Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/78523
2. Become an Expert You need to create credibility with potential clients before they even step inside your treatment room. What, in their minds, sets you apart from your competitors? Even if you're not prominent in your field, social media is one way you can become so. Makeup artist Kandee Johnson started her YouTube channel three years ago by posting short, instructional makeup videos. Now, she's an online sensation with more than 100 million video views and more than 700,000 subscribers. Don't be afraid to lend out your expertise. There are many ways you can start to promote yourself as an industry expert. Offer articles or guest posts for established blogs, websites, and publications. Create a series of "how-to" videos or other shareable content that shows off your particular area of expertise. Blogs are an excellent base for your public relations efforts. Successful blogs can be about anything: step-by-step guides to a specific service, professional advice on any aspect of skin care, a discussion of current industry trends, or interesting news from your salon or spa. If you add a new post with exciting information on a daily (or at least weekly) basis, clients will keep coming back to read it. 3. Respond, Respond, Respond No matter what type of social media you focus on, remember the "social" part. Every social media platform is designed to be interactive and will only provide the best results when it is used that way. Allow comments and respond to them whenever appropriate. Give readers the chance to be an active part of your site and share what they like with others. A social media site that consists only of your posts, with no public interaction allowed, is not social media; it's just an ad. 4. Coordinate Online and Offline Marketing Whenever you publish an article, achieve a special honor, are mentioned in the local newspaper, or speak at an event, be sure to mention it in your social media updates. Likewise, mention your online activities in your other marketing efforts. Your business cards and brochures are two examples. In addition to your name, company name, location, website, email, and phone number, you should include the addresses of any social media sites you use for business. Make sure you're letting people know all the ways they can contact you, and that every contact method listed on your card is one you regularly check and respond to. 5. Whatever You Do, Keep Doing It! Maintaining a social media presence takes regular, consistent effort—every day, or at least once a week. If you are unable to commit to regular updates and timely responses, it is better not to get involved with social media. Don't give in to the guilt trippers who say you "must" be on social media. An obviously out-of-date, neglected Facebook page will give a worse impression of your business than not having one at all. When working with social media, you have to be an active host who constantly engages your audience with new content and offers timely responses to questions and comments posed by fans or followers. Whether you decide to use just one social media platform or many, you're still effectively promoting yourself and your business at far less expense than any other form of public relations. Kathleen Neves is a licensed esthetician, makeup artist, and beauty blogger based in San Francisco. She writes for MyLifeAsAnEsthetician.com, and is the author of a weekly column, Beauty Babe on a Budget. Contact her at kathleenneves@yahoo.com. 32 ASCP Skin Deep September/October 2012