Using Instagram to Grow Your Permanent Makeup Business
For all the negativity and criticism around Instagram and social media use, there is also a lot of positives to come from the platform, especially if you are looking to grow your Permanent Makeup business, build your client base and establish a reputation as one of the best in the business.
Being on top of your Instagram game can be a key factor between struggling to establish a successful career in Permanent Makeup and being fully booked with loyal, returning customers. As industry leaders in the world of Permanent Makeup, we have experienced the power of social media first-hand and know how essential it is to running a successful business, so we thought we would share some tips and tricks to help all of you talented and entrepreneurial Permanent Makeup artists to enhance your Instagram presence and continue to thrive during these difficult times.
Getting the Shot
It is so important to capture your incredible work with flattering lighting and angles so that you can properly showcase your work. You will need client consent to post these pictures on social media, but we’ve found that most customers don’t mind at all as they understand that this is such an important part of the industry, many are even flattered and excited for their modelling debut! Some are happy for the work to be posted but for their identity to be concealed and there are easy ways of doing this like taking close up shots of the treatment and not showing the rest of the face.
Although the quality of the pictures may be better with proper photography equipment, this option is just not realistic for most working artists as it is a hassle to set up, makes uploading the photos to social media more difficult and is obviously a large extra expense. Luckily, the cameras on most smart phones can take incredible (professional quality) photos that are easily edited and uploaded to Instagram! We would however recommend you invest in a ring light – they are really affordable and will create the right lighting to give your photos the high-quality edge they need.
If possible, it is also a great idea to try and get shots of the healed results as well as straight after the treatment – potential clients often request this so that they can see what their results will look like long-term. As Artists you’ll know that during the healing cycle pigment will fade to its final softer colour, but new clients may not know this. Showing the fully healed results can communicate to your followers how natural the treatments can be and also manage client expectations.
This is such an important tip – social media is a visual platform and great quality photos will make you stand out, showcase your talent, and encourage clients to book an appointment! You might be the best Permanent Makeup Artist in the world, but if your pictures don’t reflect that then you will struggle to properly advertise yourself – don’t let yourself down!
Engage with the Permanent Makeup Community
One of the best things about working in our industry is the welcoming and supportive online community. Not only is properly engaging in this community a fantastic way to make online friends, seek advice and support, and learn from other industry professionals, but the engagement on each other’s posts will attract more attention from potential customers and help to grow your business further. Amazing feedback from other Artists can really help to motivate you and the backing of the industry will look great to potential clients. Plus the Instagram algorithm values comments and post engagement, so this should help to get you noticed more on the platform and build your profile!
It’s also a really good idea to mention and tag any professional products you are using – often the companies will share your post on their stories or wall giving you even more exposure. We love to see Artists using our ID Liner tools and products and always try to reshare on our account!
Competitions, Discounts, and Member Benefits
One of the most successful ways of growing your Permanent Makeup business is running competitions, discounts, and introducing members/regular client benefits. Obviously don’t run these so often that they lose their impact or you’re giving away so many free treatments and products that you are out of pocket, but an occasional competition or discount will work wonders in maximising your exposure, bringing in new customers and increasing engagement on your page. Once a client is hooked in with a competition or discount they are more likely to look into your services in more detail and be tempted to book in for a treatment (even if they don’t win the competition!).
Post Regularly
We know that posting on your social media accounts is sometimes the last thing you want to do after a long day of seeing clients, sorting out your business admin and ticking off the million and one things on your to-do list, BUT posting regularly is so important in building your following and engagement, and subsequently you customer base.
It can be hard to generate enough content and think of creative ways to post most days without your feed looking repetitive. It’s important that your posts are varied so that your following stays interested and engaged. We recommend switching it up between posts about your treatments – these could be close-up shots of the treatment area or short videos showing the work from all angles, client testimonials, generic aspirational posts related to your treatments and industry (these can be reposted and credited to other people, for example celebrities with great brows), ‘behind the scenes’ posts about your clinic and you – anything that helps your client get to know you professionally and understand how great you are!
It can be quite time consuming thinking of what to post as well as writing an engaging caption, so why not plan out your weeks posts and captions in advance when you have a bit more time so that you can just copy and paste when you are ready to post? We recommend posting at least every other day so that your page is up to date with your very best and latest work. Instagram is one of the first platforms clients look at when searching for a Permanent Makeup Artists, so posting regularly to show off your best work and stay at the top of followers feeds is so so important.
Always be a Student
OK this one isn’t specifically about social media, but it’s still so important! Our industry is constantly evolving, with new treatments being introduced and techniques advancing constantly, so it is critical to always be learning to stay at the top of your game. That’s one of the most exciting things about this career choice – there is always something exciting to be practicing and learning more about. We recommend signing up to skill-up courses and masterclasses, like the ones we run throughout the year. You’ll learn from some of the best artists in the world and be able to offer the latest treatments to your clients. Investing in your career will help you to stay relevant and build your reputation as a top Permanent Makeup Artist. Plus our training academy is super Instagrammable and new and exciting techniques and treatments always get the most engagement on social media!
We love to see Permanent Makeup Artists flourishing on social media and always try to engage with you – pop over to @id_liner_pmu and say hi when you are next online!