an increase in new users comes an increase in advertisers looking to pitch up and sell themselves. It’s a win for all parties.

How will Pinterest ensure this isn’t performative? 

Coupled with previous displays of advocacy – such as its skin tone technology implementation – Pinterest is well aware of its responsibility when it comes to amplifying the voices of silenced groups. 

Manager of inclusion and diversity at Pinterest, Megan D’Alessio, nods to Pinterest’s unique position as a primarily visual search tool to emphasise its ability to impact the future of plus-size representation on social media.

To ensure its genuineness, the new technology is reportedly built on user feedback. Users cited that they regularly had to make a number of modifications to their search requests in order to generate relevant results. In fact 52% of additional terms added to fashion searches related to plus-size, D’Alessio states. 

Moreover, Pinterest understands the importance of such movements being headed by those they represent. In keeping with this, the social media campaign for the new body-type technology will recruit Instagram model and body activist, Tess Holliday and other Pinterest creators as its hosts. 

And that’s not all.

Along with the launch of the newly-curated technology, Pinterest is also launching a new Creator Inclusion Fund dedicated to North American creators who share content related to different body types.

Interested creators can apply here.

What will Pinterest’s new technology contribute to?

In short, the plus-size movement. 

More specifically, the way brands and other social media platforms contribute to plus-size representation on social media. 

Multiple parties have made strides to increase the visibility of plus-size representation on social media, but, with the help of new technologies, Pinterest is able to take these even further. In 2016, Refinery 29 partnered with Getty Images to launch “Project 67 Percent”. Here, they committed to featuring plus-size women in 67% of its images across its website and socials, representing the then 67% figure of plus-size Americans. 

More recently, Google began to offer marketers and advertisers best practices for body-positive representation. While we can’t be certain of the extent to which these offerings have changed the game, what we do know is that plus-size models have gained popularity and positively impacted a body-inclusive model of beauty in 2022. 

With an amalgamation of successes from past projects and a desire to be a voice for marginalised groups, Pinterest will be able to diminish the reported 60% of plus-size women who say they have trouble finding fashionable clothing in their style. In doing so, they set the standard for other social media platforms, marketers and advertisers running inclusivity efforts and plus-size representation on social media.

The proof will be in the pudding.

Pinterest’s stride will increase the number of users to the platform, making it an attractive option for marketers and advertisers. Once other social media platforms start to see an increase in various aspects of Pinterest’s workings – such as ads revenue, influencer activity and marketing campaigns – we predict the penny will drop. From here, they will see and understand the importance of showing up and amplifying the voices of marginalised groups. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Fashion week’s new front row. What was once viewed as a sacred space, occupied by only the elitist of the A-list crowd, has seemingly had a face lift. 

This New York fashion week saw the likes of Anna Wintour seated in the same room as 18-year old TikToker Ellie Zeiler at popular brand Fendi’s 25th anniversary show, and this isn’t the only example. 

For years, the internet has been buzzing with talk of the “new front row”; influencers taking seats in spaces that were once held for the most elite of the elite. The Met Gala, for example, caused a huge wave on the internet when it invited the likes of Addison Rae, to an event that has been highly exclusive since its inception in 1948. 

So, it begs the question, why? Why are brands deciding to give seats away to influencers, rather than the traditional A-lister? 

Well, it all seems to boil down to marketing. 

Ultimately, influencers in the new front row of fashion shows allow brands to establish brand authenticity, reach new audiences, and take part in bottom up trend creation. 

Let’s dive in. 

The modern fashion consumer 

The fashion industry has built its own pedestal over the years. The industry’s air of untouchability is part of what made it so successful. The fact that consumers had to rely on magazines, movies like “Devil Wears Prada” or the rare televised fashion show to get sneak peaks of the industry, created a mystery around it that drove people to consume more and more fashion based content. 

Nowadays, this exclusivity is not as impactful nor desirable to consumers. A wave of younger fashion critics has opened up on TikTok and other platforms, with creators from a range of different backgrounds offering their opinions on fashion. Many of these next gen fashion critics have found huge success. One such creator, Rian Phin, has a highly successful TikTok account, which reaches thousands of people. 

@thatadult

extremely hard to explain lol yohji yamamoto fall 2002 FULL

♬ original sound – rian

What makes these new fashion critics so exciting, is that they are defiantly smashing all the barriers fashion has placed around them. 

Many of these creators come from backgrounds traditionally ignored by the fashion industry; people of colour, plus size people, and people from lower income backgrounds are just some of the many demographics that fashion has historically turned a blind eye to.

