Demystifying the Community Rank System

[TeamBIC]

UPDATE 10/19: We're excited to announce that these rank updates here in the Beauty Insider Community are officially LIVE! 😊🎉 Please join us in the celebration by hitting "Reply" and sharing your rank. Whether you're rocking a brand new rank icon badge, or parading the same rank icon badge with pride, all are welcome to the rank party. 🥳

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In the coming months, we’ll be making some further tweaks to our Community, including expanding and evolving the Community rank system. With more changes on the horizon, now seemed like an excellent opportunity to answer some common questions we’ve seen in the Forum.

What is a Community rank?

A rank is a visual representation of your level in the Community, earned through your Community contributions. The more you’ve been involved in helping others and engaging in Community, the higher your rank is likely to be (more on this in a second).

Your rank is visible in two places – on your profile in the form of a rank badge and next to your nickname in the Community Forum and Gallery.

Is my Community rank the same as my Beauty Insider Loyalty status?

Community ranks are specific to your Community contributions. Your Loyalty status is not connected to your Community rank. For example, you may be a Boss III in the Beauty Insider Community and a VIB Loyalty member. Or a Rising Star I in the Community and a Rouge Loyalty member.

What changes can I expect?

When the Beauty Insider Community started, we could only guess at how we’d grow. With over a decade since our first launch as Beauty Talk, and more than five years since the Beauty Insider Community relaunch, now it’s time to rework and expand the available ranks to match the growth of our community.

In an effort to make sure that everyone is recognized for their contributions, the rank system will be expanded from 12 ranks across 4 categories to 40 ranks across 8 categories. We want the community as a whole – from the community newbies to our community leaders – to be included and rewarded.

How do I move up the ranks?

The short answer is by helping and inspiring other members of the community. Do what you would normally do – share, connect, and appreciate others – and the rank ups will follow. Naturally, we can’t share the secret sauce, but we can offer some guiding principles:

• Post content with our BIC guidelines in mind. Reactions to your contributions are really important. So post the good stuff – threads and replies that are helpful, funny, fabulous, and inspire your fellow Community members to engage.

• React to others’ great contributions. If you see a post you like, be sure to give it a heart and tell your fellow members how much you appreciate it. Everyone loves a little love. This helps to bubble up the best posts and makes Community a really welcoming place to be.

• Show up in all your glory. Who are you? We’d all love to know who is behind all those awesome posts. Make sure you’ve completed your profile. This is an easy way to get started in Community and connect with fellow enthusiasts. It’s never too late to complete your profile for a little boost if you haven’t already.

• Contribute good photos and reviews. Not everyone is born to be an author in the Forum – we love photos and reviews too. Show us what you’ve got! Thoughtful reviews and great photos (either as part of your review or on our Gallery) can be really helpful to other members. Photos don’t need to be of your face if you’re feeling camera shy. We love seeing swatches, hauls, shelfies, and routines as well.

• Ask for advice and dole some out. This community is the best place to ask your burning questions, get recommendations and opinions, and share your own. You can feel secure knowing you’re surrounded by fellow beauty enthusiasts. Ask for advice or opinions in both the Forum and on the Questions & Answers area on product pages. 

• Operate with integrity. The backbone of our community is trust – without trust, it doesn’t work. Trying to game the system and move up the ranks will be noticed by the community admins and moderators. If you have questions, our community guidelines (linked here) are clear about what is and isn’t acceptable behavior.

What about the Community Ambassadors? Is that a rank?

In short, “Community Ambassador” is a designation as part of an official recognition program. It’s not specifically tied to rank but those individuals with a higher rank are more likely to be considered.

Sephora Beauty Insider Community Ambassadors (or Sephora Community Ambassadors) are highly engaged Community members across all areas of Community (Forum, Gallery, Reviews, and Questions & Answers). These members regularly help other members by sharing their favorite products and beauty routines, posting honest reviews, and uploading looks or “shelfies.” To recognize them, we created the annual Sephora Beauty Insider Community Ambassador program and invited them to participate. All opinions expressed by the Community Ambassadors are theirs alone.  

Community Ambassadors help curate the content that you see within the main feed on the Community Forum and they can be identified by their “Community Ambassador” badge.

Edited 7/28/2022

Will my rank reset once the changes are made? 

No! 😊 Your rank will not reset, and no one is starting over. All the contributions you’ve made since the 2017 relaunch of the Beauty Insider Community will contribute to your new rank. 

We hope this helps to answer any questions you have had about the Beauty Insider Community rank system. Stay tuned for when the changes are planned to go into effect! 🤩💖🙏🏻✨🦙

[CarolBT]

Hi @Mellmars1185, yes! Rookie as a name/rank is being absorbed into the new ranks. First, we saw lots of feedback over the years that the name "Rookie" itself, while intending to indicate someone new to the community, didn't translate to our members' experience with beauty. So that's no good! 😜  And secondly, we wanted to bring in new 'intro' ranks that reflected the fun of shopping and beauty, and didn't inadvertently make our fabulous members feel like they didn't have the skillllllz we know many of them have! 😍 

[Mellmars1185]

@CarolBT Thank you for the information! Would a current Rookie stay the same or would their ranking change to 'Window Shopper', 'Newcomer' or 'Fresh Face'?

