When people think of makeup jobs, they tend to think of the actual process of doing makeup for a client. But the truth is, beauty vlogging is another type of makeup job you can branch out into.
Adding vlogging to your business is a terrific way to market yourself, expand your online presence, and even increase your clientele! Bonus: You can do it from home!
The downside is, you only need about 10 seconds on YouTube to see that there are quite literally thousands upon thousands of makeup vloggers already out there.
In order to make a name for yourself, get noticed, and have an impact, it won’t be enough to simply be good. You’re going to need to be at the top of your game.
In terms of which platform(s) you want to post your vlog content on, you have a lot of different options. For many beauty vloggers, YouTube is the first platform that comes to mind. Other popular choices are also Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Take some time to look into each platform, to figure out which you feel would be best for you. If you’re feeling ambitious, there’s no reason why you can’t choose more than one! Just remember that which platform(s) you decide to go with, you need to commit to it.
This means:
- Regularly posting content
- Maintaining the brand and overall look of the channel
- Responding to comments and messages from viewers in a timely fashion
- Routinely ensuring all links and videos are still working
- And more!
It may be easiest to focus on one vlogging platform at first, rather than trying to juggle multiple different ones. Give yourself some time to get to know the swing of things – specifically, learning how much work is involved.
Once you’ve developed a vlogging routine and know it like the back of your hand, you’ll be ready to expand onto a second (or third, or fourth) platform.
DON’T: Skimp on the research
If beauty vlogging were easy, everyone and their grandmother would be famous influencers. Because while everyone can make their own vlog, it’s only the minority of those people who will go viral from it.
Yes, some people get lucky, and can gain thousands of followers thanks to one video going viral, but that’s not the norm.
In reality, it often takes a lot of time, dedication, and know-how to get your vlog noticed. Not only do you need to go into it with a strong sense of who YOU are and what you can offer viewers, you’re also going to need to:
- Understand your branding
- Publish quality content frequently
- Use the best equipment
- Learn how to edit and publish your videos
- And so much more!
So, it’s best for you to go into this with the proper mindset. If you start your vlogging career under the assumption that you don’t need to put in much effort, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
DO: Figure out your brand
Part of the research you’ll need to do revolves around deciding what you want your brand to be. Your branding is what will make you memorable and distinctive to your viewers.
It can be any of the following:
- Your personality
- Your makeup style
- Your aesthetic (color choices, design, use of regular props, etc.)
- The mood of your videos (i.e. funny, sarcastic, informative, etc.)
- The type of content you provide (tutorials, reviews, etc.)
- And so much more!
Your brand can also be a combination of some, or all, of these factors. To illustrate my point: think of well-known beauty vloggers, such as James Charles or NikkieTutorials. What are the very first things that tend to come to your mind as soon as you think of them?
Whatever those things are, THAT is what their branding is. Based on the type of content they put out, their style, and their personality, you now automatically associate them with those specific identifiers.
So, when approaching your own vlog, ask yourself: what is it you want people to automatically associate YOU with?
Tip: If you’re already a professional makeup artist and have your own business, you already have a brand identity for your vlog!
DON’T: Post content just for the sake of posting
Yes, as a beauty vlogger, it’s important that you post content regularly to your channel. But this doesn’t mean posting bad content, just so you don’t miss your weekly video deadline.
Think of it the same way you would your other makeup jobs. Would you rather work on 1 client, and take the time to produce stunning results – or 10 clients, but haphazardly rush through each one?
Quality will always be more important than quantity.
Don’t film a video if you have nothing to say. If you’re lacking inspiration, it’s okay to postpone your publishing schedule until your creative gears are turning again.
The internet can be ruthless at times, and the last thing you want for your makeup business is for a lousy video to be the thing that makes you go viral. That would be a death sentence for your reputation.
DO: Invest in your equipment
While it’s true that some beauty vloggers can get away with nothing more than a webcam and a white wall, this is definitely not the majority. Unfortunately, most beauty vloggers nowadays have high-quality equipment, in order for their videos to look as professional as possible.
If you want to be able to compete alongside them, you’re likely going to need the same.
When you started out as a professional MUA, you knew you’d need to invest in your makeup products. The same can be said about beauty vlogging.
At the very least, you’re likely going to need a high-quality camera and proper lighting. Many beauty vloggers also use some form of video editing software. As your vlogging career grows, this may also be something you’ll want to look into.
So long as you commit, though, then the results should be worth it! That being said, you shouldn’t have to worry about going broke in the process. Vlogtribe has a helpful list of necessary equipment for aspiring YouTube vloggers, which you can find here!
DON’T: Forget about networking
Networking is a critical part of all your makeup jobs, and vlogging is of no exception. While you are trying to beat out the competition, your competition is also one of your greatest assets.
Try to reach out and befriend those who you look up to. Not only will you grow your industry contacts and make awesome friendships, their content may help inspire you with ideas of your own!
Furthermore, it opens the doors to even more online exposure for your own channel. Cross-promotions and collaborations are extremely popular within the vlogging community. If there’s one thing viewers love to see, it’s beauty vloggers working together!
DO: Market your vlogging channel
As a makeup artist, you’re likely already used to showcasing your makeup jobs on your social media. This type of marketing is something definitely worth doing for your vlogging channel, too!
If you have a new video coming out, get people excited by posting a sneak peak, or even an announcement, on your other social media platforms. Whenever a new video is released, share it on your Instagram, your Facebook business page, on Twitter, etc.
The more sites you can share your vlog on, the larger the audience becomes! This means more online visibility, more viewers, and even more potential clients!
DON’T: Overlook the importance of proper makeup training
One of the biggest problems with beauty vloggers nowadays is that a LOT of them are not professionally trained. The risk this poses is that they’re not actually teaching their viewers proper techniques. As a result, viewers are unknowingly copying incorrect form, and adopting bad makeup habits.
If you truly want to teach others to learn how to do makeup – or even just understand how to do it properly yourself – the only option is to get educated by professional experts.
Enroll in a makeup school, such as QC Makeup Academy, where you can be taught the foundation of makeup artistry. Gain a proper understanding of makeup theory, techniques, and correct application.
Earn your professional makeup artist certification, so that your viewers (and even more importantly, your clients) have assurance that you’re a pro who legitimately knows their stuff.
Aside from it making you the best makeup artist you can be, it’s definitely something that will help you stand out from the rest of the competition!
Can you think of other helpful tips for running your own beauty vlog? Let us know in the comments!
