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Makeup Artists: How to Raise and Communicate Prices Increases Effectively

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 02:30:32 GMT

This article helps inform makeup artists whether it is the right time for to increase prices, how to determine a price increase, and how to communicate it and not lose clients!

Are you a makeup artist debating whether to increase prices? Then keep reading because this is the article for you. This article will walk you through when it's the right time to increase prices, and how to communicate price increases effectively without losing customers.

We know why you’re pondering price increases. Its no surprise, the cost of running a makeup artist business has increased over the last year. Inflation has impacted makeup supply costs, transportation costs, electricity costs - you name a personal and/or business expense and it has probably increased in cost. This isn't a surprise to folks residing in Canada; according to Statistics Canada, inflation rate was 6.9% in October 2022. Inflation continues to impact all businesses including makeup artist businesses.

With all the conversations about rising costs of business, you might catch yourself wondering:

Is it the right time to increase your makeup artistry prices?
If yes, how much to increase prices by?
Most importantly, how to increase makeup artistry prices without losing customers.

Should you increase makeup artistry prices

All makeup artists should evaluate their service prices on a periodic basis. However, some events can trigger this conversation in your head much earlier than you think is needed. Below are three major events that should trigger a price increase conversation for your business:

Rising Inflation and Expenses
Canada experiences "steady-state inflation" every year, which usually hovers around the 2% mark. However, in 2022 the global economy encountered numerous unexpected events including the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply-chain disruptions. While the end of the pandemic translated into good news for makeup artist businesses (all the cancelled weddings and parties finally took place), all other factors combined have led to extraordinarily high inflation. You might have noticed business have started increasing their prices, ranging from big-box stores to the coffee shop down the street. Simply put, when a business’ costs rise while revenue remains the same, the business is making less profit. A business owner can choose to absorb rising costs or transfer some of these costs to customers in the form of increased prices. Due to inflation, businesses have had to increase prices to keep up with rising costs. Makeup artist businesses are no different.
Adding new makeup artists skills/services to your offering
As a makeup artist, staying on top of new makeup trends in the industry is a must. Makeup trends are constantly evolving, and in order to remain valuable makeup artists need to adapt to these trends. You might choose to upskill through courses and workshops, or by branching into a different niche altogether, such as offering both hair and makeup, rather than just makeup. Or you might be a party makeup artist that is now offering bridal makeup services as well. All these additional skills should be priced at current market value, and you can take this opportunity to re-evaluate prices for all existing services as well.

You can even consider evaluating your pricing model and including "add-ons" to base services. For example, if someone wants fake lash application, this can be priced as an add-on service. Or if you have started offering lash extensions, these can be sold as an “add-on” as well as a stand-alone service.
Increased makeup artist experience
Experience makes everyone better at their job including makeup artists. As your experience grows your prices should reflect your experience, years in the industry, and all the skills you have amassed over the years. If you find yourself waking up one day realizing you have been in the industry for 5 years without increasing prices, it's time to evaluate and increase prices.

How much to increase makeup artistry prices by?

If you have determined you’d like to increase prices, your next question might be “how much should I increase prices by”? We recommend three methods to determining price increases:

Evaluate competitor prices
You can compare what you are charging for your makeup services to your peers and/or direct competitors. If you find that majority are charging more, you can increase prices to match your peers.
Match the inflation rate
Most businesses increase their prices by a percentage equivalent to or slightly higher than the inflation rate in your country. If the inflation rate is 7%, you can choose to increase your prices by up to 10%.
Periodically increase prices by the same amounts
Some businesses choose to increase their prices by a certain percentage after a certain amount of time has passed. This can be yearly or every two years. By following a consistent price increase strategy, you can reflect your improved experience in the increase prices.

How to increase makeup artistry prices without losing customers

You’ve decided you’re increasing prices. And how much to increase by. Now the biggest question is, what is the best way to increase prices and not lose loyal customers. No clients enjoy price increases, after all everyone is in the market for a good bargain. However, if communicated effectively and with grace, customers will accept the price increase and keep coming back to you. Below are 5 best practices for increasing prices.

