[00:00:00] Darine: Welcome to this week's episode of Beauty Babble. Today, we're talking about how to stand out by focusing on what you're known for and using that to attract clients. So this is, you know a topic I like to talk about. So touched on it, I think in top in episodes where we've talked about, you know, social media marketing or just marketing your spa, but I thought we'd focus a little bit more on finding your specialty. 
 [00:00:30] Darine: I'm going to say signature, but I don't like that word, but signature service or treatment. What are you known for or passionate for and how can you make that work for you? 
 [00:00:37] Suzanne: Yeah. So what is your niche is another way. Some people say your specialty you know, you think about out in this industry right now, it's like, you know PMU experts on browse or the lash tech, or, you know, like, gosh, you can keep going on and on a specific things. 
 [00:00:54] Suzanne: And this one's a good one because. I think more and more we want to specialize in something, [00:01:00] but how do you go about it? And, should you do it? Especially if you've gone for, you know, let's say you're an esthetician, you can do many services. Do you just start to stick to one? 
 [00:01:11] Darine: Yeah, I think that's really important too, right? 
 [00:01:14] Darine: It's like, why would you want to specialize in something? And so, I think it's important to note that you can be known for something or specialize, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing that you do, right? But, From like a communications perspective, we always, you know, hone in on, know your audience, be very specific. 
 [00:01:38] Darine: And when you specialize in something, it makes your life a lot easier in terms of how to market yourself to reach your audience. Because, is there one treatment that you love doing? I know there's some that you might not like doing. No, it's like pick the one that you really like doing and try to market that because you're going to be [00:02:00] happier when you're doing more of the things that you love and you're going to be attracting the right clients to you. 
 [00:02:07] Darine: Does that make sense? 
 [00:02:08] Suzanne: It does make sense. Sure it does. You know, if you're, maybe that's how, I mean, the beauty of our industry, I guess, today, in most areas in Canada, U. S. is different because you need to be licensed, I believe in all the states, but in Canada it's not quite like that. There are some provinces that have that, but not all of them. 
 [00:02:27] Suzanne: So you can say, I'm going to be specializing in nails. I'm going to specialize in Brazilians. I'm going to specialize in, so you can go and take one course, and And do that, and that's all you offer. Now, for those that have taken a philostatics course, you need to think outside the box. And how do you cross promote within your current services? 
 [00:02:51] Suzanne: Do you not think that your waxing client may want a facial from you? Or you're, you're, you're learning, I don't know, PMU browse, like [00:03:00] journey mean start looking what you have and be specific with the niche that you're trying to promote, sure. Be the expert. Are you credible in this? I think it's another thing to look at and like what you said, how do you target the market now for that specialty, you know, so you've become the master of it in a sense. 
 [00:03:21] Suzanne: Like you said, you got to love it. Like, I think that's the first thing, you're passionate about it. I would hope that's why. Absolutely. 
 [00:03:27] Darine: And I think, you know, what I hear a lot from beauty pros is, in terms of like marketing and communications is the challenge of getting new clients. How are you going to get new clients, right? 
 [00:03:39] Darine: So think about getting new clients, not by throwing all the information out there and hoping it sticks, but by being a little bit more intentional and focused on the things that you share, right? So yes, I do everything under the aesthetic certification, But that's [00:04:00] not going to get to the people because, and I'll explain a little bit, when we're, you know, if we're looking at your website, for example, when people are searching for something on Google or whatever, they're using certain words to search for something, right? 
 [00:04:16] Darine: If you, those are called keywords. So if you're not using those words on your website or in your SEO strategy. They're not going to connect, like your website is not going to show up when they're using those words. So if you, if you're an esthetician who does everything, but you're not really focusing in on highlighting that one treatment, say microneedling, for example, I just got microneedling. 
 [00:04:39] Darine: So it's on top of mine. So say microneedling is the thing that you love to do and you're specializing in, but it's not very prominent on your website. So when somebody is looking like, oh, I want to get a microneedling treatment, I'm going to go and Google. Where can I get microneedling treatments in my city? 
 [00:04:55] Darine: And then you enter your city. Your website is probably not going to show very [00:05:00] high on the search, right? Because you haven't highlighted microneedling as your, your key term. Of course, that's me, me and simplifying it, there's going to be very different, you know, different words and ways that you can incorporate that into your website. 
