Authenticity as a Lash Artist: 6 Tips to Marketing
1. Show you are relatable
People love to be able to relate to the media they consume. It’s one of the reasons why apps like Tiktok blew up. Every silly dance, every little skit, people could relate to. It was genuine. Marketing has taken a turn in recent years to be more organic. As a consumer this is amazing - you are getting real life, unbiased content. As a lash artist your customers are your own walking talking advertisements - so take advantage of every selfie they take! Ask them to tag your work on their social media. Don’t let them keep you as their secret lash artist! People love to see what lashes will look like on them before committing to extensions, so have a diverse and loyal clientele who will hype you up! It’s all about being relatable.
2. You’ll attract the right clientele for you.
As a lash artist, you’ll attract your clientele with your lash style and branding. Don’t be afraid to show your clients the person behind the business. You’re more than a lash artist, and you have passions that go beyond eyelashes! Show that to your clients on your social media. It will attract your clients, build better rapport, and show them who they are supporting by giving you their business. By doing this, you’ll attract your lash matches - no swiping left or right required!
Let’s look at it from a human standpoint. You’re seeing your clients every few weeks, spending a good part of an hour or longer with them. That’s a pretty long time to be around someone and not know anything about them. It’s often joked about that lash artists double as therapists, but it’s true! Your client is trusting you with their appearance, why not the latest boy drama? Clients who like to be around you will like to support all your business endeavors. As a lash artist, you also have the power to choose your client. If a client doesn’t vibe with your personality or appreciate your authenticity, then you know from the start to maybe refer them to another lash artist. Either way, the beauty of lashing is that you have all the control when it comes to your business!
3. You’ll appeal to a wider audience
Authenticity is the name of the marketing game these days. It’s important to recognize those flawless Instagrammable eyes with perfect lashes won’t drop into your lap overnight. More likely than not, you’ll be seeing a wide variety of clients with unique eye shapes, eye sets, and face shapes. And as PROfessionals, we know that a flick lash style doesn’t flatter all face shapes, and not all clients want dramatic mega volume lashes. That’s ok! As an artist, it takes time to develop your skill, and by showing your diverse clientele, you’ll attract even more clients naturally.
There will be clients who have some wrinkles, or retention issues, or who are a part of the LGBTQA+ community, or who are a visible minority, or who have lash gaps, or retention issues. Take pictures of all your client’s lash sets. This will not only show off your inclusivity as a lash artist and person, but also demonstrate your skill in making everyone’s eyes look beautiful. Clients seek lash artists who have clients that have a few sets on a similar eye shape, so don’t shy away from posting a pic that is not “the perfect '' eye. Sure, “the perfect” eye will look great on your feed, but is it authentic?
4. When it comes to editing, minimal is ethical
Put the FaceTune app away. We know it’s killing you to leave those eye bags alone, but trust us, less is more. It all comes back to authenticity. If you’re not authentic, expectations are that not only will your client come off your lash bed with stunning lashes, but also, somehow, miraculously, the natural darkness beneath their eyes will have also disappeared!
Ok, maybe not exactly, but let’s be honest for a second, apps like FaceTune can be overdone so fast. We recommend maybe a light smoothing underneath the eye and lightly brightening up the whites of the eyes, but beyond that, stay away from any over-saturated filter. Opt for either no filter at all, or if you do choose to use one, keep it warm and natural, and most of all consistent on all your pictures. Let your work speak for itself!
5. You’ll amp up your engagement
Engagement is the name of the game on Instagram these days. The more engagement you have means your pictures will be seen by more people. A rule of thumb for Instagram is 10% of your followers should be liking your pictures, ideally 5% will comment and even share your work. This number may not sound high, but we’ll tell you now, follow the first four tips we talked about and you’re bound to see that number go up!
Mix up your “perfect” and “imperfect” photos, do the before and after pics - whether you accomplish this by doing one image split in half to demonstrate the difference lashes make, or by using the carousel feature to boost engagement is up to you - and also posting edited vs unedited images can be really powerful. And let’s not forget about Instagram stories. There are a multitude of tools available now on Instagram stories to boost engagement. Ask your followers “this or that” style poll questions, what their favourite lash style is, and encourage them to interact with your account by using the “Questions” sticker.
And along with the all-important images, don’t forget about creating captions that tell the full story, even on the more perfect, edited photos of your sets.
6. Your authenticity defines your career.
In a world of classic sets, be a mega volume.
This is your business. It’s success or failure is purely dependent on how much work you’re willing to put into it. What works for someone else may or may not work for you. Ask your followers what they like. As a service based industry, we know our customers are what keeps us in business, so why not listen to what they have to say?
You are not just a lash artist. You are a photographer, a marketing professional, a social media mogul, a therapist, a contortionist, and above all else, a person. It’s ok to show your growth to your clients. Be proud of it! Go be a Mega Volume, babe!
