Knowing where to start with advertising your tattoo studio can be tough. It’s no secret that there’s a certain knack for advertising. Vagaro is here to help you get started in creating effective ads to boost visibility for your tattoo studio. Whether you’re a multi-location business, solo tattoo artist, or have 10 artists on your roster, advertising your tattoo studio can be a great way to reach new customers, expand your clientele, attract more clients, and showcase your brand story in seconds.
When & Why Do I Need to Advertise My Tattoo Studio?
There is no specific when to advertise your tattoo studio. All kinds of businesses, from small independent brands to huge billionaire enterprises, are advertising consistently—the specifics are in the how and the why. The why accompanies your passion and original idea; you’re sharing what you love and what you’re passionate about with as many potential customers as possible. In return, you’re hoping to attain their patronage.
So, what do you want to share about your tattoo studio within your ads? What benefits come from it? The following are a few areas where your ads can have a huge positive impact on your business:
- Brand growth & awareness
- Show that your shop houses some of the best in the industry
- Distinguishing yourself from the competition
- Client acquisition
- Promo, artist & merch announcements
Ultimately, the end goal is to expand your business and to be successful. In marketing terms, you want to see a return on investment (ROI) in your tattoo studio advertising efforts—essentially, spending money to make money.
Patience is a virtue here, as it will take a little trial & error, but your efforts will soon pay off, and Vagaro has some great tips to help you along the way.
A Checklist for Advertising Your Tattoo Studio
Target Audience: It’s crucial to advertise to the correct demographic of audiences who are likely to convert with your advertising efforts. What do they like, what do they do in their spare time, why are they coming to you? These are all questions that will help you identify your ideal client.
Brand: An ad for your tattoo studio is a direct reflection of your brand, so it must be consistent with the color themes already used by your business. Darker color palettes are consistent with the tattoo industry.
Your Offer: What are you offering that’s going to make people convert? Are you using this ad for a promo? Whatever the purpose, it’s a good idea to include a compelling offer to maximize your chances of the consumer taking action through your ad.
Attractive & Appealing Imagery: In recent years, the tattoo industry has become embedded in popular culture, and you now need to stand out in a noisy market. Use imagery that draws people in and makes them want to know more. Letting your work speak for itself is also a great move.
Catchy Headlines: You must capture people’s attention instantaneously when they stumble across your ad. It needs to stand out with emotive & engaging language. Pro Tip: Ensure that you optimize your headlines with keywords. This boosts your visibility when your consumers are scanning their feeds.
Language: Your audience needs to be able to relate to your ad. You’ll also have limited space, so keep your word count to a minimum, making your point in as few words as possible.
Call To Action (CTA): What’s the desired action you want your customers to take? From this ad, do you want people to follow you on social media? Book an appointment? Whatever it is, say it concisely and link to the exact place they can take the action—your client journey is key! For offline ads, you can use a QR code to get them to your desired destination if that place is online.
ProTip: A well-designed website is crucial in presenting your shop's unique value proposition and ensuring a smooth user experience. It's also, ultimately, where many advertisements or promotions will take prospective clients.
Social Media Tattoo Ads
So, now that you know what to include in your tattoo studio ads, it’s time to think about where you should advertise. The main platforms for tattoo ads tend to be the following: Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook & YouTube. It makes sense—tattoos are a form of visual art, so you need to be visible. It’s time to put your skills on full display.
People head to this Pinterest for ideation of what ink to get next. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase your content and increase your brand awareness as a tattoo studio. You can display everything from huge back pieces to tiny linework pieces. People will be searching for it all here, so the more you post, the better!
The following tattoo studio ad is a great example for Pinterest because it contains:
- Limited but succinct word count
- Color scheme which represents the brand
- Direct & clear CTA
- The image capitalizes on exactly what people are on Pinterest looking for—inspiration for their next (or first) tattoo
Pinterest Quick Tips for Tattoo Studios
When deploying tattoo ads on Pinterest, keep the following in mind:
- Tone of voice (TOV) is cool & to the point
- Pinterest ads can target people’s location, age & platform usage
- Pinterest offers a range of advertising options: Pinned ads (single image), video ads & carousel ads (between 2–5 cards per ad). You can learn more here.
- Pinned ads seem to convert the most (83%). Check out the true value of Pinterest ads here.
Check out Pinterest's Ads Portal for tips to start advertising your tattoo studio
Facebook & Instagram
These two are the big players in the social media marketing world. Users scroll through their feeds expecting to see content that pertains to their interests. Algorithms are smart enough to tailor the types of ads displayed depending on people’s interests, so make sure you’re in the loop! You can create tattoo studio ads that feature some of your best work or graphics of positive customer reviews.