Moreover, the modern consumer is vastly different from its predecessors, with studies continuously showing that the average consumer seeks brand authenticity and inclusivity in the fashion world. People no longer desire brands that deliberately play off elitism. Consumers want brands that have clear values and feel tangible. A great way for brands to achieve this idea of authenticity, is via influencers. 

Influencer X brand collabs 

When a brand partners with an influencer, they are aligning themselves with their personality, values and image. For example, when a brand partners with Emma Chamberlain, they communicate an air of joviality, fashion forwardness, and realness that appeals to a young audience. This is because Chamberlain, like many successful influencers, has a distinct brand herself.

Chamberlain is a great example of the success of influencer and brand collaborations. She has collaborated with dozens of brands over her career, but recently her name has become nearly synonymous with Levi’s. If you’ve been on the internet over the past three-ish years, then you’ve definitely seen the obsession with finding the perfect Levi 501s to rock the streets with. 

Now, Levi 501’s are an absolute classic. They don’t necessarily need any marketing. In spite of this, Levi’s collaboration with Chamberlain has spiked the love for these classic jeans, and is certainly one of the driving factors for their current trending status. 

On Levi’s YouTube channel, the videos in which Chamberlain features are some of the highest viewed. Chamberlain has gone on to partner with the brand multiple times, featuring on their Ganni X Levi campaign, and even going as far as to create her own pieces with Levi multiple times. 

This success is largely due to Chamberlain’s status as an “it-girl”. Her high fashion status encourages her followers to click and buy any item of clothing she is seen in, making her the perfect pick for a fashion brand collaboration. 

The right pairing between a brand and an influencer can have huge benefits for the brand. Another brilliant case study of this is Prada and Miu Miu. Prada and Miu Miu have heavily targeted their marketing towards younger audiences in recent years. They have partnered with the likes of Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer and Charli D’Amelio; all young, popular influencers. 

These partnerships allow Prada and Miu Miu to establish their brands as modern, fresh and appealing to a younger audience. 

Most importantly, influencer collaborations allow brands to appear more authentic, as they show they’re plugged in to popular culture. From 2022 to 2023, the company reported that Prada’s revenues increased by 18% and Miu Miu’s increased by 50%. Whilst Prada and Miu Miu have been steadily successful brands for many years, the positive impact that their influencer partnerships have had cannot be ignored. 

The horizon of the new front row 

Content creators and culture 

Social media and the rise of the influencer has completely changed the way that trends and culture move. Traditionally, trends and consumer behaviour have been defined from top to bottom. This means that brands would influence popular culture and consumer buying behaviour. 

Nowadays, the consumer is most influenced by their favourite creator, not their favourite brand. When a creator is seen wearing a head to toe Gucci look at a Gucci show, for example, their followers seek out these items and buy them as soon as they can. 

As a result, it is far more effective for brands to use influencers to show off their products in context, rather than trying to enter conversation with the consumer themselves. According to a Google report, more than 64% of female consumers shop by purchasing items worn by their favourite creators. 

Thus, an influencer in the new front row, dressed in the show’s new or Ready to Wear collection, but styled to current trend sensitivities, is an effective way to promote the brand itself. 

New and digital-first audiences 

A key benefit that influencers bring to fashion shows is digital traffic. As mentioned previously, partnering with influencers allows fashion brands to reach entirely new audiences. A report by Launchmetrics showed that even if influencers account for just five percent of seats at runway shows, they generate forty percent of total digital traffic for the event. 

New audiences are also being brought in by fashion show live streaming. What started as a Covid solution has grown into an inclusive, modern way to view and engage with fashion. Live streams expand the fashion show audience to the average consumer at home; rather than these events being exclusive to those famous enough to receive an invite, we, the regular joes, can watch from our living rooms. 

Shanghai fashion week took this one step further, by partnering with the popular ecommerce site Tmall. This partnership allowed viewers to purchase the collection whilst they watched the live stream, all in one app. 

Whilst this new era of inclusivity allows fashion to reach the eyes and ears of millions, and attract many who may not have previously been interested, some are wary of what this may do to the historic eliteness of fashion week. 

Brands are also able to reach audiences that may not traditionally be interested in fashion. Rick Owens, for example, invited artist and rapper Tommy Cash to sit front row at its SS24 menswear show. Cash is not a fashion influencer, and thus his attendance has allowed a whole new audience to be reached by Rick Owens. The move was incredibly successful, with the search “Tommy Cash Fashion Week ” having 1.1 million views and counting. 

By inviting Cash, Rick Owens gained a wider audience, trended on various social media platforms, and established itself as a relevant brand. 

Following on with the theme of audiences, influencers have the unique ability to provide brands with an incredibly specific demographic. An influencer’s following acts as proof of the demographic that they reach. If a fashion brand seeks a very specific demographic, they merely have to take a scroll through influencer’s followers and they can easily determine which creator fits the bill. 

