Where do overseas shoppers first discover K-beauty? TikTok vs Instagram

One question always comes up when setting an overseas marketing budget: "Where do people first hear about our brand?" Going by the mood in international beauty communities, each platform seems to play a slightly different role.

What people often say about TikTok

• Videos from small accounts can spread through recommendations, which helps first discovery for new brands
• Short, striking moments like texture shots and before-and-afters tend to work
• But trends move fast, so a product that blows up can be forgotten quickly

What people often say about Instagram

• Seen as the place where already-curious people come to check out the brand's account
• Organized information, like product photos and ingredient cards, builds trust
• Reels expanded discovery, but many still describe it as a "verification" channel

Elsewhere

• Communities like Reddit are often described as places where people look for collections of real user reviews rather than ads

How do your overseas customers first find you? And how do you split roles between channels?

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