Building a Social-First Playbook for Global Beauty Expansion

Brands defined by region, such as K‑Beauty, J‑Beauty, A‑Beauty and Ayurvedic beauty, are establishing powerful cultural narratives that are winning hearts worldwide. TikTok is powering this global surge, catapulting once-local skincare routines into international trends. The hashtag #KBeauty alone has over 9.5 billion views, and the search for “Korean glass skin” rose 134% year-on-year. Consumers today are more interested in ingredient provenance and cultural heritage than ever before.

Brands such as TirTir and Medicube have emerged as fast-growing global success stories in 2025, with their earned media value rising 315% and 29% QoQ respectively. With K-beauty expanding its global reach, brands like PureSeoul, Moida and Skin Cupid have opened flagship stores in the UK.  

So, looking to expand with a social-first approach? We’ve rounded up the essentials to building a social strategy to expand into global markets.

‍

A social-first playbook for regional beauty brands:

1. Introduce your brand story - Highlight what makes your beauty brand rooted in a specific culture through rituals, ingredients and founder stories. Consumers, especially Gen Z, value transparent, culturally rich narratives with consistent messaging. Use local languages, influencers and cultural references to attract consumers without diluting your brand identity.

2. Activate discovery through Social SEO: With Google indexing Instagram posts and TikTok increasingly being used as a search engine, brands should implement a strategic framework to spotlight your brand through social SEO. Create social content with discoverability in mind.

3. Partner with influencers – Collaborate with influencers with trusted audiences within the market you’re expanding into. Create partnerships that are representative of your brand values to target niche audiences within beauty and skincare. With the rise of Dermfluencers, collaborate with skincare and beauty experts to break down ingredients and benefits of using your products.

4. Build a community – Let consumers into the brand experience through a mix of behind-the-scenes content, employee-generated moments and founder-led storytelling. Whether it’s day-in-the-life clips, staff product picks, or the founder sharing the “why” behind decisions, this kind of content builds transparency, trust and a sense of inclusion that turns audiences into loyal communities.

5. Integrate social commerce - During product drops or events, go live with trusted influencers to create live-shopping opportunities. Seamless commerce integration via TikTok Shop or Instagram Shopping allows for real-time education and full-funnel impact.

Need help building a social strategy for your brand expansion? Get in touch.

‍