This is far more effective than more traditional routes, such as posting ads on billboards and hoping they reach the correct audience.  

So, why is there such a large audience for fashion? Why has fashion become the groovy topic to be interested in? 

Gen-Z has shown time and time again that what it values above all else is individuality. Through the internet, having a strong sense of identity and standing out from the crowd is second nature to the younger generation. Fashion is the perfect way to express oneself and define your identity. 

Gen-Z’s desire to experiment and find themselves through fashion was largely propelled by the pandemic. Shut away in their rooms, youngsters were able to try out different aesthetics and share them with the world; finding their community and themselves in the process. 

What does the new front row mean?

Thus, by including influencers in the new front row, brands are taking advantage of the brand authenticity that they can provide, as well as their ability to influence popular culture. Influencer partnerships allow a brand to establish a personality that appeals to a specific audience. Often, this audience is not one that the brand would have traditionally been able to reach. 

The creator economy is only set to grow. Any fashion brands too proud to invite or include influencers within their activities—on social media, or in the Front Row—are sure to suffer the consequences. With so many influencer niches available, with their huge followings, ability to tap into culture, and easy conversation with consumers, to not make use of influencer collaborations would be, frankly, unwise. 

One of the most convenient elements to utilising influencers to promote a fashion brand, is that the influencer doesn’t have to be fashion-focused. As seen with Cash, brands have the opportunity to access a new audience, within an entirely different niche. 

Many fashion brands have already begun to make their Fashion Week shows accessible to the masses through livestreaming the events. With TikTok fashion creators hosting and posting BTS interviews and content from global Fashion Week events, it shows this is where the new fashion consumer lives.

With TikTok and its creators playing a big part in the discovery of new fashion brands, designs, and trends, it begs the question of whether fashion brands will consider implementing TikTok Shop to support Ready to Wear collections… Only time will tell.   

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

The podcast boom is upon us. It may seem like everyone is the host of a podcast and that’s because they are. But are they doing it right? We’re here to teach you how to start a podcast the right way.

There are many reasons why people start a podcast. They are fun, they can be a strategic business move and can earn you money. But what actually is a podcast, and why are they so popular?

A podcast is an episodic series which features audio-only content of hosts discussing a particular topic. Due to the current popularity of podcasts, these topics include just about anything you can think of: from pop culture to true crime or more educational topics such as money management.

There are a number of reasons why someone might want to start a podcast, and this can be a lucrative route, particularly as a brand. For example, through podcasting you can start growing your audience, simultaneously building credibility and status within your industry. It is also an opportunity to meet other people who have an interest in your niche or topic.

Several brands have jumped on the bandwagon creating their own podcast. #LIPSTORIES, a podcast by Sephora, is a great example of brands smashing it in the podcast industry. Each episode of this feel-good podcast features an influential woman who can inspire other women. This podcast was a hit amongst consumers and guaranteed they will be coming back for more.

Looking to start a podcast? Read on to find out how!

How to start a podcast

1. Decide on Your Topic or Niche

The first essential step if you want to start a podcast is to narrow down your topic. By doing this you can more effectively establish yourself as an expert in the field as you wont be spreading yourself too thinly, but also will help you to build a loyal following.

It is also important to research other existing podcasts to ensure that there is no one doing anything too similar to you, and to ensure your podcast stands out from the crowd.

Before starting your podcast, you will also need to carefully consider who you are tailoring your podcast to, to ensure you create content that is both relevant and valuable.

2. Build Your Online Presence

The next step is to give your podcast a name. 

This will help build the brand and online presence and make your podcast recognisable and easy to find when it comes to social platforms.

Following on from this, it is also important to make sure your podcast is accessible. Creating a website is a great way to do this and is super easy with free or paid tools. This way listeners can easily find and enjoy your podcast.

It is important to make sure you have a social media presence. To use social platforms most effectively, it is important to consider which sites your audience uses the most and create profiles on these using your podcast name.

We would also recommend you submit your podcast to a directory (such as Spotify), to make your podcast more discoverable and ensure you reach as many listeners as possible.

3. Source Relevant Equipment And Software

The next step to start a podcast is to invest in suitable recording equipment and editing software. It is recommended to invest in a podcast microphone to ensure your sound quality is optimal. Editing software is easily accessible and there are tons of free options out there. Do your research before settling!

4. Record and edit your first podcast

Once you have nailed these steps, you are ready to record! You may want to write a script to follow, or just wing it – the choice is yours.

You should make sure you name your podcasts creatively, ensuring each one is matched with a unique title which concisely describes its content. Doing so will ensure you optimise your podcast’s SEO so that it is easier for listeners to discover your podcast.

