Cosmetic companies have a chance to create a place for themselves in social media as well as generate an interest in their brand. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to get people talking about them, to boost their sales, to build customer loyalty and, most importantly, to create a social network around their brand. Some companies are especially successful in social media and they should be used as primary examples.
The outlets are unlimited in the beauty community and they’re an excellent way to mobilize the brand. The most popular outlets for cosmetic companies are Facebook and YouTube and they have proven to be extremely effective and are often used together.

Today, blogs are everywhere on the web and they’re often a source of valuable information. It’s easier to trust a blogger than a big company because bloggers aren’t trying to sell you anything and they’re real people who have tried many different products. Therefore, it’s logical to use their experience to our own advantage. Why test several different products when someone is doing it right before our eyes? This is why beauty companies should not forget the influence that individuals have on the web. Some companies even offer free products to bloggers so that they can test the makeup and talk about their experience on their blog. For example, Sigma offered free makeup brushes to Emily on Beauty Broadcast so that she could try them out and talk about them to her subscribers. However, this isn’t a secret, she mentions that she received the brushes for free each time she uses them in one of her videos. She was also free to give an honest review. Companies often make the mistake of giving free products in exchange for a positive review. Practices like this are dishonest and companies are at risk of losing their credibility in the long term.

YouTube is a goldmine for anyone who is looking for makeup tips, hair tips and to learn new techniques. It is also a very good opportunity for companies to show clients how to use their products. Lise Watier and Annabelle recognized this and offered tutorials on their YouTube channel. It is really inspired because we’re not all makeup artists and hair stylists and instructional videos are always helpful.

E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face) use Facebook to attract clients to their brand. They discuss new products, have makeup tutorials, promotions, contests, beauty tips, etc. Did you know that if you rub an ice cube on your face it will activate the circulation and give you an instant glow? It’s this kind of discussion that encourages dozens of responses and increases the number of fans.
By being a fan, clients are up to date on all the new products, promotions and there is a better chance that they will buy from E.L.F than if they didn’t know the brand. At E.L.F there is new content several times a day. Unfortunately, the fan’s questions seem to go unanswered. E.L.F also makes videos on YouTube and they present links for tutorials made by users or bloggers who use their products. These users are so dedicated to the community that the make their own content.

How does E.L.F benefit from having a community around their brand? This community will remain loyal to E.L.F as long as they are satisfied. In other words, when it comes time to buy a new product they will automatically turn to the brand they trust. They will talk about it with their family and their friends and they will also show their support using the Facebook fan page. The members of the community will buy more products because they are always up to date with new products. They will read the feedback from other members of the community and will want to try and recreate the looks on the tutorials by using the same products, etc.

Other companies like Vichy and L’Oreal will offer free samples or contests for those who become fans of their page. The approach is good to build a community, but these brands will have to continue to produce content if they want to keep their fans.

Therefore, there is no winning recipe that will guarantee success in social media. However, it is important to have an interest in the types of products that you sell and to use your expertise to benefit your current and future clients. All of these things will contribute to your success. If the cosmetic companies can do it, why can’t you?

Monitoring the web in regard to the brand, the company and the industry are equally important factors in order to position and to integrate the company on the web and in social media.

It is imperative to start with monitoring. Before diving into social media, it is important to build a community, to bring it to life… We take the time to listen, to map out the ecosystem of the brand: What are people saying about it? Who are they talking about? On what platforms? To what end? Where are the competitors in all of this?

Yes, but I know all of this because I am using Google Alerts.

Google Alerts does not do everything. It does not reveal the influencers or the tone of the entries. Furthermore, it does not allow you to analyze a certain time period or to classify different conversations.

There are many monitoring systems that exist. After searching and testing different systems we couldn’t just pick one. Therefore, we combined different platforms to meet our daily needs in terms of monitoring, analyzing and overseeing conversations that are happening on the web. Although no tool is perfect, some do distinguish themselves by their performance.

Here are our four monitoring systems:
1. Radian6
2. Alterian SM2
3. Scoutlabs
4. Sysomos

Without going into detail concerning the study, I personally have a preference for Scoutlabs. It’s interface is ultra intuitive, very clean and completed with good graphics.

You can check out some of the features of various monitoring tools in the screenshots below:

The volume of entries, according to media – Scoutlabs

The different emotions identified in the content – Alterian SM2

The tone of the entries – Scoutlabs

Demographic information about people mentioning the brand- Sysomos

Gatorade teamed up with Radian6 and IBM in order to effectively monitor its brand.
Be sure to check out the video below:

I remember when I was in training at a large hardware store when I was a student. During my training, we learnt it was important to be polite and to give a little extra to every customer. The reasoning behind this is that each person who leaves the store unsatisfied, will talk about it to ten of their friends who might not come back as a result.This was true ten years ago. Today, we can easily multiply that number by 10 or even 100. Why? Because the network of each individual in our society has evolved due to of social media. Now, we have a network that is a lot bigger and, that fact alone, is capable of influencing people in a positive or negative way.

