How to build a clientele from scratch as a solo esthetician
Every day, new estheticians in their first few years of business find my business and seek help with marketing.
Some are suite renters or work out of their homes. Some have just purchased their very first storefront, and others have just moved locations and want to attract their ideal clients in a new neighborhood.
They all have the same question: How do I start off strong and build a happy and loyal beauty business clientele?
It’s not a quick or simple question to answer, as there are a ton of ways to do it.
From niching down into specific services to providing fantastic customer service to consistently upskilling yourself and offering new services, there are lots of things you can try to bring in new clients.
Inevitably, I direct my students to the thing that’s worked best for me.
It’s my niche, my zone of expertise, and I’m obsessed with getting really, really good at it:
Online marketing.
Obviously, there are a ton of ways you can also maximize your online marketing strategy, too - creating irresistible social media ads, writing content that gets the attention of your ideal client and offers them free value, and making it really easy for people to find you, book with you, and keep coming back to you.
Today I’m sharing the Top 5 business and marketing tips for this year.
So pay attention, all my beautiful estheticians out there!
These are the things you don’t want to skip. Make these online marketing moves to ensure you build a clientele from scratch and grow a thriving esthetics business.
#1: Don’t leave client attraction to fate; set up a system to introduce yourself to many new people each week
One of the most common mistakes in every business’s first few years is to rely on foot traffic and word-of-mouth marketing - but these same businesses often don’t even have a plan for how to spread the word about their business!
If you’re guilty of the same, today’s the day to make a change. It’s not a sustainable way to market yourself.
You need a system to get in front of hundreds of new people every week.
Thankfully online that’s not hard to do at all.
Even just focusing on getting Google reviews and optimizing your Google My Business page makes a huge difference.
Or you can spend a bit of money running Facebook and Instagram ads (which I love and have a class about) or Google Ads.
Unlike traditional ads in the newspaper, on a flyer, or on television, ads on social media and Google are measurable, so you can see exactly where your money is going and how far you’re reaching. You can also easily tinker with these ads to maximize your ad spend.
On the flip side, if you enjoy making and putting out content on Instagram, especially Reels that get shown to new audiences, stay active on there and be consistent. The algorithm rewards consistency - so get after it!
The bottom line is that you need to have a consistent way to get in front of new leads every single week without relying on other people saying good things about your business or stumbling across you while walking down the street.
Those things will happen too - but you need to have control over the process, instead of waiting for clients to come to you.
#2: Put out high-quality content (and reuse it as often as needed!)
If the word “content” sends sweaty panic through you as you imagine hours spent on the computer making graphics or writing neverending blog posts - take a breath!
Content can be a lot easier and more fun than that! Think of it this way:
Content is essentially any sort of written or visual digital creation that you put out into the world.
It could look like this:
Weekly emails to your clients
Posting on Instagram 3 times a week
Photoshoots of your business
Spontaneous clips you take of clients, of yourself, or of daily life in your salon
Youtube videos
Your own podcast or weekly hosted zoom call
Creating TikTok content
Blog posts
Informational graphics and infographics you make on Canva.
So instead of thinking of content as long blog posts or 3-minute videos that take 3 hours to make, change your mind about content - it can be anything creative that you enjoy making and sharing!
In order to create a healthy following online that can turn into bookings at your salon, you need to put out original content regularly. You can’t operate your business in a dark room without shedding light on what you do to the public.
Creating content will:
Help you get more eyes on your Instagram content
Show you off as the expert in your field
Build new audiences on places like Youtube or Apple Podcasts
Create stronger bonds with your existing clients as they begin to know and trust you
Get you found on Google by people who search for you or your business (thank you, Search Engine Optimization!)
I put out content in 3 main places week after week: My blog, Youtube, and my email list.
My blog increases my searchability and authority as an expert in marketing. Youtube is a great way for new people to find me when they’re looking for marketing videos. And my email list creates a strong bond between me and my audience - they get to know more about me and my life, and they learn about online marketing every week.
Here’s how you can brainstorm topics for content easily:
Write down 5 topics in your field that you’re an expert in. For example, “how to eat better to prevent acne”, “the best organic and natural skincare ingredients”, “how to detox your skincare routine”, or “how to go makeup free”. Or you could write down 5 questions your clients ask you all the time about skincare. Even if it’s a question you don’t get asked often; if one person asked - others also wonder about it.
Just like that, you’ve got 10 topic ideas which you can turn into 10 weeks of content.
The only thing left to decide is the format you’ll use. Whatever you decide, whether it’s Instagram Reels, emails, graphics, blog posts, or Youtube videos, you can reuse the content in multiple places to expand your reach. I always turn my blog posts into Youtube videos and then email them to my list. 3 birds with one stone…can’t beat that!
#3: Create an authentic connection with clients after their appointments
I’ve been to too many salons and spas with a “love you and leave you” approach.
I have a great experience with them, but then I don’t hear boo from them ever again - and I’m the one who reaches out to book another appointment.
Don’t be like this.
The days and weeks following an appointment with a client are the perfect time to reach out and foster a connection. You can do it by engaging them in a discussion about skincare via your email list, sending them a text message about your latest sales on your award-winning skincare products, or following them on Instagram and grabbing their attention with your amazing facial transformation posts.
