Nail & beauty educators, here’s how to market your courses to create demand

Esteemed nail and beauty educators share their top marketing tactics to increase the demand for courses…

Find your niche

“Educators must figure out what their USP (unique selling point) is, so they can focus on and reap the rewards from marketing this quality. What is your key strength? What does your local area need?” asks Michelle Brookes, Scratch Stars Educator of the Year 2022 & finalist for 2023.

Marketing materials

Scratch Stars Educator of the Year 2019, Rachel Lunn, uses a prospectus to showcase her offerings, featuring the same branding as her other marketing materials. “Use a prospectus to list your courses, including their outcomes and content covered in simple bullet points, as well as your experience in the industry and education. Include the accreditation logo and logos of any awards you have won,” she shares.

Magpie Beauty educator & finalist for the Scratch Stars Shooting Star Award & Nail Business Mentor Award 2023, Ruth Munro, sends regular emails about her classes, which include information about course content and images of students’ work. “I also ask my database which nail skills they would like to improve upon next, meaning I can target my training offerings to them and maintain interest,” she details.

‘What should I include in my marketing materials?’

Be simple and concise with information, notes Nina Nicholson, lead educator at Lecenté. “It can be tempting to try and fit a lot of information on marketing materials, however this can lead to them looking busy and the information appearing overwhelming,” she explains. “The ins and outs of your training can be explained to students once initial contact has been made.”

Social media tips

“On Sundays, the blues start to kick in and your followers will be on the lookout for change, so this day is perfect for attracting beginners,” Rachel Lunn reveals. Also think about when payday lands, as this will be the incentive for many to organise their finances for the coming month and open their wallets to expenditures for their business.

“Facebook is most successful for encouraging interest in and bookings for my courses, and I regularly create sponsored adverts, which help to showcase my training to new students who are joining the industry,” says Michelle Brookes. “I also use Facebook groups to advertise my courses and generally get a lot of enquiries from this.”

Ruth Munro adds that Instagram Stories have been handy for her to showcase demand and encourage bookings. “I regularly update my Story with training information, crossing out spaces as soon as classes become full to encourage students to not miss out,” she explains.

TikTok is being increasingly used to promote nail education options, via walkthroughs of training days, showcases of students’ work and tours of facilities. Courtesy of Tiktok.com/@michellebrookes_training

In-person promotion

En Vogue educator, Mary Ellon Balance, strongly believes in the power of building teacher/student relationships through in-person interaction, in order to add value to her education offerings. “Face-to-face communication with nail techs is a priority for me, because it builds confidence,” she shares. “From this, those techs will come to you to learn about anything, because they trust that you will give them helpful information.

“I participate in and host trade shows and retreats to build those relationships, and reach out to colleges in my local area. I invite students to classes at a discounted rate to get them interested in furthering their education, both during school and after they graduate,” she adds. “After this, word of mouth becomes important and provides others with the confidence that the money they are spending will add value to the services they offer to clients.”