A career in makeup artistry means your business is – and always will be – client-focused. You’re providing customer service, after all! So, here’s a question to ponder: is it more worth it to acquire new customers, or retain the ones you already have?
Obviously, both are important for sustaining a successful business. But if we absolutely HAD to rank one above the other, the fact is, repeat customers are your most beneficial resource! Not only are they proven to spend 3 times more money than brand new clients; they’re more likely to bring you more bookings in the future. Not to mention, they save you money. (New clients are shown to cost 5 times as much money to acquire!)
Repeat customers are key to your career in makeup artistry. This means you’re going to need to know how to bring a happy customer back for the long term. Luckily, there are tons of options at your disposal!
Here are 3 strategies you can incorporate into the business that aims to keep your clients coming back to you, time and time again!
1. Provide the best possible customer experience!
Excellent customer service is crucial for ANY job where you’re dealing with the public. Being a makeup artist means you need awesome people skills – at all times. The best makeup job in the world won’t matter if it’s paired with a lousy attitude.
There are numerous stats to back this up, too. For instance, a survey done by 24/7 revealed that 47% of customers would choose (within a mere 24 hours) to take their business elsewhere after receiving poor customer service. Moreover, a client who had a wholly satisfactory experience with you will have a tendency to become a repeat customer, as opposed to those who merely have an “okay” experience.
In fact, these clients who are “totally satisfied” are likely to deliver 2.6 times as much revenue for your business in the long haul! WOW!
2. Offer Personalized Incentives
Your clients don’t want to feel like just another paycheck in your pocket. They want to trust that you see them as human beings; that you’re on their side and value them. This is where a personalized incentive of some kind can make all the difference!
A whopping 60% of customers tend to stay loyal to a brand that offers them rewards of some kind. There are plenty of different ways you can go about providing this type of incentive. Some examples include:
- Loyalty programs – i.e. a membership/rewards account with your business, points programs, VIP client programs (subscription-based), tier programs (each level offering different types of discounts), etc.
- Charity programs– i.e. demonstrating that you and your client share mutual values, by welcoming them to donate to an important charitable cause.
- Exclusive discounts and promotions– i.e. offered privately to those subscribed to a mailing list, those following your social media channels, etc.
- Birthday promos– i.e. customers who provide their date of birth will receive some sort of discount or special gift whenever their birthday rolls around.
- And so much more!
The secret behind the success of personalized incentives is that, above all else, it demonstrates to your client that you care about THEM! You’re willing to offer them fun, practical ways to save money, while still receiving the same high-quality service. These are the types of efforts that go a LONG way, and help cultivate long-term relationships with clients who will grow to truly appreciate the way you run your business.
3. Create a Referral Program
Any professional MUA will tell you that word of mouth is a MAJOR contributor to the overall prosperity of your career in makeup artistry! Happy customers are more likely to come back to you in the future – and they’re also more likely to recommend you to people they know as well.
You can drastically increase this probability if you give them an added reason to refer you to their friends and family. Referral programs are the obvious strategy!
There’s no “one size fits all” way for you to go about setting this up. You can set your own parameters for the rules, as well as the reward. For example, you can create your program so that whenever an existing client recommends you to someone, and it results in a new booking from that referred person, your existing client gets 50% off their next appointment with you.
A solid referral program works in favor of both you and your long-term clients. It gets you more customers while keeping the ones you already have, which all lead to an increase in profits. At the same time, it also gets your existing clients excited about recommending you while gifting them with a special reward that personally benefits them.
At the end of the day, EVERY client is fundamental for your business and career in makeup artistry. But many businesses don’t truly understand the importance of existing customer retention. By making this a primary focus in your business strategies, you’ll be setting yourself up for years of success in the makeup industry!
Can you think of other ways to retain long-term clients? Let us know in the comments below!
