Marketing is vital in every business, whether running a nail salon or an independent nail tech. For your nail business to thrive, you must know how to self-promote and unleash your interpersonal skills to succeed. In addition, marketing can be fun to express your creativity and show your beautiful nail designs to prospects online and offline. 

You can market yourself traditionally or digitally, but since digital marketing is the trend, you have to learn how to utilize it nowadays. According to Statista, about 91 per cent of US companies and businesses are using digital marketing initiatives like social media as part of their marketing strategy. 

No doubt the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the booming of online promotion, and it's a trend you need to hop on. Here are four ways to market yourself effectively as a nail tech.

1. Build a strong relationship with your clients

"Happy customers will do anything to continue the relationship."- Marley Majcher

You probably heard of the saying, happy wife, happy life. It also applies to running a nail salon and building long-term relationships with your clients. Your relationship with your clients is like a marriage. The key ingredients to a lasting relationship with your client are categorized into three main values.

• Trust-  You have to remember that the first impression lasts longer when your client walks in. You want to establish yourself as someone trustworthy regarding their nail care and nail design preference.

• Friendship- Do you want to know what the best thing about being a nail tech is? It's growing your network and having your clients as friends. Of course, in the long run, your loyal customers will be your friends, then your job will be so much fun. So, don't be afraid to start a friendly conversation with your client and get to know them; after all, nail sessions can take a while. Make your clients feel that you're welcoming, and introduce yourself by showing who you are as a person rather than just a brand.

• Love- Yes, you can build a strong relationship with your clients on your shared passion for all things nail or beauty. What's a better way than to bond with your client by talking about the latest nail trends or beauty news? Once your client sees how passionate and talented you are as a nail tech professional, they will undoubtedly admire you for it and support your business.

Building a long-term relationship with your clients can be challenging initially, either digitally or in person since you have to put yourself out there and make efforts. Still, once you already know what your niche is and who your audience is, then it'll be much easier for you.

Remember, you want to build your brand as someone they can depend on in the long run, like a support system. Being a nail tech is more than just providing nail services; but you can also be a friend or a sister to them.

Relationships can go deeper, and where might they lead you? In the nail industry, it's not enough to be the best but how you treat the people around you, so always make sure to put your best foot forward to everyone, not just your clients but also your employees as a nail salon owner.

2. Word of mouth marketing

If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.- Jeff Bezos

Please don't underestimate the power of word-of-mouth marketing. It can make or break your credibility as a nail tech. All it takes is one client to rave positive reviews on your nail designs, and your goal to be fully booked can be swiftly achieved. You can do all the marketing strategies you think of or find online, but nothing beats giving your clients the best customer service they can get. You can ask your family or friends to support your business by spreading the word about your nail business.

Of course, marketing yourself is crucial for brand exposure; you can start the word of mouth marketing by telling your clients if they can recommend you to their families or friends. People who are nail- enthusiasts or perhaps share with them your latest press-on designs that you're planning to sell in case they are interested, but be mindful when doing so. You don't want to be aggressive or be too sales-y. 

3. Traditional marketing

"Business has only two functions- marketing and innovation.-" Milan Kundera

Don't forget to include traditional marketing techniques and mediums even if we're in a highly digital age. For example, you can promote your business using a tarpaulin or neon signage that aligns with your branding. You can also use print media such as flyers or business cards. 

Your business can gain exposure by increasing your publicity by getting featured in a magazine. If you know someone working on a radio station who can interview you, it's one way to market your business as well. Another alternative for radio guesting is by getting invited to a podcast show. Nail techs or nail salon owners use podcasts to educate and market their business. You can read our roundup on nail industry podcasts.

4. Create a strong online presence

"Ignoring digital marketing is like representing your business without any audience.- Jason Matthew"

Here comes the fun part when marketing yourself, you have to be a content creator aside from your role of being an entrepreneur and a nail artist. The world of the internet is vast, and digital marketing is not just social media. You have to consider many things when doing online marketing, from having your website to knowing the latest marketing trends online.

All of these can be daunting, but let us look at it this way, you'll learn new things, get to do fun content, and at the same time learn essential marketing skills in this highly digital world. There's a lot of marketing strategies that you can do. All you have to do is be strategic and know your audience and what sets your brand apart from the others. Your digital marketing efforts and your social media presence is an indicator that you're open for business. 

The key to promoting yourself as a nail tech, online or offline, is consistent and authentic to your clients. It's easy to do all of the marketing strategies online, or you've heard, but nothing beats having a plan and aligning your marketing strategies with your goals. Don't just ride the wave of using Tik Tok just because it's the hottest platform right now when you want to use another medium for communication and promotion.

Remember, people nowadays are wary of marketing tactics that don't mean anything and add up noise on the internet. Being authentic to who you are as an entrepreneur will help your brand stand out. Ask yourself if the marketing strategy you're going for is something you can commit to doing for the long haul? Is this something that represents you as an individual?

"Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you want to make but about the stories you tell.- Seth Godin"

Consistency is essential, especially when things get rough at the beginning of your nail tech career, but with perseverance, you can get through with flying colors. Authenticity shows your clients or prospects who is the person behind the brand and what your niche is all about. Are you more on dip powder nails or gel manicure? What's your specialty? Who are you as a person, and why should they trust you being the expert in all things nail? Show them who you are, and use the power of the internet to keep in touch with your prospects and share your nail designs and stories online.

Being a nail entrepreneur can be challenging and sometimes lonely. We know how you feel. You can join our iGel Beauty Facebook community to be a part of a network of business savvy, talented, and supportive people in the nail industry. We can't wait to welcome you to the iGel Beauty Army!