Why do people think of hair care products? Well for one, it falls under the umbrella of health and self-care. From beauty entrepreneurs to consumers who just want to look better, you’ll find hair care audiences where there’s concern for self-grooming. After all, hair maintenance is more than just about using a shampoo and conditioner. Secondly, the hair industry we have today has a wide range of products, including hair weaves and extensions. And guess what? The industry is growing at a rapid rate. Now if we look at a few stats just to understand the global scale of the hair industry it will put things into perspective. According to ReportLinker, the Global Hair & Scalp Care Market size will be at an estimate of 121.4 billion USD by 2027. Another report by Technavio suggests that during the period of 2020-2024, the market’s worth will have increased by 4.9 billion USD globally. if you look at Afrolovely who focus specifically on the hair industry within the black demographic, they provide a projection of the hair care industry in the chart below. You can click the link on the image where Afrolovely goes into more detail in regards to consumerism and demand for haircare products. We can clearly see haircare is a rapidly growing industry hence why newly established haircare brands are entering the market. to get a slice of the pie.
Here are a list of some prominent hair weave brands across the world right now. You can get an idea of the market, the variation of products (wigs, hair extensions, haircare and hair styling products) and the type of branding. This should help you get an understanding of why there are so many haircare brands emerging worldwide.
Now let’s talk about business. Perhaps seeing the brands above has inspired you to get into the hair industry. Maybe you had it planned all along, but regardless, let’s go through some steps to help you set up:
Learn about different hair textures.
Provide bundles and look for appropriate colours.
Make sure you’re following the laws and regulations in your country.
Look for donors willing to give their hair (natural hair is more valuable than chemically treated or artificially created ones).
Look up competitors to see the kind of hair accessories and bundles they create. Also go through their prices.
Get a website and create a name relevant to the industry.
The videos below highlight the trials and tribulations of starting your own haircare business as well as understanding how hair trafficking works. Due to the varying quality and types of hair in the market it is very important you understand all stages of the hair business very thoroughly.
Being a supplier of human hair could be tricky business. So let’s have a look at two brands that are already making it big in the market.
Capelli Amore offers wigs and raw hair extensions. Their hair weaves are virgin, which means they are completely natural. And what could be more luxurious than hair that doesn’t have any fake elements? The company is known to produce one of the finest virgin hair out there. Since they use all natural ingredients without acids, the alignment of hair cuticles is in one direction in grade 6A. Not just the direction, but the look and feel is also aligned because a single hair product is made from only one donor’s hair. What is cool about Capelli Amore is the use of social media to enhance their brand, for example the use of TikTok to make light hearted videos to be current and tap into a wider audience.
Another luxury natural hair brand to consider is La’Bello Beauty. A UK based brand, their operations are currently in Lagos, London, and Sandton. They have achieved the status of one of the most inclusive hair weave and extension brands in Europe. Their focus is to provide affordable hair to women who are on a budget so that luxury isn’t exclusive to a certain group of people.
Setting up a hair company is one thing and making it successful is another. You would need a proper digital marketing strategy to spread the word. While including all possible marketing channels, it’s necessary to adopt social media strategies.
Typically, you must do the following:
Create a diverse online presence by joining various social media platforms - Instagram, Pinterest, and more.
Hire social media influencers to showcase your product. These could be demos and they could create an emotional impact on your audience. They are more likely to purchase your product if they see their role model using it.
Out of all the visual platforms, Instagram is good due to its vast audience. And with Instagram Reels, you can get the message across in a number of seconds by making short videos.
You may see a lot of hair brands using Instagram reels as it's believed to expand your reach on the app. I thought it would be useful to get some quick tips on how these hair brands are
Start the reel with a question. Excite your users and then give the answer in the rest of the video. For example, you could make a demo video on how to create a hairdo using your hair weaves.
Bring in customer testimonials. Ask your customers to make short videos and send them to you for a montage. Bonus: You can offer them a discount for doing this!
Provide quick pros of your products.
Now I would like to have a look at some of the methods that I have seen various brands use to promote themselves and to compete with other hair brands.
For example I have come across paid targeted ads, this allows you to develop customer personas according to the various countries and regions that you aiming your advertisement for. This strategy will help you expand your business into other regions. Geo-targeted ads consider the person’s location and display online ads accordingly on various platforms.
Running special promotions and time limited offers is something that I saw on nearly every brand that I researched.
Create referral programs and customer loyalty discounts.
Generate points for every purchase so that customers can use them later on.
Offer discounts on holidays or special occasions.
Try the classic buy-1-get-1 free offer.
Your hair business must strike a balance between online and offline presence. Host events in your local neighbourhood when you’re getting started. You can slowly expand this strategy as your brand grows and you have enough budget to host in-person events at other locations.
Book a meet-and-greet session at a shopping mall.
Have kiosks or vendor stalls at shopping centres if brick-and-mortar isn’t an option for you.
Host events at your premises beginning with your family and friends.
Visit beauty salons and schools to raise awareness about your products and inspire stylists to join the profession.
There are so many ways to market your haircare brand as you can see from the examples above.
A business becomes a brand only when it tells a story. Keep the following tips and tricks in mind when you’re developing packaging for your hair business:
Use custom-designed packaging.
Give the option to include a gift box and wrapping.
Make sure your brand logo is clear and legible on the box.
Keep the hair neatly packed when delivering.
Consider going environment-friendly and avoid plastic. It makes an impact as a brand and shows you care for the earth.
Having a business in the hair industry can generate a lot of profit. It’s also a creative field when it comes to the products. Since there are many competitors, you need to stand out with unique branding and marketing, including both digital and traditional methods.
So you must have a strong social media presence and personalized ads, but in addition to that, you should also focus on local marketing campaigns. Last but not least, branding is everything so don’t forget to focus on packaging and designing! Let me know what your favourite haircare brands are.