5 Must-Try Tips from Social Media Pros

What strategies did these beauty expert-turned-influencers use to grow their massive followings? Read on.

Katherine Nunez Photography

Scrolling through TikTok videos, I came across Erica Taylor. She’s a 30-year makeup artist and a L’Oréal Pro League Expert. At the time, I didn’t know she was local to Long Island, but her half-face demo captivated me. On one side, she showed how we did our makeup years ago (dark liner from inner to outer corner, blush in the apples of the cheek, precisely lined lips). On the other side, she showed easy tweaks for eyes, cheeks, and lips, making us look more youthful now.

Oh, I can do this, I thought. I quickly hit the heart and follow button, joining her 1.8 million followers on TikTok alone. (Taylor has over 3 million engaged followers across multiple platforms.

During the pandemic, Taylor successfully made the leap from makeup artist to content creator/influencer that so many in the industry strive to do. How? That was the topic during the last Pretty Local Industry Night at Long Island Nail Skin & Hair Institute in Bethpage.

Taylor joined esthetician and influencer Ian Michael Crumm, who has a 230K followers on Instagram and nearly 20K on TikTok, and Jennifer Conlon Pavelchak, a longtime public relations exec, who is currently managing director at MP-IMC, where she helps brands with all forms of communication, including social media strategy.

 The trio sat on a panel moderated by Pretty Local founder Krista Bennett DeMaio and spoke to a room of over 40 Long Island beauty industry professionals. The panel revealed many interesting insights and actionable tips, and we’re sharing five of them below. Whether you’re growing a business, want to be an influencer, or to boost your online presence, these tips will help you reach your social media goals.

1. Make social part of your everyday routine.

If making content feels too time-consuming, Taylor suggests doing it while you do something you do every day—like your makeup. “When I started, I was a regional manager [for a cosmetic brand] with three kids and every day when I did my makeup, I posted a video,” she says. Taylor did her eyeshadow as she usually does, explaining why it works and how to do it. “If you incorporate it into your routine, it's not a job. It's just part of your life,” says Taylor. “And you’ve got to find a way to do that because the consistency is what gets you the growth.”

2. Ignore your DMs (at least at first).

Haters are going to hate—and you have to tune them out. “The first negative comment I got when I started blogging was that my hair looked like a Dairy Queen swirl, but it was in a negative connotation,” says Crumm. “I just laughed it off, but if you're not used to that type of feedback, you may want to ignore your DMs because people will DM you really inappropriate stuff.” As you post more often, you’ll likely build up thicker skin as you hit your groove,” he says.

“And if someone posts a negative comment, you’re allowed to delete it,” says Taylor. “It’s your space!”

3. Enlist your friends

To help grow a following, don’t be afraid to lean on friends, especially those in the industry. “If you're targeting a local community, collaboration posts with each other helps expand the reach of a post,” says Crumm. You can also use your IRL social network to expand your digital one. “Back when I was still fashion blogging on Facebook, I’d ask five of my closest girlfriends to invite 10 of their friends to my Facebook page or tell them about my blog, and bless their hearts, they did,” he says. “I'm not afraid to get a little grassroots—it all adds up at the end of the day.”

4. Use your vibe to attract your tribe

The key to growing a community is to be authentic, says Conlon Pavelchak. “Make sure people know who you are, what you stand for, your philosophies, your mission because people will buy into that.” Everything you post should reflect those values, she says. “The most important thing about brand messaging from a PR and communications strategic level is making sure you're saying the same thing.“ And resist the urge to be everything to everyone, she says. “Stay in your lane.”

5. Approach the different platforms strategically

Content is not one-size-fits-all, say all the experts. “It’s important to treat each platform like its own ecosphere; you're going to have different people follow you on each,” says Crumm. “You might have someone follow you on every platform, so you want to keep that in mind so all your platforms don't look like a cookie-cutter version of themselves,” he says.

 “Facebook has become more like Reddit now—you go there for information, the recommendations around town,” says Conlon Pavelchak. “It’s more community-based.” Engaging with your community by asking questions or askig the to post pictures will help drive engagment—and connection.

“Instagram has always been more curated,” says Crumm. It’s also a great spot for a content series, he says—something you do every week. TikTok tends to be more candid and less polished. Crumm says he tends to be a little experimental on TikTok.

And don’t forget about LinkedIn. “That’s another huge networking opportunity,” says Conlon Pavelchak. “You can engage with brands, CMOs, and artists. There’s so much there, and it tends to get overlooked.”

For details on the next Industry Night, follow @prettylocal.li and sign up for the Pretty Local mailing list.

*Industry Night was sponsored by Long Island Nail Skin & Hair Institute, Herald, Isdin, and Bottega Vinaia wines.