How Rare Beauty Became Gen Z's Favorite Makeup Brand on TikTok

Step 1: Get the most out of TikTok

TikTok is the brand's primary focus platform, where they leverage the short-form video format to create engaging content.

Here’s how they’ve mastered the art of TikTok marketing.

Rare Beauty knows that TikTok thrives on authenticity. They create short, engaging videos that feel organic and relatable. 

Instead of highly polished ads, they opt for content that feels real and human. This strategy not only fits the TikTok vibe but also resonates deeply with its users.

By featuring real people and authentic voices, the brand creates a powerful connection with its audience. 

This relatability is crucial on TikTok, where users crave genuine interactions over corporate finesse. It’s all about showing their human side.

Their TikTok content spans four main pillars: 

• product presentations, 
• funny, relatable POV situations, 
• mental health education featuring Selena Gomez, and
• tutorials requested by users. 

This varied content keeps the audience engaged and coming back for more.

They also celebrate individuality and self-expression, which resonates strongly with TikTok’s predominantly Gen Z audience.

Of course, influencers are TikTok's lifeblood, and Rare Beauty capitalizes on this by collaborating with a diverse range of influencers. 

These influencers help spread the brand’s message of inclusivity and authenticity, amplifying its reach. 

By choosing influencers from various backgrounds, Rare Beauty enhances its credibility and visibility across different audience segments.

Step 2: Connect with your customers on a personal level

Selena Gomez isn’t just the face of Rare Beauty; she’s its heartbeat. Her celebrity status and personal brand have been instrumental to the brand's success. 

As a small business owner, you can also leverage your own personal brand to give your company a unique identity—even if you’re not a celebrity. 

Be transparent about your story, values, and vision, and let that shine through in your branding and marketing.

Let’s see how Selena Gomez’s involvement drives Rare Beauty’s success and what you can learn from it:

Genuine brand identity

Selena’s values are deeply embedded into Rare Beauty’s identity. This alignment builds a strong emotional connection with the audience, who see the brand as an extension of her genuine persona. 

What you can learn from it: 

Don't be afraid to infuse your personal beliefs and values into your brand. When your business reflects who you are and what you stand for, it resonates more with your audience. 

Customers are drawn to authenticity and will support brands that align with their own values. Whether it's a commitment to sustainability, a passion for community support, or a dedication to quality, letting your values shine through can set your brand apart in a crowded market.

Influencer reach

With over 400 million social media followers, Selena’s endorsement brings instant credibility and an expansive reach. Her influence helped amplify Rare Beauty’s marketing efforts, making it a household name almost overnight. 

What you can learn from it: 

While most of us don’t have a celebrity’s reach, you can still build your personal brand to extend your influence. 

Share your expertise, engage with your audience, and create content that showcases your knowledge and passion. 

By doing so, you can attract a loyal following that trusts your recommendations and supports your business.

Transparency and relatability

Selena’s openness about her mental health struggles aligns with Rare Beauty’s mission to destigmatize mental illness. This transparency boosts the brand’s authenticity, making it more relatable to consumers. 

What you can learn from it: 

As a small business owner, being open about your challenges can have a similar effect. 

Share your journey, including the ups and downs. People appreciate honesty and are more likely to support a business that shows its human side. 

Whether you discuss the hurdles you’ve overcome, the lessons you’ve learned, or the values that guide your business decisions, transparency can build trust and deepen customer loyalty.

Step 3: Launch one product at a time

Rare Beauty’s approach to product launches is as strategic as its social media game. 

Rather than overwhelming consumers with full product lines, the brand usually releases one product at a time. 

For example, in March, they released a new powder blush: 

And in May, they released an exfoliating body wash: 

Here’s why this strategy works:

• Focused attention: Single product releases allow the brand to spotlight each new item, maximizing engagement and buzz. 
• Sustained excitement: By staggering product launches, Rare Beauty keeps the excitement alive over a longer period.
• Influencer focus: Focusing on one product at a time enables influencers to dedicate their attention to promoting it, amplifying its reach and impact.
• Plus, launching products individually allows Rare Beauty to gather feedback and insights on each release, which will inform future product development and marketing strategies.

Here’s an example of how the brand listens to customers and improves products based on their feedback: 

Step 4: Optimize your website for conversions

Optimizing your website for conversions is crucial for transforming website visitors into loyal customers. Rare Beauty has mastered this by integrating several effective strategies. 

They use geo-targeted popups that cater to users based on their country. 

This strategy ensures that the promotions, shipping information, and currency are accurate for each visitor, enhancing their shopping experience.

They highlight their top-selling items on the homepage, making it easy for customers to see what’s trending and encouraging them to make a purchase.

This can capture visitors' attention and guide them towards popular products. 

User-generated content (UGC) is an excellent way to build credibility and trust. 

Rare Beauty incorporates UGC on its website by featuring customer photos. This not only provides social proof but also helps potential buyers see how the products look on real people. 

Choosing the right product, especially in the beauty industry, can be overwhelming.

Rare Beauty simplifies this process with a shade finder tool, helping customers select the perfect match for their skin tone. This reduces hesitation and increases the likelihood of a purchase.

They also suggest complementary products in shoppers’ carts to boost average order value. 

Step 5: Commit to purpose-driven marketing

Rare Beauty's success goes beyond just selling makeup products—the brand has effectively woven social impact into its core identity. 

The Rare Impact Fund, which raised over $7 million in 2023 alone to support mental health services, exemplifies the brand's commitment to aligning profit with purpose. 

This purpose-driven approach resonates strongly with conscious consumers, particularly Gen Z, who increasingly gravitate toward brands that align with their values.

By championing mental health awareness and dedicating resources to this cause, Rare Beauty has positioned themselves as more than just a cosmetics company. They’ve become a brand that stands for something greater: fostering inclusivity, destigmatizing mental illness, and empowering individuals to embrace their unique selves. 

This authentic integration of social impact into the brand's DNA has enabled Rare Beauty to forge a deeper emotional connection with its audience.

In an era when consumers, especially younger generations, are increasingly conscious of the societal impact of their purchasing decisions, Rare Beauty's purpose-driven marketing strategy has proven to be a strategic advantage. 

Integrating a social cause into your brand’s core can help build a stronger emotional connection with your audience, even as a small business owner. 

Choose a cause that aligns with your values and speaks to your customers, and make it a fundamental part of your business strategy. This will not only differentiate your brand but also foster loyalty and trust.

Wrapping up

Rare Beauty’s success story is a testament to the power of authenticity, strategic marketing, and social impact. 

Adopting these strategies can help you build stronger connections with your audience, differentiate your brand, and drive sustainable growth. 

As Rare Beauty continues to captivate the market, its journey offers invaluable lessons for businesses of all sizes aiming to thrive in the digital age.

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