Communicate price increases with clients clearly
All price increases should be communicated to clients through email and/or a social media post. The increase should be clearly outlined. As an example, if your prices are going up by 5% overall, the 5% figure should be stated in the communication. The wording should leave no room for assumptions on the makeup client’s part. The communication should be friendly, open, and honest.
Explain the reasoning behind price increases
While drafting your price increase communication to makeup clients, you should outline the reason behind your price increase, and also re-iterate the exceptional value and makeup services you provide to your clients. The communication should reflect confidence in your makeup artistry.
Notify clients ahead of time of price increases
Price increases should be communicated well ahead of time, with ample time provided to clients to understand the increase. Nobody likes price increase surprises the day they are booking a makeup service. This gives clients time to evaluate their makeup artist budget and consider other options.
Update new contracts with increased prices
All future makeup client contracts should reflect your updated price list, once a price increase has been communicated. If you have prices listed on your website or social media, those should be updated as well. You can decide whether to honour old prices for pre-booked clients depending on your relationship with the client.
Allow clients to reach out with questions
A price increase can often lead to questions and concerns from clients - encourage your clients to approach you with their questions. Client queries are the best time to develop a stronger relationship with them and remind them of your makeup skills and the value you provide. The more open you are about communication, the more your clients will appreciate your makeup artist business.

Know your worth!

Remember, price increases might seem daunting from a business perspective but ultimately, if your makeup services are excellent then you're supposed to be charging fair price for them! So go increase those prices confidently! The clients who value your services, will keep coming back to you.

If you're a SpeedyMUA customer, reach out to your dedicated team to discuss if now is the right time for you to raise prices.

5 Steps to Grow Your Makeup Artist Business

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 03:51:20 GMT

5 Steps to Grow Your Makeup Artist Business

If you ’re a makeup artist looking to grow your makeup artist business to new heights, then this is the article for you. We are going to walk you through 5 steps you can take right now to unlock new levels of growth for your makeup artist business! Whether you're just starting out as a makeup artist or have a book of customers already - our steps will help you further structure and grow your business. These steps include defining your makeup artist brand, marketing your makeup artist business and other great information.

Makeup is a massive industry in Canada, generating almost USD $1.3 billion in revenue in Canada alone in 2021. And you are an expert in this industry, looking to share your makeup artistry with as many clients as possible. You already know how to do fantastic makeup which is basically the first step to starting the business. And you probably already have some sort of digital presence and a book of makeup clients as well. In this article, you’re going to learn how to grow your makeup artist business. So, get your notepads and pencils out, and let’s get started!

1. Define Your Makeup Artist Brand

The first important step to growing your business is to define your business brand. That’s right! As a makeup artist, you are officially a business owner with a brand, and you and your makeup are the faces of that brand! It’s important to have a brand because your makeup clients will associate your artistry with your brand. But first, what is a brand? Take a look at the picture below. Are you able to identify 4 different brands?

A brand is a product or service that can be easily communicated and marketed to clients and is easily distinguishable from other similar or competing products or services. Now when it comes to makeup brands, think about the following makeup artists:

Bobbi Brown
Pat McGrath
Charlotte Tilbury

Each of these fantastic makeup artists has a distinct “brand” and makeup look they’re known for. Bobbi Brown is synonymous with the effortless, easy, and everyday look, Pat McGrath is known for her bold, colorful, and high fashion looks, whereas Charlotte Tilbury and her glowing, glam goddess makeup looks are easily recognizable. All three brands are easily identified and different from each other. And that is what you’re going to define.

How to define your makeup artist brand

Defining your brand starts with answering the following few important questions about yourself and your makeup artistry:

What makeup look are you good at? Your brand should be synonymous with the work that you do best, which is the makeup you will be selling to clients. Are you good at colorful, innovative, and cutting-edge makeup looks? Or do you specialize in bridal looks? Whatever makeup you want to do will become a part of your brand.
Who is your ideal makeup client? Are you targeting high-fashion editorials or brides? Cool Instagram bloggers or corporate clients? Party looks or portraits? These customers are who your brand will target for sales. Identifying your ideal customers will give you an idea of how to shape your makeup brand visually according to your target audience and how to market it to them.
Do you specialize in a unique makeup niche? If you’re a bridal makeup artist, are you specializing in all bridal looks or certain looks? Some makeup artists will specialize in Asian bridal looks, for example. Whether you choose to specialize or not, it will be an important part of your makeup brand.
What is your ideal makeup brand look like visually? When you think of your dream website, Instagram account, or salon, what does it look like? Is it classic or is it trendy? Is it minimal or is it colorful? Your brand elements such as your website, colors, logo, etc. should not only showcase your ideal brand, but should also be visually appealing, and your ideal client should be able to relate to your brand.

