Instagram can be a tricky business to navigate if lash artists don’t view and use it from the perspective of a service provider and business owner (even if you work for someone else). We want to help break it down for you because it can be so hard to know what to focus on first. Follow these four main points and you’ll be on your way to building the following of your dreams.

Follow these four points to build your business

When approaching Instagram there are some things that should be taken into consideration before diving right in. Already dove in and just trying to keep your head above water? We feel you, and it’s never too late to start going in the right direction. Some of the first few things for you to decide are your brand colors and the overall feel you want to evoke when someone comes across your page. Is your studio light, bright, and airy? Your Instagram should reflect that. Do you attract deep-thinkers and a moody brood? Let it show through your feed. You want to use this feeling and expand on it to provide consistency from one group of photos to the next. Keeping the colours you use within the parameters of your brand colours, and the obvious neutrals for skin and black eyelashes, will help you curate a feed that people will look at and want to follow. Take note when you see things like a bright red lip in a colour feed that is all pastel - it ends up looking pretty out of place! Stick to your colour scheme and both your current and future followers will eventually be able to start identifying your photos through it. That is brand recognition, and your ultimate goal.

Which hashtags should I use?

It seems like everyone is always trying to hack the Instagram algorithm or figure out what the perfect hashtags are to attract a clientele. While we can’t tell you exactly what hashtags will perform best for you, we can help guide you in the right direction. Research has proven that you don’t need to post all thirty hashtags that you have the potential to use. In fact, eleven is the optimal number to use on any given post. Make sure they speak about the photo you are specifically posting and that they target the audience you are looking for. Want followers looking for eyelash extensions in your city or state? Hashtag #[insert state/city here]lash-extensions, or #[insert town/neighbourhood here]lashes. You can also use hashtags to help brand yourself, #[yourbusinessname], so that clients can use the tag when they post selfies. Free promotion, anyone? Yes, please! One more note on this subject: Don’t use hashtags that already have hundreds of thousands, if not millions of tags. Chances are your work will get lost swimming in a sea of photos, never to be seen by real people ever again. Stick to smaller hashtags that will actually work for you.

Final pointers

Some final pointers to help you thrive: Engage with your audience. Creating a community around your brand will start with engagement on posts, so make sure you are replying to each and every one. Instagram users will see that you are an actual person and that is key to building a real following. On that subject, even if you are camera shy, make sure that you have a photo of yourself at least once on your feed for every 9 to 12 photos you are posting. Potential consumers and followers want to feel like they know you and what you are all about. Introducing yourself to them on a regular basis will help develop a following of people who are invested in you and your success. Remember to bring yourself and your own personality into the brand you are creating and you will attract like-minded people. How cool is that?

I hope these tips help you grow your following and your business. After all, that’s why we are all here, right?

With Love & Lashes,

@tress.lashboxla