Working as a Freelance MUA - Social Media

Social media has presented us, as a community of artists a new way to present our work instantly to the world. Not only can we put out text posts but we can share good quality images and videos. It’s arguably the best way to market yourself and attract the attention of potential clients, however navigating algorithms and hashtags can be a nightmare. Instagram in particular is flooded with images and videos and reels of truly fantastic work so making yourself stand out from the crowd is so important. Creating a post schedule can really help to grow a following, for example posting every Monday and Thursday at peak times and posting your stories everyday. Most social media platforms have the ability to create a business account that will allow you to see data about your followers, for example their age groups, location, when they’re the most active and your account growth. There is usually a built in direct messaging service where you can message other artists to start networking with them. Equally, you can receive messages from potential clients and take bookings! Most, if not all of my freelance work has come through social media in the last five years!

You’ll want to consider the effect of social media on your mental health however. Some people find that too much time scrolling down Instagram feeds can cause anxiety, so it’s important to know what your boundaries are. Consider the content you want to see in your own feed; following the makeup artists who worked on your favourite TV show or film is a great place to start. You’ll want to see things that will inspire you. Try not to post too much personal content, it might be helpful to have separate accounts - one to display your work and another for personal posts.

When working on TV or film sets it can be very tempting to post behind the scenes images and videos for your followers but keep in mind that there may be NDA’s (Non-Disclosure Agreement) in place when working on set. Always check your contract or ask permission before posting.

Wanting to be a social media ‘influencer’ is fast becoming a career goal for young people. There’s the potential for huge followings of people, lots of free products, good money and business opportunities. There are lots of influencers who have gone on to own their own brand after building an online following (Jeffree Star is a great example of this). It can be tricky though, there are rules about posting sponsored content and gifted items. You can get into real trouble for not disclosing if an item/post was paid for by a company. Similarly, you can can land yourself in hot water by posting extreme or polarising views online and many internet influencers have been ‘cancelled’ by their fans after behaving badly. Even if those mistakes were in the past, they can still come back haunt you!

For those that can navigate social media well, the potential is limitless!

• Social Media for Makeup Artists: A Posh Look Guide | Posh Nailz. (2020). Retrieved 3 May 2021, from https://poshnailz.co.uk/social-media-for-makeup-artists-a-posh-look-guide/
  

• Delamar Academy's guide to Instagram marketing for makeup artists. Retrieved 3 May 2021, from https://delamaracademy.co.uk/graduate-news/graduate-news-instagram-as-a-marketing-tool-for-make-up-artists/
  

• Race, S. (2021). Cancel culture is raising unrealistic standards for social media influencers. Retrieved 3 May 2021, from https://thecentraltrend.com/96879/opinion/cancel-culture-is-raising-unrealistic-standards-for-social-media-influencers-editorial-2-3/