I built my beauty brand, Frilliance, off of my YouTube following. At the time I launched Frilliance, I had around 500,000 subscribers. My other social media channels were not as strong as my YouTube following, so I leveraged that platform in particular both leading up to the launch and for the launch itself. Through my videos, I encouraged my subscribers to join the email, text, and Instagram for Frilliance. I didn't want to only rely on my YouTube channel to market and sell Frilliance.
Besides using social media to grow Frilliance, I also use it to learn what teens like me need for their skin. As a teen myself, I know first-hand how difficult teen skin can be. My subscribers and followers share their skin frustrations with me, too. The result of all of this information is Frilliance, a clean skincare and cosmetics brand focused on safely controlling breakouts for teen skin by providing simple and easy healthy-skin makeup.
Social media has to represent and appeal to your target audience. For me, that's primarily teens, so the photos we use on social media show a diverse teen audience. There's also a heavy emphasis on me in the photos, since most of my followers want to see me and get an idea of how I authentically use the products. When you're already established as an influencer and begin to use your platform to build a brand, your followers are coming for you but staying for what you have to offer.
My customers and followers are more than just those titles — we're building a community around my personal brand and business.
I launched Frilliance two years ago and have grown its Instagram account along with our targeted email and text lists. I still sometimes use my vlog channel on Youtube to market my brand but not as often. I know some influencers promote more than I do on their own social media, but that's not the approach that I take. I don't think that my followers want to be bombarded with my personal products in all of my videos, especially if they have been fans of mine since before Frilliance launched. We also send products out to other influencers in exchange for posting on Instagram and TikTok. It is always good to have more faces than just mine to show the brand.
I love watching TikToks — it's becoming the fastest growing social media app for my generation — and I'm learning how to use the platform as a brand instead of just as an influencer. Although TikTok is known for dance and lip syncing content, I am trying to utilize the platform for the Frilliance brand and for finding pleasing ways to produce content that's not just a straight tutorial. The goal is small, interesting clips that can catch someone's attention in about two seconds.
There is no one right or wrong way to use social media. Personally, I think knowing your target audience and finding ways to capture their attention quickly are important steps, as well as being familiar with the platforms your audience uses and where they get most of their information. There are lots of the same types of posts and videos on all platforms right now. Taking the time to figure how to grab someone's attention and draw them in while still maintaining the integrity of your brand is so important. In my content, I try to get the customer to connect with the brand and see how it would help them by trying to get them to picture themselves using Frilliance, even if it's only for a second.
When you're already established as an influencer and begin to use your platform to build a brand, your followers are coming for you but staying for what you have to offer.
As a teenager marketing a brand to teenagers, I probably understand my target audience better than most because my needs and their needs are largely the same. Through starting my own business and being a social media figure, I have also tried to give my audience and customers opportunities to learn what I've learned. My customers and followers are more than just those titles — we're building a community around my personal brand and business. One way we accomplish that is the Frilliance Rep Direct Retail program.
The Frilliance Rep Direct Retail program paves the way for teen collaboration. We hope to give teens fresh confidence and offer innovative, real-life business opportunities specifically created to help them: learn about selling and marketing, be a teen helping teens, provide products for teen skin made from clean ingredients, and earn extra cash.
Taking the time to figure how to grab someone's attention and draw them in while still maintaining the integrity of your brand is so important.
Social media is constantly changing, but knowing our target audience and building a community that stays connected across various platforms are essential to continuously grow Frilliance during the age of social media.
WRITTEN BY
Fiona Frills