 [00:05:16] Darine: But when you think about picking that one treatment, it's so that you can Bring it front and center in your offering. So whether it's through your website or your social media even in your social media using those words that people are using to search for things, right? Because sometimes i've gone on instagram and i've looked up, you know, I usually do it for recipes. 
 [00:05:40] Darine: So It's a little different but you know, you said 
 [00:05:43] Suzanne: analogy. Why not? Yeah, 
 [00:05:45] Darine: like i'm like, okay vegan vegan recipes and then I will get a slew of different things that I don't necessarily follow. And so that's how I discover new you know, what are they called? [00:06:00] Chefs or cooks, whatever, right? But it's the same way with your skin. 
 [00:06:03] Darine: Like if somebody is looking for a certain treatment, they might go on Instagram or Facebook and want to see what's out there before and after. Yeah. So, so that's why I think, you know, from a marketing perspective, focusing in on, you know, one treatment so that you can put that front and center, use those words in the way that you communicate so that you're easier to be found. 
 [00:06:30] Darine: So that's, that's one of them. 
 [00:06:33] Suzanne: True. Yeah, that's good. I like that because I think we forget and we get lost in this because we are usually typically wearing so many hats, as I always reference to. You're also doing services, you're marketing yourself, you're running your business because there's so many solo entrepreneurs out there, right? 
 [00:06:49] Suzanne: Absolutely. But I mean, as a business owner, even if you have staff, you're in the same boat. Vote per se. You're still having to do those things. So I think, too, that people have to [00:07:00] look at is that when they are specializing in something like I want to now, you know, expand my waxing and I'm going to be an expert waxer and be known for Brazilians. 
 [00:07:14] Suzanne: Okay. First off, did you take training in it? What have you learned from it? And how do you show that you're an expert and you're credible? So you highlight your training. I'm going to another workshop. I'm going to another, this I'm learned this today. You have to understand that you, it's great. You just want to say, I want to become this, but you need to be the master of it. 
 [00:07:39] Suzanne: So in order to be the master of it, you need to study it. And you need to practice it. And I think that's where we sometimes forget. So yes, you need to mark it and show that. It's so many factors, right, Doreen? And you gotta look at all of the whole puzzle. You can't just say, My website's going to show this, but you took a one hour course on [00:08:00] something and now you think you're credible. 
 [00:08:02] Suzanne: No offense, but I think there's a lot more courses that you could be looking or workshops or, or maybe there's other people that you can now connect with in the industry and find out what did, what did they learn that technique? How did they find out about that new product or whatever it might be? So I think we need to remember in this industry that you're not done learning. 
 [00:08:25] Suzanne: When you took that course, you need to continue, especially if you're trying to be credible, like that success of being known for something. I think that's a part that we need to remember is that, and then it doesn't stop. You keep learning. 
 [00:08:41] Darine: Always, always keep learning. And I think, I think, you know, that's a good point that you bring up. 
 [00:08:46] Darine: This, When you're looking at this type of marketing strategy, I think you first need to establish what it is that you are going to be known for or you're going to specialize in. So I think there, there needs to be more [00:09:00] intentionality in it. It's not like on a whim because all the things that you are going to do are going to take time, like ensuring you have the right phrasing on your website, your social media. 
 [00:09:09] Darine: I think that you mentioned spas or businesses that have employees, they can also niche. But I think when it comes to that, you might be niching in a different way. So maybe you want to be known for as like a holistic destination, or maybe you want to be known for, you know, only using vegan products or organic. 
 [00:09:32] Darine: So you can still find a way to niche as a bigger business that isn't necessarily reserved to just a treatment. So as an individual that is like a solopreneur, it's different, right? You need to pick one thing. Maybe your thing is holistic treatments. That's actually a good, you could just be a holistic facial. 
 [00:09:55] Darine: Facialist or whatever that could be what you're known for. So again, not necessarily one treatment, but [00:10:00] like the experience so about What it is That you want to be known for so I think we're gonna I have an exercise For that i'm going to share with everybody that they're going to be able to figure it out for themselves We can't tell you you can't tell you what you're you're gonna be known for but right Yeah So you're kind of thinking of 
 [00:10:20] Suzanne: like how to elevate your brand, that's your specialty, like you, is that kind of what you refer to when you think of a brand? 
