The Makeup Artist’s Guide to Rocking at Instagram

You already know that Instagram is a ton of fun—who doesn’t love seeing their friends, favorite celebrities and go-to brands post photos that offer a glimpse into their world? For makeup artists though, Instagram can be a lot more than a simple pastime—it can lead to building your business and your brand! But how should you go about creating your Instagram presence, gaining followers, and keeping people engaged? Read on for the Makeup Artist’s Guide to Rocking at Instagram!

Build a brand

Instagram is a great tool for building your brand, but first you need to know how to do that! Take good makeup photos and try to keep the look of your page pretty uniform—i.e. use similar color schemes in your images, stick to a couple of filters that you use for all your pictures, and use consistent hashtags. When your page is viewed, you want potential clients to have a sense of who you are and what kind of work you do. If you’re all over the map using super bright images one day, then move to monochromatic, highly saturated filters the next, your page will appear messy and will look like it lacks focus.

Hashtags are great for showing personality and connecting to a wider community, so be strategic in using them. Using 20 hashtags for each post can be annoying and your key messaging will get lost. Instead, try using a few for each image, and keep linking it back to your brand. You can also use hashtags to connect your followers to your favorite products or trends for the season. This helps people know what you’re about and where you fit in to the bigger picture of the industry.

Use your own content or give credit

It’s a big no-no in the artistic world to use someone else’s work and pass it off as your own. Not only is it deceptive and unfair, you could even be opening yourself up to legal trouble! Post your own work on Instagram, and if you do decide to “regram” an image created by someone else, make sure you give them the credit.

Crediting amazing work done by people in your direct or related industry can also be a powerful networking tool. Promoting other artists will often lead to them checking out your page, and they may give you props in return! Maybe you’ll even collaborate at some point, or get connected to other awesome people. The possibilities are endless, as long as you’re giving credit where credit is due.

Balance work and personal

While the majority of your account will be dedicated to your work as a makeup artist, followers will also be interested in getting to know the person behind the gorgeous looks. Posts of your workspace, pets, or your own daily makeup will get followers engaged with you. Think about how much you enjoy seeing pictures that give a peek in to the lives of people you look up to. The more you get your work out there and are able build up your following, the more people will be interested in you and your life! Why not give the people what they want?

Promotions

You can promote your services and get followers involved at the same time! Offering incentives for comments on a photo or using your brand’s hashtag costs you very little, but the potential for widespread advertising is huge! Why not have a draw for a free makeup application, or offer a limited time 10% off by using your hashtag? You’ll be bringing in new clients, and will also be reaching your contest participants’ followers.

Keep it fresh

Even if everyone loves your posts, if they’re few and far between then followers will soon lose interest. Make sure you’re posting regularly, and keep things interesting for everyone! Don’t feel like you have to post portfolio quality images every other day, but showing your own #motd (makeup of the day), or a quick snap of your kit and set-up still shows followers what you’re up to and will go a long way in keeping people engaged.

Make sure you’re posting high-quality, brand-consistent photos, and not just random images for the sake of posting. It is certainly a commitment to maintain an active and engaging Instagram, but the payoff is definitely worth it. Plus, once you get the hang of it, it’s tons of fun!

Get followers involved

We already talked about how to get followers promoting your work and visiting your page, but if you can encourage people to comment on and share your photos than you’re really winning! Try posting questions or asking for opinions in your photo descriptions.

For example, why not post a photo of beautiful spring makeup and ask followers what they’re favorite warm weather trends are? You could also poll people about their go-to makeup brands, or what looks they like best with specific outfits. The possibilities are endless, and will make your followers feel like they can get in on the fun and are part of your amazing brand—which they are!

Social media has drastically changed the way people do business all over the world. For makeup artists, it’s a fantastic tool to show off your work, build your brand and make your artistry accessible. Embracing Instagram really can revolutionize your business, in the most fun way possible!

Instagram is a great tool for makeup artists, but where else should you be hanging out? Check out our Busy Makeup Artist’s Guide to Social Media!