Thanks to the likes of TikTok, Reels and Shorts (what an apt name!), the human attention span has never been shorter. Allegedly 8.25 seconds, to be precise.
But when it comes to standing out amongst a crowd of 15-second videos, especially when it comes to branded content, longer form videos are gradually becoming the way to go.
ghd is a staple name in the haircare industry, which definitely has its perks.
But in spite of the brand awareness they already have, driving conversions is a whole different ball game. At a scale like theirs, ghd’s marketing strategy has to focus less on awareness, and more on proving to prospective buyers why ghd would be a superior product – versus ones they already use.
That’s pretty hard to encapsulate in a 15 to 45s video, which historically has been the go-to length for high performing TikTok and Reels… Or so we thought.
Enter ghd’s annual Black Friday sale (*as marketers, we’re biased, but if you’re in the market for a new hot tool, Black Friday’s always a great time to buy). Of course, it’s a crucial period for brands as well. And our role? To make sales skyrocket as smoothly, swiftly and successfully as possible.
As guided by our strategy experts, ghd opted for the Mass Micro-Influencer route.
Think PR, but driven through the activation of a large quantity of smaller influencers who have a highly engaged, highly receptive and niche list of followers that love them.
We developed a BFCM campaign strategy that supported ghd’s goals throughout the sale period, not unlike an always-on tap of straight social media buzz which fed new users through the ghd consideration funnel during the promotional lead-up, on the days of, and even reminders after too.
Besides giving you some stellar content for your socials, campaigns like these help support your bottom-of-the-funnel strategy, taking viewers one step closer to a potential transaction.
Also, micro-creators are much closer to their audience than the familiar faces of macro-stars, meaning their reputation = authentic content, instead of a feed of obvious brand deals.
Firstly, know your customer creator. Regardless of the size of their audience, the creator deserves merit for the following they’ve grown, and more often than not, they know best.
We lined up a pool of talent who could choose from a range of ghd’s products that they genuinely would use, because shocker: you can actually tell through a screen if someone truly likes a product.
As a result, our creators created tutorial-first-offer-second content that echoed the likes of a Vogue “GRWM” (i.e. get ready with me, as the kids call it) video.
Like we mentioned earlier, our goal wasn’t to introduce people to ghd, it was to convert them. And as we all know, real results create real customers. Telling someone a product works pales in comparison to showing them the jaw-dropping results the product can produce, and an uncut tutorial styling your hair with the crème de la crème of ghd hot tools definitely shows real results.
Unsurprisingly, top performers came from creators who were having a bona fide yap.
Creators who expressed proper excitement in the use of their chosen ghd products, ones that further engaged with their virtual audiences through a GRWM meets storytime, and the micro-influencers who demonstrated the hair styling process from start to finish.
The full transformation, Princess Diaries style.
It was this very campaign that made us learn that sometimes, long-form content featuring creators speaking to camera significantly outperforms short-form videos that use voiceovers or trending sounds only. Especially when the products in question have loads of USPs, require a range of tricks and techniques to be best used, and are designed for the demographic that froths a little chit-chat.
@mollyrosewalkerr’s 1:31 minute GRWM video saw the highest engagement rate of 17.53% – way above benchmarks in the hair and beauty space, which typically sit around 1.3% on TikTok.
And upon first watch, it’s easy to see why Molly smashed it.
Good hooks don’t always need to be clickbaity words or snappy one-liners. In this case, it’s wet hair. The definition of the “starting line” when it comes to getting ready and therefore, proof of an authentic GRWM video that Molly’s 59.6K followers immediately resonated with.
As her video continues, lines like “I’m not that good at hair” further levels up the perceived ease of use, quality and value of ghd products, because if they can make a so-called novice look THAT good, literally anyone can be the next Princess of Genovia with ghd.
In a similar vein, @mussymus delivered content that hit the sweet spot of genuine and informative.
Including tips for anyone with thick and coarse hair like herself, plus hair-styling tidbits (Fact: Did you know 185 degrees is the optimal temperature for styling all hair types?), this piece of content generated an impressive reach rate of 45.19% – proving just how engaged Muskan’s audiences are.
Another call-out: Keeping in mind the objective of conversions in this case, CTAs are key when you’re gunning for transactions beyond impressions.
Muskan’s closing CTA not only gave prospective buyers a reason to try ghd out (*she cited Christmas gifting), she also reminded them of the Black Friday sale en route. What an incentive!
Know. Know what? Know your creators, know your customers, know all their silly (*but important) quirks, and know how they like to be spoken to.
When it comes to ghd’s target shoppers, you’re thinking about the demographic that prefers voice memos over text. The demographic that debriefs after a night out, and the demographic that befriends each other in the ladies’ room because that’s simply what girlhood is.
Meaning, they’ll take recommendations from influencers the same way they would their BFFs.
And per the comment sentiment analysis we did following our ghd collaboration, it’s clear that’s what happened. From “I need it my hair is just like urs” to “How is the heat protectant spray? I’ve heard it’s one of the best selling ones and I’ve always wanted to try it”, we’re quite certain those are some solid sales generated right there.
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