HOW DO I GET CUSTOMERS ?
With regards to making money as a Henna Artist this obviously is a very important Module. Without paying customers you will not make money it is as simple as that. Does'nt matter how good you are or think you are !!! sorry to be abrupt :(
I'm going to split this Module into two parts Offline Marketing (non-internet based) and Online Marketing (internet based)
The Module will discuss specific strategies and methods to as the title so bluntly puts it Get Customers and if done well lot's and lot's of them.
For the purposes of this Module i am assuming you have started making a portfolio of work and researched local rates for Henna Artists so that your prices are competitive in your work area. To start with a simple photographic collection of works on friends and family presented in a nice album will suffice.
Without a portfolio to show to customers or by quoting ridiculously high prices you will find it very difficult to get hired by any potential customers you find.
I'm going to split this Module into two parts Offline Marketing (non-internet based) and Online Marketing (internet based)
The Module will discuss specific strategies and methods to as the title so bluntly puts it Get Customers and if done well lot's and lot's of them.
For the purposes of this Module i am assuming you have started making a portfolio of work and researched local rates for Henna Artists so that your prices are competitive in your work area. To start with a simple photographic collection of works on friends and family presented in a nice album will suffice.
Without a portfolio to show to customers or by quoting ridiculously high prices you will find it very difficult to get hired by any potential customers you find.
OFFLINE Marketing
Offline Marketing or marketing not carried out on the internet for example via a website is usually where everybody including myself started so let's just get straight into it.
Word Of Mouth
Spread the word about your new business to friends,family,neighbours basically anybody that will listen !!
Tell them you are in business and that you are SERIOUS.This method of marketing is free and should never be underestimated you never who is looking for what at whatever time and seriously word spreads especially if there is a shortage of Henna Artists in your area.
Flyers In Local Businesses
Have some printed if you can afford it or better still if you can use a computer and printer i'm sure you are more than capable of having a bash yourself as i used to do when i first started. I made some home made flyers on my PC and left a couple of piles of them in my local asian owned businesses it worked a treat and i would pick up a lot of asian wedding work that way. The trick and INSIDER TIP here is to keep your printing and distribution cost's as low as possible as there can be a lot of wastage. The same concepts here also apply to business cards and their distribution especially in terms of wastage so remember keep your printing costs low and if you can make them yourself in the short-term DO !
Network Within The Industry
Get in contact with established Henna Artists,Makeup Artists,Event Management Companies basically anybody that is connected to an industry where your services maybe required. Contact these people by whatever means telephone email or letter and introduce yourself tell them you are SERIOUS and available to work alongside them. I always say bite the bullet telephone call is usually the best direct method of introduction no messing about. You will be surprised how much referral work you can pick up by networking they may ask you for a referral fee and that is up to you to decide upon but it is usually requested and a industry norm.
An INSIDER TIP here always be polite and respectful to others in your industry NEVER EVER bad mouth or talk bad of your competitors however much you may think they deserve it. Word get's around and if you do don't expect referal work from anybody !!
This you could call a SUPER DOOPER TIP no-body likes a newbie coming into a industry and upsetting the apple cart i'm sorry that's just the way it is you have been WARNED !!!!!!!
Word Of Mouth
Spread the word about your new business to friends,family,neighbours basically anybody that will listen !!
Tell them you are in business and that you are SERIOUS.This method of marketing is free and should never be underestimated you never who is looking for what at whatever time and seriously word spreads especially if there is a shortage of Henna Artists in your area.
Flyers In Local Businesses
Have some printed if you can afford it or better still if you can use a computer and printer i'm sure you are more than capable of having a bash yourself as i used to do when i first started. I made some home made flyers on my PC and left a couple of piles of them in my local asian owned businesses it worked a treat and i would pick up a lot of asian wedding work that way. The trick and INSIDER TIP here is to keep your printing and distribution cost's as low as possible as there can be a lot of wastage. The same concepts here also apply to business cards and their distribution especially in terms of wastage so remember keep your printing costs low and if you can make them yourself in the short-term DO !
Network Within The Industry
Get in contact with established Henna Artists,Makeup Artists,Event Management Companies basically anybody that is connected to an industry where your services maybe required. Contact these people by whatever means telephone email or letter and introduce yourself tell them you are SERIOUS and available to work alongside them. I always say bite the bullet telephone call is usually the best direct method of introduction no messing about. You will be surprised how much referral work you can pick up by networking they may ask you for a referral fee and that is up to you to decide upon but it is usually requested and a industry norm.
