Community marketing in beauty: How to turn relationships into revenue

In case no one’s told you yet today, your community is your greatest asset.

If you’ve already built a network, whether that’s a loyal client base, a cultural group, or an engaged social following, you have something far more valuable than a marketing budget. You have trust.

But here’s the challenge. How do you transform that trust into a beauty business without feeling like you’re “selling” to your people?

The answer lies in community marketing strategies that focus on mutual value, authentic beauty, and ethical marketing rather than sales-y, transactional relationships.

This isn’t about cold-pitching (yes, we all cringe thinking about those cold LinkedIn messages). It’s about relationships and creating a long-term, community-driven beauty business where both you and your audience thrive. And trust us, over time, those relationships turn into revenue. 

Why your community is your competitive edge

In a crowded beauty market, projected to generate over $677 billion in 2025, products are everywhere. Meaning, your customers have options.

But what’s rare is your community. Entrepreneurs who have built loyalty before they’ve even launched, or brands that have created a movement around their products.

And the thing about your community is that, well, it’s all yours. It’s your unique collective of audiences and customers that listen to what you share.

Some other reasons why we love beauty brand communities and you should too:

• Already know you and trust your judgment
• Share your values, style, or cultural background
• Engages with you regularly across marketing channels like social media or email
• Want to see you and your brand succeed
  

This is why trust marketing outperforms cold outreach every time. People are far more likely to buy from someone they believe has their best interests at heart.

How to make community your currency

Step 1: Start with your shared values

So, you have a community.

But before you jump right into introducing a product line, analyze what your community stands for. These values will guide everything from your formulations to your beauty brand’s voice.

Ask yourself questions like:

• Is vegan or cruelty-free beauty non-negotiable?
• Do I want to champion beauty in underrepresented cultural spaces?
• Am I passionate about affordability, luxury, or both?
• What’s the personality and energy of my community? 
• Why am I creating this brand, and how does it tie back to my community? 
  

Use your community as a filter for product choices. 

Step 2: Co-create, don’t just sell

One of the most effective community monetization strategies is to make your audience feel like they’re part of the brand.

We’ve mentioned this before, and we’ll say it again: as humans, we want to feel involved and like we’re a part of something. One great way to make it hyper-clear to your community that you value their input and participation is to co-create with them. But this doesn’t mean to have a community of co-founders; rather, leverage their insights at scale.

Here are some tactics:

• Host Instagram polls to choose product scents or colors
• Share behind-the-scenes stories of your product development process
• Invite beta testers from your audience to review early samples
  

This turns your brand into a collective project, something your community feels proud to represent.

Step 3: Build trust with education

Trust is your currency, and beauty brands practicing relationship marketing earn it through consistent, helpful education.

To get you started, try these avenues to educate community members:

• Short, catchy videos on skincare routines or makeup application
• “Ingredient spotlight” posts explaining what’s in your products and why
• Origin stories on where your products are made and how 
• Live Q&A sessions where followers can ask beauty questions
  

This approach positions you as a resource rather than a retailer, maintaining the strong bond you already have with your community. 

Step 4: Offer layered ways to engage

Not every sale will happen on day one. Give your community multiple ways to interact with your brand, some paid and some free.

For example, you could engage your community through:

• Low-cost “starter” products to lower the barrier to purchase if your line is expensive
• Subscription boxes for ongoing engagement
• Exclusive community discounts for loyal members 
• Events or workshops focusing on topics your community cares about
  

The more touchpoints you offer, the easier it is for relationships to naturally evolve into revenue.

Step 5: Leverage social media for connection, not just sales

Your social channels aren’t glorified billboards; they’re spaces for relationship building.

Don’t waste time making bland content that’s sole purpose is to sell your new product line. No one wants that, especially your beauty community. Instead, create a mix of content that engages, educates, and inspires audiences within your social media strategy. 

Keep your content mix balanced. For example, your mix could look like: 

• 40% connection (stories, community highlights, UGC)
• 40% value (education, inspiration)
• 20% promotion (product launches, sales)
  

Step 6: Reward loyalty publicly and privately

Loyalty programs are great and should definitely be included in your beauty brand. But also, we all love some good ol’ recognition.

There are plenty of ways you can go about making your community feel seen and appreciated. Here are a few of my personal favorites: 

• Feature customers in your content, like blogs, email marketing, and social media 
• Send handwritten thank-you notes with orders
• Surprise VIPs with bonus products
• Re-share social media content from customers to your own page 
  

Public recognition builds social proof. Private recognition deepens emotional connection. Have a mix of both!

Step 7: Think long-term, not just launch-week

The biggest mistake in community driven beauty sales is treating your audience like a one-time campaign. You’re missing out on much deeper connections and brand growth if you do this. 

I highly encourage you to nurture your relationships consistently, even when you’re not selling something.

This could mean:

• Checking in with your top customers personally
• Continuing to post valuable content between launches
• Showing up in community spaces without pitching

Examples of brands doing community right

Topicals 

A skincare company that’s breaking down barriers on what “beautiful skin” needs to look like, Topicals includes their customers through every stage of the production process. Founders Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng are quoted as stating they use their Twitter community to get feedback on products and iterate. 

Makeup by Mario 

Starting as an employee at Sephora and growing into a notable makeup artist and Masterclass host, Mario Dedivanovic launched Makeup by Mario with a dedicated and loyal fanbase. Today, he continues to educate his community on makeup and skincare through public speaking and social media. 

Kayali 

Popular perfume brand, Kayali, has deep community roots. CEO and founder, Mona Kattan, shared during a talk when discussing community and transparency, “Our community holds us accountable, and we invite that. We show them the behind-the-scenes. We ask what they want. We admit when we don’t have the answer.”

Relationships are the real revenue driver

Your community is your greatest competitive advantage. The beauty market will always have new trends, products, and players, but your relationships are uniquely yours.

When you focus on trust, shared values, and co-creation, you’re not simply selling, you’re joining the movement of purpose driven brands that build something bigger than a business.

Not because you pushed for it, but because your community believes in you and wants to grow with you.

Turn your community into your business today.

Build your community-driven beauty brand today

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