Social Media - Waste of Time or Worth the Hassle?

This is a different blog post to normal, but this is a topic that I love debating about so I thought I'd do a blogpost on it to get all of my thoughts and opinions out! :) Beauty Brands and Social Media - Useful or waste of time?

Loads of beauty brands are getting on the bandwagon of joining social media websites to maximise awareness and popularity. However, there are still a few brands that are questioning the effectiveness of doing so. I personally think it's a great way to reach a broad audience and to get the public excited about the brand. 

It has been said that the most important factor with a brand is building a relationship with its audience. Social media is a great new way to help do this. New makeup brands such as MUA use Twitter as a place to communicate easily with their customers, and help them with any problems they may have.

With technology expanding, more people are using social media platforms than not. Therefore, this is a great (and free!) way of contacting companies with any queries, or just general feedback. Take this example from MUA; they have checked their messages and read that someone has not yet received a product ordered, and told them how to take further action if necessary. I feel that this builds a strong relationship with the public as it is clear to see that they take genuine concern into each individual person. 

This is another example of how MUA connect with their customers. Even if it is not a query asked, the brand seems genuinely interested in the people who use their products which makes it much more likely for them to return to the company.

A more known brand that uses social media as a way to interact with the public is Rimmel. One of the great things about their Twitter page is that they host weekly giveaways for their followers! This encourages people to follow, which means any updates that Rimmel post appear on the persons news feed. Obviously, this means they see any updates and new products that Rimmel have. 

One of the famous aspects of Rimmel's twitter account is '60 minutes with Rimmel'. This is where for an hour, anyone can tweet questions to Rimmel and they'll answer them. This can be any queries you have, opinions on wearing their makeup, literally anything! This is a good way for the brand to build a relationship with their customers and can almost guarantee repeat purchases from creating brand loyalty. 

Obviously Twitter is not the only social media that beauty brands use, but it is the only aspect I'm focusing on in this post. Other brands also use Facebook and Blogs to further connect with their customers and keep them as up to date as possible.

I think that social media is very important in beauty brands. It can really help build a relationship with a customer which is really important in creating brand loyalty. I think other beauty brands should really consider getting involved in this aspect, as it can really help PR aspects and overall sales!

What do you guys think about beauty brands using social media? Do you think it's worth while?

* If you have any problems with your Twitter username being up here then let me know and I'll take it down.