Based on my personal observation of the natural hair industry below are the top five trends impacting the natural hair industry. I strongly believe that social media is driving these trends.
1. Hair and Skin Product are going green
Black women with natural hair, known as naturalistas are more conscious of what types of products they buy; they carefully checking product labels and looking for products that don’t have any side effects. With the increase in demand for natural products, more hair companies are going green than ever. Natural hair brands are also introducing natural skin products, brands like Obia Naturals are now offering a product like a body butter, body lotion, and body oil.
2. Increase in social media advertising
Social media has proven to be a very effective platform for reaching companies’ target audiences. As such, there has been an increase in social media marketing. Companies are spending a lot of money on social media ads and sponsored posts to reach audiences. This can be done using Instagram or Facebook ads or advertising on a natural hair platform with a lot of followers. You can use data to track the effectiveness of your add by checking the number of views and clicks. Startup companies should plan to invest money in social media advertising, including but not limited to platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
3. Increase in Hair-treprenuers in the Natural Hair Industry
Social media and technology have made it so easy for anyone to set up their own company. Regardless of your number of followers, you can easily start your own business, while working full-time. More e-commerce startups are entering the natural hair industry. Natural hair influencers are selling everything from DIY Shea butter whipped, hair growth oil, t-shirt, hair extensions and more, because hairprenuers can easily sell and operate their business thank to tools like Facebook, Instagram, free website creation, automated financial software, Canva, Amazon and PayPal, Square, Etsy, Shopify and more.
4. More Hair-treprenuers are Entering the Major Retail Shops
In addition to selling online, more hairprenuers are entering the Major retail shop like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, Target and Wal-Mart and making natural hair care products more accessible. Below are some of the brands that have broadened their retail availability nationwide.
- The Mane Choice can now be found in these select retail locations, the brand is using hashtag #TheManeChoiceEVERYWHERE spread and celebrate each milestone. The ManeChoice products are now stocked in hundreds of stores throughout the country and also available in Africa and Canada.
- Obia Naturals made history by offering the first shampoo bar in the Multi-Cultural section at Wal-Mart! Obia Naturals can now be found nationally and internationally at the following locations:
- Curls has broadened its retail availability to 7,200 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide. The brand is also available at Rite Aid, Target and Walgreens.
- The Camille Rose Naturals collection can be found in Target, Whole Foods, Bed Bath & Beyond, and select beauty supplies throughout the United States.
5. Increase in Influencers and Personal Branding
People who have taken the time to share their natural hair journey by providing natural hair tips and tricks using media like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and more have built their personal brand by becoming the face of the natural hair industry. So many people are doing the same thing that the competition in the natural hair influencers continues to grow. Natural hair brands are increasing utilizing natural hair influencers to reach their target audience. Influencers can add their direct phone number and email address on their social media accounts making it easy for brands to connect with them. As the numbers of influencers increase so will the use of personal branding tools increase in the natural hair industry. Check out some Personal branding tools
6. Increase in Content Creation
With the increase in influencers and personal branding, the importance of video and graphic design has grown in the natural hair industry. Startups and small businesses are paying attention to the content they produce for their website and their social media platforms and are creating content that will engage with their target audience. Live Video Streaming has opened ways to new possibilities; individuals and businesses are using Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Snapchat, and YouTube to reach out to their target audience.
What are some of the trends you have observed in the natural hair industry? Tell us in the comments!