Don’t get intimidated by gaps in your skillset either; when it comes to graphic design, there are tons of free design tools, like Canva, that can help you create engaging content quickly & easily.
The following tattoo studio ad is a great example for Facebook & Instagram because it contains:
- Succinct wording
- Correct dimensions for their respective platforms
- Colors that are on brand
- Catchy headline & language that resonates
- Clear CTA in the form of a button
Facebook & Instagram Quick Tips for Tattoo Studios
The tone of Facebook and Instagram advertisements should reflect your brand voice and feature branded colors, logo, etc. Beyond this, remember that:
- Facebook & Instagram integrate, so you can run ads across two platforms
- There are step-by-step guides online that can take you through the entire process with ease
- One in three businesses outlined Facebook as the advertising platform which provided the biggest return on investment (ROI) according to Hubspot
- Do you want your ads to be seen in between followers’ organic stories or in-feed? Think about where your audience is most active and place your ads there.
YouTube
YouTube is one of the most-used online sites in the world, and with 1.9 billion logged-in users active on the site every month, it’s hands-down the most-used video sharing platform out there. YouTube ads can appear at the beginning, middle or end of scrolling, or even while you’re watching a video, so visibility opportunities to engage potential clients are great on this platform.
ProTip: Be sure to capture people’s attention in the first 5 seconds, as many people will want to press the Skip Ad button if they’re not instantly intrigued.
The following tattoo studio ad is a great example for YouTube because it contains:
- Clear title header with specific keywords that relate to your tattoo business
- An SEO-friendly description of your video with pertinent links
- Your business name & logo
- High-resolution video with captions
What other types of ads can I use for my tattoo studio?
Email/Text Ads
Emails & SMS text messages are a great way to inform your clients of deals, offers, promotions, shop news & so much more, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Make sure your brand image and tone of voice are consistent through any marketing you send out. This is easy with templated email & text marketing tools, like the ones Vagaro offers.
Sample Email Ad
Subject Line: [Your Studio Name]: WHERE YOUR STORY MEETS SKIN
Headline: TRANSFORM YOUR VISION INTO ART
Body*: At ____, we don't just create tattoos—we bring your personal stories to life through expert artistry. Our award-winning artists specialize in styles ranging from photorealistic portraits to vibrant neo-traditional designs.*
NEW CLIENT SPECIAL: 20% OFF YOUR FIRST SESSION
Book your consultation by _____ and receive 10% off your first tattoo session. Mention code "FIRSTINK" when scheduling.
PORTFOLIO SPOTLIGHT
Our lead artist, ______, recently completed this breathtaking sleeve combining Japanese traditional elements with contemporary color theory. View our full gallery [link to gallery, ideally on website]
SAFETY FIRST
Your well-being is our priority. _____ uses hospital-grade sterilization equipment, single-use needles, and vegan-friendly, hypoallergenic inks. Our studio exceeds all local health department standards.
CTA: BOOK YOUR CONSULTATION
Ready to start your tattoo journey? Three ways to connect:
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Call: (555) 123-4567
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Email:
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Book online:
Follow us @_______ on Instagram to see daily updates of our latest work
[Studio Name] | 123 Creative District, [City], [State/Province] | Established ____
We encourage you to get creative with your emails, but here's why the sample above works:
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Compelling Headline: "WHERE YOUR STORY MEETS SKIN" creates an emotional connection by framing tattoos as personal narratives.
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Clear Value Proposition: The introduction immediately communicates the studio's expertise and range of artistic styles.
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Strategic Offer: The time-limited 10% discount creates urgency while specifically targeting new clients, with a trackable promotional code for easy redemption.
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Visual Proof: The portfolio spotlight section provides evidence of quality through a specific artist example.
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Trust Building: The safety section directly addresses potential client concerns about hygiene and quality standards.
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Multiple Engagement Pathways: The call-to-action provides three distinct contact methods, accommodating different client booking preferences.
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Social Proof Extension: The Instagram footer encourages ongoing engagement and community connection.
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Professional Formatting: The clean, sectioned layout with clear headers makes the information scannable and easy to digest.
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Brand Consistency: The studio name, establishment date, and location reinforce brand identity and credibility throughout.
Sample Text (SMS) Ad
"______ STUDIOS: 10% OFF your first tattoo session when you book by Mar 15! Our artists are booking custom designs now. View our work: bit.ly/inkwell-art Reply STOP to opt out."
You'll notice the brevity of this one compared to email. There's still plenty of strategy at work, though.
