11 mins
Influencer insight
Nail influencers & brands share a glimpse into the influencer marketing process & how to get noticed online REBECCA HITCHON REPORTS
Abi Markey
What do you envisage when you see the word ‘influencer’? The term may carry some negative connotations due to modern perceptions of influence, as it’s often assumed that a person needs a huge number of social media followers and an expensive, aspirational lifestyle to warrant receiving the title.
Nail artist & content creator, of @naileditbeauty, says that society needs to change its thinking about this. “I don’t like the word ‘influencer’, as I believe the role involves inspiring and striking a chord with others via your personality, beliefs and work. In terms of nails, this means talking about all aspects Abi Markey of the industry, including relatable lows such as designs that don’t go to plan. Small social media accounts can be influencers if the person behind them, their work and niche are liked,” she shares.
Fellow nail artist & content creator, Sadie Jordan of @sadiejnails, agrees. “I have a fairly small following online, so I tend to refer to myself as a content creator, rather than an influencer. However, I think this is because of my imposter syndrome,” she comments. “I would say a person becomes an influencer when Sadie Jordan they are recognised in their sector as a figure with a substantial social media following that trusts them, the ability to inspire others and notable industry experience or skills.”
Sadie Jordan
With influencer marketing forecast to be valued at $22.2 billion by 2025, according to Statista, and a survey by SEO service provider, FATJOE, revealing that 37% of Brits would be willing to sacrifice 20% of their income to pursue full-time content creation, it’s interesting to consider the role of influencers in society. But where does this job fit within the nail industry, what does it take to adopt the role and what part do nail brands play? Let’s explore...
Guest editor, Danny Haile, comments:
“I see influencers as a progression of brand spokespeople, except that they are more independent and can offer a perspective that’s different from those working exclusively for one brand. I think it is important for nail influencers, even if they are not working techs, to maintain their product knowledge and educate themselves on product safety in the same way as a nail professional. We work with a lot of products that need to be used correctly, and safety is key.”
So you think you can be a nail influencer?
Belinda Price
“Being a nail influencer involves casting the industry in a positive light and inspiring others,” reveals OPI UK&I education manager, Belinda Price. “This could involve educating consumers on products, sharing nail art styles they could request or explaining what to look for in a salon. An influencer could also provide nail technicians with knowledge of seasonal shades, trends or education, and they share their knowledge while marketing themselves and growing their following, further increasing their influence.”
“A nail influencer inspires their audience to create new designs or make product purchases that they wouldn’t ordinarily make,” adds Sadie Jordan. “They build an online community of people who support their work and opinions, and who benefit from learning how to use new techniques or products and seeing how these perform before investing.”
Monika Bannatyne
So what makes you excel in the role? “A nail professional who is passionate about their work will organically be a good influencer,” reveals CNDTM ambassador, Monika Bannatyne of @monmayernails. “If their devotion and high standards are evidenced, they will naturally start to influence.”
OPI Nail Boss, Amy Menzies of @amymenziesmanicurist, mirrors this point, placing an emphasis on followers buying into a nail pro’s passion and creativity. “A great nail influencer shares their personality and provides their audience with exciting, current content and a regular presence,” she shares. “They keep their audience engaged and wanting more, and in turn they build trust; whether with content or new products. They always answer engage with followers in a positive manner, as a relatable figure behind the social media account.”
Amy Menzies
A day in the life
“Every Monday, I give myself a manicure and spend two to three hours scrolling through social media, to find what is trending in the nail and fashion worlds,” reveals Zoya Mac. “I put aside one day each week to test different nail designs on tips, to figure out how best to showcase products sent by clients. For each nail design, it usually takes four to six tries before I am happy with the look. Other weekly tasks include planning content calendars, strategising collaborations and evaluating performance metrics. I usually leave editing content until the evenings, and I like to apply a hand mask at the end of each day.”
Sadie Jordan has a similar routine, as she preps her nails at the start of each week, so she can film content to meet deadlines. “As well as creating user-generated content, I have to post on my own social channels for nail and fashion brands,” she describes. “I am always looking for trend insights and design inspiration to include in my content, and as a freelancer, I also carry out admin tasks, such as invoicing and replying to emails and messages.”
“A great nail influencer shares their personality and provides their audience with exciting, current content and a regular presence.”
INFLUENCER EVALUATION
Benefits
Zoya Mac
“As a nail influencer, you may be offered the opportunity to use products that haven’t yet launched to the professional community and feature in brand communications, campaigns and magazines. You can also work around your family life,” reveals Zoya Mac (@zoya_mac), a content creator & social media strategist for nail brands.
Monika Bannatyne adds: “By providing inspirational content, you can help others to adopt techniques and ideas, which strengthens the nail industry. In doing so, you promote your business to a wide audience.”
“Being an influencer means you can work with amazing brands and people,” says Abi Markey. “Connecting with others who are like-minded and share your passion is important, as it can be lonely creating content, so embrace networking opportunities and events.”
Challenges
“One of the negative aspects of being a social media influencer is the pressure to think of ideas, post regularly and perform well,” reveals CNDTM ambassador, Hannah Beth Clayton of @studiobyhannahbeth. “I’m lucky that my Sweet Squared family embraces who I am, allowing me to create content my way. It’s vital to enjoy the journey and focus on staying true to who you are, by finding your niche and attracting followers who appreciate it.”
Hannah Beth Clayton
Zoya Mac adds: “Other disadvantages include an unstable income, the expense of buying props/equipment and the pressure to keep nails, hands and feet pristine for content.”
Top tip
“When creating nail content, film everything! From one gel application, I find there is the potential to create four videos, so ensure you break what you have recorded down in the editing process, to source as much content as possible.”
Hannah Beth Clayton uses the same nail appointment to create multiple videos.