This also applies to your show description. It is important to be clear and concise when telling your listeners exactly what your podcast is about and what they can expect. You will also have the chance to add in any links or useful resources in this section.

How to make money from a podcast

Finally, if you’re looking to start a podcast, we’re also certain you’ll want to start making money from it…and you don’t necessarily need to have a huge following to claim your share.

One way to make money is through sponsored ads. Brands will take a look at your podcast listens or downloads as well as your audience to decipher whether you would be a good fit for their ad. If you fit the criteria, promoting products/services through sponsored ads is a reliable, easy way to make money through your podcast.

Another reason for sponsored ads being a beneficial opportunity is because brands often provide podcast hosts with an exclusive discount code or link for their audience to use. This is great as they may have the opportunity to earn a small commission everytime someone uses the code at a checkout or clicks the link. It also enhances the host’s relationship with their audience, as they are able to thank them for listening with a gift. It’s a win-win.

Another option, depending on your branding and audience, is to explore selling branded merchandise with your podcasts logo as this could also be a beneficial way to generate income.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

With the rising demand for bite-size videos sweeping the socialsphere, YouTube Shorts continues to prove that it deserves to stand among the likes of TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Within months of its launch in July 2021, YouTube Shorts was dismantling norms and breaking records. Today, it’s hailed as the fastest growing content type on YouTube and boasts an impressive 50 billion daily views (a number we can’t quite comprehend, either!).

Considering its success, YouTube Shorts offers a viable avenue for creators looking to achieve a multitude of social media goals. From growth and revenue to visibility and traffic, knowing how to leverage YouTube Shorts is essential for anyone looking to level up their social media game. 

In other words, if you’ve not yet begun your YouTube Shorts journey, but are active everywhere else—particularly YouTube itself—then this is your sign to start. 

Luckily, YouTube is the gift that keeps on giving. To help Shorts creators, old and new, the platform has published an interview with Shorts Product Lead, Todd Sherman, in which the most common Shorts questions are answered (in detail, too). What’s even luckier is that we have dissected the interview’s key talking points and presented them to you in this article. We’ll touch on the algorithm, hashtag use and a myriad of other aspects to help you learn how to leverage YouTube Shorts, as well as what creators can expect to see in its future. 

What’s changed? What remains?

As with most social media platforms, success with YouTube Shorts is an amalgamation of success across various aspects. Think, the algorithm, video length, hashtag use, volume e.t.c. Each aspect is equally important. Once you start to nail each and every one, you’ll know how to leverage YouTube Shorts as a whole.

But what does success in each sector look like?

Let’s break it down.

Getting to grips with the algorithm

In short, YouTube’s long-form algorithm is the same as the Short’s algorithm in the sense that creators are encouraged to “think audience, not algorithm”. Where the two differ, however, is in their key indicators responsible for pushing certain content. 

YouTube videos are typically manually selected by the user, but YouTube Shorts aren’t. The user scrolls through a continuous Feed of new content and the engagement indicators (such as watch time, likes, shares and comments) it picks up along the way get fed to the algorithm to help tailor the next scroll. And so the cycle continues. 

Essentially, this means YouTube is getting smarter about showing users what they like. 

As a creator looking to learn how to leverage YouTube Shorts you can influence a user’s algorithm in many ways. High quality content tends to stop users in their tracks as opposed to pixelated videos. This increases their watch time and indicates to the algorithm that they enjoyed that particular content type. Similarly, including a CTA – such as “comment your favourite…” or “share this to a friend”- is a great way to encourage engagement and, thus, sway the algorithm in your favour. 

Extending Shorts lengths

Sherman reveals that YouTube Shorts will remain 60 seconds max due to YouTube already offering long-form options. For now, lean into the short-form video format and all it can achieve.

Custom thumbnail options

While custom thumbnails are an essential part of creating long-form YouTube content, Sherman informs us that there are no plans to enable this feature through Shorts. The decision was made based on the fact that users typically swipe through their Shorts feed, meaning they won’t technically see thumbnails anyway. 

Creators do still have the option to select a frame from their video as the thumbnail, however.

The correct hashtag usage

Here’s what Sherman had to say about hashtags.

“Sometimes a hashtag can be associated with a real world thing that’s happened, like an event […] Other times, they’re focused on topics, and I think in both those cases, creators should consider using them”

Despite the underlying ambivalence hidden in that message, we say go for it! Creators looking to learn how to leverage YouTube Shorts can harness the power of hashtags to help insert themselves into trending topics of discussion, help categorise their content and create custom hashtags that will later serve as an associating link. 

Shorts volume

And no, we don’t mean how high or low a user’s volume is set. 