Is this beneficial to your brand, or not? I have some good and bad news for you. Starting with the bad news. Yes, a client who isn’t satisfied can do a lot of damage to your brand. They will inevitably talk about it with their family and their friends, but, more importantly, they will probably talk about it on their blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, on a forum or they might even post a video on YouTube. You know the old adage: “Spoken words are fleeting, but the written word stick”. It’s the same on the web- What is written on the web sticks.

The good news is that practically everything that is said on the net is public. Therefore, it is imperative that discussions regarding your brand are under surveillance. Furthermore, it is important to treat every mention of the brand differently. For example, a customer is satisfied with a service and talks about it on their blog or on Twitter. Thank them, and why not offer them and their followers a coupon or discount? A customer is not satisfied? Communicate with them using the same outlet. Let them know that you’re sorry that they’re not satisfied and find a solution that will benefit all parties involved. In most cases, it is just a misunderstanding and the customer will just be happy to be heard. So while an unsatisfied customer can harm the company, a satisfied customer can help a lot. However, it is important to be able to identify these individuals.

But, why apologize on Twitter and not on the phone? If the customer calls in to complain, it would be logical to communicate with them over the phone. The same rule applies if a customer uses Twitter as their outlet. It is true that certain companies are hesitant to apologize on Twitter because it involves apologizing in front of billions of people. I believe that it’s important to admit a mistake and it’s even more important for everyone to see it. If a company apologizes over the phone, the general public will never know about it and will remain under the impression that the company does not listen to their clients.

But what does it all mean? If you offer a good quality product or service, it would be beneficial to ensure that you guarantee customer satisfaction. Traditionally, customer service was done over the phone. Today, customers want a fast response without having to wait around all day to speak to a representative. They want to go about their business and return to the issue later. It’s so easy to offer this kind of service to your customers and it will cost less than a call center. Why have call centers in India to save money when you can reduce them and offer customer service on Twitter?

Want an example? The popular tv show Big Brother accidentally announced who was getting booted 10 minutes too early and ruined the surprise as a result. Responses from disappointed viewers started to pour in on Twitter and a few minutes later, the tweet was erased. But, the people didn’t forget. You have to understand that the Big Brother viewers wait all week for Friday to arrive to find out who has been voted off. But, the Big Brother team apologized and promised that it would never happen again. The majority of the viewers accepted the apology : “Alright, you’re forgiven! Thanks for apologizing.” In the past, the approach was to pretend that nothing happened and not to comment- They didn’t even think about apologizing! In 2010, the approach is very different in that people want an honest brand. This is a well-managed crisis!

For several weeks now, companies like McDonalds, Videotron, Desjardins and Molson have been showing that they are watching social media. Not only that, but they’re intervening and connecting with their customer.

I’d like to say that there has been a collective shift in the importance of social media in customer relations, however, the companies placing an importance on social media are still too few to make that kind of generalization.

Let’s start with Videotron: They are monitoring conversations that mention their brand and they are contacting their customers by phone:

@NicolasRoberge Vidéotron vient de m’appeler suite à mes remarques sur Twitter. The Big V is listening

Their reaction time is excellent. However, we have to consider that the problem’s resolution was not made public. Therefore, the followers on Twitter will still be influenced (whether it be positive or negative) by the original post unless the client mentions the correspondence.

Note: Videotron’s twitter account is @illicoweb (Thanks to @WEBGIRRRL for the information)

Desjardins, via their Twitter account @mvtdesjardins also monitors social networks in order to improve their customer service. They survey conversations and they reply to comments or concerns relatively quickly. If a lengthy response is required, they will request your information through a direct message and contact you by phone. We have had the opportunity to try this service and we don’t have too much more to say: Fast reaction time and good problem solving.

Lastly, we will look at how Molson has adapted to monitoring social media. . Sylvain Martel told us about his experience a couple months ago in the recent article: Molson or the exact way a brand should monitor social networks

One Sunday afternoon in January, he tweeted that he had just tried Molson M and that he didn’t like it. Exactly 17 minutes later, the account @MolsonFK answered that everyone has different taste and assured him that they had a wide variety of beer where he would be able to find something he liked. This was a quick and intelligent reaction, especially for a Sunday afternoon.

The next day, with Sylvain’s permission, Molson contacted him by email and suggested that they send him a 6 pack of beer to thank him for his feedback. 24 hours later, Sylvain received the six pack at his office. This is a great example of monitoring and handling negative feedback on the web and within social media.

Instead of letting me unhappy with a Molson experience and may be losing me as a client, they converted me, and many of my friends, as Molson influencers.

I always appreciate that with every new day, there are signs of companies engaging in social media to better serve their clients, to advertise their services and to recruit…
Although there are few examples, they give us a good idea of where we’re going in terms of customer service.