Personal branding and pocket brow brands

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1. Background

This article integrates findings from extensive research conducted by Powderbrows.io, involving over 3,100 clients and artists. Covering the period from 2016 to 2023, which includes pre-Covid and post-Covid eras, the research examines various aspects of starting a career as a brow artist. Sales and marketing have been key areas of interest in these studies, some of which are ongoing. This article focuses on a specific topic that has emerged repeatedly in these studies: brand development for Powder Brows, Hairstrokes and microblading artists.

The Objective

This article aims to identify the most effective and economical branding strategies for brow artists. We are exploring how emerging artists can align their branding efforts with the needs and preferences of their target audience. Put, this article seeks to offer the most efficient approach for beginners to start their branding journey.

2. Personality or a Brow Brand?

The Role of Personality in Branding

Our extensive research has shown that a strong, reputable brand is crucial for establishing trust with potential clients. This trust is deeply linked to the authority an artist commands, which can be greatly enhanced when associated with a well-known brand. This leads to the question: Should artists focus on personal branding and integrate their personality into their broader branding strategy?

Best Earners Are Not Anonymous

For many artists starting, incorporating their personality into their branding may seem daunting. However, the straightforward answer is that leveraging personality can significantly reduce customer acquisition costs. Other approaches are often more expensive. This idea is especially important when considering top earners in the field.

These outstanding artists, who earn over 82% of the industry's total revenue, represent just 3.5% of all students in training programs. For these high-earning artists, potential clients often value their brand as much as, or even more than, the brand they are associated with. Interestingly, this scenario is somewhat reversed for those actively working in the field but not among the top earners.

3. Brow Brand vs. Personal Brand

A Nuanced Perspective

A nuanced picture emerges when we look at artists who remain active in the field 18 months after completing their training. For those for whom brow services are a secondary income source, aligning with a well-known brand in the field is more advantageous. However, for those focused on specialized pigmentation services like Powder Brows, Hairstrokes or microblading, personal branding is equally, if not more, important than the brow brand they are affiliated with.

This analysis reveals two clear conclusions. First, if brow services are a side hustle, associating with a reputable brow brand is sufficient. Second, for those aiming to be top earners, a dual strategy is essential: align with a recognized brand and leverage your unique personality.

4. Personality Branding Preparation

One on one Practical Preparation for Personal Branding The need for personal branding varies depending on your career goals in the brow business. However, laying the groundwork for your brand is a smart strategy for future-proofing. To begin, consider these three practical steps: a) register a .com domain with your name, b) secure an Instagram handle that includes your name, and c) create a Facebook business page in your name.

Securing a .com Domain Name

You can check the availability of a .com domain featuring your name through platforms like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Sav.com, or other regional providers. The registration fee typically is around $10. If your desired domain name is available, it's advisable to register it quickly. There are several important reasons for this.

Search Traffic and Exact-Match Domains

Opinions among digital marketing experts vary about the importance of an "exact match" domain name for Google search queries. However, we've consistently found it highly beneficial for improving search rankings. If you expand your brow business and people start Googling your name, an exact match domain name could offer a substantial advantage. Websites with domain names that exactly match your name usually rank higher in search engine results compared to those with variations or derivatives of your name.

The Risks of Neglecting Domain Registration

Not registering your name as a .com domain carries significant risks. We've seen cases where someone else registers a brow artist's exact .com domain, often leading to missed opportunities for the artists. More concerning are instances where the domain redirects to unrelated sites, products, or, in worst-case scenarios, to damaging content.

Challenges Reclaiming a Lost .com Domain

Reclaiming a .com domain matching your name is often difficult, and obtaining it without a substantial budget is nearly impossible. Legal options are limited, generally involving actions like de-ranking compromising content. Success rates for these legal steps are unpredictable. Even skilled professionals can face challenges if the domain's server is in regions like Asia, Russia, or post-Soviet states.

The Importance of Branding with Your Name

Your given name is essential in branding efforts. A domain matching your name is generally more impactful than a catchy, modified version. Therefore, it is crucial to secure your .com domain quickly.

Matching Handles: Essential but Less So Than Domains

Matching handles on Instagram and Facebook are beneficial but less crucial than owning a .com domain. Social media platforms offer more flexibility with web addresses. For example, if you own your .com name, your Instagram handle could be [yourname]com and use [yourname].com on Facebook.

Dealing with Handle Misuse

You generally have better odds of resolving issues with unauthorized use of your name on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Although Meta platform customer support can be slow, they acknowledge international law and take corrective action. In contrast, negotiating with a black-hat hacker who demands $3,000 for your matching .com domain offers no such guarantees, making the domain name a more critical asset to secure.

5. The Role of a Brow Brand

The Essential Component of Brand Association

In the brow business, aligning with a reputable brand is not just an option but a necessity, particularly for those aspiring to be top artists. Studies have shown that offering brow services without the support of a reputable brand is far more difficult.