Getting noticed
“Support a brand, and they will hopefully support you back, as loyalty works both ways,” advises Hannah Beth Clayton. “Whenever you use products, ensure you tag the brand. Brands look for genuine love for their products, support and social media shout-outs.”
However, there are brand politics to be aware of, notes Sadie Jordan. “Avoid using many different brands in one post, if you’re hoping to be recognised by one in particular. Use that target brand consistently and only tag it in posts, as it could be offputting if you promote its direct competitors,” she explains. She tells Scratch that most often, brands are searching for high-quality content that showcases their products in the best light, and if you have a small following, it can be beneficial to contact companies directly with examples of your work. “What is also beneficial is if your audience isn’t familiar with a brand, as working with you will allow the company to expand their customer outreach,” she adds.
THE BRAND PERSPECTIVE
“All nail brands can benefit from collaborating with influencers – including education brands, as these partnerships can introduce brands and their products or services to potential customers,” reveals Sadie Jordan. “Showcasing what can be achieved with products or courses is one of the best ways to encourage sales and bookings.” However, Belinda Price notes that brands, as well as influencers, must put in effort to make these partnerships work. “For an influencer to inspire and excite their followers, a brand must first inspire and excite the influencer,” she comments. “If it can’t do that, it may not be ready to utilise influencers.”
Sadie Jordan has launched Sadie J Academy, through which she hosts in-person workshops to equip pros with the skills needed to create high-quality nail content. Keep an eye on her Instagram account, @sadiejnails, for upcoming workshop dates and use code SCRATCH to save 10% when booking.
Becci Abbott
CASE STUDY: This Is Gel
Founder & director of This Is Gel, Becci Abbott, shares her views on influencers…
Why are nail influencers important to your brand?
Nail influencers are so significant in our modern, social media-driven industry, and they represent our company to a wide audience – which is incredibly beneficial for This Is Gel; a relatively new brand. Ambassadors post content using our products, which showcases their quality and ensures a constant flow of branded nail pictures. Building trusting relationships with talented techs shows customers that our brand is loved, and offers the ambassadors legitimacy as content creators and nail professionals.
What qualities do you look for in a This Is Gel ambassador/influencer?
High-quality work and social media posts are important, but one of the most vital factors is that they love This Is Gel and its values. A genuine interest in the brand makes for more genuine content, as this passion shines through.
What do expect of your ambassadors and influencers? We don’t set a specific posting frequency, but our ambassadorship agreement requires techs to promote the brand regularly on social media and engage with our posts, particularly during product launches. We’ll also task them with ad-hoc jobs, such as writing a testimonial or engaging with a poll or post.
How do you police their role?
One of the reasons we are selective about our ambassadors is to ensure they are a good fit for the brand, allowing us to give them as much creative freedom as possible. Having a small number of ambassadors also means that it’s easy to track their output, so it would quickly become obvious if an ambassador wasn’t representing the brand appropriately or if their goals didn’t align with ours.
www.thisisgel.com/brandambassadorship
CASE STUDY: The Manicure Company
Emily Dodd
Brand ambassador
manager at The Manicure Company (TMC), Emily Dodd,
offers insight into the company’s use of influencers…
Why are nail influencers important to your brand?
They are central in maintaining an authentic and transparent voice beyond our official social media channels. Our brand ambassadors provide genuine, honest reflections on the products they use and their opinions carry weight, offering valuable insights that benefit The Manicure Company and our customers.
What qualities do you look for in a TMC ambassador/influencer?
It’s vital that our ambassadors showcase a range of talents using our full line-up of products. Each has a unique flair, alongside amazing creativity, a robust online presence, loyal TMC supporters and a willingness to give open and honest reviews.
What do expect of your ambassadors and influencers?
Every week, they craft engaging content, from demoing systems and unleashing their creativity via nail art videos, to going live on Instagram and dropping TikToks on their must-have products. We prioritise genuine expression and authenticity, giving our ambassadors the freedom to align content with their personal creative vision.
How do you police their role?
We’ve hand-picked a select group of ambassadors who excel at creating top-notch content. If our ambassadors ever need advice on improving their videos or photos, they can turn to our group chat for support. It’s a collaborative space where ideas flow freely, ensuring that each piece of content exceeds expectations.
www.themanicurecompany.com/pages/become-a-brand-ambassador
“It’s vital that our ambassadors showcase a range of talents using our full line-up of products.”
9 INFLUENCER MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2024
Courtesy of influencer marketing platform, Influencer Intelligence.
1 Integration
of artificial intelligence (AI): to help influencers and brands make data-driven decisions and streamline processes.
2
Consideration of Generation Alpha
: those born between 2010 to 2025 (the first generation to be born with social media) are becoming teenagers and will be greatly considered in campaigns.
3
Subculture research: brands will look at the subcultures and niche conversations most likely to resonate with their audiences, in order to find influencers.
4
Tapping into trends: with trends appearing and disappearing quickly, staying up-to-date with what is viral is more crucial than ever in 2024, so brands and influencers can join timely conversations.
5
B2B influencing: business-to-business influencer marketing will become more important, with industry experts being used to build authority.
6
Multi-purpose and multi-channel campaigns: expect influencers to take an active role in varied tasks for brands, like product development, email marketing and photo shoots.
7
Community is key: influencer communities are a focus for 2024, as they allow for two-way communication between influencers and their audiences, meaning brands can gain feedback. Scan to read Influencer Intelligence’s guide to creating an influencer community
8
Authenticity focus: audiences are increasingly seeking genuine content, owing to distrust by some of influencers and their transparency, as well as the uncertainty brought about by fake news and AI.
9
Long-form content: from videos and podcasts to written pieces, a U-turn will be made from short and snappy to extended content.
www.influencerintelligence.com