An INSIDER TIP here always be polite and respectful to others in your industry NEVER EVER bad mouth or talk bad of your competitors however much you may think they deserve it. Word get's around and if you do don't expect referal work from anybody !!
This you could call a SUPER DOOPER TIP no-body likes a newbie coming into a industry and upsetting the apple cart i'm sorry that's just the way it is you have been WARNED !!!!!!!
Paid Advertising
Usually not for beginners as the clue is in the title you have to pay and to start off we want to pay for as little as possible.If you do choose this course of action Asian Wedding Directories if you have one in your town or area is probably the best option.This is the first type of directory i advertised in when i first started out and it kept me very busy on wedding work.
There are so many other options available in this category newspapers,magazines,directories etc. Costs will vary depending upon where you choose to advertise and size of advert chosen.
Usually not for beginners as the clue is in the title you have to pay and to start off we want to pay for as little as possible.If you do choose this course of action Asian Wedding Directories if you have one in your town or area is probably the best option.This is the first type of directory i advertised in when i first started out and it kept me very busy on wedding work.
There are so many other options available in this category newspapers,magazines,directories etc. Costs will vary depending upon where you choose to advertise and size of advert chosen.
Online Marketing
Like it or not the internet is the future marketing medium and this is the area where i concentrate most of my marketing and budget efforts today.
A website today is really essential for your business it will allow you to professionally display your portfolio of work and be found by customers looking for your services. Email seems to be the preferred method of communication of the majority so a email address connected to a website is necessary to portray a serious professional image.
If you are techie minded you may be able to design and publish your own website if you have the money spare invest in having a professional website developed for your business. You need not spend a fortune as i did when i first started out. Your site need only contain a short description about you and your services and importantly a professional gallery to display your images as well as the essential contact us page so you can receive your enquiries.
The INSIDER TIP i would give here would be if you have a site developed for you ensure you are able to update images on your website yourself or if the developer must do ensure he/she will not charge a fee to do this. As your porfolio grows you will need to update your gallery on a regular basis to showcase your latest work. You do not want to be charged everytime for the pleasure of doing this trust me i was charged it get's very expensive or your gallery get's very outdated very quickly :((
There are numerous ways you can get more people to visit your website (visitors) in turn which should produce more customers which is the whole reason for having a website. SEO and Pay Per Click Advertising are such areas concerned with increasing traffic to websites. A detailed explanation of these concepts is beyond the scope of this course however if you google these terms there is an imense amount of information available online.
The easiest and cheapest way to get more visitors to your website to view your updated work in your gallery and then to hire you is again our friend by way of word of mouth. Spread the word tell people about your website verbally and by displaying the website address wherever possible i'll leave that to your imagination :)
A website today is really essential for your business it will allow you to professionally display your portfolio of work and be found by customers looking for your services. Email seems to be the preferred method of communication of the majority so a email address connected to a website is necessary to portray a serious professional image.
If you are techie minded you may be able to design and publish your own website if you have the money spare invest in having a professional website developed for your business. You need not spend a fortune as i did when i first started out. Your site need only contain a short description about you and your services and importantly a professional gallery to display your images as well as the essential contact us page so you can receive your enquiries.
The INSIDER TIP i would give here would be if you have a site developed for you ensure you are able to update images on your website yourself or if the developer must do ensure he/she will not charge a fee to do this. As your porfolio grows you will need to update your gallery on a regular basis to showcase your latest work. You do not want to be charged everytime for the pleasure of doing this trust me i was charged it get's very expensive or your gallery get's very outdated very quickly :((
There are numerous ways you can get more people to visit your website (visitors) in turn which should produce more customers which is the whole reason for having a website. SEO and Pay Per Click Advertising are such areas concerned with increasing traffic to websites. A detailed explanation of these concepts is beyond the scope of this course however if you google these terms there is an imense amount of information available online.
The easiest and cheapest way to get more visitors to your website to view your updated work in your gallery and then to hire you is again our friend by way of word of mouth. Spread the word tell people about your website verbally and by displaying the website address wherever possible i'll leave that to your imagination :)