Are you looking for ways to promote your stylist business? Like any other service business, a stylist can benefit from using low cost and free marketing methods, also known as guerrilla marketing. Here are some tips to help in your promotions campaign:
Fashion Shows
If you're a personal stylist, then one of the best ways to promote your business is to put on or participate in a fashion show. Attendees of fashion shows go to see the latest trends and to get ideas for their wardrobes. If you have your skills on display, you can land business from a few members of the audience. The key is to make sure that you're competitive when you participate. If your style seems outdated as compared to the other styles being shown, you'll not only lose to the competition, but you'll be branded as a stylist that doesn't know what she's doing. It would also benefit you to attend other shows first before participating in one.
Word-of-Mouth
One of the fastest way to promote your stylist business is to work with a client who has a high profile in the community you wish to serve. You can ask to be their personal stylist for special events or other occasions. If you're just starting out and getting your foot in the door, you may have to do one or two of these for free. This can be worthwhile if the client promises to recommend you to others. You might also get a written credit in a bulletin, program or a website.
Online Portfolio
It's a given that you need a website if you want to reach clients locally and globally. However, it's not enough just to have written content. People need to see your work in the stylist business, and this requires you to upload a portfolio of your work. It can be tricky sometimes to get clients to agree to photograph them for public display, but many are willing to help you out if you ask. You will need them to sign a release giving you permission to use their images, and you can find one on legal websites like www.nolo.com.
Make sure that the portfolio includes a variety of clients, in order to show your skills and abilities. If you're just starting out and don't have clients, consider doing work for free so that you can build up your portfolio, which should help with future business.
Free Publicity
Getting on the news as a personal stylist can be difficult, because the local media may not find your business to be newsworthy. However, if you work with charitable organizations, then your chances of getting on the news increase. For example, you could send out a press release challenging other stylists to join you in donating personal stylist services to the local women's shelter. This donation challenge is newsworthy and may give the local media something to talk about.
It takes time to grow a stylist business, and therefore you need to work hard on each of these tips over time before you'll see results. Once you land a few good clients, the word of mouth promotion may yield the best results.
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Daphne Mallory, Esq. is the co-owner of Mallory Writing Services and has written more than 100 articles helping home based business owners and entrepreneurs start and market their business. You can learn more about her here.