Once you’ve completed this exercise, you now have an idea of the brand you want to build for your makeup business. Next, if you already have a digital presence i.e., social media accounts and/or a website, look at it from the eyes of your ideal client. Does it attract you? Do the visual elements align with your ideal brand image? Whatever doesn’t align with your brand, archive it. Do not delete anything! You never know when your content will come in handy later. And if you don’t have a digital presence, do not fear because we are covering that in our next point!

Pro-tip: Write everything down. Yes, you need to document all your great ideas about your ideal clients, your makeup brand, and what your final decision is because all these nuggets of insight and information will help you build your makeup artist brand. We also recommend creating a Pinterest board to brainstorm the visual elements of your brand (and keep things fun).

2. Build Your Makeup Artist Brand

Now that you have defined your makeup artist brand, start building it. How you may ask? While building a brand takes continuous time, effort, and tactics, the best way to build it is to build your portfolio by doing makeup, create your social media accounts and/or website, and showcase your makeup portfolio online. Let’s break this down into easy-to-follow strategies.

Strategies to build your makeup artist brand

Build your makeup portfolio . You know what makeup you want to do and for which clients. Now you need to build a portfolio showcasing a variety of makeup looks that you can do. You can do makeup looks on yourself, recruit friends and family to be your models, or if you already have clients, simply take their photos to put in your portfolio (with their consent of course!). You might already have a portfolio too. Simply keep building it further.
Build your digital makeup presence. These days, most businesses are online. It is important for you to build your makeup brand online because it makes it easy for your makeup clients to find you. Additionally, you will be marketing your business online. Your website and social media channels should all visually represent your brand. This includes your logo, your colors, your filters, and all other visual components.
Showcase your makeup online. If it’s not online, it doesn’t exist anymore! Your entire makeup portfolio, your makeup brand, and details about your makeup services need to be on your website and/or your social media. According to research, 83% of Canada’s population uses social media (Canadians Internet, 2022), which makes it very important for businesses to have a social media presence. This leads us to our next point on how to market your makeup business online.

Pro-tip: Take professional pictures for your makeup portfolio. Hire a photographer if you have the budget, or simply take some free online courses on how to shoot/edit great pictures on your phone. The better-quality pictures you have, the better your makeup will look to prospective makeup clients.

3. Market Your Makeup Artist Business

Marketing your makeup artistry is a whole article by itself. By now, you have a makeup brand and a decent makeup portfolio, and you’ve started building your online presence. The next step is to market your business. There are a few essential tactics you need to do to be successful.

Choose the right channels to market your business

The first step to marketing your makeup artist business is to choose the channels you’ll use to market your business. These might be the same channels you selected in the previous point to build your brand. Will you sell your makeup artistry on Instagram, Tik Tok, or your website? You can choose 1 channel or all of them. We recommend selecting all relevant channels, but you need to start somewhere – we recommend Instagram. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s relevant to your target audience. As an example, if your target clientele is Gen-Z Instagram bloggers then you should be marketing on Tik Tok and Instagram. They likely won’t be using Facebook much.

Create a content strategy

The second step to marketing your makeup artist business is to make sure you’re posting your content on a regular basis. Whichever channel you choose, decide the frequency of posting new content there, and be consistent. The best way to do this is to create a content strategy. Content strategy for makeup artists is also an article on its own, but to start your content strategy should consist of the following:

Your goals . What’s your goal? Is it to create awareness of your makeup artist brand? Get more followers or get more clients? Your goal should guide your content.
Content type . What type of content to post on which channels? Makeup tutorials on Youtube, Instagram, or both? Makeup pictures on Instagram, Facebook, or both? Your content type should speak to your brand and be relevant to your ideal makeup clients.
Posting frequency . How frequently should I post on each channel? This depends on the channel itself and how much time you want to dedicate to each channel.
Content calendar. Create a content calendar. This should include what you’re posting and when. Use social media calendar apps to help you

And above all, keep building out that fantastic portfolio! Your makeup artist portfolio is the content you’ll be posting to market your skills!

Pro-tip: We recommend listing your makeup artist business on Google and asking your customers and friends to rate your business on Google! When potential clients in your area search for makeup artists, the search engine will immediately show them your business on Google and Google Maps along with ratings and reviews! These days everyone checks business reviews on Google - make sure your makeup artist business is on there too!

