Knowing how and where to market your lash business is important. As a business owner, you probably already knew that. But, are you putting your marketing budget dollars to good use?  

 

In today’s busy world of Instagram feeds, Facebook ads and Google ads, it can seem like online marketing rules the roost. But, maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss traditional forms of marketing? 

 

Learning how to leverage different marketing mediums can do wonders for your promoting efforts. After all, not everyone ‘hangs out’ in the same place.

Yes, you can target lots of your ideal customers on Instagram, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that online marketing is your only option to effectively market your business. 

 

On this episode, I share the essentials to create a well-balanced marketing plan to help ensure you’ve got a long-term plan for marketing your business. Plus, I answer the question you’ve all been waiting for – should you even bother investing in other forms of marketing besides online? Let’s find out! 

{If you want to listen to the podcast episode on this topic, click on the player at the top of the post. Alternatively you can watch the video below, or read on…}

1. Is online marketing essential to the success of your business?

 

I’m gonna be real with you.

I’ve been a student of online marketing for years. And by that, I literally mean YEARS. I’ve studied all the books. I’ve listened to all the podcasts. I learned how to build an online business from the ground up.  

 

The funny thing is that I didn’t even know I was being groomed for the business I have today. It’s exclusively online. But, that doesn’t mean that the marketing tactics and concepts I’ve adapted for my business are also exclusively online. 

 

I’m not only a student of online marketing. I’m also a student of in-person marketing too.

Focusing all of my marketing efforts online would be a huge mistake on my part.

After all, there are plenty of businesses that thrive on in-person marketing. Heck, there’s even a few successful businesses that don’t have a website or even a Yelp page and they’re high flying it. 

 

However, based on my years of experience and coaching of thousands of lash artists from around the world, those businesses that thrive from in-person marketing alone are the exceptions, not the rule.  

 

Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to build a profitable lash business without an online presence. With online marketing, you can interact with your audience. And, they can engage with you too. Unlike traditional forms of marketing, you can track and record the results of your online marketing efforts to help see what is working for your business and where you can improve. 

 

As much as you might want to fight it, most of your customers are spending time online and that’s where you’ll find them.

You absolutely NEED an online presence.

Without one, nobody will know you exist unless they happen to look up from the screen of their smartphone long enough to catch a glimpse of your awesome salon.  

 

But, even then, they’ll probably prefer to book an appointment online than walk inside and ask your front desk personnel to make a booking. 

 

So, why would you resist the path of least resistance and make marketing yourself that much harder? 

 

What do you gain by fighting where your customers are spending most of their time? 

 

If you don’t have an online presence, get one! 

 

2. What’s the least expensive way to get in front of potential clients?

Traditional marketing is a great way to get your business in front of your target local audience. Playing an ad on the radio or mailing out flyers could potentially be worthwhile investments.  

 

It’s hard to ignore traditional marketing methods like billboards or ads in a magazine or newspaper. However, print advertisements can be very expensive. And, it’s difficult to measure the success of a traditional marketing campaign. You could end up paying a small fortune on traditional marketing tactics that may or may not reach your most favorite client type. 

 

On the other hand, online marketing gives you more control over who sees your ads and it’s much cheaper than traditional marketing methods. 

 

Google, Facebook, Instagram, and your website allows for your business to be seen, researched and booked 24/7 without your involvement. Technically, you could book lash appointments in your sleep.  

 

Online marketing is the best, least expensive way to get in front of potential customers you would never have gotten in front of otherwise.

For that reason alone, it’s more than worth your marketing dollars. 

 

 

3. In-person marketing is still the #1 source of most lash artists’ leads

 

I’ve talked about online marketing a lot in this post, I know. But, I’m not denying the effectiveness of traditional marketing. The reality is that in–person marketing remains the number one source of leads for most lash artists. 

 

Word of mouth is a powerful marketing strategy.

When your existing clients become walking billboards for your lash services, it saves you a lot of time and money.

In the early stages of your business, word of mouth marketing by your current clientele will make up the majority of your ‘hot leads.’ 

 

However, like most things in life, that gravy train of leads based on referrals from your existing clientele will eventually come to a standstill. If you’re solely depending on word of mouth marketing as the sole lead generation for your business, you’re putting yourself (and your business) in a very dangerous position. 

 

It might not happen tomorrow, next week or even next year, but you’ll eventually cap out the number of clients you have that can refer your services to their friends and family.  

 

Unless you can keep replenishing your client base, you’ll need a few more marketing secrets up your sleeves to keep the customers coming. It’s never wise to lean on a single marketing strategy for your business, which leads us nicely onto my next point. 

 4. Find the right balance of BOTH in-person and online marketing strategies 

 

The key to a lasting successful lash business is to have a balance of BOTH traditional and digital marketing strategies. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.  

 

Remember that you don’t own any of your social media accounts, not really. The Mark Zuckerberg’s of the world are in control of the platforms and it’s up to you to adapt and evolve as they do. You’re on their timeline and you’ve got to play by their rules. 

 

So, if you want to keep the calls, texts, DMs, and emails asking about your services coming, you need people to find you both online and offline.  

 

I teach all of this inside of The Lashpreneur Society, where I show you how you can be more intentional about marketing yourself both in person and online. But, that’s not all I teach inside the society. I also teach you: 

 

• Methods of being intentional about asking for referrals and reviews 
• How to craft a website that appeals to your ideal type of client 
• How to stay top of mind both online and in person 
• Ways you can experiment with different marketing strategies 

 

If you want to have a successful lash business, you need a healthy balance of both in–person and online marketing strategies. Despite what some people might try to tell you, there is no one right way to market your business. Experiment with different strategies, platforms, and mediums until you find the perfect marketing concoction that works for you. 

 

Want to learn more about online and in-person marketing strategies? 

Join The Lashpreneur Society waitlist and be the first to know when we open up the doors again to the most transformational business training the lash industry has to offer. You can do that here! 

Have a Good One!

Tara Walsh

The Lashpreneur