Consumer Insights

Beauty rituals are as old as mankind, but with the advent of the internet and online social platforms, taking care of one’s appearance has become a shared experience, combining technical lessons with product reviews and trend reports. 

For eCommerce, virtual makeup tutorials on social media channels can be particularly fruitful, a phenomenon which is called social commerce. Consumers can order the products they see with one click, sometimes even without leaving the website or app they are on. 

As the 5th largest eCommerce market worldwide, Germany is a key player in adopting new online trends and the market is expanding in line with changing consumer needs and preferences.

Klarna’s 2023 survey, which was conducted in collaboration with Dynata, has mapped the most popular platforms for online beauty tutorials in Germany, depending on the age of the respondent. Read on for the results of the survey.

What Are the Most Popular Platforms for Online Beauty Tutorials in Germany?

When it comes to digital cosmetic guides, there are different ways in which consumers interact with them. The online platform consumers most frequently engage with determines the nature of their interaction: While YouTube is designed for longer-form content, TikTok is known for its videos that are only a few seconds long. Instagram falls somewhere in between these two platforms. It allows longer-form video content or short videos, as well as posting photos on its site.

Generational Preferences for Online Beauty Platforms

Klarna’s 2023 report shows different preferences for the consumption of cosmetic online content among the generations surveyed. Check out the data below.

For Gen Y, Gen X, and baby boomers, the most common answer is that respondents do not watch beauty tutorials, and this tendency is negatively correlated with age, meaning that the older the respondent, the less likely they are to watch this content. A whopping 80% of baby boomers do not watch online beauty tutorials, and if they do, they watch them on YouTube. 

The same goes for Gen X, where 19% of respondents said they watch beauty tutorials on a YouTube channel. But more commonly, 64% of Gen X users stated they don’t watch them at all.

Millennials Most Likely to Watch Beauty Tutorials on YouTube

Millennials, on the other hand, are more inclined to watch tutorials than older generations. Although 35% of them say they don’t watch online beauty tutorials at all, YouTube (24%) and Instagram (19%) still have a higher usage share among millennials than TikTok (15%) or online publications such as beauty, fashion, or lifestyle websites (7%).

TikTok Is the Platform of Choice for Gen Z

Gen Z is the generation with the highest percentage of consumers who say they regularly watch beauty guides.

• Of those, TikTok is the most common answer among this age group, with 39% of respondents.  

• This is followed by 24% of Gen Z users who say they do not consume this type of content at all.  

• Video content on YouTube is of most interest to 19% of Gen Z consumers, then Instagram (11%), and finally online publications (7%).

The results show us that of these platforms, YouTube is the most evenly distributed across age groups, while Instagram and TikTok tend to skew toward young consumers. Beauty tutorials on online publications are consistently unpopular, with rates below 10% across all generations. 

Given these different platform preferences, it is equally important to understand the motivations behind why consumers, regardless of age, turn to these online beauty tutorials in the first place. The subsequent section illustrates the most common answers.

Reasons to Watch Online Beauty Tutorials

Klarna’s survey also asked consumers in Germany about their reasons for watching online beauty tutorials. The most common answer is that users watch this content for inspiration (48%), followed by the desire to discover new techniques (44%).

Another 39% of users say they value the personal opinions of experts, while 36% are interested in product reviews. These responses show that virtual makeup tutorials offer an inherent opportunity for brands to promote their products via online platforms, as viewers value the opinions of content creators they choose to follow on social media sites.  

Further down the list, 30% of users want to learn about the latest beauty trends, and slightly fewer, 29%, watch these tutorials for entertainment purposes.  

Brands can learn from these findings that they can use influencer marketing to promote beauty products to customers or educate them on the latest trends while at the same time encouraging them to purchase new styles or tools from their business. As seen with the fast fashion phenomenon and market disruptors such as Shein and the newly launched Temu, sending free samples to influencers large and small can work wonders in generating buzz for products. With the global rise of social commerce, online tutorials have the potential to further facilitate the connection between businesses and consumers who are looking for products and new styles online.

Beauty Tutorials in Germany - Key Takeaways

Klarna's survey provides clear trends in how different age groups in Germany use online beauty tutorials. It's clear that younger people prefer platforms like TikTok, while older generations tend to show less interest in these tutorials altogether.

Generational Gaps: The survey shows a significant age-related trend in the consumption of online beauty tutorials. While 80% of baby boomers and 64% of Gen X respondents say they don't watch these tutorials, a much smaller percentage of millennials and Gen Z share this sentiment. This indicates a notable generational divide in engagement levels, which correlates negatively with age.

Platform Preferences: YouTube is popular across all age groups but is not the go-to platform for younger viewers. TikTok dominates among Gen Z, with 39% preferring this platform, while millennials show a balanced use of YouTube and Instagram. This implies that the platform itself can dictate the type of engagement.

Consumer Motivations: Most Germans watch beauty tutorials for inspiration and to learn new techniques. A significant number also value expert opinions and product reviews, which presents an opportunity for brands to utilize influencer marketing effectively. Brands can leverage influencer marketing to drive sales and brand awareness, as demonstrated by the success of market disruptors Shein and Temu, which distribute free samples to influencers who promote their products.

Sources: Klarna Insights