Having a strong profile can be a gamechanger for barbers, and open doors to opportunities beyond the barbershop. Here, Chris Foster, co-founder of Mentored by Menspire, shares his top tips for building an engaging industry profile.
1. Create a personal website
Your website is one of your most important profile-building tools. The aim is to look professional, and every professional business has a website. A personal branded website featuring your name lets you control the narrative and tell your own story.
Social media is great, but it’s only a snapshot of what you offer. Your website gives you somewhere to showcase your work, expertise, experience and the opportunities you’re looking for.
2. Build a professional media kit
A media kit takes the awkwardness out of being asked about your rates and services. It can sit on your website and show potential clients or brands exactly what you offer before they ever get to the price.
It should include your images, services and the skills you can offer. My rule of thumb is to charge three times your daily salon rate. That accounts for the lost opportunity of not servicing your salon clients and means you’re never underselling yourself.
3. Have a clear bio
You never know when the media is going to need information about you, so don’t wait until an opportunity arrives to put a bio together.
Remember it should clearly explain what you represent and your areas of expertise, and you should have an up-to-date, professional profile picture ready to send out to the media, if they request it to accompany any editorial.
Being prepared makes you look professional and means you’re not panicking when an opportunity arises.
4. Establish your area of expertise
Think about what you want to be known for, then start creating content around it.Have a blog or a couple of articles ready to demonstrate your knowledge.
If a PR or magazine approaches you for content, having something to hand immediately can make all the difference. If you’re scrambling to write something from scratch and miss a deadline, you may not get the chance again.
5. Make social media work for you
A strong social media presence gives you instant social proof and helps the algorithm surface you. Brands, sponsors, magazines and PRs all look through these assets, so make sure your platforms reflect the professional you want to be.
Think beyond simply posting finished hair. Show your expertise, personality and point of view. Your social channels should support the story you’re telling through the rest of your profile.
6. Create a showreel
A showreel is another essential asset, particularly if you’re interested in stage work, education or presentations.
It gives potential collaborators a sense of what you can do and can be easily shared when an opportunity comes along. It’s a great way to build anticipation and show the audience what they can expect from your show as a platform artist.
7. Start building now
One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting too long to show what they’re capable of. You have to start showing what you can do early on in your career – don’t wait until later.