There are a ton of ways to make your clients feel special and appreciated, and continue building rapport with them in between visits.
And the best part (for you) is that so few other salons and spas do this, that you can stand out by reaching out.
The single best way to stay in touch with clients between appointments is by email. It’s free, it can be automated, and it’s such a great relationship builder.
So be sure to get every single client on your email list. Using booking software or a cheap and easy email software like Mailchimp is a quick and effective way to do this.
Once you’ve got a client’s email address, here are two ways to stay in touch. You should do them both!
First, add them to an automated email sequence that takes off the day after their first appointment.
This first email will say how much you loved meeting them and ask them for feedback via a Google review or a Facebook review.
You should also add tips for aftercare at home to help them get the most out of their skincare treatment.
The week after that, send another email with recommended homecare products based on their treatment. If you have an online shop, this email is the perfect one for linking to it. Otherwise you can ask them to reply to the email to order directly from you.
From then on, you can do as you please. But in general, it’s a good idea to have 1-5 automated emails that go out to new clients to educate them, send them your best content (from the previous section!), follow up with product recommendations, and upsell the next best service for them. You can also send them timed reminders: “It’s been a month since your last treatment! For best results, book now and keep your skin glowing!”
The other really good use of email marketing is sending out weekly emails with your original content.
Every Tuesday, rain or shine, I write to my email list of 28,000. My list loves my emails - they’re fun, light, personal, and educational. I share updates on my life, announce new Youtube videos, and give them business tips.
As an esthetician, you can share skin tips, announce new services you’re offering or training you’re taking/giving, or tell your clients about new products you’re carrying.
Trust me when I tell you: if you haven’t already, you need to start collecting email addresses and sending out emails to your clients. Do it now - start today!
Online marketing tip #4: Build multiple income streams
As an esthetician, you likely have a great product line (or multiple) that you’re selling that you’re in love with.
Selling retail products is essential to bringing in extra income - and it doesn’t have to be a big struggle, either.
There are some great educators out there who will help you to learn how to sell with confidence in person or on social media. (Check out Daniela Weorner from Spa Marketing Made Easy or Skincare Lit for inspiration right now!)
An excellent way to boost retail sales is having an online shop.
The products are available for sale 24/7 and can be found and purchased by people who may not be your regular clients.
Your skincare business can grow through many retail streams, though - not just an online store.
Alyssa Kotter is a highly successful solo esthetician who also has an apparel line for estheticians that sells out every few months when her store opens up. She teaches online classes for estheticians, owns a new brand of her own products, Lissy Skincare, and she also hosts events and retreats for estheticians every year!
You can do all of these things, too. Pick one area, grow it as much as you can, and then expand elsewhere!
Here are a few ideas for additional revenue streams as an esthetician:
Your own skincare line
Hosting online paid consultations on Zoom
Selling skincare courses to clients
Getting sponsorships/partnership deals from brands if you’ve got a bigger following
Becoming a sponsored educator
Selling courses or hosting events for other estheticians
You don’t have to stick to providing skincare and selling retail to increase your income as an esthetician. Think about where you’d like to go and make goals and a plan for how to get there!
#5: Seek help and outsource when you need it
We can’t do everything by ourselves.
If you want to grow your business, you'll need a team at some point. But where to start?
My friend Raya Schwartz, a 7-figure spa owner, has a course specifically to teach you how to build your 7-figure team.
If you're not at the point where you can support a team, but still need help, you have options. You can recruit people in other fields to help offset some of your marketing efforts, to start!
Here are some ways you can outsource marketing as an esthetician.
Graphic design for flyers, social media, and business cards. You can find someone on Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, Upwork, or work with a professional who specializes in beauty business like Piper De Young or Daring Creative
Social media posting: Again, you can find freelancers on Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, Upwork, etc
Turning videos into blog posts: Find a copywriter on Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, Upwork or get in touch with my fabulous copywriter, Alison.
Turning your Instagram content into emails and sending them to your email list weekly: Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, Upwork
Getting a website up and running and updating it: Kirsten Foss and her team are amazing for this
Getting professional photos and videos done: You can find a great photographer in local FB groups or search photography hashtags on Pinterest
Making the choice to upskill yourself and increase your education in the treatment room is another fantastic way to reach out for help, build your network, and possibly meet a new mentor, business partner, or employee. Education is always worthwhile for your career as an esthetician.
There are so many good educators and coaches out there in the beauty marketing space. I know literally hundreds of them. Myself included!
Every effort you make in online marketing will pay off
We’re headed into a fresh and exciting new year. You have the chance to build a clientele that’s wild for your services, wild for who you are as a person, and keeps coming back over and over. But you have to make use of the tools that are available to you: email marketing, Facebook and Instagram ads, outsourcing extra work to freelancers and fostering genuine connections with your clients.
Whenever you feel discouraged about where to start (because I know - the internet can seem like a big scary place sometimes), remember this: just start with anything on this list. You won’t regret it. You’ll grow, you’ll learn, and you’ll realize online marketing isn’t nearly as freaky as you think it is.
Here’s an easy, cozy place to start: my free class on using Facebook and Instagram ads to attract your ideal clients.