3 Tips for Posting on the Gram!
Social media can be a tough nut to crack, especially for makeup artists. It seems as a make-up artist, there can sometimes be a sea of the same, and it can be hard to stand out! Figuring out what to post, how to say it, and what your audience wants can be a challenge. You might have noticed that some artists stick to just showing their work, their feed being a sea of beautiful makeup, but still struggling for bookings. To build a lasting brand and business, you need to do more. So today, here are my three tips, for posting on the gram!
1.) I wanna see YOU!
One thing I have learnt from my podcast guests, one defining thing they all have in common? When you go on their Instagram profile, you can see clearly who they are. You can find them, you can see their face, you can probably find one or two things they like, you can probably find one word that summarises who they are, from bubbly to professional to chic. This here, this one tip only 2 mins in, can majorly tip the scale in terms of your bookings. I ask you right now, go on social media and search for a makeup artist in your area. It’s hard right? There’s LOADS! And that’s not a bad thing, I mean who wants to be in an industry that isn’t thriving. But right now, you need more than just beautiful imagery to stand out. Everyone has beautiful imagery. That’s the long and the short of it. But the one thing that makes you 100% unique, the one thing nobody can take away from you, or copy. Is YOU girl! There’s only one you, with your brain, with your interests, with your personality. And sure, it can be uncomfortable to show up on social as you. It’s vulnerable as heck and a lot of us carry the age old belief that it makes us unprofessional. Just trust me on this one guys - your clients have gotta see YOU!
2.) People buy into people!
Your social media should help you connect with your audience, and it doesn't always have to be about your makeup work. For instance, I built By Kayleigh around being a dog mum, listening to Kpop, eating sushi and collecting sneakers. These things aren't directly related to my business, but they connect me with people who share those interests. They humanise me, they turn me from pixels to a person. And when most of my brides book me, they often cite connecting with something on my website, from my dogs, to my unique mission. When you show other sides of your life, people relate to you and start liking you. They trust you, they feel like they know you. Your posts shouldn't just focus on selling your services; they should focus on making a connection, especially if your ideal client is connection focused like mine.
3.) You’re gonna hate me, but CONSISTENCY
I know you’re gonna hate this one, but guys - if you haven’t posted since November, if you haven’t shown up on your stories, how on earth do you expect to book? There is a quote that says “build it and they will come”. This is completely incorrect. If you build a business and wait, this is the fast lane for going OUT of business. The quote should be “build it, market it, then they will come”. And a huge part of marketing is social media. But we have to play the instagram game guys. Let’s put it like this - let’s imagine you are the Instagram algorithm. And you are presented with 2 artists. You as the algorithm are in charge of keeping customers happy, and giving them what they want. After all, that keeps them coming back to the app right! So you have 2 artists, one who uses the app, and watches stories, and doesn’t do anything else. She responds to the odd DM, but generally she hasn’t posted in months and posts maybe 2 stories a week. Then, you have an artist, who is showing the heck up all the time, her content is responding to her audience, she is getting that engagement and is fully responsive. Which artist is the algorithm going to push out? Which one is gonna solve the pain points of the customer? The more active one right. So be consistent guys. If you want a CHANCE at marketing - you need to be showing up. The best way is to plan month in advance. Right here, right now, stop worrying about posting for now. Instead, spend 4 weeks creating and banking content. Then schedule it. In that moment you are a month ahead. Rinse and repeat, whilst being a month ahead. Big business energy isn’t “crap, I have nothing to post, let me quickly find something”. Big business energy is having your posts go out a month or two in advance, whilst you are creating for the next season. THAT’S marketing.
Remember, it's all about showing who you are as a makeup artist and building a connection with your audience. So, let's dive in and make your social media presence shine!