Are you a makeup artist but you lack ideas on how to promote your brand clients? If YES, here are 15 best innovative marketing tips for freelance makeup artists. The dream of a lot of makeup artists is to go freelance. This is because a freelance makeup artist is in charge of his or her job.
They are free to pick and choose the jobs they will handle, and the best part is that they get to keep all the proceeds of the job, after paying routine bills. While going freelance as a makeup artist is quite appealing, but it involves a whole lot of other things that an outsider or even a beginner may not envisage at first sight.
For a makeup artist that decides to go freelance, they need have to ensure that their business is on the right track by building their profiles, bidding for contracts, collecting testimonials, handling their bookkeeping, and most importantly, keeping their Online business angle up to par.
To continue being in business as a freelance makeup artist, you have to know how to promote yourself and your business to the world. Failure to do this will see your business crash even before it rises. So, it is safe to say that business promotion is the most important part of your job as a freelance makeup artist, that is asides being very proficient and professional in your job.
If you are wondering how you can market yourself as a freelance makeup artist in a profession that is almost very saturated, here are tips that can help you get ahead.
15 Ways to Market Yourself as a Freelance Makeup Artist
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Look the part
I dare say that one of the major ways you can market yourself as a freelance makeup artist is to look the part. I mean, who will take you serious as a makeup artist if your face is always looking plain? Even when you are promoting yourself on social media, posting a picture of your unmade up face would portray the image that you are not passionate enough about your art.
You need to make it a point of duty to wear your makeup in a very inspiring manner every time you want to leave the house. You are your best billboard, so make good use of it. People will begin approach you to complement you on your makeup. You should take this opportunity to inform your admirers that you are makeup artist and hand them a business card.
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Step into the networking ring
No business succeeds without networking. The more you interact with other professionals of like mind, the more you spread the news about yourself and your art. Networking with other makeup artists can open a lot of doors for you. You can get tons of referrals this way. So it is to your own great benefit to seek out professional makeup up artists in your area and make friends with them as it will help your business tremendously.
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Be bold
I have come across a lot of makeup artists that have wonderful skills, but they are just too shy to approach a client. If you are someone like this, this alone can cost you tons and tons of job opportunities. If you are to be successful in this trade, you need to suck it up and start getting in front of people.
No timid marketer ever makes a sale. You have to be bold and determined because hundreds of other people are going after the same jobs you are. If it requires that you take a short course on this, then do so for the sake of your business.
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Register With Different Freelance Forums
Nowadays there are countless platforms for doing jobs online, for continuous flow of jobs you should start thinking of joining different freelancing websites. If you join different freelance forums, you can find many makeup artists online who may offer to work together with you.
These kinds of websites are usually used by creative professionals. You can build your own network with talented professionals in your area, so you can work together to develop all of your portfolios simultaneously. Freelance websites can get you connected with models and interested clients.
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Get a professional Website
Today, it is very important for every kind of makeup artist to create a website to showcase their work. When I mean a website, I mean a professional one. Anything short of that can project you as an amateur. Your website has to display your bio and rates. You may very well lose potential clients to the competition if you don’t have any website because clients may like to check out your previous jobs online before hiring you.
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Write a Blog
Creating a website for your business is not enough, in addition to this, a blog is also very important for your business. It is one of the most effective ways to promote your freelance jobs. You can write blog post about your previous jobs and upcoming jobs, you can include photos of the process/clients if possible; you can also post tutorials and reviews. You should write your blogs in a professional voice as this is an avenue you can use to promote your business, rather than rant about your everyday life.
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Film YouTube Videos
Nowadays, millions of peoples search on YouTube for beauty advice, makeup tutorials and reviews. You can develop your following for your freelance business by creating high quality makeup tutorials, reviews and giving tips to combat common issue.
When you are creating your video tutorials, you should keep these points in your mind. Always use good lighting, speak clearly, use high quality video camera instead of using your computer camera. In addition to posting videos, you can make partners on YouTube. If your videos are popular, it’ll be an effective way to supplement your income while still following your passion in makeup.
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Create Bookmarks
While business bookmarks may not be very popular, they are indeed very necessary to promote your business. Rather than making simple business cards, you can create business bookmarks that you can insert into makeup and beauty relevant books in libraries.
You can also insert your business bookmarks in new books at any book shop. On your business bookmarks you should include your best portfolio shot, your business phone numbers and address. You can enjoy the real benefits if you can insert bookmarks into bridal makeup books, wedding craft books and into wedding planning books, books about prom, modeling, etc.
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Get right with Social Media
Nowadays, social media is a great arm of marketing, and it is a very effective way to reach your potential audience. You can promote your freelance business on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Instagram and many others.
The best way to promote your business is to offer different kinds of discounts and package deals, sending a link of your blog posts or video on YouTube, you can also update your fans on the current happening of your makeup artist business. For a makeup artist, Facebook and Instagram are some of the biggest social media tools you can use. Here is how to make good use of the two medium;
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Facebook
A lot of makeup artists swear by their Facebook pages when it comes to promoting their business. Be sure to use a custom cover photo. Make a collage of your work with a free photo editing website or create an image with your logo and contact information. Make sure it’s sized to fit Facebook’s cover photo dimensions so it isn’t blurry.
