Beauty Vloggers Drive Skincare Shopping Spree

Beauty vloggers have become game changers in digital marketing, especially for beauty products. Their reviews allow audiences to see the products in action, providing a direct, relatable perspective on how each product performs.

The beauty vlogger trend in Indonesia took off in the early 2010s, driven by the rapid spread of internet access. One of Indonesia’s pioneering beauty vloggers, Rachel Goddard, began creating content on YouTube in 2014, followed by Suhay Salim in 2015 and Tasya Farasya in 2017.

Over time, beauty vloggers expanded to other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to reach a broader audience.

Beauty vloggers typically create content focused on beauty products, from skincare and makeup reviews to tutorials on trending makeup looks. This is exactly the kind of content that fans eagerly anticipate.

Like many other fans, 25-year-old private employee Zulfatin Naila looks to beauty vloggers for guidance when buying beauty products. She’s cautious about trying products without reliable recommendations. According to Zulfatin, most people prefer to hear from others who have already tried a skincare product before deciding to use it themselves.

“If we want to try a skincare product, we’ll definitely look for someone who has already used it. We usually search for the product online, especially relying on recommendations from beauty influencers,” Naila shared on Friday (25/10/2024).

Naila carefully selects beauty vloggers who share her skin type. Some of her favorites include Kiara Leswara, Livjunkie, Fatya Biya, and Gel Angelicca.

What makes beauty vloggers and influencers interesting to her is their willingness and courage to try out and review the latest beauty products.

Naila believes that consumers should be smart when choosing beauty vloggers for reviews, prioritizing honesty above all. “I definitely avoid watching reviews from people who are endorsed, especially when their reviews are so exaggerated, feeling like just overclaims,” she explained.

Dr. Rini Kuswati, S.E., M.Si, CMA, a marketing expert from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), agrees with the appeal of beauty vloggers. She notes that their influence is evident in the engaging content formats they create.

“It feels as though there’s a closer form of communication between the audience and the beauty vlogger, even though it happens entirely online,” said Rini during an interview in her office on Wednesday (23/10/2024).

Dr. Rini Kuswati, S.E., M.Si, CMA. Imam Safii/UMS Public Relations

Rini has observed this phenomenon since 2022. Through her research, titled “Parasocial Interactions of Indonesian Beauty Vloggers in the Digital Age: Do They Impact Purchases by Millennial Netizens?”, she surveyed 450 female respondents aged 17–35 who actively follow beauty vlogger content on Instagram and YouTube.

As a result, beauty vloggers’ content effectively attracts consumers to purchase beauty products. Additionally, the relatable persona of these vloggers create strong parasocial interactions with their audiences.

A parasocial relationship refers to a one-sided emotional connection that fans feel toward media personas or idols, ranging from celebrities to social media influencers.

This relationship develops through initial or repeated interactions between the influencer and their audience, often through exchanges in comment sections or direct messages. These interactions are driven by the influencer's social life, which becomes a key factor in building virtual communication with their followers.

Rini identified two main factors that help beauty vloggers attract consumer interest in shopping. The first and most significant factor is an attractive physical appearance, which motivates consumers to watch beauty vlogger content. Respondents noted that physical features, unique gestures, and a distinctive style each have their own appeal.

The second factor is the social appeal of beauty vloggers, which captivates their audiences. Their strengths lie in engaging effectively with viewers, using clear and relatable communication, and showing empathy and respect without being condescending. These qualities contribute significantly to the social appeal that resonates with and influences their audience.

For example, content presented in a conversational style creates a sense of closeness with the audience. This active, engaging communication style makes beauty vloggers more appealing and relatable to viewers.

Rini noted in her research, “Young internet users are more likely to consider the vlogger's physical appearance and social status when deciding whether to buy cosmetic products.”

The research, published in WSEAS Transactions on Information Science and Applications, also revealed that hedonistic behavior is no longer a primary driver of consumerism among beauty product users in Indonesia.

“The consumers now demonstrate a higher level of shopping awareness. They’re no longer inclined to make impulsive purchases. Their awareness in making shopping decisions has improved,” explained the Doctor in Marketing Management from  Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta.

Beauty vloggers and other influencers have emerged as a powerful new medium for marketing products. Rini emphasizes that entrepreneurs should leverage influencers to capture consumer interest effectively.

The connection between influencers and their audiences creates parasocial interactions which marketers should take into account. These interactions can convert audiences into first-time buyers, and if nurtured, these consumers may eventually become loyal, repeat customers.

Parasocial interaction becomes even stronger when influencers share emotional closeness and relatable experiences with their audiences. According to research published by Databoks in 2023, local influencers significantly impact women’s choices in beauty products and services, surpassing the influence of Korean actors and artists.

The social lives of influencers play a crucial role in their virtual communication with consumers, exerting a strong influence on audience behavior. One key impact is the increase in transactions for products reviewed by these influencers. To capitalize on this, marketers should focus on creating engaging content that highlights a large volume of positive product feedback.

“It looks like the followers are already close to the influencer. Therefore, what the influencer says, the followers will agree and follow,” added the Head of the UMS management program. “The influencer's communication power is extraordinary.”

The selection of influencers in terms of skills and appearance is crucial for creating a positive framing of a product. Influencers who are creative in packaging their content can easily captivate audiences. Furthermore, Rini's research found that an influencer's appearance significantly impacts consumers’ purchasing decisions, as many aspire to be as good-looking as the influencer.

Marketers should also pay attention to current issues and trends that resonate with young people. Rini advises entrepreneurs and marketers to choose influencers who are sociable, comfortable in communication, not problematic, and who handle criticism well.

Ultimately, the selection of influencers must align with the characteristics of the product's target market. “It depends on the target market of the company that needs the influencer,” she said.

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Designer: Salsabila Kamila Wardah