Online marketing is a must for most hairdressers, especially those just starting out. Social media has become a veritable battleground for attention in the hair artist community, so it becomes a little harder every year for anyone who isn't already established to be seen or heard.
There is no shortage of advice on online marketing for hairdressers and salon owners, but we're here to talk about one particular strategy for social media marketing: online competitions, and we don't mean the ones your salon runs, although that's a good plan too.
A lot of businesses and magazines run competitions entirely online now, providing stylists across the country with a great opportunity to get their name out. But a lot of artists tend to think of these as win or lose scenarios, and often get discouraged when they don't win or are too afraid of rejection to even enter in the first place. If you're among those artists, here are a few different ways to approach the world of official competitions that might encourage you to start entering.
Getting in the Spotlight
Let's assume the worst. You won't win whatever competition you've entered. That doesn't mean you won't get anything out of it, because you've put out your name out there just by entering. This is great chance to talk about yourself
When you out yourself out there with quality work, someone will notice. For example, we often re-post work from hair artists on Instagram that we like, but before we even know we like something we have to notice it first, and we scroll through a lot of work every day. We're much more likely to notice an artist when he or she is actively doing something because a lot more activity is suddenly directed toward that artist.
If people like your work, they'll want to support you. So the minute you enter that competition, post about it. Tell people what your process and inspiration was, and odds are people will start sharing your work without you even asking.
It's a Great Way to get Feedback
It's hard to hear criticism, and most people won't give you ideal or even positive advice, but entering something like the BTC One Shot is a big step toward getting your work in the eyes of other professionals who are capable of giving you constructive feedback. When you enter a competition you enter a community not just of competitors, but people from all corners of the industry who are interested in seeing great hair art. You will probably hear a lot of things you don't want to hear as more people see your work, but there will usually be kernels of wisdom in all the online commenting.
People Love Drama
We're not talking about high school rabble rousing. We get a visceral pleasure from watching people try to achieve their dreams. When you actively compete it intensifies that sense of struggle. We're not saying you need to go live a life worthy of writing a story about, only that people instinctively create the story in their heads. So get out there and struggle, and stop worrying about what everyone will think.