While many skin care retailers continue to load their products with chemicals, some are taking a natural approach. They use vitamins, essential oils, and botanical extracts to make cleansers, lotions, serums, and other skin care treatments. According to recent research, social media may increase their skin care retail sales because social networks are making an impact on eco-friendly buying practices.
Skin care retailers that offer natural products target environmentalists and other ingredient-conscious shoppers. Research from the global trend tracker Mintel indicates that these companies should use social media to target younger generations that have large social networks and are more likely to act on marketing messages. Twenty-four percent of the “green” shoppers in this demographic say they purchased an eco-friendly product merely to display their environmental consciousness.
Whether they welcome it or not, many consumers are feeling social pressure to go green. Though natural product retailers benefit from this, the behavior is not likely to last once the pressure eases. Younger consumers are proving to be a more successful demographic for retailers hoping to create a green consciousness. Statistics from Mintel reveal that 14 percent of people age 18 to 24 switch to an environmentally-friendly version of a product due to a social networking post by a friend.
Twelve percent of adults ages 18 to 24 say they have liked, followed, or pinned a company due to its green practices. Facebook users who are between 18 and 34 years old have more than 300 friends, on average. If they are friends of the environment, their far-reaching social influence can benefit a skin care retailer specializing in natural products. As these individuals post information about the eco-friendly products they use to treat their skin, their friends take notice and may become customers.
Social pressure may cause people to become more eco-friendly but the quality of the products they use causes them to remain that way. Skin care retailers should continue their search for the most effective natural ingredients to maintain healthy, beautiful skin. Developing partnerships with manufacturers that specialize in products containing natural ingredients will expand the possibilities.
Social media sites gain new users by the day and many of these people fall within the young adult demographic. Natural skin care retailers should establish presences on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and other social media sites and begin targeting this age group. Effective use of social media could skyrocket their natural skin care retail sales.
