Tips on Using facebook groups for adhesive recommendations
If you've been a member of Facebook groups for lash artists, by now you'll have seen the question, "What's the best adhesive?" It comes up daily, several times a day. As soon as that post is put up, here come the recommendations -- including links and promo codes. And that's grown to be the norm within our Facebook communities.
I've even done it myself. Without thinking twice I've replied with a link to my adhesives and ran down the list of features to prove why I think it's the best. Maybe you've done it too. But here's a question for you that I had to ask myself. And when I asked myself this question, it was like eating a big ol' fat slice of humble pie...
What if your recommendation wasn't really THE BEST?
I mean, is there really a holy grail of adhesives for EVERY environment? Think about it for a second. If we're being honest, we know there isn't.
If we genuinely want to help out our colleagues, is it a good idea to blindly recommend a product without attempting to gain a better understanding of their unique situation, skillset and environment?
When I asked myself this question, the answer was no. On top of that, I feel you lose credibility when you lead someone into buying a product that doesn't end up working for them. So for that reason, I stopped assuming that just because I get great results from my adhesives that everyone else in the universe would too. Instead of blasting people with links, now I ask questions like:
"What's the average temperature and humidity in your workspace?"
"Do you need an adhesive for classic lashes or volume?"
"How quickly do you work? Do you need an adhesive that dries within 1-2 seconds or more like 3-4?"
I dig. And you know what I've found? A lot of times my adhesives ARE a good fit but there are times when they're not. So in those cases, I recommend an adhesive that's a better fit from another company. In doing so, my credibility stays intact and I'm still doing what I set out to do.. and that's help another artist and strengthen our industry.
Anytime someone just links you to an adhesive because it's their favorite without digging deeper and trying to understand more about your situation, environment, how quickly you lash, YOUR NEEDS... I wouldn't be too quick to take their advice. And if you're like I was... linking people to your favorite adhesive without trying to understand their needs, you're doing your fellow lash artist a HUGE disservice.
Before you post to a facebook group for an adhesive recommendation, here are a few suggestions to help you on your path:
BE SPECIFIC
Specify what your unique situation is. Tell the group your average temperature and humidity levels within your workspace. Share what you've already done to control your temperature and humidity. Specify what you want in an adhesive. i.e., low fumes, ideal dry time, can you use it year round, how often should it be replaced, etc. The more information you give, the better the recommendations will be for your unique situation.
BE AWARE
There are lash companies that have a lot of brand ambassadors or employees. And for some of those companies, it's a requirement for brand ambassadors to recommend their products in order to continue to receive discounted products or to get a kick back. That's not necessarily a bad thing for both the company or the ambassadors. If there are lots of people talking about your products, that leads to higher product sales. In looking out for you however, I want you to be aware that some of the recommendations you receive have nothing to do with YOUR NEEDS. Instead they have everything to do with the ambassador fulfilling their contractual obligation so they continue receiving deep discounts on products or a kick back.
BE PICKY
Pick and choose the advise you take. Especially if the advice is coming from someone who isn't asking questions about you and your circumstances. They may genuinely love the product they're recommending and think it's the best. They may even think they're helping by sharing it with you however without knowing the full picture, it's nearly impossible to make the best recommendation.
Now I know this is a topic that may ruffle some feathers but it's all love folks. More than anything, I hope it helps. Please leave your comments below. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject!
And by the way, I personally admin the group Master Lash Artists. No ads or spammy recommendations there. Feel free to join if you'd like. :)