Upload a custom profile image. You can use a photo of you doing makeup on a model, but a crisp, clear image of one of your completed jobs also works. Refrain from using your logo here.
Fill out as much of the “About” section as possible. The more information you give, the better — particularly if you don’t have your website up yet. Include all services you provide — from bridal to makeup lessons to your phone/email. Including your personal bio also helps make clients feel confident in who you are and why they should choose you.
Share posts consistently. If you only feel comfortable posting once a week, make sure you do it on the same day and time. Consistency works with Facebook’s algorithm. You may have to play around with the day/time that works best for your followers, but eventually you’ll find a time that garners the most engagement.
Stick with it. You don’t always have to share images of your own work; share helpful beauty-related articles or others’ work that you admire and ask questions. This helps build community and keeps your page seen on others’ newsfeeds.
Take about 15 minutes three days a week to engage and comment on other relevant pages, and don’t be afraid to pay $5 to $10 per month on sponsored/boosted posts/pages. Unfortunately, this is where Facebook has profited, and even $3 will take you a lot farther than $0.
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Instagram
After Facebook, the next place to be is on Instagram. Use a favorite photo of a client or yourself as your profile image and consider making your account name your freelance Business title=”business name” data-wpil-keyword-link=”linked”>business name. In the bio section, state where you are located and what you specialize in, then include your email and website or Facebook page in the URL section. Write your bio in iPhone Notes or a Word document to format/align it the way you want (centered, bullet points, emojis, etc.) and then copy and paste it into Instagram.
Make sure your photos are taken in natural light. Pose your model outside or near a window when possible. Follow any and all related accounts in the beauty industry: fellow MUAs, pro team MUAs, celebrity MUAs, beauty schools, brands, stores, bloggers, industry professionals (wedding venues, etc.). Search hashtags to find other relevant accounts and comment/follow for about 15 minutes a day. The longer you spend engaging, the more engagement you’ll receive.
Post frequently. The most successful accounts post daily — if not two to three times a day (and once or twice on weekends). Build up to this. Use the same client in your photos at different angles for more post options. Get a closeup of an eye look or lipstick you’re trying.
Share your favorite products and new purchases. Tag your photos with the brands you’ve used and put any hashtags in a separate comment. You don’t want to appear spammy in the photo description.
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Form local Alliances
You can form local alliances for the promotion of your makeup business. Local alliance can be very profitable for both partners. For alliances you don’t need to do any difficult thing. You just need to visit relevant business like bridal shops, bakeries and wedding planners, accessories shops and cosmetic shops, and ask them to pass out your business information if they have a bride that is yet to hire a makeup artist.
In exchange, you can offer a commission or you can pass out their information to your clients. Both options are equally attractive to complementary businesses as they both result in additional revenue for the shop.
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Don’t be shy to ask for referrals
You cannot get enough of referrals as far as your freelance makeup artist business is concerned. You can offer your clients a discount coupon for every new client that they refer to your business. These types of offers are observed more effective than any other marketing method. If you feel as if you’re losing money by offering such a discount, you can choose to totally skip this tip or alter it to your liking.
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Give makeup workshops
What is the best way of telling people that you are a professional then showing them? When giving a workshop, you get to interact with people on a personal level. When you interact with each one on a personal note, they get an opportunity to know your professionalism up-front. Those one day workshops we hear frequently about are actually a great hit these days. Promote your upcoming event on Facebook, Instagram and through WhatsApp groups.
If you have the money, you can conduct the first workshop for free. Make sure the entries are limited though. Choose a particular styling topic, say everyday make up or hair or eyes or products and teach your audiences how to apply them.
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Let your charges fit the job
If the job you did requires a high price tag, then by all means, price it high. Just because you are a newbie doesn’t mean that you should charge low. Once you become popular for your low charges, it will be difficult for you to raise them as chances of your customers losing interest would be high.
Keep your charges moderate, neither too high and nor too low. However, if you want to compete with the top brand names, then it is advisable to keep your charges lower than the experts, but offer services that are as good and as creative as theirs. To up your competition level, you can also give out personalized services and home services.
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Collaborate on shoots and runway shows
Collaborating on shoots and runway shows is a fantastic way to gain real world experience and also have some beautiful images of your work to include in your portfolio. Don’t forget that this is a great way to meet other people in the industry, network and make connections. The people you meet on shoots are likely to be your colleagues for life and they can take your business to places you can’t go by yourself.
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Get Yourself Business Cards
Business cards may seem like an old hat but they are still very much necessary for any entrepreneur who wants to grow their business. Makeup artists are no exception to the rule. In fact, a properly designed business card can mean opening doors to your future just as easily as the absence of one can cause those doors to unceremoniously slam shut in your face. Bring a whole stack along and pass them out at events, display them on your table, and hand one to the events coordinator when he or she comes sniffing around.