Gabrielle Rivera is a QC Makeup Academy graduate and professional makeup artist. To see more of her work, visit her Instagram here.
Yesterday, Gabrielle shared 3 of her best tips for starting your very own makeup business, and setting yourself up for maximum success! Today, she’s back to reveal 2 more incredible tips. Let’s dive back in, shall we?
1. Advertising and Promoting
Like with any business, you’ll have to advertise and promote your services. Luckily, we live in the age of technology! Compared to those who came before us, we’re truly at an advantage when it comes to resources that can help us get our name out there.
Your marketing strategies can truly help your business flourish – if done correctly!
Create a Professional Website
Something that many MUAs overlook is the power of a professional website. Some artists believe that using social media is enough… But it isn’t! As great as social media can be to get your work seen by the public, there’s something to be said about creating a strong business website and portfolio online.
By limiting your business strictly to social media, you risk missing out on potential clientele and other businesses that would want to work with you. But when you have a professional website, you can also showcase exclusive work that isn’t shown on social media.
Plus, a website provides your clients the option to schedule, book, and pay for your services directly (instead of always having to speak with you through “DM’s”).
For example, Wix is a great website-hosting platform that can help you put together your business’s site. If you aren’t the most tech-savvy person in the world, no worries!
This kind of hosting platform makes designing everything simple, easy, and customizable. Because it also has hundreds of add-ons, you can enhance your website and connection with clients, depending on how fancy you want to get!
Create a Professional Portfolio
When deciding which photos to upload to the portfolio on your professional website, remember that it truly is about quality over quantity.
Your portfolio images should:
- Be well-lit and clear
- Ensure that any backgrounds are free of clutter
- Stay consistent
- Be of high-quality (this means no selfies!)
A strong portfolio will show potential clients that you take every aspect of your work and business seriously.
2. Social Media Do’s and Don’ts
Don’ts:
DON’T only create content that are recreations of another artist’s work, or only copy popular trends!
Unfortunately, I see this way too often on social media. If all you do is recreate another artist’s work, or copy popular trends, your content probably won’t attract an overly large audience. After all, people want to have their interest piqued. They want to see things that are new, fresh, and exciting!
Regurgitating looks that have already been done, and not coming up with anything of your own, will drop you into social media obscurity pretty fast. Whenever possible, always aim for originality!
DON’T display a pricing list for your services on your social media!
When I first started my brand, I saw a lot of other social media artists posting a price list for their services. So, I did too. What ends up happening is this:
- Potential clients see your price list
- They immediately make a snap decision that your prices are too high – without even looking at the quality of your work
- They’ll leave in favor of pursuing a “cheaper” artist
Instead, my recommendation is to omit this info from your social media altogether. When potential clients message you, guide them to your professional website. From there, they can see all of the services you offer, paired with client photos and reviews.
This will allow them to get a full, proper idea of your makeup business. They won’t just thinking of a price; they’ll see the quality of the work you provide!
Do’s:
DO post consistently, and showcase different types of clients!
A great way to stay relevant in a heavily saturated field (like social media) is to post your work consistently. Followers and clients want to see that you are booked and busy! Most importantly, make sure that you’re not only posting photos of yourself, or one type of client. To grow your brand, remember to show diversity with your clientele, as well as the looks you create.
DO post your professional website!
Social media can be a great way to help grow your business, but remember to remind your followers about your actual business website. By promoting your site, others can re-post it, or share it with someone they know. These are all potential opportunities for you to gain more clientele. Â
DO post when you take professional makeup training, courses, and/or receive a certificate!
Although you may think this isn’t necessary, it absolutely is! Clients want to know that you are always looking to grow in your field. Especially with everything currently going on in the world, if they see you keeping up-to-date with the latest health and safety protocols, they’re guaranteed to be impressed!
Taking online courses, furthering your makeup training, and completing certificate programs shows your clientele that you’re serious about always providing the best quality of products, skill, and safety.
If you’re just starting your business, QC Makeup Academy’s Master Makeup Artistry Course offers a FULL unit on Business that shares vital tips and tricks to help you get started and growing your brand! Though this Unit is optional, I strongly recommend taking advantage of it. It can make all the difference in the success of your makeup business!
