If you’re a beginning face painter like me, you may struggle with finding clients. You have the professional set up, you have the skill, and now all you need is people to hire you. Luckily, If you are willing to work hard, getting more people to hire you is not too difficult. Here are three tips on getting more gigs.

Online Presence

There is no reason that you should not be on social media! It is a free form of marketing that you should definitely take advantage of. I recommend starting with Facebook and Instagram. I have had several potential clients contact me through my business Facebook page, so it is definitely worth having. Instagram is another great account to have. I use it as a portable portfolio of my work. Remember, Anybody can be a client, so you should be prepared to show pictures of your work at any moment. Also make sure that you have good, high quality pictures on your social media. The image at the top of this post is one that I have put on my Instagram and Facebook pages.

Another type of online presence that you should definitely have is a website. It is worth every penny to have a good website. I see so many face painters with messy and outdated websites. If you are going to do the website yourself, then spend time and do research! Don’t spend 10 minutes on one of those random “build it yourself” websites and expect more people to call you. Creating a quality website takes time. If you don’t have a lot of time to spare, then seriously think about hiring a web designer to build a site for you. Remember, most people are going to look you up online before booking you, so make sure that their first impression of you is a good one.

Call… Everywhere

The work doesn’t end with putting up a website. It can be hard getting gigs just from word of mouth and people looking you up online. So, you have to reach out to the people. Think about wherever kids would be in your town or city and make a list. Then go through the list and contact those places and ask if they have considered having a face painter. Personally, I have never worked with restaurants before, but I have heard of many face painters finding great success by painting at their local family restaurants. Farmers markets, festivals, trampoline parks, family friendly businesses, and community events are all great places that you should be in contact with.

Getting gigs by yourself is hard work! If you’re not happy with the amount of work you are getting by yourself, then consider working for agents. All you have to do is call or email your local party planners to ask about working with them. If they are open to taking on more painters, they’ll ask for your resume and some samples of your work. If they like you, then they’ll add you to their list of painters. It’s that easy! They do all of the work when it comes to getting the gigs, and all you have to do is paint. Make sure to keep a good relationship with your agents! You want to be the first one on their list of painters to call when they need someone to work at an event.

Marketing Materials

Always have business cards with you, and don’t be stingy with them. Everyone you know should have at least one of your business cards! Ask local businesses if you can put some of your business cards on their desk, especially party stores and family friendly businesses. Also put out business cards on your painting table when you’re at events. Parents will pick them up if they like the work you have done. Make sure that your business card has your name, logo (if applicable), a picture of a face you have painted, your website, and your contact information. Having good business cards are almost as important as having a good website, so make sure you invest in some.