 [00:10:26] Suzanne: What do you mean, sorry? When you say, you're, you're, you are the brand of your business, so keep that in mind of the specialty you're doing, would that correlate together? 
 [00:10:37] Darine: Yeah, I think it all kind of blends in together, right? Like I, I mean, as we all know, like when you're a service provider, when you're doing services on clients, it's your, it is your whole portion of your day. 
 [00:10:52] Darine: It's, it's all consuming, right? So you want to be intentional. You want to be authentic with what you're doing. And also that [00:11:00] has to relate to your marketing too, right? So it has to be authentic to you and align with the client. Your brand, your experience, who you are when your clients walk in. I talk a lot about, you know, being the same person in person and online. 
 [00:11:16] Darine: Don't try to be perfect on your social media because, you know, nobody's perfect, so just be yourself. And that's the best thing that you can, you can do. And when is your, 
 [00:11:28] Suzanne: What's your, what are you going to tell them? An exercise. Let's do this. It sounds exciting. 
 [00:11:31] Darine: I want to just mention one thing, like with expertise though, you can, you can share articles or write blogs on your website. 
 [00:11:40] Darine: I know that seems like a big thing, but once you get a little bit more into establishing yourself into one treatment, then you go, okay, how can I be the expert? And then you want to share that you want people to know about it. So 
 [00:11:53] Suzanne: that's a good idea. 
 [00:11:54] Darine: Yeah, putting, putting that out there. 
 [00:11:56] Suzanne: Yes, good reminder, or a little snippet newsletter. 
 [00:11:59] Suzanne: Like, [00:12:00] if it, I know, sometimes we get overwhelmed, like a blog, I gotta write a blog. 
 [00:12:05] Darine: Yeah, a blog scene, yeah, a little post. You can even do that, or just get on the camera and rant, and talk about it. That is my favorite way to do it, so. Yeah, so, okay, so if you don't know, what it is, then there's a few ways. 
 [00:12:23] Darine: Well, there's one, this is an exercise to figure out how you can pick your signature service. I'm going to say it every time I say it, I feel icky. I don't like signature service, but pick your, your specialty. Okay, here we go. First of all, Right off the bat, you can like just start brainstorming. Maybe you want to write down all the services that you do, or maybe you just want to write down the services that you enjoy doing. 
 [00:12:52] Darine: And of those services, like, mark your favorites. Like, that's, What is your [00:13:00] favorite service? Like, your passion, the thing that when you have it, you're like, yes, I can't wait to get this this service done. Because it's authentic. Exactly. Right? That's right. So I think that if you have that, if you've picked it, I'm sure a lot of us can do that pretty easily. 
 [00:13:19] Darine: Like, you know, right off the bat, like, you know, maybe you like to do facials in general. I have always, you know, I was always the waxing person, which was different than everybody else I worked with. Like, we love facials. And I'm like no, I want to be known for Brazilian waxing. That was my favorite thing to do. 
 [00:13:35] Darine: But, so if you are facial, if it's facials, that's, that's still pretty broad. Can you narrow it down? Is there a specific type of facial? Is there a specific skin concern that really gets you your wheels turning and you really want to help solve the problem? Like, something that challenges you, that makes you look forward to, like, think about that. 
 [00:13:57] Darine: Because if you're going to be known for it and you're going to [00:14:00] be doing this. a lot. You want it to be something that you, you enjoy doing. Another thing that you can do, like once you've narrowed it down is just look around and see who else is offering this kind of treatment in my, in my city or in my town, right? 
 [00:14:15] Darine: See, see what's what others are doing. It's always really good to get like your competitors see what, what they're doing, what's working, what do you like about what they're doing and what don't you like about it? Cause that will help inform your How you laid out like your strategy for how you're going to talk about it. 
 [00:14:33] Darine: So, then, the other thing that we, you can do is you want to brainstorm ways that you can take that treatment. And you make it yours. How can you make it unique to you? Right. So think about technique think about maybe products or an experience. Like how do you make it so it's not because you've done the market research, you know what's out there. 
 [00:14:58] Darine: Now, how do you make it [00:15:00] very specific to you? 
 [00:15:01] Suzanne: So if you mentioned it, right, like you, you do all waxing, but you want to be known for Brazilian. Right. So what did, when you think about that, what would you recommend to someone? And let's say that is the scenario. 