The Trust Factor

Comparing two scenarios—an artist starting without a personal or brow brand and an artist associating with a reputable brow brand—reveals a significant difference in gaining customer trust. The difference is as much as 6.3 times. Essentially, marketing brow services as an "anonymous no-name" is ineffective.

Comparative Impact on Pricing

This trust gap is more pronounced in the brow services industry than in many other sectors. It also affects your pricing ability. Aligning with a recognized brand enhances customer trust and gives you more pricing flexibility.

Two Basic Approaches to Brow Brand Association

Two main ways to associate with a brow brand are partnering with an existing brand or creating your own. The first option may seem logical, especially for recent graduates from brow training. However, emerging artists should be cautious when considering linking their professional identity to a brow brand. It's important to thoroughly analyze this decision before quickly becoming a "marketing ambassador" for a brand.

6. Due Diligence

Pocket Brow Brand or Real Brand? Checklist for Evaluation

To assess if a brow brand is substantial or merely a "Lightweight Pocket Brow Brand," consider these three aspects: a) Instagram reach, b) Google image search, and c) trademark check. These steps help gauge the brand's influence and whether it's truly developed and advantageous to associate with.

Instagram Hashtag Post Count

Evaluate the brand's presence by searching the hashtag #[browacademy] you attended. Less than 1,000 posts should prompt you to reconsider the value of associating with that brand. In contrast, aligning with that brand could be beneficial if the hashtag yields thousands or more posts.

Google Image Search

This reveals the brand's associations. If the brand name, searched without spaces, shows weak local reach or unrelated images (e.g., a Korean boy band), it's unlikely to boost your marketing significantly.

Trademark Search

Checking for trademark registration offers insight into the brand's legitimacy. A lack of trademark registration suggests the owner's lack of commitment to protecting and developing the brand. Search for trademarks in the European Union at https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/ and in the United States at https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-application-process/search-trademark-database.

The Power of a Generic Name .com Domain

A brand may not need a trademark if its name is too generic to register. However, owning a .com domain with generic terms related to brow business indicates significant investment. Such domains typically cost significantly more than trademark registration.

Associating with a Brand Name When It Adds Value

Only associate with a brand if it enhances your brand. Consider creating your brand if a brow brand has limited reach, unrelated Google image results, and no trademark.

7. Creating Your "Pocket Brow Brand”

The Simple Process of Establishing Your Brand

Creating your brow brand might seem challenging, but it can be more straightforward than you think. Remember the story about outrunning a bear: you don't have to be the best, just better than the weakest competitor. Your small "pocket brow brand" could quickly surpass your brow trainer's larger brand.

Starting with Brandsnap.ai

A good beginning is using Brandsnap.ai, a free AI-based naming service. Many artists have found it generates better "pocket brand names" than those of the academies they trained at. This service offers suggestions that resonate more with your business's essence.

Setting Up Your Website

Create a quick website using platforms like the following.

Squarespace: Known for customizable templates and user-friendly drag-and-drop features.
Wix: Offers a variety of templates, an intuitive builder, and multiple add-ons.
Webflow: Allows for advanced customization.

Artists often find these platforms produce better results than their training academies' websites.

Utilizing AI for Website Content

Leverage AI for text creation. Copy text from various sources and refine it using a language model like ChatGPT. This process can be completed in about an hour, producing content often superior to established brands.

Launching Your Brand Quickly

Some artists have successfully launched their brow brand, website, and content during a lunch break using their mobile phones. These rapidly created brands can perform as well or better than trainer brands, especially when built on platforms like Squarespace, Wix, or Webflow.

Remember, speed is key. Don't wait for perfection; start now and take action to establish your online presence.

8. Conclusions

If you aim to build a career in the brow business, your approach might depend on your goals. For those considering brow services as a secondary income source, aligning with an established brand like an academy might be enough. However, if you're aspiring to become a top earner, establishing a brow and personal brand that truly resonates with you is likely necessary.

The foundation of your brand begins with securing your name as a .com domain, if available. This enhances your search rankings and prevents others from misusing your name, thus strengthening your brand identity.

Before aligning with a brow brand, it's vital to assess whether it's legitimate or just a "pocket brow brand." Conduct due diligence by checking the brand's Instagram reach through hashtag searches, performing Google Image searches, and verifying trademark registration.

If the brand passes these tests, partnering with it can amplify your marketing efforts. Conversely, if it's a "pocket brow brand," creating your brand may be more beneficial. A streamlined method includes using Brandsnap.ai for brand naming, registering the name as a domain, and creating a website with AI-optimized content from platforms like ChatGPT. This approach improves your marketing effectiveness and presents a more compelling option than becoming a "brand ambassador" for another pocket brow brand.