That was one of the reasons Stella Thai, professional content creator, beauty blogger and founder of Oh My Stellar, launched her business on Instagram.
Since 2017, Stella has been reviewing and sharing her insights on all things beauty (from the latest product releases to popular K-Beauty trends). Drawing on her background as a photographer, Stella now has thousands of dedicated fans following her brand on Instagram. We sat down with Stella to find out how social media has helped to build her business, her top tips for succeeding on Instagram as a content creator plus her advice on how to craft a memorable aesthetic.
Building a beauty business from the ground up
“I started Oh My Stellar as a personal blog, but wanted to build it into a reputable source for beauty reviews and information. As this was originally a hobby, I had no money to put behind Google Advertising for my website, and so leveraged social media to build a presence and connect with my community. I primarily focused on Instagram due to my background as a photographer and also the visual-dominant nature of my niche.
Through using Instagram, I was able to establish a strong brand identity as well as develop my reputation as an honest, reliable source of beauty advice. I was also able to expand to different types of content that may not have otherwise suited my blog, such as video reels, makeup application looks and unboxings. My social media presence has actually become strong enough that it is a key channel for my business. I get as many brands and clients wanting to work with me for social media content as I do those wanting to engage in blog writing services.”
Using social media connect and collaborate
“My favorite thing about social media is definitely the community. Social media makes it really easy to connect with like minded individuals, whether it is other content creators or casual beauty lovers. The mutual understanding between people allows us to brainstorm and collaborate, to work together to grow our social presence and also to reach a wider audience simply via word of mouth (or word of Stories)!
In addition to this, I love the ever growing pool of inspiration that is available on social media. Seeing other creators inspires me and motivates me to keep growing and developing my skill as a creator, whilst working collaboratively allows me to learn additional analytical skills that I may not have originally possessed as a creative. I credit social media for allowing me to connect with so many other content creators, as well as connecting me with so many brands and PR agencies.”
Life before (and after) Plann
“Before Plann, my social media process was a big mess! I used to post on a whim, taking photos on my phone during my lunch break and rush editing them via apps. There was never any content strategy or visual cohesiveness across my imagery. Since I started using Plann, I’ve been able to organize my content for weeks in advance, ensuring that I was always on top of deadlines and that content would not become stale.
As I post both personal and paid advertisement posts, this also allowed me to easily re-shuffle my posting schedule to prioritise certain time sensitive campaigns. I’m very much a planner and organizer, so having things laid out visually made me more productive and also kept me calm. In addition, I was able to more accurately adjust my posting schedule to suit both mine and my client’s content strategies, leveraging the new ‘Collaboration’ function on Instagram.”
Stella’s favorite Plann feature
“Honestly, just the grid layout preview. I love being able to shift things around, adding in new posts as I go and start scheduling even before I finish editing images.”
And her top tips for crafting a beautiful aesthetic on social media?
“Create a moodboard of imagery that you love and also that suits your brand identity – never lose track of that! Whilst there are a lot of gorgeous photos and strong content out there, they will only be effective if they support you and your product.
If you can afford to, invest in content creators and learn about marketing. A lot more work goes into social media than most people think and getting that solid word-of-mouth marketing will take your brand further than you can imagine. Stay on brand! Get cohesion across your posts but don’t be too repetitive. Mix up different topics and think about what your audience is taking away from your post. Show something aspirational if you are simply advertising, be clear and informative if you are sharing information, or build a relationship with your audience by sharing something more personal.”
What’s ahead for Oh My Stellar?
“I am hoping to work directly with brands in 2022 to develop social media content for their channels, not just my own. I work full-time as a designer, so I love nothing more than making sure content is on-brand, effective and beautifully planned.”
Ready to supercharge your success on social media?
Looking for an all-in-one content creation suite that allows you to effortlessly manage your social media channels? From mapping out your strategy and designing your graphics to saving plug-and-play hashtag sets, you’ll find everything you need inside Plann. Go on, redeem your 7-day free trial of Plann Plus. If you don’t like it, keep using Plann for free!