 [00:15:14] Darine: Yeah. So I think when I, when I worked full time as, Oh, I used to joke that I was going to be the wax princess, but only an inside joke. 
 [00:15:25] Darine: So I think for me, it was really about the product that I used. So it was about the hard wax, the, the results and the the experience. It was quick, but it was effective. It was The skin was healthy afterwards, all of that stuff. So for me, it was really driven from the, a product base what made 
 [00:15:44] Suzanne: me, and 
 [00:15:48] Darine: it could be, it could be that it could be that you're using a very specific product, but maybe it's like we talked about, maybe you're really into providing a holistic experience. 
 [00:15:57] Darine: Maybe that becomes your [00:16:00] specialty. So I'm doing, you know, say anti aging and holistic, or you can do like waxing and holistic treatment. It's just finding ways to make it your own. And I would just write it down like this is ways that you can write it down, visualize it, is it making sense, and picking what, what you like and what you enjoy doing. 
 [00:16:20] Suzanne: So I have a question for you, because I think what we do is we forget when we, when we take this step, is this a trend that you're doing in your treatment room? Are you going to switch this up in a month? Because you saw something else that intrigued you. So can we talk about that? Like, it's a niche of the day, sorry to say, but right, because you're watching, Oh, I want to specialize in that. 
 [00:16:44] Suzanne: That looks amazing. That'll be fun. And then you're bored yourself and you've moved on to something else. So if you, if you really want to do this and build on this specialty that you're offering, whatever it may be. It's not saying that you [00:17:00] have to marry it forever, but how long do you think someone should maybe go through the process and just stick to it so it's successful? 
 [00:17:09] Suzanne: Do you have an idea of what you 
 [00:17:10] Darine: think? Yeah, I mean, that's an idea, but that's a good question. First of all, it should definitely not be a thing of the moment because for it to be effective, It's a long game. Like when we talk about social media marketing, for example, that's not happening in months, it's a long term. 
 [00:17:31] Darine: I don't like saying it out loud because it scares people, but you're looking at years of building your, your brand and building your reputation, getting known for something is not, it's not an overnight thing and the same happens with your website, like when you go through changing your SEO strategy and using keywords That doesn't happen overnight, it takes time for it to, like, build that recognition and for you to start ranking higher. 
 [00:17:56] Darine: So, it's a long game, I don't normally give [00:18:00] numbers, like, I don't know, I can't predict, it's months, but I would say year, you know, look 
 [00:18:05] Suzanne: in 
 [00:18:05] Darine: years, you know, one, two, one and on. 
 [00:18:08] Suzanne: And that, that's brought on more so because of people who I have multiple services that they offer people that get into this industry and become a lash tech. 
 [00:18:17] Suzanne: That is your specialty. That's your focus. That's all you're going to do. That's easier for you to, to commit and follow through with this. And then your rewards, you will see them coming. And you'll see how long it takes to build and grow with it. Some are faster than others, but when you offer more than one service, this is that question to those people. 
 [00:18:38] Suzanne: That's why I brought it up because there's a lot of people who've spent a lot of money in trainings and learning and doing different things. And it's great that you're offering more, but you know, that old saying of jack of all trades, master of none. And if you keep flipping what your specialty is, your flavor or your trend, you're [00:19:00] trending, then you become uncredible. 
 [00:19:02] Suzanne: You're not credible anymore. And I think people need to understand when you commit to something, you need to think, okay, and this is what I think those projections of the year, I want to grow my business and be known for XYZ. I'm going to commit to that for a long term, and honestly, I'm going to say it out loud, that's a year, a year, I'm going to focus on that, through, like you said, the website, social media, and trainings, and all these things, so then hopefully it's going to grow and go from there, and I think we forget that, like, this isn't a month to month thing, you're not doing a promotion. 
 [00:19:38] Darine: No, you're not, and I think the key with you bringing that up, the other thing is, That if you are in that space where you're, you're always, you know, you're learning something new, you're offering a new thing and you're, you're struggling to find clients. That is part of the reason in your marketing strategy, because you're very scattered. 
 [00:19:59] Darine: You're, [00:20:00] you're, you're trying too many things. Ask anybody in communications or marketing, it's always focused. You always have to pick something that you hone in on and you go for it. And that, you know, that is. Kind of the, the purpose of this, there could be, it could be two things. A, you really just want one thing to do and you want to be the expert in it. 