Here, Sherman refers to the volume of content published to the Feed. As with most things, quality over quantity is the correct approach here. 

As established, the YouTube Short’s algorithm looks to engagement indicators to tailor a user’s experience. Lower quality content means less engagement and, therefore, less chance of continually appearing on the Feed of your target audience. Knowing how to leverage YouTube Shorts is knowing how to adopt the perfect balance between quality and quantity.

The future of YouTube Shorts

We understand the concern – particularly among OG YouTube creators – surrounding the cannibalisation of long-form video content, but Sherman reassures us that the two are entirely different entities. 

Rather than looking to YouTube Shorts as a replacement, it should instead be viewed as an accompaniment. Not only can users directly subscribe to a channel through Shorts itself, but YouTube’s Remix feature also enables the ability to turn long-form videos into Shorts; both valuable features for channel growth. 

To round off the interview, Sherman alludes to the integration of more AI elements. While he doesn’t specify what that means exactly, we can only assume that this means the incorporation of some form of AI creation tool. Whatever it may be, it will be launched with the intention of aiding those creators looking to begin their journey towards knowing how to leverage YouTube Shorts. 

Until that day comes, our advice to creators is to dive into the world of YouTube shorts, taking all that we’ve discussed above with them. Knowing how to leverage YouTube Shorts will drive the success of future posts and, thus, the future of a creator’s online presence. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

In this article, we will be outlining how to generate a successful eSports marketing strategy in 2023, as well as establishing the growing prevalence of eSports marketing campaigns which will be more vividly exemplified later in the article.

You may be wondering, what is eSports? 

To put it simply, eSports is short for “Electronic Sports”. It refers to competitive video gaming, whereby gamers compete against each other in electronic matches, with the winner being awarded a prize in the end. 

The demand for eSports is growing. According to Statista, the eSports market is projected to reach 1,866 million US dollars in revenue in 2025. This offers a promising marketing prospect for brands in pursuit of landing successful eSports marketing campaigns.

In the past, the eSports industry was relatively unexplored by brands in terms of investment, with only a handful of companies like Red Bull and Capcom demonstrating interest in the sector.

Currently, Twitch is the biggest streaming platform for eSports. Reportedly, a triumphant 5.71 billion hours of content was watched on Twitch in the Q3 of 2022, far more than any other platform.

Twitch’s live chat feature fosters interactivity, which is a strong interest driver for the platform in general. Sponsored ads have a high success rate on Twitch as the average time people spend watching content is longer, so people are more engaged with the ads they see occasionally on a stream. This makes the platform commercially viable for eSports marketing campaigns.

How to develop your eSports marketing strategy

When venturing into the realm of eSports marketing campaigns, you need to understand the different types of games that people play. 

Your primary directive should involve prioritizing a singular genre, whether that be RTS, MOBA, MMORPG, FPS, or PVP. Then construct a content strategy tailored to your chosen genre, a task which should be facilitated by collaborating with existing eSports influencers who specialize in crafting that content. 

After establishing these fundamentals, you are set to officially launch an eSports team, which can help propel a marketing campaign for eSports. 

eSports teams are a collection of gamers who share a collective passion for the same game. Whenever members in that team stream content, it can allow you to tailor their advertising and get insight into their fans thus allowing you to drive campaigns in your own direction. When you’ve got your team, you can start hosting events such as mini tournaments, podcasts and meetings in order to develop your brand!

Best eSports marketing campaigns

Ralph Lauren and G2 Sports

In June 2021, eSports brand G2 eSports ambitiously collaborated with global luxury fashion brand Ralph Lauren who became their exclusive fashion outfitter for their eSports players. 

At the forefront of this campaign, League of Legends star Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson was selected to feature in an advertisement where he switched from his sportsgear to flaunt in his new blazer and jeans which predominantly generated positive sentiment in the comments, meaning this campaign was a success.

Erste Group and European League of Legends Championship

Erste Group partnered with the European League of Legends Championship (LEC) to stage the downfall of eSports in a humorous campaign film. 

In the campaign film “eSports Doomsday”, Erste Group presents a scenario of the gaming world reacting to eSports being denied the status as a sport. This is reflective of the fact that there has been a recurring debate in history as to whether eSports is a legitimate sport or not. 

Gamers begin to destroy their PCs and equipment after being told that “eSports isn’t a real sport”, making their existence feel meaningless. However, by the end of the ad, eventually it is seen as a great hobby to have, and that enthusiasts should “ignore the haters” and embrace their passion, by being told to ’#believeinyourself’. The ad generated very positive sentiment, with many commenters claiming that it is one of the best eSports marketing campaigns they saw, and that it was funny and creative.