The entire message works because it:
- Stays under the typical 160-character SMS limit
- Focuses on a single, clear offer
- Creates urgency without seeming desperate
- Provides an immediate next step
- Includes all required regulatory elements (opt-out)
- Avoids unnecessary words while maintaining a professional tone
Out-of-House (OOH) Ads
Think leaflets, billboards, newspaper or magazine advertisements to increase visibility. Anything that is offline and not internal to your business. While these are tried and true mediums, paid digital advertisements are still more affordable.
That said, an effective OOH ad for a tattoo studio should contain:
these are the most basic elements that should be included:
- Bold, eye-catching visuals
- Prominently displayed studio name/logo
- Clear location information
- Prominent contact information
- A clear call to action
- Unique selling proposition
- Minimal, legible text
- QR code (optional but increasingly common)
The most effective OOH ads for tattoo studios balance striking visuals with just enough information to encourage the next step, recognizing that viewers typically have only a few seconds to absorb the message.
Video Ads
Short-form video content is a major part of media, engaging audiences effectively. TikTok started that trend, and then Facebook and Instagram jumped right on it. If you’re on TikTok, or creating Instagram and Facebook reels, then you’ll be able to create a short video ad for your tattoo studio. These can still be used as part of your social media advertisements too, as many forms of advertising can & do overlap.
Pro Tip: Make sure your ad is no longer than 15 seconds when it comes to video. The first 5 seconds are absolutely key for grabbing their attention, as previously discussed. If a consumer watches the first 5 seconds, they’re more likely to remain for the whole thing.
Vagaro’s tattoo shop management software can assist you with your booking, management & marketing. Within your Vagaro Pro account, you can send out custom branded emails, (1,000 free per month) and you can add SMS marketing to send out appointment reminders, birthday wishes & so much more, directly to your clients’ phones.
We’ll keep an eye out for your ads flooding our social feeds!
Collaborations and Partnerships
Collaborations and partnerships are essential for tattoo artists and shops looking to expand their reach and attract clients. They can also significantly boost the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns by pooling services, which adds value. Partnering with other artists, influencers, or brands, tattoo shops brings new opportunities to increase visibility, even that means simply agreeing to place physical advertisements in one another's business.
One effective strategy is to collaborate with local businesses that share a similar target audience. For example, partnering with a trendy clothing store that is "tattoo-culture adjacent" can lead to cross-promotional opportunities that benefit both parties. You could host joint events, build your advertisements around exclusive discounts, or advertise co-branded merchandise that highlights both brands.
Influencer partnerships are another powerful way to attract clients. Identify influencers in your area who have a strong following among tattoo fans and offer them a free or discounted tattoo in exchange for promoting your shop on their social media platforms. This can significantly boost your visibility and attract potential clients who trust the influencer’s recommendations.
Additionally, consider collaborating with other tattoo artists, especially those with different styles or specialties. This can lead to guest artist events, where each artist brings their own clientele, exposing your shop to a broader audience. These collaborations not only attract new clients but also foster a sense of community within the tattoo industry.
Leveraging the Human Body as an Advertisement
Leveraging the human body as an advertisement is a unique and attention-grabbing way to promote a brand or product. This concept, also known as “skinvertising,” involves using people’s bodies as a canvas to display advertisements. While it may seem unconventional, skinvertising can be an effective way to reach a target audience and create a lasting impression.
Imagine your tattoo shop’s logo or a signature design inked on a willing participant who frequents popular events or social gatherings. This walking advertisement can spark conversations and draw attention to your brand in a way that traditional ads might not. Skinvertising can be particularly effective at festivals, concerts, or other large gatherings where people are more likely to notice and engage with unique body art.
To make the most of this advertising idea, consider collaborating with local social media influencers or loyal clients who are enthusiastic about your work. Offer them a free or discounted tattoo in exchange for becoming a living billboard for your brand. This not only promotes your tattoo shop but also builds a sense of community and loyalty among your clients.
Measuring Success and Avoiding Mistakes
Measuring success and avoiding missteps is critical for tattoo artists looking to promote their work and attract new clients. By tracking metrics and analyzing data, tattoo artists and shops can refine their marketing strategies and achieve their goals.
Start by identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives. These might include the number of new clients acquired, the engagement rate on social media posts, or the return on investment (ROI) from specific advertising campaigns. Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and client feedback to gather data and assess the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Regularly reviewing these metrics will help you understand what’s working and what’s not. For example, if you notice a high engagement rate on Instagram but low conversion rates from Facebook ads, you might decide to allocate more resources to Instagram.
Avoid common mistakes such as neglecting to set clear goals, failing to track results, or not adjusting your strategies based on data. It’s also important to stay updated with industry trends and continuously experiment with new ideas to keep your marketing fresh and effective.
By diligently measuring success and learning from mistakes, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are consistently driving new clients to your tattoo shop and promoting your work effectively.
