Can Nail Techs Make Money From Social Media?

If you’ve ever thought about making money from your nail content, we’re willing to bet you’ve had a little look at your follower count and thought…

Yeah, maybe when I’ve got more followers.

More being 5k. Then 10k. Then probably 20k because apparently we’re moving the goalposts every time we get close.

But here’s something we really want more nail techs to know.

You don’t need a massive following to start making money from your content.

Having a bigger audience can definitely help with certain opportunities, but there are so many ways to earn from your socials when your following is still on the smaller side.

And if you’re already filming your work and posting it online, why not see where it could take you?

It depends what you actually want to make money from

Making money from social media is a VERY broad statement.

We’re talking:

UGC
Paid brand partnerships
Affiliate links and codes
Creating content for other businesses
Getting more clients through your socials
Selling education or digital products

They all work slightly differently.

If a brand wants to pay you to post something to your audience, then yes, they’ll probably be interested in how many people you reach.

If they want you to create a gorgeous little video for their Instagram? Your 742 followers suddenly aren’t particularly relevant.

So please don’t look at your follower count and write yourself off before you’ve even worked out what you want to do!

UGC is a really good example

We’ve already done a whole blog on what UGC is and how nail techs can make money from it, so go and have a read if you’re currently thinking UG…what?

Long story short, UGC (user generated content) is when brands pay you to create content that they can use.

You might film yourself applying a new gel collection, unboxing a PR package, showing how a product works or talking through why you like something.

And nail techs actually have a LOT going for them here.

You already know what you’re doing with the products.

You already know what looks good on camera.

You already know what other nail techs will want to see.

You probably already have approximately 4,827 videos of hands in your camera roll.

That’s all useful.

With UGC, the brand is interested in whether you can make good content. You don’t need thousands of people waiting to watch it on your own page.

So yes, you could have 500 followers and still get paid to create content.

What are brands actually looking for?

Okay, lil bit of insider info here (shhhhhh).

A big follower count looks nice, but it can’t rescue poor content.

If a brand is looking for creators, there are loads of other things that can make your page stand out.

Can you actually show a product properly?

Seems obvious, but you’d be surprised. If you’re filming a product, can we actually SEE it? Is the label facing the camera? Can we see the consistency, colour or finish?

Those little details matter.

Is your lighting decent?

Nobody’s saying you need a full studio set-up. Natural light and a clean background can do a lot of heavy lifting.

A £300 camera also won’t save you from filming in a dark corner of the salon at 9pm. Sorry x

Can you talk about products like a real person?

Brands want content that people will actually watch.

If every video sounds like you’ve swallowed the product description from their website, it can feel a bit… ad-y.

Think about how you’d actually explain something to another nail tech.

“This is SO much easier to control around the cuticle.”

is probably more useful than:

“This innovative formula offers exceptional application.”

Nobody in the group chat is talking like that.

Do you understand what makes good content?

Hooks. Angles. Close-ups. Before and afters. Showing the satisfying bit instead of making us sit through 14 seconds of you opening a box.

You don’t need to be Steven Spielberg (no shade to the man x). You just need to understand what makes someone stop scrolling.

Are you reliable?

Less glamorous, VERY important.

If a brand asks for content by Friday, sending it three Wednesdays later with “omg sorry it’s been manic” isn’t going to make them desperate to book you again.

Good communication, following the brief and meeting deadlines genuinely matter.

Brands remember creators who are easy to work with.

Does your content actually feel like YOU?

You don’t need to copy whatever every other nail creator is doing that week.

Your humour, the way you explain things, your nail style, your opinions, your editing style… that’s the interesting bit.

Brands can find thousands of technically good nail videos.

Personality makes yours feel different.

What if you want paid partnerships?

This is where your following becomes a bit more important because a brand is paying for access to your audience as well as your content.

But they’re not necessarily looking for the biggest number they can find.

Let’s say you’ve got 1,500 followers and most of them are nail techs.

You post a new brush and immediately get:

“Where’s this from?” “Do I need it?” “Okay you’ve influenced me 😂”

That’s interesting to a nail brand. You’ve got the right people paying attention to what you use.

You might hear people talking about nano and micro influencers. These are basically creators with smaller audiences, and brands DO work with them.

So don’t think you need 100k followers and a management team before anyone’s interested.

And then there are affiliate links…

Affiliate marketing is another way you could earn from the audience you’ve already got.

Usually, you’ll get a unique link or code and earn a little commission when someone buys through it.

And it actually makes loads of sense for nail techs because you’re probably already sharing the products you use and love anyway.

If people trust your recommendations, you don’t need a HUGE audience for it to be worthwhile either.

Just don’t suddenly turn your Stories into QVC and start linking everything you own…

Stick to the products you genuinely rate and would be talking about anyway. People can tell when you’re only sharing something for the commission.

Is there a follower number you should aim for?

There’s no magic number where Instagram suddenly sends you a certificate saying:

CONGRATS! YOU MAY NOW MONETISE 💸

Different opportunities care about different things.

You could have 600 followers and get your first UGC job.

You could have 2,000 followers and start making affiliate commission.

You could have 5,000 and land a paid partnership.

You could also have 30,000 followers and very little engagement.

So while growing your following is obviously amazing, we’d be careful about making a certain number the point where you finally allow yourself to start.

What should you focus on instead?

Have a little nosey through your own account. What content do people actually save, share or ask you about? What do you enjoy making? That’s usually a pretty good place to start.

Then give your profile a quick brand-eye view. Can they see what you’re good at, get a feel for your content and easily contact you?

And PLEASE put your email somewhere obvious. Don’t make a brand go full FBI just to find you.

Your smaller account could be more useful than you think

We see SO many nail techs creating brilliant content with a few hundred or a few thousand followers, but assuming they can’t make money from it because someone else has 80k.

Don’t let that put you off. Have a look at what you’ve already built and where it could take you. That might be pitching for UGC work, joining an affiliate programme for a brand you already love, or simply using your content to bring more clients through the door.

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start either. Try things, see what feels right and keep growing your account along the way.

And if you’ve currently got 837 followers, remember those 837 people still count.

Okay, how do I learn more?

Want to get a bit savvier with the business side of being a nail tech?

Inside The Nail Tech Org Members Club, we cover everything from socials and content to additional income streams and growing your business.

Come on in x