Influence upon an Image Management Strategy by the Beauty-related SNS Use and the Preference Hairstyle Type in Consumers

Purpose: This study investigates the effects of beauty-related social networking service (SNS) use on consumer’s preferred hairstyle types (i.e., image management strategies). The objective is to provide useful baseline data for image-making, beauty industry marketing strategy development, and the application of SNS-based marketing approaches.Methods: The study included 298 males and females in their 20s–40s residing in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province (Korea) who had prior experience using SNS. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 25.0 with Chi-square tests, <i>t</i>-tests, one-way analyses of variance, correlation analyses, and multiple regressions.Results: Findings show that greater beauty-related SNS use is associated with stronger strategies related to tools, fashion, interpersonal orientation, and ostentation. Among hairstyle types, having a perm showed a significant positive effect on fashion (<i>p</i><0.001) and ostentation (<i>p</i><0.05). Conversely, bleaching had a significant negative effect on conformity (<i>p</i><0.01).Conclusion: The study confirms a relationship between beauty-related SNS use, hairstyle preferences, and consumers’ pursuit of image-making. Understanding individual SNS usage patterns and hairstyle behaviors in relation to image management is expected to provide valuable insights for developing effective SNS marketing strategies in the beauty industry.