*tap tap tap* A burst of powder fills the screen before falling, oddly captivatingly, on a tabletop. Why do I love this so much? This thought occurs to me everyday as I scroll through brand content and see more and more ASMR content. I’ve listened to ASMR for years and to see it get “mainstream,” so to say, is so…relaxing! ASMR has become one of my favorite unique content strategies that more and more beauty brands are experimenting with. When thinking of the authenticity of ASMR and the connection it creates, I thought of 3 more unique content strategies that continue to captive consumers.

Here’s 3 unique content strategies that captivate consumers!

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

Tingly Tactics

ASMR content really invites the consumer to interact with the content in a unique way. If an on-screen narrator is whispering, it potentially invites the consumer to stay with the content longer as the slow delivery keeps them with the post. There are many ways to create ASMR content, but voiceless ASMR content seems to be most successful as consumers find the hypnotic, slow tapping of a makeup case or the mixing of powders or concealers to be “oddly satisfying.”

Professor Craig Richard published the first brain scan study of individuals experiencing ASMR and found the areas of the brain activated during ASMR are similar to those activated during bonding and grooming behaviors, such as a stylist playing with your hair or a best friend doing your makeup.

He explained, “It is known these brain regions release endorphins which cause pleasure, dopamine which causes desire, and oxytocin which stimulates relaxation and comfort. So it is likely people enjoy experiencing ASMR because their brains are releasing this enjoyable and relaxing cocktail of neurochemicals.”

#ShotOniPhone

Not taking the subheader too literally, this strategy is like creating in-house user-generated content. Think of the content you see like a model’s “get ready with me” video or a tour of a brand’s office or content studio. This content is attempting to create the same connection that’s created through user-generated content and that connection is through authenticity. Although highly-stylized content performs well, fresh-faced and clean content performs even better. Beauty brands have reported that their lo-fi content has an effectiveness rate of 164.5% versus 32.6% for hi-fi videos. There’s no denying numbers like that!

New Perspectives

When 9 out of 10 of us want to read user reviews before buying a product, it’s easy to see how UGC outperforms other strategies. User-generated content is proven to be successful, but being selective about what voices are featured is key to strategy. What demographics are you hoping your brand will reach?

If user-generated content from that demographic exists in excess, consider that demographic reached and look to the more unique content. Although there may be more trusted voices based on follower counts, not to mention the influencer opportunities that can come from featuring these voices, representing the more unique consumers of your brand creates a more inclusive brand culture and invites a larger demographic in. And in the beauty industry, there are plenty of voices to invite in and to encourage further expression. Consider not only peppering this content across social pages, but also in email marketing and SMS blasts as these avenues continue to prove to be lucrative for brands.

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Maybe it’s underselling these concepts to describe them as just “unique.” These strategies encourage authenticity, expression, and invites more consumers into a brand’s identity. But then again, it feels pretty great to be unique! And these strategies are more than likely to make your brand to stand out.

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