[CarolBT]

Yes @Mellmars1185! It will likely change to one of those and will all depend on their Community activities. ✨💖

[Titian06]

@TeamBIC - I guess I'm not too thrilled about this change.  I realize everyone who has responded so far is a Boss or Community Ambassador.   I was a Hall of Famer in BT.  I was part of the group of community members involved with creating this new community.  We had to start from zero-- Rookie I, but we were told "it would take no time at all" to become Boss.  I am still not a Boss.  I only became Go Getter III a couple of months ago (although it's not reflected in all of my account information, so maybe I'm not).  Five years later--no time at all???-- and I'm still not Boss--and you're changing the levels again!?  When you chose to do this, did you take into consideration those of use who choose NOT to post pictures of ourselves (1) for privacy reasons and (2) for security and safety reasons?  Is that why I'm not Boss yet?  Fine.  My privacy, safety, and security are far more important than a ranking, but, yes, I'm quite disappointed.  Good luck with your new and excessive rankings.  You'll find me at the bottom, again, but I don't have the desire to move anywhere for a third time.

[sister13]

Hey I @Titian06 - I do feel your frustration, but also congratulations on Boss I! It’s way overdue and I just love you so much and appreciate you and all your wonderful and thoughtful contributions!

💗💗💗

[Titian06]

Thank you, @sister13 !  I appreciate your kind words! 😘

[AMK721]

@Titian06  you almost took the words out of my mouth. I was HOF in BT too and remember the switch. I was spending hours each day posting on BIC trying to move up in ranks. I noticed that I was going nowhere even though I posted pictures, reviews, comments etc. etc. I'm still only a Rising Star which is quite disappointing. I love the community but simply can't spend hours every day out here.

[sister13]

Hi @AMK721 ! I definitely feel your frustration and it’s well said. Moving up over here has taken forever and it’s tough to be close but then still so far away. There are a lot of great people from BT who aren’t here anymore, partly due to life and partly due to the changeover, and I miss them! 💗💗💗

[Titian06]

I definitely feel for you, @AMK721 !  I certainly know you from the BT days and am surprised that you are not at a higher ranking.  I wish I could give you some wonderful and useful words of wisdom, except I don't have any.  There are a few threads that I post/participate in regularly.  On the weekend when I have a little more time, I read through a few pages of posts to see if there's anything I can answer.  Please hang in there!  The community wouldn't be the same without you!  I know I would miss you!  😘

[AMK721]

@Titian06  you are so sweet! Thank you. Yes, I'm still around, just not as often 😉.  I love this community, I feel like you are all my sisters 💕 and the only other people that understand my love for skincare and makeup 💅 💋 💄

[misscg]

I also was a Hall of Famer with the original BT and haven't ranked up beyond rookie 2 lol. I was still pretty active in the beginning but it seemed people who post a lot of pictures were getting better ranks, so that turned me off. I'm not an influencer. just someone who loved and still does love makeup and beauty.  I check back here like a few times a year (this time because I got an email about flash being discontinued ). The change to BT and all the lack of cool perks that Sephora used to offer has probably saved me from spending so much money these days. It's bittersweet. Hopefully this transition in the community will go better than when they changed it 5 years ago.

[itsfi]

@Titian06, I was hit with a lot of thoughts and feelings when I read your post. Before I get into that though, I first want to say that I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the upcoming changes to rankings and doing it in a thoughtful way; that is not surprising as that is how you have approached all your posts - honest, considerate, thoughtful, firm and fair. 

I don't know how the new system will work or how current rankings will translate in the new system. I want to say 'let's wait and see what happens' but I know (even if I'm hopeful) that's not a great response. To anyone, and especially to those for whom this will be a yet another change in the system. I hear your disappointment and I'm truly so sorry, titian06. You are such a valuable part of this community. 

I was around (though in the early stages) when we moved from BT to BIC and I saw some of the effects of those changes, so I see your point about what the upcoming system may mean. Still, it makes me sad that you think you will have to start over or be at one of the starter tiers when the new system goes into effect, because to me, you have been and to this day, continue to be, an active member of this community and your participation is filled with such grace, kindness and thoughtfulness, whether the topic or your response is of the "feel good" sort or whether it speaks to matters that are more challenging or require more constructive feedback. You are one of the people here whose comments I most enjoy seeing, be it on the nails 2.0 thread, the makeup challenge thread, the hauls thread, and so on. You always have a good word for everyone - a HOF'er through and through. 

[sister13]

Nicely said @itsfi ! Agree 1000%!

[Titian06]

You are too kind, @itsfi !  I think I'm going to cry!  Thank you so much! 🥰

[itsfi]

Awww @Titian06, I'm just telling it like it is. You bring a lot of goodness to this space and I couldn't imagine it without you (and I wouldn't want to).

[CarolBT]

Hi @Titian06, I hear your disappointment clearly. While I can’t speak to what was promised to you previously, I can share that you won’t be restarting again. I can also share that we took notice of the slower than expected movement and rank ups, from both our own observations and from feedback from members (directly in surveys and in chatter around the forum), which when coupled with the overall growth of the community, is part of why we wanted to give the ranks some more love. I hope we can help you feel appreciated and just know that all your thoughts and comments around this topic (and everyone's!) over the years was considered. ❤️❤️❤️

[Titian06]

Thanks, @CarolBT !  I'm glad I won't have to start over.  That was a huge complaint last time when we had worked so hard to reach HoF status.  I didn't put much effort in at first, but the past few years I've cranked it up because I've met so many great people who are encouraging and enjoyable to talk to.  BIC is a great community and I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't come here.

[CarolBT]

We love BIC too!!! Glad to have your voice here @Titian06 😘

[idanyd]

Superb! @TeamBIC  

[tsavorite]

@TeamBIC , Wow!  This takes my breath away!!!  

[danielledanielle]

@TeamBIC , oh cool!  This does help, and the intro name (Window Shopper), funny!

I'm oddly sad at the demystifying.  I was always like, "how does this work?" No one collectively knew, it was kind of funny thing to not know.  🤣