6 mins
The Social Scene
LILLY DELMAGE unlocks social media secrets & shares expert tips to help boost the online profile of your business
Have you felt pressure for your business’ social media posts to go viral? While amassing hundreds or thousands of views, likes and comments may sound appealing, going viral isn’t always the most effective way to achieve your goals. We asked the finalists in the
Scratch Stars Social Media Star of the Year
category for 2025 why this is the case:
Jessica White
“The key to a successful social media page as a nail tech isn’t virality – it’s knowing your audience and your goals,” says Leeds-based tech, educator & salon owner, Jessica White. “Without knowing who you want to speak to, you’ll post aimlessly and get frustrated by the lack of results. Having a clear direction helps you stay consistent and build a loyal, engaged community.”
Lorna Andrews
Fellow educator & nail artist, Lorna Andrews, adds: “You need to ask yourself, ‘am I trying to appeal to clients or brands?’, and this will then determine how you compose and optimise your content.”
Client audience
If your goal is to attract new clients, engaging a global audience isn’t the optimal way to do so. “Instead of posting generic content that doesn’t reflect your offerings, you should prioritise engaging local clients to build their trust in your services,” shares Jessica White. “Focus on high-quality images and videos of nail looks you’ve created for clients, ideally in your studio setting. Show what it’s like to visit you – highlighting your setup, vibe and why someone should book an appointment with you.”
Chelsey Downie
Lincoln-based nail artist & brand owner, Chelsey Downie, suggests: “Add your location to posts and use hashtags relating to your area. You could even hide discounts for services around your local town, with your contact details on for locals to find!”
An
Instagram
post by Chelsey, including her business location.
Hannah Beth Clayton
Incorporating transparency and personality into content is a strategy that’s also encouraged by business mentor & CNDTM UK ambassador, Hannah Beth Clayton. She shares: “Just posting pictures of nails is outdated. They have their place – but demand has grown for real-life storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, insights into career journeys and client stories.”
Megan Heppinstall
NICHE SPOTLIGHT
Norfolk nail artist & brand owner, Megan Heppinstall, explains why techs may want to focus on marketing their niche: “Stay true to the nails you want to create. For example, it’s no good posting French tips to entice clients when your main passion is intricate nail art, and vice versa. Show what you are best at and what you enjoy, and the right local clients will find you.”
Nail tech audience
This is where a focus on virality and engagement may be more relevant. Not limited to attracting clients locally, you could benefit from drawing the interests of an international audience. Jessica White shares her advice: “To build a following of other nail techs, aim for viral potential. This could include pieces to camera where you share tips or opinions, aesthetic swatches, trending audio or behind-the-scenes content that educates or inspires. Nail techs tend to follow creators who show personality, expertise and originality.”
Hannah Beth Clayton identifies a common nail art issue and shares a solution.
Megan Heppinstall shares how she engages this audience: “If a nail tech finds content helpful, they’re more likely to engage with it. I offer weekly classes for subscribers that teach how to paint character art, which is popular with clients, and with techs who sell press-on nails. Offering solution-driven content also works well – for example, start a video saying: ‘Have you ever had [nail issue] with a client? Here’s how to fix it!’”
Megan Heppinstall captioned a video removing nail art: ‘Anyone else internally cry?’ – encouraging responses in the comments.
KNOWING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
If I were to ask you, ‘who’s your target audience?’, you should know the demographics this includes, along with their wants and needs. Lorna Andrews answers this question with confidence: “My target audience is mostly pro-focused, and I aim to inspire and educate other nail technicians and beginners. My followers want help gaining confidence with product knowledge and design inspiration, so I co-founded my brand, Glitter Planet UK, to provide them with accessible and affordable products. I help them achieve their goals by demonstrating my brand’s systems and educating new nail techs – and I have over 1,000 videos doing so on my YouTube channel, @ninjanailfairy.”
Lorna uploads long-form videos to
YouTube
to connect with her audience.
“Without knowing who you want to speak to, you’ll post aimlessly and get frustrated by the lack of results. Having a clear direction helps you stay consistent and build a loyal, engaged community.”
Can you attract both audiences?
Jessica White believes you can – if you have a smart content strategy. She shares: “The key to targeting both audiences is to balance value: speak to each audience at different times, or occasionally blend both. For example, a ‘day in the life’ video can inspire both a potential client and a fellow tech. My audience is predominantly made up of those seeking nail inspiration and shade ideas, so my primary audience is people who love getting their nails done. That said, I also enjoy building a rapport with other techs in the industry.”
Megan Heppinstall showcases a video on
Instagram
painting Disney’s
The Aristocats
character, Marie.
Jessica White shares an example of her signature aesthetic swatch videos on
Instagram
, which appeal to nail techs seeking product insight and clients wanting manicure inspiration.
Regardless of audience, Lorna advises all techs to focus on personality-driven content: “Both clients and fellow nail pros expect you to share your personality through content. I’ve found that with my own clients, it gives us something to talk about, and it helps build trust in you and your skills.”
Megan Heppinstall adds: “I share a lot of character painting videos, which appeal to all audiences. For nail techs, they offer tips, tricks and education, and clients enjoy watching how the art is created. Many of my custom press-on nail sets have been order by customers who have seen my videos.”
Reality reminder
Hannah Beth Clayton explains that mastering content creation for both clients and colleagues is difficult – and a struggle she still experiences. She says: “Instagram doesn’t know what to do with my content at the moment, and sometimes, neither do I! However, the clearer your content speaks to a certain kind of person, the more the algorithm can match you with others just like them. If you’re struggling to know what content your audience wants – ask them via question-and-answer functions on Instagram stories.”
Megan Heppinstall agrees, and believes the right audience will find you. “There’s nothing wrong with going with the flow and owning it,” she shares. “I originally started selling press-on nails, so my focus was clients. But then I found nail artists started to reach out and ask how I created specific looks. I started to post tutorials – and gravitated towards the audience I target now.”
“Being online can be tough, and if you need social media breaks, take them,” adds Lorna Andrews. “You can schedule posts beforehand so that your reach isn’t affected.”
Whether your goal is to attract loyal clients or connect with fellow professionals, mastering your message is key. By knowing your audience and aligning content with your goals, your social media platforms can be powerful tools to aid business success.