People who want to get a tattoo probably do a lot of research before finding the right tattoo artist.
While you may be confident in your talents as an independent tattoo artist or know that your parlor has great potential, you still need to work a little harder on some marketing strategies.
so how do you run your business and make sure these people notice your talent?
Let’s look at some of the most effective tattoo shop marketing ideas:
1. build your brand
Building a brand for yourself or the salon you own is the starting point of your business and the foundation of every marketing campaign that will follow.
all your tattoo shop promotion ideas can be based on your brand identity, creating the perfect brand marketing materials.
This means you should consider making good use of your talent and uniqueness as a tattoo artist and building a brand identity around it.
This is easier than you think. Tattoo artists are usually associated with a particular tattoo style, such as realism, traditional, watercolor, etc., and clients will seek them out specifically for that style.
If you have a studio where several artists with different styles work together, choose a neutral and straightforward name.
plus, once you build your brand around your (or your tattoo parlor’s) personality, people looking for exactly what you offer will want to associate with you.
2. proudly promote your tattoo studio
Whenever you advertise your work as an individual or as a team of tattoo artists, you should include some tattoo shop promotion ideas for the parlor you work for. You can do this by creating images like banners, flyers, business cards, or even social media posts in a design tool like Canva.
Being proud of your workplace will make tattoo lovers trust the business you work for, too.
3. create a professional website
A website is a must for any reputable business. People will most likely find you on social media or through recommendations, but they should find something when they type the name of your tattoo place into Google.
You can offer relevant information on your website, such as business hours, tattoo costs and photos of your work.
In addition to these essential details, you should also have a testimonial section so that you can increase people’s trust in your services.
When you have your website, you can write anything relevant to your audience. this means you can also upload videos, and that’s an opportunity to increase your online visibility as a tattoo artist.
Create a series of videos showing behind-the-scenes footage, which you can also upload to youtube. Give each of your videos a name that contains “tattoo shop” and the name of your city, and you’ll soon rank for local google searches whenever someone in your area searches for a tattoo artist.
Your website must also include:
- a domain url with the name of your tattoo shop or your name;
- a website design that matches your style;
- an online reservation system.
- choosing the right channels
- use hashtags
- attract your followers with gifts
- You get in touch with other tattoo artists who can recommend your particular style to people. Word of mouth marketing remains one of the most effective marketing strategies for your tattoo shop and everything in between.
- You can meet new clients and book appointments right there.
- You can book appointments in advance and get instant tattoos right at the convention. If you have free time, you can do more flash tattoos on clients who request them at the convention.
- inform yourself and stay up to date with all the new trends, techniques and equipment that you may not have.
- Tattoo conventions often have contests that you or your shop can enter to showcase your artistic talents. It is a great opportunity to demonstrate your skills to all attendees.
- there is a good chance that editors will be present and want to feature your work in one of their publications.
The last point brings us to the next essential step in your tattoo shop marketing strategies.
4. have an online reservation system
Among your tattoo shop promotion ideas, an online booking system is a must.
while your customers can reserve a seat for themselves and see available spaces in real time, you can focus more on your daily activities. You no longer interrupt your work just to answer your phone and make an appointment.
appointfix is one of the best booking apps for tattoo artists. It’s also free and has a very easy setup process.
The app allows you to add your tattoo parlor name, logo, services, prices, opening hours and an image of your choice.
Download the naming app from the app store or google play and see how much easier it can make your job.
Once you set up the online booking profile in the app, you can activate your “book now” buttons on facebook and instagram so customers can also book an appointment with you through social media channels.
5. reduce your no-show rate
No matter how small, any tattoo design takes time because there is also the preparation, deciding the correct location of the tattoo, etc. While getting tattooed is a big deal for most people, some of them may still forget about their date.
appointfix is a great solution if you want to get rid of no-shows. This helpful dating app sends automated text message reminders to your clients.
protip: namefix also allows you to send mass messages, so it will be useful when you want to announce future offers, discounts or any changes that occur in your tattoo parlor.
6. show your business on social networks
Social media is one of the best tools for reaching new audiences and connecting with them on a more personal level.
These are some of the things to keep in mind when showcasing your work on social media.
You don’t need to target all social media platforms. some of them may not be relevant to your business at all.
It’s best to focus all your efforts on those known for their visual imagery, namely instagram, facebook, and pinterest.
Instagram is all about artistic photos, so it’s safe to say that you should post photos of your work there and grow your fan base. An important aspect to keep in mind: do not use filters on the photos, as they will distort the colors of the tattoos.
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facebook is the most popular social media platform right now, so this should be a good reason to be there exhibiting your artwork. It will help you get in touch with many potential future clients.
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pinterest is, as the platform itself says, the place to find inspiration. If someone doesn’t have a precise design in mind, they’ll most likely start their search on Pinterest. people start searching pinterest when they are ready to act. this is why nearly 9 out of 10 weekly pinners use the platform for inspiration, followed by a purchase.
Create boards with your work to let people be inspired by your work and possibly contact you. You can also make a board with saved pins for your inspiration that your followers can pin.
Also, to expand your reach and make it easier for people to save your work for inspiration, add a Pinterest save button to every tattoo photo on your website. This way, your visitors can pin their favorite designs on their Pinterest boards.
Photos that showcase your professional work deserve a brief but precise description. On Instagram, you can back it up with relevant hashtags.
People generally search for images added under a specific hashtag, so add as many as you can to increase the chances of people finding you.
when in doubt, use hashtagify.
Add a freebie to your tattoo shop marketing strategies and chances are you’ll grow your fan base. how to do that?
Post a photo with one of your tattoo designs and add a description explaining your gift.
The rules should be simple and easy to follow, according to their objective. If you want to learn more about it, check out this complete guide to instagram giveaway rules.
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7. offer offers & discounts
once you start using appointment you will have a clear view of your clients as this scheduling app has a client management system where you can store important information about your clients.
Plus, with marketing messages, you can reward them with exclusive offers or discounts. Decide how much you’re willing to spend on your loyal customers and send them a message right from the app announcing upcoming deals.
8. go to tattoo conventions
Tattoo conventions are a traditional form of marketing for all tattoo artists. and here’s why:
That said, a tattoo convention is one of the best marketing strategies for tattoo shops.
9. claim a listing on google my business
You can promote your tattoo shop through local SEO by adding your business information to Google Maps, Search and other Google properties with Google My Business.
Once you’ve done that, you can ask your customers to google you and leave a review. This will increase your chances of getting even more clients. If you don’t want to tell them this directly, use stickers or other forms of printed marketing materials at your tattoo shop that ask them to leave a review.
make sure your decal has all the places your customers can find it and leave a comment or tag it in their photos.
This way, you’re also (indirectly) asking your clients for referrals.
10. traditional marketing continues to work
In addition to the tattoo sign outside your parlor, which can give your tattoo shop entrance an old-fashioned look, you can also take some action in your community and associate your name with important events.
For example, you can hold a fundraiser to benefit a critical local issue and show you care.
You will instantly have a positive impact on your local community. And remember, news travels fast.
11. offer only quality services
Your work not only defines who you are, but also what your clients prefer. they should proudly display the art they wear on their body.
This gives you a lot of responsibility and a chance to let everyone know you’re doing a great job.
final thoughts
Your talents as a tattoo artist deserve to be enhanced with a great tattoo shop marketing plan. start working on it today and instantly increase your chances of being discovered.
By the way, here’s something you might like from the most inspiring gift ideas for tattoo artists. We’re all crazy when it comes to gifts, right? 🙂