FaZe Clan x Snoop Dogg: FaZe Snoop

Snoop Dogg’s partnership with FaZe has helped propel the eSports organization into the spotlight of the mainstream media. Making his affiliation with FaZe official in an animated video, the collaboration achieved even greater prominence when Snoop Dogg took the stage at the Super Bowl half-time show adorned with a FaZe-branded chain. 

The primary objective of this campaign was to showcase FaZe to a global audience by advertising its newly acquired high-profile member — a goal that was undeniably accomplished. Once again, the ad received highly positive reception, with people finding it funny and heralding Snoop as a great addition due to him being a legendary hip-hop artist.

Dolce and Gabbana X Mkers: GoodGame

This captivating series of videos is a collaborative effort between the two esteemed companies, Italian eSports brand Mkers and Italian fashion brand Dolce and Gabbana. 

This episodic series offers a remarkable insight into the eSports industry, documenting players’ experiences presented in top-notch video quality. While these videos didn’t generate a lot of engagement due to it not quite aligning with Dolce and Gabbana’s target audience, they were conceptually appreciable and should be used as inspiration in terms of content quality.

Tenz x Finalmouse: Welcome to my realm

In 2022, popular Valorant player Ten Z participated in one of the most successful eSports marketing campaigns with Finalmouse to launch the “Starlight Pro”. Aided with a professional and intriguing advertising video, the mouse product was sold out in a few hours, highlighting the brand power of professional players. His fans generally loved the video, showing that the correct types of brand collaborations can generate extremely successful results.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

We are in the era of microtrends on TikTok. 

With viral aesthetic trends blowing up and falling out of fashion just as quickly, brands and creators have a very small window within which to make their mark. 

This is where microtrends offer the perfect alternative. 

Despite moving through the socialsphere even faster than a regular trend, their more subdued nature makes them easier to be taken on. Oftentimes, these microtrends will call on partakers to offer makeup or clothing recommendations to emulate the trend. In comparison to bigger, viral trends – which may call upon someone to learn a dance or try out a new editing technique – microtrends take up a lot less time, ensuring users can get their submission in before the ship sets sail. 

But if microtrends on TikTok are merely fleeting, what are their benefits? 

To better understand the impact of microtrends, we must turn to no other than the queen of aesthetics herself, Hailey Bieber. 

When taking to Instagram donning a berry-toned, flushed makeup look in several posts, the season of ‘strawberry girl summer’ was officially declared, attracting 279.8M views to the hashtag #strawberrymakeup. 

Naturally, her 50.3M followers began speculating the consistency of this stand-out look, but it wasn’t until Hailey posted the look featuring a Rhode sticker that they concluded that the “strawberry girl” aesthetic was, in fact, hinting at her skincare line’s pending release of berry-toned products. 

Bieber has since posted a makeup tutorial on TikTok featuring the strawberry glaze peptide lip treatment, while soft launching an upcoming cream blusher line.

@haileybieber

Everday Strawberry Makeup 🍓💋

♬ Echos in My Mind (Lofi) – Muspace Lofi

Hailey’s use of “strawberry girl summer” for the purpose of business is just one of the many examples that have followed other famed aesthetic microtrends on TikTok. 

But with an endless list of things to try, how can brands ensure that they are authentically keeping up?

How can brands authentically tap into aesthetic microtrends on TikTok?

As previously mentioned, microtrends call upon partakers to list makeup products or fashion items that emulate that particular aesthetic trend. If brands don’t find themselves appearing in these lists, they may feel it necessary to insert themselves into the conversation by launching campaigns or posting content inspired by these microtrends on TikTok.

Take the “cherry cola lips” makeup trend, for example. Inspired by Kylie Jenner, makeup influencers each offered up their own “cherry cola” lip combo, earning the hashtag #cherrycolalips 37.8M views on TikTok. 

The trend has not stopped at influencers, however. Notable makeup brands have since come forward with their offerings of products from their own selected lines.

@nyxcosmetics_uk

Cherry Cola lip is POPPING OFF💥🍒 This is our new fave lip combo, wbyyy🥤 #CherryCola #NYXCosmetics_UK #AffordableBeauty #CrueltyFreeBeauty

♬ original sound – nyxcosmetics_uk

Done in its usual content style – through real time swatches and close ups of each product – NYX’s contribution to this trend is able to read as authentic. By using pre-existing products, rather than launching anything new, the brand sells itself as trendy and aesthetic, proving that its products are worthy of microtrend status. 

Similarly, L’Oreal offered its own take on the “latte makeup” trend rapidly circulating TikTok in recent months. 

