How To Tap Into Your Beauty Brand’s Superpower – And Make More Money

Marketing expert Wil Shelton wants beauty professionals to raise their money-making potential and claim their superpower.

It’s all about influence, says Shelton, who has more than 25 years of beauty marketing experience as founder of Wil Power Integrated Marketing. With Black buying powering at an all-time high — Nielsen reports $1.5 trillion spending in the U.S. — brands are clamoring to get at those dollars. That provides the perfect opportunity for Black-owned barbershops, hair salons, and nail salons to generate revenue by using their social influence.

“They are the ecosystem that makes the Black community flourish,” he said on Sadiaa’s The Business Of Black Beauty” series. “They are the innovators, the trailblazer, the gatekeepers, the trendsetters.”

He first realized hairstylists impact while running his own barbershop as a licensed hairstylist. His clients were seeking his input on everything from music selections to must-try products and hot ticket venues. 

He researched and reached out to entertainment companies that could benefit from access to his clients. Soon, he was receiving free CDs and giveaways for his salon.

“At that point, I was just excited to get free swag,” he said. 

But he had a bigger vision and now manages a network of over 100,000 barbershop salons and nail shops nationwide that participate in marketing activation with major retailers and entertainment companies.

He’s found his superpower: helping beauty professionals tap into their marketing and capital potential. Read on for tips he’s shared using your own influence help you activate yours and secure more coins.

Be more than a business

“A small business should be a thought leader,” said Shelton. That means digging into your network, your market, and your skill sets to see what not only helps you stand, but also makes you relatable and a go-to resource. 

This is a must with today’s consumers who are more empowered and research-driven than ever before. “They are looking under the hood,” said Shelton. “If you have more behind the display than what you display in the front, then they are going to vote with their dollars — or else they are going to create their brand.”

Tap into your uniqueness

“You have to develop a niche,” said Shelton. “You have to tap into your uniqueness. You have to find out what the DNA of your company, of your brand, is and that’s when you will start to see the dividends pay up. Unique is better than better is.”

Be authentic

But don’t just create an alternate brand persona. Make sure it aligns with your mission and vision and that it ties back to your why. 

“You want to have an authentic brand story,” said Shelton.   

Don’t be afraid of change

Putting all of this together may seem a bit uncomfortable, but this is where you push through. “Raise the bar,” advised Shelton. “You want to be the person that changes the game.”

And, changing the game often means changing your approach.

“You gotta… sometimes throw out the old playbook and become more nimble and become more agile,” he added. “Especially today, where we’ve gone from brick and mortar to click and order.”

Activate your superpower

It’s one thing to know your superpower, it’s another thing to use it. “It’s also about positioning yourself,” said Shelton. “Because if you don’t position yourself, you are going to get positioned.”

“To position yourself means you have to carve out your lane in what you do,” he explained. “You want to be more of a specialist than a generalist in whatever you do. That’s what brings out your superpower and your uniqueness in your lane. That helps you to become the choice, instead of just a choice.” 

Press play below to watch Shelton break it all down.