Beauty magazines were staple in most homes just a decade or so ago. From huge spreads talking about the top luxury brands of the era to makeup tips, these publications were a smorgasbord of idealized beauty. These were particularly targeted at women, with men’s magazines focusing more on sports and how to get women. This was a time where body image was a major issue in the beauty stylusworlds industry and magazine readers were trying to fit in with unachievable beauty standards.
Thankfully, younger generations see right through the problems with these older magazines, and there is a lot more awareness about why such publications are not good for mental health. So, there was a need for a whole other kind of beauty magazine. Now, instead of weight-loss tips and ways to fit in with rigid trends, younger readers ask for much more. In addition, print media is nowhere as popular as before, so your magazine needs to have a highly appealing digital version as well, complete with interactive features and videos.
So, your beauty magazine has to meet these new goals and let go of any problematic aspects of the past. Here are a few ways your magazine can gain popularity with younger readers.
Be more inclusive
This is first and foremost. Whether it is race, gender, or body type, your magazine should not look like it is made for just a few kinds of people. Try to be inclusive with your language, and with the imagery you depict. Your editorials and beauty posters should have models who do not fit within just one mold.
In addition, avoid any language or visuals which appropriates other cultures. This inclusivity needs to be there from the ground up. Your magazine can only be inclusive if the team behind it reflects this inclusivity.
Include social awareness causes
Younger generations are increasingly socially aware, and are active in various causes. So, you need to showcase these causes without sounding like you are pandering to your audience. Partner with organizations which are related to the trending causes younger people are supporting.
Talk about the issues these causes aim to solve, and highlight young activists working to solve these issues. This will make your audience feel empowered, and show them you see and support them with these causes. These causes should relate to the beauty industry, and include issues like body image, cruelty-free beauty products, and environmental concerns within the beauty industry.
Focus on authenticity
These days, overly airbrushed and edited images do not fly like they did just a few years ago. Take a look at what magazine covers have been trending over the past few years. Top models and actors like Zendaya and Gisele Bundchen have appeared on covers of magazines like Vogue in zero or minimal makeup.
Younger audiences appreciate authenticity and transparency. They do not want lofty ideals to look up to. Instead, they want celebrities and role models they can relate with. So, focus on authenticity and do not heavily curate the content of your articles or photos. Be more natural with the language and photography.
Involve influencers
Rather than movie stars and top models, influencers are the key to capturing younger people’s attention. So, keep an eye out on social media channels, and see which influencers are trending. These can be related to the beauty industry or have their own unique niches. Reach out to them for features in your magazine.
Interview these influencers and include some nice photos in the spread. These influencers can also be your cover stars. This will make your magazine instantly relatable to younger audiences, especially if you get the right influencers on board. You can even have them participate in video challenges and games on the digital version of your magazine.
Use striking visuals
In this day and age, visuals speak much louder than words. So, you need to really focus on your aesthetics and imagery. Get the best photographers you can, and also make sure your design team is top-notch. Striking visuals have always been a staple of beauty magazines, and the digital era kicks this up a few notches.
You can use the technology you have at hand to amplify art and photos. However, do not rely on this technology to create these images from scratch. You need to highlight younger artists and photographers to make your audience interested in your publication.
Include AR integrations
This is a fun way to amplify the impact of your magazine. It works in conjunction with print media as well, so your audience won’t just be interested in your digital versions. You can include animations in your covers which people can see using AR technology.
In addition, you can add little easter eggs throughout the magazine in the form of your logo or some other image relevant to the top topic of the current edition. This way, you can gamify the magazine experience for younger audiences.
In conclusion, beauty magazine publications are a very different creature from what they were in the past. So, you need to evolve and change to get younger audiences on board. This is not that hard, and requires you to have a diverse staff which reflects your progressive vision.
