In an industry that is growing at lightning speed, it is important to stay up to date with your online marketing!
Whether you're just beginning your career as a Lash Technician and don't know where to start, or an established technician unsure on how to increase your online visibility in an ever-changing digital age, we have compiled some simple online marketing tips and tricks below.
Build A Website
Having a website is essential. View your website as the backbone of your online marketing. Without a website, your online presence is pretty much non-existent.
To create a website, you do not need knowledge of coding or a degree in computer programming! You can simply create a website design for free on sites like Wix& Weebly.
When creating your website think about your client’s journey. You do not want to overcomplicate your site. A simple website template that allows you to have the main page and a photo gallery will be sufficient.
To create the photographs to include in your website gallery, you do not need to hire a professional photographer and organise a full-on photo shoot!
Schedule a day where you invite round a beautiful client or friend and take photographs on your phone. All you need to ensure is that you have fabulous lighting! We recommend using a Glamcor or Ring Light. The addition of a Clip-on Phone Lens will also ensure that your photographs are sharp and in focus.
After taking your photographs, do some basic re-touch. We would recommend an app like Snapseed. Don’t over-edit the photos, but a slight skin re-touch / smooth over will make all the difference to the quality of your imagery. For a few tips and tricks about elevating your lash photography game, check out this YouTube video!
Make it Clear
The terminology you use to advertise your services is key. A client, especially a first time client, is unlikely to know the difference between 4D and 2D Volume sets! Simply name the lash treatments “Natural Set” or “Glamorous Set” so the client has a clearer understanding of what to expect
It is also beneficial to compare your website to competitors' websites on at least a monthly basis. Make a list of lash technicians in your local area and search for their websites.
Compare elements of your website to theirs. Write down what you can improve on. Perhaps it is photo quality? Maybe they have a better website journey? Whatever it is, constantly look at ways you can improve your site to be ahead of the game!
Check Your Google Ranking
Once your website is created and you are happy with the design, you need to work on ranking your website higher on Google. This essentially means you need to work at becoming the first search option when somebody searches for lash treatments.
For example, if you are based in Liverpool, you want to ensure that when somebody searches “Eyelash Extensions in Liverpool” you are the first option!
To help with improving your Google ranking you need to work on your Meta description. Meta description is the snippet of the information displayed beneath your web address when somebody searches for you online.
To ensure you are getting the most out of your meta description, do some research!! Type related terms into Google i.e Lash Extensions, Lash Treatments, permanent lashes and write down the most popular searched phrases and keywords associated with your searches.
From here you can take your list of words/phrases and slot them into your meta description. You can also then include them on the home page of your website to optimise your search appearance when the potential clientele is looking for lash extension treatments!
Ensuring photographs are tagged is also important ( commonly known as "alt text"). Not everybody searches on Google for a specific page. For example, if you were looking for a “Green Sofa” you are likely to click on Google images to see the options available. From there you will click through to the seller’s website.
The reason you see the image results you do when you search “Green Sofa” is because in the backend of the seller’s website they will have tagged the image “Green Sofa”. Tagging your lash images with key terms such as “Glamorous, dramatic, eyelash technician Liverpool” will take only a few moments but again be extremely worthwhile in terms of improving your visibility online and gaining website clicks!
Just like you wouldn’t continue to wear last season’s fashion, Google HATES old, outdated websites. Make sure you are constantly refreshing and updating your website once it is live! Blog posts are one way to keep your website brand new and relevant. Include blog posts on topics such as aftercare, celebrity eyelash styles, etc - basically anything that you believe would interest your potential clients!
Setting up a google business page is also a must! Ask your family & friends to leave five-star reviews about your services and encourage clients to do the same after their appointments. The more high star reviews you have, the more Google will recognise you as a reputable business and therefore rank you higher on the search page! We would recommend aiming for 30/40 reviews.
3. Gaining a following on Social Media
Developing and growing your social media following is also important in advancing as a business.
As superficial as it seems, the first thing a potential client is going to check is the number of followers you have. The higher your following, the more likely the client will be to book an appointment.
A large following portrays you as a reputable and successful lash technician. Potential clients will “trust” you more if they see that other customers love your work!
You want to make sure that the following you have is organic. So although buying followers may seem like a quick fix, in the long term this will not help you or your business.
We would recommend developing an organic following by posting content for lash technicians. Post tips and photographs etc. that would interest lash technicians but not necessarily clientele. This will help you gain an audience on your profile that you can eventually switch for the final consumer. Upload those photographs displaying clientele feedback and fabulous before and after pics!
Other ways to help gain a following include the tried and tested “follow for following”, commenting on posts, complementing work and of course liking posts! Support your fellow lash technicians and the love will be gratefully received and also given back!
Giveaways are also a great way to boost the following. Especially once you switch your content to target clients. Perhaps run a competition for a free infill or free aftercare! Get your following to like, comment & tag a friend. This will not only increase your engagement, it will also give your business increased visibility to potential clients.
Top Tip! Remember to switch your profile to a business profile. This allows you to gain insight into your followers such as age group and location. It will also show you your top posts, and the posts your following engaged with the most. Check this information daily and apply it to your profile. If before and after photographs get you the most engagement, post more before and after photos!
We hope this blog post has been informative and given you some tips and tricks to help you grow your business. If you would like more content relating to business pop us a DM on Instagram- we love hearing your feedback!
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Good luck, we're excited to see what you build!
