THE SOCIAL SCENE

Revealed: the content you’re probably not filming

ZOYA MAC shares social media advice & pointers to raise your business profile & elevate your content

About Zoya Mac

Zoya is a nail content creator based in West Sussex. After spending over eight years as a nail artist, she transitioned into roles in social media management and content creation for nail brands. Zoya is passionate about creating captivating and engaging product and tutorial videos. She helps industry brands to showcase their products in clear, authentic ways, and teaches other nail artists how to confidently record their own videos.

@zoya_mac

TOP TIP Create a B-roll bank

If you film content regularly, building a B-roll bank can save you a surprising amount of time. B-roll is simply the extra clips that bring your videos to life, like opening a bottle, picking up a brush, glitter catching the light, switching on your lamp, pouring a coffee at the start of your day or a quick shot of your salon setup. You might not need those clips today, but future you will.

Whenever you have a spare moment, film a few extra five to 10-second clips and save them in a dedicated folder. I also recommend giving them simple names, such as ‘glitter close-up’, ‘desk setup’ or ‘opening gel bottle’, so they’re easy to find later. The next time you edit a Reel, you’ll find a library of ready-to-use footage instead of having to film it all again.

One of the questions I’m asked most often at my workshops is: ‘ What else should I post on social media? ’. Usually, the people asking already create gorgeous nail content. Their photos are lovely, but they feel like they’re running out of ideas.

I think we often assume that content has to be a beautifully shot nail photo or perfectly edited Reel. However, some of the most interesting content isn’t finished nail looks – it’s everything that happens around them.

As nail technicians, your schedules are busy with clients and all the tasks involved in running a business. Between appointments, ordering stock, replying to messages, cleaning, organising accounts and trying to enjoy a life away from the nail desk, creating content can feel like another job on the never-ending to-do list. That’s why I think it’s worth looking at content a little differently.

Instead of asking yourself, ‘What should I film today?’, try asking: ‘What part of my day might my audience enjoy seeing?’. It may be as simple as a client choosing between two nail colours, mixing your favourite glitter, setting up your desk before your first appointment or sharing a quick clip of your workspace. Consider posting a video showing the opening of a delivery you’ve been excited about, or you packing your kit. Those moments are all part of your story – they don’t replace your finished nail photos; they add to your profiles.

My job is creating content for nail brands, and I love sharing the finished videos because they are a huge part of my role. However, over time I realised that if I only showed those polished edits, viewers couldn’t get to know me. So, alongside the product videos, I started sharing glimpses behind-the-scenes: travelling to workshops, setting up filming equipment, sketching ideas before a shoot, teaching, visiting brands and, occasionally, a family moment. Interestingly, these posts often lead to some of the nicest conversations in my DMs – not because they’re the most technically impressive, but because they help people connect with the person behind the camera. I think that’s something we often forget about.

People aren’t only interested in the end result; they’re interested in the journey. I’m not encouraging you to transform your work social media pages into personal diaries, but you should allow some of your personality to shine in between your work posts. It’s important that your pages reflect your professional goals, but personality-based posts can aid trust by familiarising your audience with the person they are booking an appointment with, learning from or following.

If your goal is to attract clients, perhaps show the calm atmosphere of your nail space or how you prepare for each appointment. If you’d like to move into education, let people see you planning classes, practicing techniques or creating resources. Alternatively, if content creation or brand work is something you’re pursuing, show your filming process and how much thought goes into creating a video. Those moments build trust in a way that a finished nail photo sometimes can’t.

Don’t feel like every post has to teach something or go viral. Sometimes, it’s enough to make someone smile, inspire them or simply remind them that there’s a real person behind the social media handle. We often put pressure on ourselves to create something new, bigger or better every time we post, but the truth is – your audience probably isn’t expecting a masterpiece every week. They’re simply looking for consistency, a glimpse into your world and a reason to keep coming back.

This month, instead of creating more content, think about noticing more opportunities. The moments between appointments, filming and finished results are often the ones that tell your story best, and they’re probably the things you’re not filming.

Until next time, keep creating – and remember to wipe your camera lens!

“It’s important that your pages reflect your professional goals, but personality-based posts can aid trust by familiarising your audience with the person they are booking an appointment with, learning from or following.”

#NOWTRENDING

WHAT’S HOT

Giving your content context One trend I’ve been noticing is creators giving their audiences an insight into their creative process before showing results. Instead of starting a nail art video with the finished design, many creators begin with mood board images, an inspiration photo, colour palette or quick glimpse of the idea they’re trying to recreate. This gives the viewer a reason to keep watching, because they want to see how the idea turns into the result.

The same technique can work for any type of nail content. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it could be showing the inspiration behind a nail design, explaining why you chose the colours, or sharing the challenge you want to solve before revealing the finished nails. Those extra details give your audience context, and that’s often what turns a pretty post into one that people remember.

Sometimes it’s not about filming more, but rather captivating people with the journey before revealing the destination.

WHAT’S NOT

Expecting every post to be your best one One thing I’d love to eradicate is the idea that every post has to be your biggest success. It’s so easy to share something, check the views a short time later and immediately decide whether it was ‘good’ or ‘bad’. But the truth is, not every piece of content has the same job.

Some posts introduce you to new people; others remind your followers that you’re still active. Some start conversations, while others quietly build trust over time. If every post had to be your highest-performing Reel, creating content would become exhausting very quickly.

Instead of judging one post on its own, try looking at your page in its entirety. Social media is a long-term conversation, not a one-post competition, so keep creating and experimenting, and remember that sometimes the content with low results is what brings someone back to book with you weeks or even months later.

Creator spotlight

Lucy Ash, aka @beautebylucy1, is a Russian manicure and clean girl nail enthusiast, who shares a great mix of nail and personal content on Instagram. She is also a content creator and co-host of The High Maintenance Podcast (@thehighmaintenancepod), alongside Rahema Hussain (@amorebyrae). Read all about this from page 50.

Lucy comments: “We started the podcast because we felt there needed to be more honest conversations in the industry. We seek to create the kind of content we would have loved to have listened to when we first started out. The podcast is a space to remind people that they’re not the only ones figuring it out as they go.

She continues: “If I’m not painting clean girl nails, I’m probably filming a Reel or thinking about my next one. If it involves cute nails, a microphone or camera, I’m probably interested!”

Behind-the-scenes

July presented multiple reminders as to why I love working in the nail industry. One of my highlights was creating content for an OPI movie collaboration. I had the opportunity to film swatch videos for the brand’s social media accounts, and it was such a fun collection to bring to life. Seeing the colours up close and capturing the little details is one of my favourite parts of the process.

Another moment that made me smile was filming my first Christmas content of the year. It still feels slightly surreal knowing that content for the festive season is often created five to six months in advance. It’s one of those behind-the-scenes parts of content creation that most people never get to see, and I can’t wait to finally share those videos when December arrives.

Rachel Allen of Nailtopia picking up my award on my behalf.

Last month also brought the Scratch Stars Awards, where I had the privilege of being part of the judging panel for two categories, as well as a finalist in the Shooting Star Award category. While I was on holiday when The Scratch Stars Party took place, I am delighted to have won! The evening is always so special and celebrates the incredible talent across our industry, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been recognised.