 [00:20:21] Darine: Or B, You, you want to market yourself and how do you get your name out there, right? It's focusing on one treatment or, you know, an experience or whatever it is. Either way, you need to focus on something and for the long term. It becomes your brand and your mission, not something that changes all the time because marketing efforts take a very long time. 
 [00:20:45] Darine: They're not, sadly, for everybody spending money on marketing, it's not overnight. 
 [00:20:53] Suzanne: Truth bomb. Truth bomb. Doreen has just given a truth bomb. All my 
 [00:20:56] Darine: clients listening. I'm kidding. 
 [00:20:59] Suzanne: [00:21:00] But it's true. It takes a long time. Like, I remember, I'll go back just really quick on my journey. I'll say, like, I moved out from BC esthetician. And I came to Edmonton and I was getting electrolysis done. 
 [00:21:12] Suzanne: Because, yes, those, those Stupid little hairs were coming out because the hormone imbalances. That's another topic we could talk about. Anyways, and so I went to go see an electrologist and I searched and searched for places to where to go and I found one that did okay did a good job. And I, the reason I say that is because the training in BC at the time versus Alberta was like 10 percent training out here versus what I got in training. 
 [00:21:36] Suzanne: So I knew the difference, but long story short, I didn't She had children, she was driving far, she didn't want to do it anymore, so she offered me, do you want the business? Why don't you buy it from me and you can do it? Like, okay. So then I had to start explaining my expertise of electrolysis. So I focused on that. 
 [00:21:57] Suzanne: And then I started to add in some aesthetics, [00:22:00] little bits. I also do aesthetics. So I changed the name to blah, blah, blah, electrolysis and aesthetics. So that was the first, Oh, what else do you do? Waxing was an easy one to add in. Hair removal, right? Cause they're all into hair removal, right? So then I slowly, but it was within the year. 
 [00:22:20] Suzanne: Then I introduced all of this was within the year. My first three months, I focused on getting credible of the current clients. They knew I knew what I was doing to show them. I took more courses. I got more involved. I invested in a microscope so I could see bigger, like, right. So it took time, but I still had a little bits on the side, but my focus was still electrolysis. 
 [00:22:42] Darine: Yeah, and I think once you have clients in your, in your coming to you, you can market other services that you do to them. Exactly. But I was known for, yeah, I 
 [00:22:53] Suzanne: was known for electrolysis. It's about getting 
 [00:22:54] Darine: them in the door, right? You need to get them in the door, then do whatever, do 
 [00:22:58] Suzanne: whatever you want. Talk to them. 
 [00:22:59] Suzanne: And I think [00:23:00] that's important for people to understand. So how did it go from electrolysis to a full on day spa? Exactly. And I think that's what my niche was that. Yeah, my specialty was that. People knew about it. They knew who I was. I had referrals from even laser clinics and things like that. So they knew because of course it doesn't get rid of the lighter hairs on the face. 
 [00:23:20] Suzanne: or on the body. Right. So I kept that going. That was still up. There's number one. Okay. Number two was something number three. And I slowly worked within my source of clientele. Absolutely. That's how I ended up saying, Oh, I just took this interesting course on this new treatment for facials or this new product for cracked heels or whatever it might be. 
 [00:23:42] Suzanne: So I educated within my practice of the day spa. Yeah. And then move from there. So I think your niche becomes, did I love doing electrolysis? Well, I messed up my hand from it, but I ended up loving it so much that because I actually showed them results they never [00:24:00] had before. So then guess what I did once I started seeing results, I said, would you write something down? 
 [00:24:07] Suzanne: And I created a book that waited in my lobby, someone coming in for a consultation in the lobby, in the, in the waiting area, and they could read from people who were coming already. Yeah. So I had this and they thought, Oh my God, look at all of this. And they were little letters. I just grabbed one of those photo albums that you could put the things into the sheets and a card. 
 [00:24:30] Suzanne: Like I went hard at this. Yeah. And then within the consultations they would be referred or when they came in the new time because it's nerve wracking, right? You don't want to be scarred. You want this gone. You're, you hate this stuff. And then you could see what people wrote. Yeah. So, and I think if you're going to do it, you got to think outside the box. 