4. Get More Booked & Paying Makeup Clients

So, you’ve been building your makeup artist brand and you’re consistently marketing it. Interested makeup clients are flooding your DMs. This is what you've been working towards, you are growing your makeup artist business. But how do you convert potential makeup clients to booked clients and truly showcase your growth? This is where customer relationship management comes in. Customer relationship management is the most important step you can take to solidify the growth of your makeup artist business. It has numerous benefits for both you and your customer. But what does it mean?

Managing makeup client relationships

In a nutshell, managing your customer relationships means managing all interactions with tentative and booked clients, and keeping them happy. This includes steps such as having an initial conversation with tentative clients, providing them with a quote, booking them FAST, all while having professional and friendly conversations to build a relationship. This is the most important step to growing your makeup business and getting more makeup clients. After securing the makeup appointment, you have to maintain these relationships for further growth.

The reality is when a potential makeup client reaches out to you, you have to start managing that relationship. A potential makeup client is probably reaching out to ten other makeup artists for quotes while they're reaching out to you. The makeup artist that responds back the fastest, in the most polite manner with the most relevant information will likely book the client. Yes, that first interaction is probably your most important.

Now, most potential clients will strike up a conversation with you on social media DMs regarding makeup services, prices, and availability. The back-and-forth conversation can take forever; you have a business to run and grow, and the client takes their own time to respond. This results in lost time, energy, and clients. On top of that, clients want a nice, friendly, and informative conversation. Yes, you can lose clients if you don’t respond to them with the necessary information right away or if you don’t respond to them in a professional manner. One solution to this is to be excellent at multi-taking and time management. An even better solution is to invest in a digital platform that will automate these interactions and manage them for you, like SpeedyMUA.

SpeedyMUA helps you manage your client relationships

SpeedyMUA is a digital platform that helps makeup artists like you manage their client relationships, grow their business, and get more revenue by automating/providing the following features:

Instant quotes for all your makeup services
Personalized, professional, and automated follow-ups
Instant booking feature for your personal website

This allows you to focus your time and energy on all the other points we covered above (and doing what you love doing. .makeup!). The best solution to client relationship management is automation. Automation makes sure your potential makeup clients get instant, professional, and relevant responses to their queries. A happy potential makeup client is likely an even happier paying makeup client - make it happen by automating your client response processes with us! Click here to request a demo now!

Pro-tip: We recommend collecting statistics on your client inquiries and bookings before and after you sign-up with the SpeedyMUA platform. This will help you measure your growing makeup artist business and quantify your success.

5. Stay in Touch with Clients & Industry Folks

E very successful business requires a network to grow. Your makeup artist business is no different! Networking is essentially word-of-mouth marketing, and it is an essential part of the beauty industry. Networking will not only get you more contacts, it will also get you more clients! But how do you network, you may ask? We have some ideas for you.

Ideas for networking with people in the beauty industry

Stay in contact with ALL makeup clients . Referrals is one of the biggest sources of revenue for makeup artists. If your makeup clients are happy and love your services, ask them to refer you to friends and family. Follow up with them after their makeup appointment, ask them how their event went, and if they have any feedback or suggestions. You can even send them a nice note on their birthday or on a holiday.
Get to know other creatives in the beauty industry. These could be models, hair stylists, photographers, or editors. These creative contacts could result in a creative collaboration to enhance your makeup portfolio, or they might get you some clients! Simply reach out to them through social media, put your game face on, and get ready to make some contacts!
Attend beauty industry events. These could be entrepreneur meetups, makeup courses, and content creator dinners.. Or you could host your own meetup! Not only might you brush up on your makeup skills, but you will also meet fantastic new people that can help you grow your makeup business even more.

Pro-tip: We recommend printing business cards with your makeup artist business information, logo, and QR code to your social media, and keeping them on you at all times. You never know when you run into a celebrity, influencer or even an old client - hand your card over and they’ll be sure to remember your business. You might be wondering but who even uses business cards now. You’d be surprised - old marketing tactics and old but still gold.

And there you have it. 5 sure-fire ways grow your makeup business! Whether makeup artistry is your side hustle or your main job, these steps will help your business become a distinct, recognizable brand and unlock new levels of growth. We hope to be a part of your journey by helping you book makeup clients faster. Simply reach out to us for a demo! Otherwise, if you love this article be sure to leave some comments in the comments section below.