How Social Media can Help you Make Smarter Beauty Buys

The concept of purchasing a beauty product online and not in store used to seem absolutely insane to me.  You want me to order something I am going to put on my FACE without first testing it out in person? Nope.  However, I found increasing incentives of online shopping as I became busier with school and work.  Yes, I still enjoy and even prefer to make that in person trip to Sephora (a certified “happy place” of mine) but sometimes, that is just not going to happen.  However, fear not, I found 3 major hacks for purchasing the right beauty products online that even I trust.

1. Search Instagram
1. It's hard to know which shades of a product will either A. compliment you entirely, or B. wash you out completely.  This is what makes online purchases in this department so risky.  To help counteract the fate of looking like casper the ghost, I suggest using Instagram's tag search.  If the product you are looking to buy is somewhat popular and belongs to a big brand, chances are that people have used the product, taken a picture, and tagged the name int that posted photo.  Voila! I search the shade I’m interested in and see if any of my results look as if they have similar skin tones to mine.  You get real products on real people.  This helps me to get a better idea of what would ultimately look best on me.

   

   I searched "hang up lipstick" into the "Tag" search to get multiple results for Mac's Hangup lipstick shade, all on different skin tones.

   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Find Honest Reviews
1. Use youtube to research reviews posted beauty bloggers who have tested out the products. Most reviews are honest, but look out for those who may be sponsored.  A lot of time you will get to witness a bloggers initial reaction to the product.  They may comment under their breath “That is a thinner consistency than I thought it would be..”  I always watch multiple vlogs before making a purchase.  You can even go a step further to read comments in response to a video for feedback from users just like you who don’t blog (a.k.a should not be biased)!
3. Watch Tutorials
1. You can also watch tutorials on how to use certain products so that you are not disappointed when something doesn’t work exactly like you had imagined.  It’s even more important view these tutorials to learn the best way, or multiple ways to use a certain product to get its full benefit and your money’s worth.

10 Tips for Stellar Marketing Interns

"Be here by 8am!" "We do casual Fridays." "This summer your project is..."

All of the above are extremely important bits of information, however, there is much more to know.  Below I have compiled my top 10 tips for interning.  These are the things I inevitably learned in time, but would have loved to of known from the start.  Some seem obvious, but trust me, in the midst of a busy internship, you WILL need to be reminded.

Disclaimer: These tips are written from the experience of a marketing internship, but can be seamlessly applied to other areas of study.

1. Emailing
• Keep your emails simple, and use bullets where you can.  Short and to the point emails have a much higher response rate, swear.
• Be Direct, not rude.  There is a difference. This rule also stands for emails you receive. People do not hate you just because they failed to include the term "LOL" or left out the classic "haha".
• Try to avoid words that sound unsure/weak.  These are guidelines, not commandments.  If you are clearly at fault, apologize, but in a professional manner!  Confident emails exclude these words:
• just
• hopefully
• actually
• kind of
• sorry 
• so
2. Keep things moving
• Do what you need to keep the ball rolling on your projects.  They are ultimately YOUR deliverables, take ownership and be assertive.  Think multiple steps ahead.  Who should you email to get what you need? Can it be instantly resolved by "pinging" or sending an IM? Yes? Do it.
3. Get stuff done
• Think big picture; efficient solutions that live on.  But make no mistake, GET STUFF DONE.  Little steps produce big results.  Use your time wisely.
4. Ask for Feedback
• Asking for feedback is hard.  Asking for feedback is critical.  Asking for feedback is the best way to learn.  Bottom line, ask for feedback.  Take this feedback constructively, not personally.  Remember to also give feedback when appropriate.  Your eyes are fresh, it's an advantage to the company.
5. Reach out
• DO not hesitate to reach out. There are so many quick ways to do this, especially in this instant digital age. Send a ping, send an email, be old fashioned and walk to their desk.  Most big companies even have their own form of social media for employees, Yammer being one for example.  Create a profile and send out those follow requests! What's the worst that could happen?  People are here to help you and want to see you succeed.  Take advantage of your resources and collaborate towards your goals.
6. Ask questions
• People want you to ask questions, even if just to clarify.  This implies that you listen, pay attention to detail, and are engaged.  Curiosity indicates intelligence and demonstrates you thought process.
7. Make timelines
• Make a timeline and hold yourself to it.  Within that timeline, develop measurable milestones.  Revisit this timeline everyday to see how you are tracking and set daily priorities.  Share this information with you manager.  Make use of online tools like outlook calendars or XMind programs to map timelines.  You will not regret this extra effort.
8. Love technology
• This tip is key to any marketing internship, especially those involving social media and digital marketing.  Marketing goes where the people are, and these days, people are digital.  That being said,  technology is your friend. Say it with me.  Technology is your friend.  All together now!  TECHNOLOGY IS YOUR FRIEND.  Be open to building new skills and using new programs.  Research innovative methods of completing ordinary tasks.  Become a digital wizard.  If the company already stakes claim to numerous online platforms, how can they be improved?  If they are not yet there, how can you get them started?  Everything in this industry is moving to online platforms, you best know how to use them if you want to be successful.
9. Presenting
• Whether its a conference call, a WebX, a traditional presentation, or all three, prepare and give it your best.  Do research on presentation structure and speaking tips.  Practice makes perfect.  Remember, everyone works differently, if you need to prepare more than others, do it.  Be cool, calm, collected and confident.  Remember to be you, a professional you, but do not lose sight of that marvelous personality.
10. Keep it high level
• Keep your presentation material top level.  Know the details to their core, but don't word vomit them.  Be aware of your audience's knowledge and understanding, then accommodate to that level.  Select a few impactful statistics instead of flooding the presentation with numbers.

Remember:

• An internship is what you make of it.  Introduce yourself.  Put yourself out there.  Observe and gain all the knowledge you can.  This is an investment in YOUR future.