@lorealparis

Latte Makeup is the trend of the moment, and we have all you need to recreate it 🥛☕️ #LOrealParis #lattemakeup #makeup #makeuptutorial #beauty #grwm #makeuproutine

♬ THE ONE – I AM WORTH IT

Leaning into tones of copper and brown to create a blown-out, smokey makeup look, the brand created a “latte face” using only L’Oreal products. That’s a major flex in our books! Combining its regular makeup masterclass content with a TikTok microtrend puts L’Oreal at the forefront of trending content and secures its position as a go-to brand for achieving such looks. 

To what extent a brand wishes to partake in microtrends on TikTok, is entirely up to them. As shown above, some opt just for a post or two alluding to their contribution, but there are others that feel it necessary to allow the trend to dictate the creative direction of a campaign. 

REFY beauty’s latest campaign, shot on the Amalfi coast, heavily drew inspiration from the “tomato girl” look which features crisp cottons, linens, romantic silhouettes and pops of red. Honing in on the Mediterranean landscapes and blushed makeup looks, REFY saw huge spikes in engagement and reach across all channels, ultimately making its newly released tinted lip gloss collection a huge success. This is indicative of the power of microtrends on TikTok and how, if approached correctly, they can garner huge online success. 

Current microtrends on TikTok to look out for

Rockstar girlfriend

@h3ll0k1ttyy.69

rockstar girlfriend aesthetic💌 #fashion #rockstargf #fashionvideo #makeup #hair #slay #aesthetic

♬ original sound – miles kanes biggest fan ever

Rat girl summer

@lolaokola

🐀🧀 #ratgirlsummer #rodentenergy #summervibes #summer2023 #weoutside #selfcare

♬ RAT GIRL SUMMER – lola

Coquette core

@eylister

very casual day! 💌 you can shop all my clothes on my motom!! link in bio <3 #ootd #coquette #fashion #inspo #inspiration #fashioninspo #outfitideas #outfitinspo #outfits #cute #style #fyp #viral

♬ original sound – user11750148531

Glazed donut nails

@banobeautysweden

Shop our best “glazed donut pearl chrome” now! 🐚🍩😍🫶🏼 #fyp #pearlnails #glazeddonutnails #glazeddonut #glazednails #nails #nailinspo #nailideas #nailproducts #nailhaul #nailtechlife

♬ original sound – emotionallove

Clean girl aesthetic 

@onskeskyendk

Beauty essentials for the “clean girl” ✨ all products are linked in bio ☁️🤍 #ønskeskyen #ønskeskyeninspo #cleangirlaesthetic #fyp

♬ som original – 🎧

Can microtrends on TikTok offer more than just trendy content?

According to multiple sources, Gen Z are the loneliest generation. It’s no wonder they seek to romanticise the mundane, and TikTok provides them with the perfect tool to do so. 

Their penchant for online movements allows them to connect with others, while ultimately expressing themselves through their own spins on aesthetic trends. The benefit of microtrends is that “there are no barriers to entry”, states senior foresight analyst Marta Indeka. Anyone and everyone can participate with their own take, presenting their true, authentic selves to the online world and, thus, blurring the lines between spectator and insider. 

With Gen Z being in their “up and coming” era, still figuring out who they are/want to be, playing around with microtrends on TikTok offers an outlet to do so. Lola Kolade, the originator of “rat girl summer” – an antithesis to the famed hot girl summer – expresses her thoughts on aesthetic microtrends actually being a tool for self-realisation, saying that “having a little character to play with while you figure out what works for you” is relieving and desired. 

This notion also extends to brands looking to develop – or even find – their image, voice and/or aesthetic. TikTok provides the wiggle room for them to play around with new concepts, test new visuals and generally find their feet in front of a more forgiving audience than they would find on other social media platforms. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Graphic content warning! These beauty influencers on YouTube are known for their gory SFX creations which can leave even the strongest people feeling queasy.

YouTube is the platform we all go to for inspiration, tutorials and in-depth tips and tricks on almost everything. And what’s the number one thing that this platform works perfectly for? Makeup tutorials.

Due to the visual, long-form content that characterises YouTube, makeup is *the* perfect type of content for this platform. It’s no wonder that makeup tutorials by beauty bloggers are among the most popular content on YouTube.

What’s more, 86% of the top 200 beauty videos on YouTube were produced by makeup influencers as opposed to branded or professional content. This just shows how makeup influencers’ natural talent and unique skills heavily outshine branded beauty content. 

Today, we’ll be introducing you to the 15 most popular beauty YouTubers. These beauty influencers on YouTube have garnered immense popularity and recognition for their jaw-dropping skills and talent for using makeup in ways we cannot comprehend! 

We’ve already covered conventional beauty YouTubers, but today we’re separating the artists from the glam squad. Let’s get into it!

