Tips on promoting my little business?

[Questionqueen]

Hi I am a nail tech and I am trying to push my work but it doesn't seem to be getting far at the moment. I say at the moment because I have all intentions to not stopping until it gets out there and I am smashing it!
Has anyone got any tips on what I can do to promote it please? I feel no one does business cards anymore. Facebook isn't getting me much (anymore) and instagram is the same. Thanks

Have you got a Facebook group? You can invite people to join (even if it's your mum/auntie/friend to start with!) then you can start to build your client group. You can do offers, or ask for models to help build up your portfolio, people like to see good photos of your work.
Also advertise on all the local pages, some only allow business adverts once a week so make sure you read the rules!
I run a craft business through Facebook and it took about 2 years to really get my name out there and get repeat customers. Instagram is pretty useless in my opinion, I'm more on there to chat with other crafters.

Thank you. Saying it took a while for you reassured me to be honest. I am posting in local groups asking for models and doing offers but still it's quite slow. I have made a Facebook page but didn't even think about inviting people when you can invite your whole friends list. I will do it now. Thank you! X

My nail salon has 3.5k followers on IG and they're so busy (8 techs). They post nail pics but also birthday messages to the staff, have a monthly best nails comp, guess how w many snowflakes are stamped in December / eggs in the month before Easter / hearts for Valentines etc. They also have a loyalty card, so a business card with a reason to keeping it! 5 stamps for 10% off and 10 stamps for 20%.

Do you own a car? You could get it wrapped and advertise everywhere you go.

I found my nail tech on Next Door, she included a link to her instagram which had lots of photos of her work. Having it on Nextdoor means you can target people local to your area, just make sure you have some good photos of your work that they can see. X

What's your local competition like?

Post on local Facebook groups?
Take loads of good photos/videos?
Social media giveaway to get more followers (for social proof as well as build audience)

Stop calling it your 'little business'. you need to take it seriously before others will!

Establish who you want to work with (that's not everyone), and get to understand them. What is their lifestyle? Why do they want their nails done? Where do the "hang out?" they might not necessarily be online, they might be in forums like this. Really get to understand what they like, what they dislike and what makes them take action.

That is the most important part of marketing any business :)

For nails it’s really about people seeing your style and trusting you, so photos and short videos go a long way. Local pages, Nextdoor, even WhatsApp community groups can get you in front of the right people. I also run my business through Search Party so I can tell if I’m actually visible in AI as well as regular search, not just on social media. It’s reassuring to know people can actually find me when they ask online.

i think facebook is the best options you can still use maybe by opening a page and run an ads which you focus only on people around you and also you can use tiktok by posting videos everyday and make sure you use #hashtags so it can rank well

Hey @Questionqueen there’s some really great advice on here!

How are you taking your bookings at the moment? E.g. by WhatsApp, a booking portal like booksolo, or a website? I know websites can get pricey for startups, so maybe a portal like booksolo might be an option for you? This would give you a more polished, professional feel - and position you as more established and reliable - than taking bookings through Messenger or WhatsApp.

Paid Facebook ads of course take money, but given the local nature of your business you could see results from just £1 a day. It is recommended that you leave an ad running for 2-3 months for best impact, but you could always start with 1 month and see how it goes. Good for generating traffic, and targeting means you will get your brand in front of the people in your area who are likely to engage with your services.

And whenever you have a client or do some practice nails, make a short reel out of your work, as well as the photos! Then Facebook and Instagram can push them out to the people who would be interested in that sort of content. May not always bring in clients as they could be shown to anyone who might not be local, but engagement would boost your page’s algorithms, and in turn increase your brand awareness.

Hope this helps, and good luck!