 [00:24:51] Suzanne: Cause someone asked, how did you come up with the book? Well, someone gave me a card and I thought it was so lovely. I said, Oh my God, that's so sweet. Like, thank you. I'm so glad that you're seeing results. Like you're [00:25:00] so happy. Can I use this and show others? I didn't have social media then. Yeah. I was going to say, I'm like, I think, I would recommend testimonials on your website. 
 [00:25:12] Suzanne: I was going to say, so how has it evolved? You can still have it within the premise, but now you can actually use an image or you do your own quote so you can send to your social media manager or whatever it may be. But, and I think there aren't a lot of people doing this. But anyways, long story short, that's what I was going to say. 
 [00:25:29] Suzanne: Yes, I did everything. I never said no to a service. I did it all, but I was also known for different specialties. So if a client came to me and they knew I, my waxing was fast and good, let's just say, then I, they referred me more waxing people. If I did facials and they knew I did, you know, anti aging specific treatments, blah, blah, blah. 
 [00:25:51] Suzanne: Those clients referred me people for that. So you can become a specialist. I'm not a specialist in what you're doing [00:26:00] in the, in the larger spectrum of what you offer, but you, you have to be very creative I guess you can say so start with one doesn't mean they have to park all of your knowledge to the side of the other things you offer. 
 [00:26:13] Suzanne: You know I use staff. I had a nail tech was amazing. She's the senior nail tech. She's still to this day a Mr. Dearly. She's amazing. Her name's Nadine and everyone loved Nadine and everyone was trying to get in with Nadine and the poor girl retired doing nails. I'm pretty sure at the time, but right. So she was known for that. 
 [00:26:31] Suzanne: So I didn't need to promote that myself. She's the one that's her niche. This one was amazing at Brazilian. She's the tech you want for Brazilian. So if you own a spa with staff in it, Yes, you can generalize or you can be specific in it, but then, you know, hopefully your marketing person and website design, they can help you focus it better. 
 [00:26:52] Suzanne: Does that make sense? Yeah. 
 [00:26:54] Darine: Yeah. I think, yeah, if you own a spa, I think it is important to still have a focused [00:27:00] marketing strategy and not individually promote because as spa owners know your staff is going to change. And so your, your marketing needs to be actually very, To your brand, not to the people within, but when they're in house and you've already brought their attention. 
 [00:27:17] Darine: Oh, did you know we have this expert nail tech? Did you know? So, you know, also, because I think marketing. And communications like there's it's twofold. There's your external to get people in, and then there's what you're doing in house after you have the attention and you have the client. But it is, it's, you know, I think if you take one thing from, from this conversation, it's, you know, understanding that when you specialize in a treatment or a service or an experience, that is, you know, makes it easier for you to market yourself and attract more clients. 
 [00:27:52] Darine: Because at the end of the day, that's where we're struggling. That's where we're seeing a lot of beauty professionals are struggling with attracting clients because there's [00:28:00] so much noise out there on, in the digital realm, right? So when you really hone in on something, it makes it easier to cut through that noise. 
 [00:28:09] Darine: And you gotta, you gotta just try it. Sit down, brainstorm, find what works for you and give it a go. And remember, It's not an overnight thing. 
 [00:28:18] Suzanne: I think that's a great way to end this. It's not overnight. It takes time. Be patient and have a strategy. Work with a professional that can help you with it. I think it's really important. 
 [00:28:30] Suzanne: How do you and when do you start to invest in other aspects of things? And I think that's a big one. That was a game changer for me where I devoted so much for a month that was going to go to that. And I just said, I got to find a way to make this happen. 
 [00:28:43] Darine: Yeah, absolutely. I think we do have an episode. 
 [00:28:48] Darine: About working with a social media manager, but, you know, your marketing strategy is, can be a bigger thing, right? So you can determine at what [00:29:00] level you're at, but yeah, that costs money. So if you're not there in your, in your business or your budget. You can, you know that you can get there, and once you do, the results are going to be amplified, so it will pay off. 
 [00:29:11] Suzanne: Mm hmm, definitely. 
 [00:29:12] Darine: Yeah. It takes time. Unfortunately, I'm sorry, it takes time. All right, well, speaking of time, that's all that we have for today, and we'll be back with another episode next week.