How Glossier became a cult beauty brand

Emily Weiss, founder of Glossier, launched her beauty brand in 2014 with just four products.

Today, Glossier has become a beauty phenomenon and is redefining the future of e-commerce, and it has done this by building a loyal community of advocates.

In this article, we will explore how Glossier built a community of raving fans and grew their business through great marketing and word of mouth. We will highlight the strategies and tactics they used and the psychology behind their tactics.

#1 Know your target audience and build relationships with them

Glossier has done an excellent job of creating a brand identity that is relatable to their target audience. They position themselves as a beauty brand for "real" people, with a focus on natural, effortless beauty. Their products are designed to enhance natural beauty rather than cover it up.

Glossier's minimalist branding is both approachable and aspirational, appealing to consumers who are looking for high-quality, easy-to-use products that fit seamlessly into their everyday routines.

#2 Using Micro Influencers

Glossier also uses influencer marketing to reach new audiences, partnering with bloggers and influencers to build trust and connect with their audience.

70% of their online sales and traffic come from peer-to-peer referrals, and 8% of those are linked to their Instagram brand ambassadors. 

#3 Having fun with the brand

Glossier's social media presence is fun and playful, with a focus on engaging with their followers rather than using overly-salesy language. Research has proven that a playful and humorous brand voice can positively impact consumer attitudes and purchase intentions.

Glossier takes advantage of this by replying to comments and interacting with their community in a fun and witty way. This also makes their customers feel like they genuinely care about them and value their opinions.

#4 Using user-generated content

The Glossier social team excels at engaging their audience and sourcing customer generated content (UGC) daily. Fans are encouraged to share their product selfies on hashtags #GlossierIRL on Twitter and #GlossierGirl on Instragram.

Research suggests that images of people holding a product are more effective at increasing purchase intentions of the viewer, while selfies with products are better for increasing engagement on social media.

The study analyzed 214,536 tweets and 43,585 Instagram posts and found that people were 70% to 78% more likely to buy a product when images showed it being held by a person compared to a selfie, and selfies with a product received 28% to 49% more likes than images of people holding the product.

Glossier’s content strategy heavily rely on this type of user generated content, and they go one step further and rewarding this attention by replying to every mention and sharing customer content on all brand channels (social media, product pages, ad campaigns, newsletters...). This is absolutely genius and is exactly why their UGC strategy has been successful for them.

#5 Clever use of tutorials and routines

Tutorials play a crucial role in the success of any beauty brand as they showcase products while also helping customers learn how to use them effectively.

Glossier's blog initially gained popularity by featuring beauty routines and #shelfies of its customers' favorite beauty and skincare products.

The brand still heavily relies on sharing its customers' beauty routines and tutorials on social media to engage and connect with its community.

To further enhance social proof, it would be beneficial for Glossier to include the best how-tos on its product pages.

#5 Creating community-powered ad campaigns

Glossier's dedication to its community surpasses any other brand when they created a a national ad campaign that not only featured its customers like stars but also gave them an opportunity to be seen.

This not only created a tighter bond between in brand and its fans but also strengthened the social proof of their product.

#6 Making customer service a priority

Glossier has made customer experience a top priority. They offer free shipping on all orders over $30, and have a generous return policy.

They also have a dedicated customer service team that is available to answer questions and address concerns. Their customers share emails they receive from the customer support team and rave about the service they get.

As you can see, Glossier's approach to customer-centric marketing goes beyond simply featuring customers in its campaigns. Glossier's success is driven by its ability to turn its customers into brand ambassadors and make them the stars of its marketing campaigns.

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