Image Credit: Taylor Bencie

Your FYP is the new WOM

Your FYP is the New WOM

Once upon a time, word of mouth meant your best friend raving about her smooth, almost undetectable foundation from across the lunch table. Fast-forward to the digital age, and that conversation now happens on your #fyp or For You Page . Picture this. You’re scrolling through Tik Tok and stumble upon some girl in her bedroom, no PR team, no glam squad, swiping Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk on her lips and casually convincing you to add to cart (without being too pushy). That’s the new word of mouth. The only difference? It’s through your phone!

Kotler & Keller call word of mouth “the most powerful marketing tool.” Why? Because it’s trusted. When advertising feels like noise, a real person’s glowing review is welcomed. In the digital age, word of mouth has exploded thanks to user-generated content (UGC) and micro-influencers who feel like friends. Charlotte Tilbury tapped into this perfectly.

UGC: The Modern Megaphone

Charlotte Tilbury’s magic isn’t just in the formula of the lipstick, but in the formula of the buzz. Instead of pouring millions only into polished ad campaigns, the brand lets its customers become the marketers. TikTok swatches, GRWM videos, and Instagram selfies build an authentic chorus of “you need this.” Suddenly, every feed is a virtual Sephora aisle.

The best part? Most of this word of mouth isn’t staged. It is organic. Everyday consumers aren’t just buying a lipstick. They are joining a movement and documenting the proof.

Micro-Influencers: The Real Power Players

According to Kolsquare (June 2025), “Micro-influencers do most of the heavy lifting, accounting for 61.1% of mentions. With tight-knit, niche audiences, they often drive higher engagement.” They aren’t Alix Earle with over 7.5 Million followers. They’re small creators with 10K followers or less whose reviews hit harder because they feel personal. Regardless of whether or not you follow them, for some reason they end up on your FYP happening to have similar interests and ideas to you. This makes it feel more real. More trustworthy.

WOM in the Age of the FYP

So what’s the real difference? Scale. Instead of a friend convincing three people, a single TikTok review can hit three million. The result: Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk isn’t just a lipstick, it’s a cultural moment built less on celebrity campaigns and fancy ads but more on peer-driven influence.

In short: The new WOM is digital yet still deeply personal. Charlotte Tilbury proves that in beauty today, your most powerful spokesperson isn’t a supermodel. It’s the girl on your FYP who looks like you, talks like you, and just so happens to have the perfect lip combo recommendation.