How Does One Go About Starting Their Own Makeup Line?

Building a strong brand in that industry takes some work. If you’re patient, however, it will pay off.

Here are my recommendations on what to do:

1. Create a concept– What makes your brand unique? What types of people would you like to buy your makeup? What can you offer that other makeup companies can’t? What products will you offer? Search e-commerce sites such as Amazon, read makeup reviews to find what the market likes and/or dislikes about certain makeup products. This will help you determine what need you could focus on that other makeup companies aren’t satisfying. Once you explicitly define the concept, you can move forward.
   
   
2. Test, test, test- Before you invest in products and launch your million-dollar brand, you need to make sure of one thing: will anyone buy it? Before spending money on inventory, it’s essential that you have this question answered. It’s easy to make assumptions, but many startups have failed because the owner ‘assumed’ their idea was a hit. To test, you need to get feedback from your ideal target audience. I find it best to reach out to your target market via social media or email. Find out what they like and dislike about their current makeup. Couple that with the information you gathered when researching your concept, and you have a solid understanding of what people are looking for with their makeup, and what your company can focus on that will sell.
   
   
3. Build your brand. At this point, you know what type of makeup products to make. Now you need to create your brand. From my experience, your brand is the single most important determinant when it comes to your business success. This is especially true in the health and beauty space. You’ll want to create a simple, attractive, sophisticated name and logo with appealing colors. Along those lines, you’ll want to create a memorable tagline/slogan. You’ll want to create a website from which you can showcase and sell your products. You’ll want to define your company’s online tone- is your brand classic? Luxurious? Sophisticated? This is where you develop the identity and personality of your brand. Be sure to take your time and get this right.
4. Market. The stage is set. Now it’s time to make some money! The best way to build a health and beauty brand in 2017 is online. I would utilize three disciplines of digital marketing:
   
   a.influencer Marketing- This might be a tough place to start in the beginning, but it’s a VERY effective strategy long-term. Ever wonder why Kylie Jenner or *insert fitness model here* take Instagram photos in unnatural poses with a random product? Because the company that created said product paid Kylie and *fitness model* to do so! Studies have shown that millennials are incredibly brand-loyal, and when they see a celebrity using a product, it builds instant credibility. You can offer social media influencers a % of sales or a flat sum for promoting your product. This expands your reach and builds brand awareness.
   
   b.Content Marketing- Create content (videos, images, blog posts) that showcase the uniqueness of your product and the appeal of your overall brand. Creating this content and catering it to your target market is a great way to get them to share it and share with their friends who are likely also members of your target market. Content is King, and in 2017, it’ll play a bigger role than ever. Be sure to use your content to tell your specific brand story; that’s the only way to make your brand stand out
   
   c.Social Media Marketing- I won’t talk about this a ton because it’s a no-brainer, but you’ll want to use social media to promote your website, content and brand. Do so organically by posting consistent, entertaining content. You can also pay to expand your reach.

After you achieve these steps, it’s really about offering a premium product and making sure you continue to satisfy your customers. Do that, and they’ll do some word-of-mouth marketing on your behalf. Just remember: marketing doesn’t end after the sale; the sale is really just the beginning.