A friendly face and incentives go a long way. That is what has captured the attention of larger cosmetic manufacturers in South Korea as an increasing number of beauty bloggers are invited to join the competitive line of sales.

“I was always so disappointed that online-only products were excluded from discounts. Now, as a social seller I can offer my followers and friends online-only products at a special price!” one of the advertisement postings by a blogger reads, packed with carefully crafted pictures and emoticons. 

She is one of 20 that were chosen by cosmetics giant Amorepacific to pilot a new system of selling its Innisfree products online with exclusive discounts that can only be accessed through bloggers.

When a customer buys a product through a “social seller,” the seller also gets a cut of the sale.

It is a new way for the company, known for its portfolio of cosmetics brands ranging from the high-end Sulwhasoo to the less expensive Etude House, to reach out to consumers.

Influential beauty bloggers have always been scouted by cosmetics brands to post reviews and promote products, but they had not been officially licensed by major brands to sell products on their own until now.

Selling products through these “social sellers” has become a common practice for new, smaller companies that have trouble breaking into traditional distribution channels such as drugstores and department stores.

And Amorepacific’s pilot program that began this month is an unusual move for an established brand with steady distribution channels such as Innisfree.

For now, a spokesperson for Amorepacific said, it is strictly a test program. It is yet unknown whether the social seller system will be expanded to Amorepacific’s other brands.

However, using social sellers to offer discounts and extra samples for online-only products is an interesting way to pull in more sales in the online space, where cosmetics are facing fiercer competition not only from domestic sellers but from sellers overseas, industry insiders say.

“Cosmetics consumers, especially in Korea, have a huge variety of choices when it comes to brands and products, and they often turn to bloggers to recommend the products that are worth buying,” said an official with a beauty brand.

“By selling directly through these trusted bloggers, it is possible for brands to bring in more sales. But it will be important to balance the brand’s sales needs with the integrity of the blogger, in order for the social sellers to maintain credibility as objective reviewers.” 

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)