by By Rosie Martin
Glossier official photos
Emily Weiss was an editorial assistant at Vogue in 2010 when she had an idea that would change her life: she wanted to start a blog. In the Gloss started as a safe place for women to discuss the evolution of the beauty industry, which Weiss felt dissatisfied with. She soon decided she didn’t just want to create. a blog—she wanted to create a brand. Since she couldn’t find a brand that she felt represented its customers without dictating trends to them, she would make it herself.
After the blog earned a wide audience on Instagram, Glossier was officially launched in 2014. with a small selection of basic products. The brand’s storytelling promotes a ‘skin first, makeup second’ philosophy, emphasizing natural beauty and self-care.
Glossier quickly became a beauty icon by leveraging social media to build an engaged, loyal community that saw themselves in the brand. Through user-generated content, influencer partnerships, and direct customer engagement, Glossier turned followers into fans and redefined what a modern beauty brand could be.
Glossier used social media to build an empire. If you take a look at their Instagram, you’ll find they are avid fans of user-generated content. By combining the use of user-generated content with influencer marketing, Glossier widened their audience. By spotlighting real customers and their testimonials, Glossier has fostered a genuine community that values authenticity over traditional beauty standards. Consumers are invited to share their experience using the products on social media, which makes them an active part of the Glossier community. Glossier encourages feedback from its followers to refine its offerings, making customers feel valued and involved in product creation. Through comments, DMs, and interactive features like Instagram polls, Glossier engages directly with its community, deepening the brand-customer relationship.
Influencers have also played a central role in Glossier’s use of social media marketing. The Generation Flossier Affiliate Program is offered for micro-influencers who want to get involved with the brand. Fans can engage with the brand while building their social media portfolio.
Glossier has developed a brand that is very uniform across social media platforms. While each platform is used slightly differently, the branding remains consistent across platforms. In just a few years, Glossier expanded from a small selection of essentials to a $1.8 billion brand, largely thanks to its social media-first strategy.
Glossier’s journey shows the power of social media to not only market products but to create a meaningful brand community. By listening to its audience, encouraging genuine connections, and using customer experiences to shape its identity, Glossier has set a new standard for how brands can grow in the digital age. As it continues to evolve, Glossier remains a testament to the value of authenticity and customer-centered storytelling in building long-lasting brand loyalty.
Hi Rosie! I really enjoyed reading your blog post about Glossier. I love Glossier and am a user of their products, but I didn’t realize that the brand had started as a blog. It is really cool to see the role that social media, UGC and influencers played a role in the growth of the brand. Glossier is truly a cast study in how strategic social media can be used to generate content and capture a larger audience.