How Beauty Brands Can Navigate the Impacts of ‘Deinfluencing’ on Social Media

It’s time to talk about the trend of deinfluencing and its impact on beauty brands’ marketing, their consumers’ purchase decisions and content creation. We’re seeing a rise of anti-promotional content for haircare, cosmetics and personal products hit social feeds. Search #dupe, #detoxyourfeed, #buycott or #deinfluencing on social platforms and you’ll see what we mean. Countless content creators are hard at work telling people what not to buy. Some of these campaigns might feature your beauty brand, or you might be anxiously anticipating when the trend will target your signature line. While you may be tempted to bury your head in the sand or clap back, hang on.

As a seasoned beauty brand social media agency, we must remind you that deinfluencer campaigns (like all other fleeting trends) aren’t threatening beauty brands. It’s time companies embrace them as the opportunities they are.

Makeup and cosmetic companies can navigate deinfluencing challenges by evolving their marketing campaigns to meet consumers’ desires for transparent, authentic, truthful marketing. Don’t avoid the conversation; instead, transform your campaigns to meet the trend head-on.

Marketing Tactics To Deflate Deinfluencing

Deinfluencing content creators position themselves as a more honest version of influencer marketing because they tell their followers what not to buy. Many of these social advocates push against consumerism and overconsumption. While you shouldn’t deflect or dismiss deinfluencing campaigns completely, there are plenty of marketing tactics to deflate these before they impact your beauty brand’s credibility.

Revisit Influencer Partnerships

Use the deinfluencer trend as a reminder to revisit your approach to influencer marketing. Brands working with influencers must prioritize authenticity and integrity. Properly vetting content creators’ values can help you connect with partners that align with your brand’s values and culture so they don’t need to fake any element of their campaigns. Finding the right fit isn’t easy. Work with a beauty brand social media agency to find influencers who reflect your values and resonate with your core audience.

Educate Brand Advocates

Beauty brands must supply content creators with factual information or they risk being targeted by deinfluencer campaigns refuting their claims. Educate your partners on sustainability, ingredients, results or other features that differentiate your beauty brand, and be upfront about products that may not work for everyone so the creator doesn’t set unrealistic expectations.

Increase Influencer Transparency

The deinfluencer trend emphasizes a greater need for transparency and ethics in marketing. There’s no reason a beauty brand can’t provide this using brand influencers. Establish clear guidelines for your influencers so when you structure their contract, they understand your expectations for authenticity, advertising standards and alignment with brand values. Mark sponsored posts as such to avoid undermining your audience. By conspicuously disclosing content made by creators and collaborators, you’ll build trust with your followers and empower them to make informed purchase decisions.

Respond to Feedback

If a deinfluencer video knocking your signature line circulates, don’t enter panic mode and shoot off a knee-jerk reply. How you respond can change people’s perception of your brand and how much stock they take in a negative opinion. When you reply, empathize with the content creator to diffuse the situation, take accountability if it’s a product error or explain why the product may not have met their expectations. Post this exchange to your social account to help others experiencing the same issues and to stick to your promises for full disclosure.

Your response should go beyond replying to comments and feedback. Use a negative review like market research. Evaluate the product’s potential shortcomings and any gaps in your marketing strategies or messaging to address legitimate concerns.

Reposition Your Product

Deinfluencers pride themselves on finding cost-effective alternatives for their followers to try in place of premium brands. Get in front of this trend by leveraging your product as a better alternative. Bang-for-your-buck doesn’t need to be limited to the dollar. Use your marketing to flip the script on deinfluencers who are focused solely on price and promote your product as the premium alternative for another.

Highlight Brand Quality and Sustainability

Since this new trend inspires people to choose a path that’s less about consumption and more about choice, give people reasons to choose your product. Think about where your product excels, and use your social channels and influencer partnerships to promote your brand’s values and qualities in response to deinfluencer campaigns. Create content underlining your premium quality by highlighting areas where your products eclipse competitors’, like ingredient choice, sustainability or results. Flimsy claims won’t effectively diffuse a deinfluencer’s POV. Boil down clinical trials or other science-based evidence into easy-to-digest explainer videos or infographics to support your product and refute inadequate reviews.

If you’ve earned B Corp certifications, Leaping Bunny status or sustainability certifications, market these achievements. Show your followers how your brand addresses consumerism, a frequent topic of deinfluencer campaigns. Highlight how refillable, recyclable containers keep plastic out of landfills. Speak to your company’s responsible manufacturing methods, cruelty-free testing or other eco-friendly efforts. If a percentage of sales goes toward a charity — feature this. These messages can assure someone of their purchase decision, and responsible brands are often rewarded with stronger loyalty. 

When deinfluencing impacts your beauty brand, don’t hide — embrace it. Use this time to reevaluate your influencer marketing strategy to build stronger brand credibility and loyalty through authentic campaigns. You don’t have to do this alone. Let a beauty brand social media marketing agency help you navigate the challenges affecting your bottom line. Contact Joybyte today and let’s get started.