How to get more clients as a freelance makeup artist

Whether you’re a professional bridal makeup artist or a student just out of beauty school, you need a consistent client list to be successful. If you need tips on finding and landing new clients for your freelance makeup business, this guide is for you.

We’ll explain how to get more clients as a freelance makeup artist by:

• Promoting your portfolio
• Staying active on social media
• Attending makeup events and expos
• Organising photoshoots to show off your work
• Using gift certificates and loyalty cards
• Leveraging moderns accounting software like Countingup

Use a combination of the methods below to get the word out about your business and land more clients.

One of the most important things you need to attract new clients is a stunning portfolio that shows off your skills. A makeup artist portfolio should show off your best work to entice potential clients and give them an easy way to contact you. 

You can either create your portfolio yourself with a site like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace or hire a professional to build it for you. 

It’s important to update your portfolio regularly, combining stunning images and videos with engaging copy that describes them. As you become better at your job, make sure your portfolio reflects that.

Social media is a great place for makeup artists to find new customers, especially image and video-based channels like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. 

The reason is that your customers most likely spend most of their downtime on their phones scrolling through these platforms. If you publish content of how you’ve used your skills to transform people’s appearance, they might follow you for more.

Social media is also an excellent way to look for jobs. You can join makeup groups, connect with potential clients, and share pictures of your makeup to promote your skills. You can take it one step further and share makeup tutorial videos of how you created different looks to spark peoples’ interest. 

When using social media to find customers, don’t forget to:

• Brand your posts with your website address
• Use clear and engaging language to describe each post
• Publish a fair mix of imagery and videos
• Use local tags to increase the odds of finding customers near you

The makeup industry is all about connections, so attending makeup-related events is an excellent way to grow your client list. As a freelance makeup artist, you want to take advantage of every makeup-related event and expo you can. 

Exhibiting at these events is your chance to meet new people and show off what you can do. Even if you only attend as a guest, you can get an idea of how other makeup artists in your area use these expos and events to get clients.

While you can certainly go the generic route with the events you attend, it’s also helpful to think about your unique speciality. If you’re interested in chic bridal makeup, look for wedding events to attend. Or, are you into theatrical makeup or special effects makeup? Try to find events where you can show off those skills. 

Narrowing down your search to find events that fit your skills and interests increases your chances of connecting with the right people. If you’re struggling to find interesting events, don’t be afraid to ask around online or at your favourite makeup counter.

Another excellent way to make connections and get great exposure is to organise professional photoshoots. Creative shoots are fun and inspiring and allow you to create stunning content that you can show off on your portfolio and social media.

Try connecting with influencers or content creators on social media whose posts align with what you offer. Examples of people to reach out to might be a beauty blogger who focuses on colourful makeup or a glamorous influencer who might love a makeover to go with their outfit of the day.

You can choose to go all out and work with a professional photographer or take the pictures yourself. These days, mobile phones have cameras that allow you to take stunning photos in a number of different formats.

This marketing idea can be a great way to expand your client base for your makeup business. Your clients can buy a gift card to give to one of their friends and get a special discount or a free makeover for helping you win more business. You could also host a competition on social media where the winner gets a free makeover or gift card to use when they want. 

Another method you can try is to give loyalty cards to returning clients. For example, you could offer 10% off return appointments. Or, you could offer something special every 5th appointment, like a freebie or 50% off. You could even offer a free session if you can afford it. 

Whatever model you go for, offering loyalty perks will help you keep more clients and hopefully attract new ones when they hear about it. 

Now that you know how to get more clients as a freelance makeup artist, it’s time to put them to the test and start hunting new clients. Good luck!

For a complete guide on how to start a makeup business.

Financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re self-employed. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.