Home Business How to Find Models for Your Ecommerce Cosmetics Store

How to Find Models for Your Ecommerce Cosmetics Store

When you’re selling cosmetics, there’s only so much a customer can tell from a picture of the package. At some point they want to see what the makeup looks like on an actual face. Getting friends or family to sit in as models is always an option but it might not look as slick as hiring professionals. After all, these folks know what they’re doing.

Even if you wanted professional models you might not know where to find them or how to compensate them. Before you give up and start calling anyone who owes you a favor, here’s how to find models for your ecommerce cosmetics store.

1. Be prepared to pay. It may seem like commons sense, but it does bear repeating. If you expect someone to work for free, then you’re not going to get the cream of the crop. There are options for getting inexperienced models for less than the going rate. No matter what, you should always be compensating them with free photos and product. They’re not doing this because they care about your business. This is how they make a living.

2. Pick people, not a look. It’s becoming more common to embrace a variety of appearances. Traditional model aesthetics are not always necessary. You want your products to appeal to and be bought by a lot of different people. A good way to do that is to show what the products look like on everyone. Not just the people who look like models. Having models with different kinds of skin types, coloring, and faces shows the range of the makeup. It’s not just for a select group.

3. Use social media to find models. If you’re planning to sell cosmetics at home, you’re probably already pretty good with social media. Not surprisingly, so are most models. Especially ones that work freelance or represent themselves. Some models use their social media accounts as a way to find more work and are open to being contacted with offers. Finding someone via social media can also help with your own visibility once your site is live. A model who’s active on social media is going to share any post featuring them.

4. Have a plan before you approach anyone. Models have to be wary of pretty much everyone who offers them a job. There are a lot of people trying to get things for free or who just like wasting someone’s time. Before you contact a model have a plan for the shoot, compensation, and when the photos will be posted. Models appreciate knowing when their images are going to be released online. If they’re accepting free prints in lieu of some payment, you need to have a deadline you will meet. Going to them with everything lined up puts them at ease and makes you look more professional.

5. Be ready to assist the model before and during the shoot. Most models will know how to behave in front of a camera and will follow the vision you articulate for your site. Tell them what you want from them; don’t make them guess. Be ready to execute makeup style you want to get the look you’re going for.  It might also be useful to bring on a makeup artist, so you can foxus on other aspects f the shoot.

You have options when it comes to finding models. You even have options when it comes to the caliber of models you’d like to work with. Start putting your plan together and see what fits for you and your business. Is a top tier model in the budget right now? Would you prefer the look of everyday people?

Whatever you’re going for, you need to see your own ideas clearly before you consider how to find models for your ecommerce cosmetics store Once you know what you want, you can make it happen.