POV: Your Small Business Needs a Skincare Routine Too

Okay, hear me out. What if building your small business was kind of like creating a skincare routine?

When you first start using skincare, you have to figure out what actually works for you. You might try different cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and other products before finding the right routine.

Even after finding the perfect products, using them one time is not going to give you perfect skin overnight. You have to stay consistent.

Building your business and growing your brand on TikTok works the same way. You need a strong foundation, content with a purpose, genuine connections, brand protection, and the patience to give your strategy time to work.

1. Your Cleanser: Build a Strong Foundation

A cleanser prepares your skin for the rest of your routine. For your business, this means understanding your brand before you start posting every TikTok trend you see.

Ask yourself:

• What does my business offer?

• Who am I trying to reach?

• What problem does my product or service solve?

• What makes my business different?

• Why should someone support my business instead of going somewhere else?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you create content that feels connected to your business instead of random. Trends can help you reach new people, but they should still make sense for your brand and audience.

2. Your Serum: Create Content With a Purpose

A serum normally targets a specific skincare concern. Your TikTok content should have a purpose too.

Think about what you want each video to accomplish. Do you want to introduce your business, educate your audience, answer a question, promote a product, or help people connect with your story?

Content ideas can include:

• Behind-the-scenes videos

• The story of how your business started

• Product demonstrations

• Customer questions and answers

• Educational tips

• Employee introductions

• Appropriate trends

• Funny or relatable business moments

• Customer reviews and testimonials

Not every post has to scream, “Buy my product!”

Sometimes, people simply want to connect with the person behind the business. Showing your personality and sharing your story can help your audience understand who you are and why your business matters.

3. Your Moisturizer: Build Relationships

Moisturizer helps support and strengthen your skin. For your business, this step is about building relationships with your audience.

Do not post a video and disappear. Respond to comments, answer questions, thank customers for their support, and interact with the people who follow your business.

TikTok gives small businesses the opportunity to reach people without having the same marketing budget as a large company. One creative video could introduce your business to customers who may have never known it existed.

The goal is not only to gain views. The goal is to create a community of people who recognize your brand, trust your business, and want to continue supporting you.

4. Your SPF: Protect Your Brand

We cannot complete an entire skincare routine and then skip sunscreen.

Your SPF is how you protect your brand.

Just because something is trending does not mean your business has to participate in it. Before posting, think about whether the trend matches your brand, values, and audience.

Have fun and show your personality, but remember that everything you post represents your business. A video may only last a few seconds, but the impression it creates can last much longer.

You should also keep your messaging, colors, tone, and overall brand identity consistent. This makes your business easier for people to recognize across different platforms.

5. Consistency Is the Real Routine

Your skin does not completely change after following your skincare routine once. Your business probably will not grow overnight after posting one TikTok either.

Keep posting. Keep learning. Pay attention to the videos your audience enjoys and the questions they ask. If something is not working, try a different approach.

Consistency does not mean posting constantly or copying every trend. It means continuing to show up with content that represents your business and provides value to your audience.

Final Thoughts

Supporting a small business is about more than purchasing a product or service. You are supporting someone’s idea, dream, and sometimes something they have spent years working to build.

If you are a small-business owner trying to grow your brand, think about your business like your skincare routine:

• Start with a strong foundation.

• Create content with a purpose.

• Build relationships with your audience.

• Protect your brand.

• Stay consistent.

• Give your strategy time to grow.

Need Help Growing Your Brand?

The Tarleton State University Small Business Development Center is here to support entrepreneurs and small-business owners through free, confidential business advising.

Whether you need help with your marketing strategy, business plan, social media presence, or next stage of growth, the SBDC can help you find a routine that works for your business.

Contact the Tarleton SBDC to get started.