We’ve talked about social media before in our last Chic Life blog called Building an Online Presence as a Makeup Artist. It’s an ever-growing field that can make or break your business! Living in New York can be a challenge for those trying to break into the professional beauty industry. There are so many other talented makeup artists in the area which makes it harder to stand out. However, at our makeup school in NYC, we know that social media is important for a makeup artist. We have a course available to anyone who enrolls called Digital Beauty. It’s taught by Christina Vega, who is not only a professional makeup artist, an instructor at Chic Studios but also a social media influencer! She currently stands at almost 40k followers on her page and is constantly gaining more attention from her amazing makeup tutorials to her gorgeous curly hair. Take your business to the next level and see why social media is important for a makeup artist in NYC!
By creating a social media presence online, your job as a freelance makeup artist will become a lot easier. It’s easier for both old and new clients to contact you and you can market your skills instantly. It’s a dynamic marketing tool and it’s absolutely cost-effective.
Mix It Up (Feed Aesthetic)
If you’re looking to create a makeup business that targets brides, sign up for the platforms where they hang out! Brides want the best and most beautiful look for their wedding—by showcasing your work in on social media apps that brides frequent, you’ll increase your potential to reel in new clients. In this case, image-based platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, are your go-to spots. First impressions are very important! With your Instagram profile, you want to make sure that person stays on your page for the longest amount of time possible. Take the time to curate your feed– don’t just post selfies! Showcase before/after photos, products you’ve been loving, makeup looks you’ve created on yourself, etc. Post frequently on stories to show people what you’re up to and how you set up your makeup station. Social media is all about visuals, so make use of what Instagram has to offer!
Encourage Reviews
The holy grail of all businesses: customer reviews! The most accessible reviews online are on Google and Facebook. A few five-star reviews on your business page can amp up your credibility quickly! After finishing up a freelance job, always encourage your clients to leave reviews on your Facebook or Google page. Facebook is one of the top places potential customers will go to check out a new business and the more people are engaging with that page, the higher you’ll go up in the search results. Optimize your profile to be professional, reputable, and in-demand. Make sure on your various social pages, you also include the link to your professional website and list credentials. Whatever you post on your Instagram, you should also post on your Facebook as well. You’ll reach double your audience in no time!
After our students have completed our Professional Makeup Course, we always tell them to add that they’re a professional makeup artist, where they graduated from, and their location in their social media bios. Don’t be afraid to list your education on social media—it will speak to your hard work and skill level! This gives potential clients the credibility that they need to hire you and know that you’re professionally trained and experienced. Keep in mind that not every review will be raving about your amazing makeup artistry skills. If you happen to get a customer who was unsatisfied, try to settle it offline in a professional manner!
Engagement is Key
With every social media we post on here, we have to include this point! If you want more business, then you need to engage with old customers, friends, new followers, etc. Simply leaving comments like “Amazing work” “Love this look!” “Great inspiration” on posts featured in the makeup artists hashtags makes a huge difference than not posting at all. When you get comments on your posts, reply back with some kind words thanking them. A little can go a long way and the more you engage, the higher your profile visibility goes up. In the caption of your photos, ask your followers questions and tell them to leave their responses in the comments section. Utilize the poll feature to get to know your followers and answer any appropriate questions that have been privately messaged to you. Doing this shows to potential customers that you value their input!
If you can create a schedule for your social media posts, you’ll be able to create new content every week. Are you a #tbt kind of makeup artist? Or do you prefer some #mondaymotivation in your life? Using hashtags and sticking to a schedule can give your followers something to look forward to from your brand.
Share New Ideas
As a professional makeup artist, you’re looked up to when it comes to trends and new techniques. You’re probably already subscribed to the best beauty blogs and YouTube channels, but are your followers? By sharing interesting content with them, you’re showing customers how passionate you are about your career and the makeup industry. You’re on trend and able to give them whatever look they ask for– if it’s cut crease, halo eye, contour, and highlight– you’re a pro and you know how to do it! You’re also giving your customers information that they need when it comes to looks they want to see on themselves. If you have posts about doing a certain clients makeup and your customer loves that look, you can tweak it and make sure it works best for them. The customer will take any advice you give them, you’re the expert!
You can also take it a bit further by starting your own blog just like we did! As a professional makeup school, we wanted to step outside the usual social media posts and provide more information to anyone interested in the makeup industry. Yes, we’ll showcase our courses, but we’ll also provide tips and beauty advice! If you’re going to start a beauty blog–focus on the makeup industry, review products, discuss interesting events…whatever is important to you! Your followers value your opinion and they’d love to hear more of it.
Be Original
Yes, social media is huge and it might seem easier to follow your peers– but we suggest staying true to yourself and being original! Some people can follow up to 1,000 people at a time and with all the tips we’ve provided, we know you’ll be able to stand out and become one of the first posts they see when opening up their Instagram. Be creative and think outside the box when posting a photo. Videos receive much more engagement, so throw that into the mix as well if you see your likes and comments going under. A new feature that’s super helpful for makeup artists is to change your Facebook and Instagram page into a business page! You’ll be able to add more buttons so that people can contact you easier along with being able to keep track of how well your post performs in terms of engagement (likes, comments, shares). This will give you an idea of the content that interests your followers. From there, you can create posts about topics that will catch your clients’ attention!
As you grow your social media presence, it’s easy to start up on new platforms. You already have a following—just let them know where else to find you! Remember to stay inspired and showcase things that your followers want to see! They’re going to be super beneficial for your growing career as a makeup artist.
We’re social! Be sure to follow Chic Studios on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.