Are you familiar with TEGANMAC.SKIN?
Founded by skin therapist Tegan MacDonald, TEGANMAC.SKIN is gaining traction across social media channels, and for good reason.
I stumbled across Tegan’s salon, not through traditional marketing like word of mouth or a PR plug, but through a TikTok video. Juxtaposing the customary salon profiles I was used to seeing was Tegan’s up-close-and-personal speil on clogged pores. The NSFW clip marks the differences between a blackhead and sebaceous filament. And it seems I’m not the only one who got a real ‘ah-ha!’ moment out of it, with 2.9 million others turning in to watch the same 16 second clip.
Melbourne-based Tegan has garnered an impressive 16.3k TikTok followers, with a further 14.6k on Instagram. Across both channels, Tegan’s content is exciting and strikingly relatable. Her Instagram feed is well-curated, sufficiently combining clean text tiles to market business news with addictive videos showcasing the nitty-gritty of her work. Promotions are paraded with hilarious dance routines, and ‘how-tos’ are delivered by Tegan speaking directly to camera.
On entering Tegan’s website, you’re directed straight onto an e-commerce page alerting visitors to her latest product arrival, as well as a GWP offer. Tegan’s Instagram feed is also heroed, creating a stream of cross-promotional content between channels. It’s a uniquely designed homepage for a salon business that would typically promote in-salon treatments first-and-foremost.
Tegan’s approach to marketing her business is refreshing. Clients remain engaged and inspired by Tegan’s content, leading to a degree of trust developed before even meeting Tegan personally.
I caught up with Tegan to hear her thoughts on business, upselling and, of course, social media:
Briefly, how long have you been working in the beauty industry and in what year did you open TEGANMAC.SKIN?
“I started working in the industry in 2016. A year later, I started my Instagram account ‘teganmac.skin’. My focus from the start was: ‘don’t compare yourself to anyone else; there will always be someone else with more followers or a more aesthetic feed’.
I had to focus on my skill set and what I could bring to the table that no one else could. That was in being 100 percent myself, in giving genuine advice, and in showing my funny side. As I was steadily building up my clientele at Bare Body (the clinic I was working for at that time), my [personal] Instagram following also began to gain traction.
By 2019, I had a decent following on Instagram and my calendar in clinic was fully booked. It was then that I bought out the skin side of the business and rebranded as TEGANMAC.SKIN.”
You have amassed an incredible social media following for TEGANMAC.SKIN. Have social hits equated to an increase in bookings for your business? Any other consequences, good or bad?
“Social media has most definitely been the reason I have been able to grow to where I am today. Not only has it resulted in new clients, spread awareness for new treatments, and helped clients maintain interest in looking after their skin, it has also enabled me to reach clients Australia-wide and overseas through online consultations and product sales through my online store.
TikTok is a newer platform for me, but I’ve found it particularly effective for spreading awareness for treatments. I have had many new clients in the last month wanting a vascular laser treatment after seeing my capillary zapping videos on TikTok.
For me, I can’t think of any negatives that have come through social media. Yes, it requires a lot of effort to maintain and create content, but that’s my speciality. For me, it’s equally as enjoyable as doing hands-on treatments.”
Customers are taken straight to a shopping platform on entering your website. Why have you opted to do this, over showcasing your treatment menu, for example?
“The treatments I perform are only relevant to the clients who can see me in-clinic. By focusing on products in my online store, I am able to provide to the whole of Australia and worldwide. I have had sales from the UK, America and China.
The e-commerce side of my business was imperative in maintaining business throughout COVID while the clinic was closed. The goal is to grow my online sales so the business isn’t solely reliant on hands-on treatments.”
When it comes to upselling retail products and treatments in-salon, do you have any strategies you’ve found to be particularly effective?
“I source all of my brands from Advanced Skin Technology, and I receive bonus stock based on the amount of purchases I make from them at the end of each month. I use the free bonus stock to boost sales both in-clinic and online by offering clients promotions on products that I know will excite them. That way, I don’t lose out on any profit from sales, and my clients receive discounted or free products that they are super excited to try. All they have to do is spend the required amount.”
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