The top 15 SFX beauty influencers on YouTube

Promise (@dope2111)

Promise is one of the most famous makeup YouTubers, known for using her makeup skills to transform herself into famous celebrities, cartoon characters and other surreal looks. Despite starting out as a hobby, this female beauty influencer has amassed over 5.7 million subscribers and has even partnered with iconic brands such as Disney and Lush.

Mykie (@Glam&Gore)

Mykie is one of the most popular female makeup YouTubers with over 3.9 million subscribers. Just as her name suggests, her speciality is combining glam makeup with gory SFX makeup to create some of the most striking looks on YouTube. She has videos ranging from transforming herself into the Grinch, the Exorcist, and even her own dog!

Emma (@EmmaPickles)

Emma is one of the most talented beauty influencers on YouTube who specialises in horror SFX makeup inspired by clowns, vampires and fictional characters. She has over 573K subscribers and has even collaborated with 20th Century Fox for the film Maze Runner.

Charlie (@Pinkstylist)

Charlie is a makeup artist who specialises in theatrical and special effects makeup tutorials which he creates based on requests from his 2.54 million subscribers. He is well known for his quirky makeup looks where he’s transformed himself into characters like an evil tooth fairy and a nightmarish Winnie the Pooh!

Alexis (@MadeYewLook)

Alexis is a self-taught makeup artist and beauty influencer with over 2.58 million subscribers who specialises in not only SFX makeup, but also body and face painting where she completely transforms herself into fictional characters. She created her channel with the hope of making others feel beautiful for who they are – not to mention she owns a family-run business where she sells her own brand of body paint!

Bonnie (@BonnieCorbanSFX)

Bonnie is a beauty influencer who specialises in body paint and SFX makeup tutorials, creating prosthetic makeup looks inspired by creatures and monsters. Her channel has over 455K subscribers and she has collaborated with gaming company 2K – for the videogame Borderlands 3 – and even Warner Bros!

Prince (@PrinceDeGuzmanTransformations)

Inspired by his love for horror, ghouls and monsters, Prince specialises in horror and special effects makeup transformations on YouTube. He is well-known for his Pennywise makeup transformation and was even invited to attend Warner Bros’ 100th-anniversary event this year dressed as the iconic clown!

Ellinor & Macs (@ellimacssfc)

This joint channel is run by self-taught SFX makeup artist Eli and producer Macs who specialises in the visuals and voiceovers for the tutorials. With over 1.02 million subscribers, these beauty influencers on YouTube pride themselves on creating cost-efficient yet effective makeup looks for cosplay, movie production, Halloween or just for fun!

Karolina (@KarolinaGriciute)

Based in Norway, Karolina is one of the beauty influencers on YouTube  who specialises in combining beautiful makeup looks with gruesome SFX elements. She has collaborated with Beauty Bay and has even participated in the Top 30 Nordic Face Awards.

Kiana (@Freakmo)

Kiana has over 481K subscribers and specialises in SFX and prosthetics, namely hyper-realistic burns, cuts and scars, as well as monster makeup tutorials. She has collaborated with 20th Century Fox and Playstation; she even runs online courses where she teaches her SFX makeup tutorials in more detail.

Jordan (@JordanHanz)

Beauty influencer Jordan has over 539K subscribers and specialises in realistic body painting, avant-garde beauty and SFX makeup. A trained portrait artist, she uses her portraiture skills and applies this to her own skin. She has partnered with beauty brands such as NYX and aims to educate others about techniques that can be transferred to any medium of art.

Kat (@TheRealKatSketch)

Kat has over 776K subscribers and is well-known for the creative yet horrifying twist she puts on her makeup tutorials for iconic characters such as Cinderella, Snow White and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Alex (@AlexFaction)

Alex is a makeup artist who has a passion for SFX makeup, specifically Halloween makeup tutorials. He has 207K subscribers and his most popular video received over 2.6 million views.

Mirjana (@KikaStudio)

Mirjana is a talented beauty influencer from Serbia who creates amazing body paint illusions on her channel with over 554K subscribers. She has her own studio where she teaches her surreal tutorials; she’s also gained recognition from the BBC and The Sun for her mind-bending makeup looks.

Sydney (SydneyNicoleAddams)

Sydney creates Halloween-themed SFX makeup tutorials 365 days a year which she shares with her 41.5K subscribers on YouTube. Her iconic looks involve a mix of SFX makeup, body paint and cosplay; she’s even released her own Halloween-themed makeup palette!

These 15 beauty influencers on YouTube – with their diverse skills and creativity -are clear leaders of the SFX industry. Their talent truly shows the transformative qualities of makeup and their immense following is proof as to why this content is so addicting to watch.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful