Boost Your Esthetician Marketing: Collaborative Instagram Story Takeovers for Enhanced Visibility
Ready for a game-changing strategy to grow your esthetician or aesthetic injector practice? Let's dive into Instagram Story Takeovers with Complimentary Business Owners.
Remember these? They were all the rage around 2016, and for good reason too. They work SO well at getting new eyes on your facial services, waxing practice, or aesthetic injector business.
Collaborating with a business that complements yours (think fitness studios, health food cafes, complimentary beauty businesses, wellness centers, boutiques, hair salons, or yoga studios) not only showcases your esthetician or aesthetic injector services to a wider, yet relevant audience but also strengthens local business ties and community connections.
Why Instagram Story Takeovers Work for Estheticians and Aesthetic Injectors
Story takeovers are powerful for several reasons:
They introduce you to a warm audience. The business owner's followers already trust them, so there's an automatic credibility transfer to you and your facial services, waxing practice, or injectable treatments.
They provide fresh content for both audiences. Your followers get to see something different, and so do theirs.
They build genuine local connections that can lead to ongoing cross-promotion for your esthetician or aesthetic injector business.
They're low-cost but high-impact marketing that doesn't require a big budget.
They position you as collaborative rather than competitive, which resonates with clients who value community-minded businesses.
For estheticians and aesthetic injectors who may not have huge marketing budgets, this strategy is gold.
Your Action Plan for a Successful Instagram Story Takeover
1. Find Your Perfect Match
Identify a local business that aligns with your esthetician or aesthetic injector practice values and clientele. The key is finding businesses whose audience would naturally be interested in your facial treatments, waxing services, chemical peels, Botox, dermal fillers, or professional skincare products.
Great collaboration partners for estheticians and aesthetic injectors include:
Fitness studios and gyms (their clients care about how they look and wellness)
Yoga studios (wellness-minded clientele who value self-care)
Health food cafes or juice bars (health-conscious audience)
Boutiques and clothing stores (fashion-forward clients who care about appearance)
Hair salons (beauty clients who likely need facial services or waxing)
Wellness centers or chiropractors (holistic health focus)
Makeup artists (beauty industry collaboration for facials and skincare)
Personal stylists (clients investing in their appearance)
Meditation or mindfulness studios (self-care oriented audience)
Bridal shops (brides need facials, waxing, and often injectables before weddings)
Reach out to propose a mutually beneficial Instagram Story takeover. Remember, this is a mutually beneficial opportunity where both businesses gain exposure to new potential clients.
Sample outreach message:
"Hi [Name]! I love what you're doing at [Business Name]. I run [Your Business], an esthetician practice specializing in facials and skincare (or aesthetic injector practice offering Botox and filler) here in [City]. I think our audiences would really benefit from learning about each other's services. Would you be interested in doing an Instagram Story takeover collaboration? We'd each take over the other's stories for a day to introduce our businesses. Let me know if you'd like to chat about it!"
2. Brainstorm Together
Plan content that highlights how your services complement each other. For example:
A day in their life where they visit your esthetician or aesthetic injector practice for a facial, waxing service, or injectable treatment and share their experience
Behind-the-scenes of both businesses showing what makes each special
Self-care routine collaboration featuring both services (their workout + your facial, their healthy meal + your skincare recommendations)
Q&A format where you answer common questions about facials, waxing, chemical peels, Botox, or dermal fillers
"Get ready with me" showing how their service + your service = feeling confident
Tips and tricks from both businesses for wellness, beauty, and self-care
Make sure the content is genuinely valuable and not just promotional. Educational and entertaining content performs best in story takeovers.
3. Cross-Promote the Takeover
Announce the takeover in advance on both your Instagram accounts for your esthetician or aesthetic injector practice. Tease what followers can expect with sneak peeks or behind-the-scenes content.
Start promoting at least a week in advance:
"Next Tuesday, I'm taking over @[BusinessName]'s stories! I'll be sharing all about how facials and fitness go hand-in-hand for that healthy glow. Make sure you're following them so you don't miss it!"
Create countdown stickers, teaser posts, and build anticipation. The more you promote it, the better the engagement during the actual takeover.
Tag each other in posts and stories leading up to the event to maximize visibility for both your esthetician or aesthetic injector business and theirs.
4. Execute with Flair
On the day of the takeover, let the business owner share their authentic perspective on your stories, and vice versa when you take over theirs.
Best practices for a successful takeover:
Use interactive content like Q&As about facials or injectables, polls ("Have you tried a chemical peel before?"), emoji sliders ("How important is skincare to you?"), and question stickers.
Show your personality. Don't be stiff or overly scripted. People connect with authenticity in your esthetician or aesthetic injector content.
Provide value. Share tips, educate about facial treatments or Botox, answer questions, and give viewers a reason to care.
Make it easy to book. Include clear CTAs and information about your esthetician or aesthetic injector services throughout the takeover.
Tag and mention the collaborating business frequently so their followers can easily find you.
Post consistently throughout the day (8-12 story frames minimum) to maintain engagement.
Go live together if possible for even more engagement around your facial services, waxing practice, or injectable treatments.
5. Engage and Analyze
Actively engage with the audience during the takeover. Respond to messages and comments promptly. After the takeover, analyze the engagement and reach:
How many new followers did you gain?
What was your story view count compared to normal?
How many DMs or questions did you receive about your esthetician or aesthetic injector services?
Did you get any bookings directly from the takeover?
Which content performed best?
Use these insights to inform future collaborations and content strategy for your esthetician or aesthetic injector marketing.
Follow up with the collaborating business to discuss results and potentially plan another takeover or ongoing partnership.
Why Story Takeovers Are Effective for Estheticians and Aesthetic Injectors
Broader Audience Reach
Tap into each other's follower bases, introducing your esthetician or aesthetic injector practice to potential clients who already value wellness, beauty, and self-care. These are warm leads, not cold audiences.
Varied Content
Fresh perspectives can invigorate your content strategy, keeping your existing followers engaged and attracting new ones to your facial services, waxing practice, or injectable treatments.
Community Connection
Strengthen your local network by supporting fellow businesses, creating a sense of community and collaboration. This positions your esthetician or aesthetic injector business as community-minded and approachable.
Social Proof
When another trusted business vouches for your facial services, chemical peels, Botox, or dermal filler treatments, it provides powerful social proof to their audience.
Cost-Effective Marketing
This strategy requires time but no financial investment, making it perfect for estheticians and aesthetic injectors who want to grow without a big advertising budget.
Making the Most of New Followers
After a successful story takeover, many estheticians and aesthetic injectors gain new followers but struggle to convert them into actual facial clients or injectable patients.
Here's how to nurture these new followers:
Welcome them with a story acknowledging the takeover and thanking them for following your esthetician or aesthetic injector practice.
Provide value immediately with helpful skincare tips, facial education, or injectable information.
Show your personality so they connect with you as a person, not just a business.
Make booking easy with clear information about your services and a link in bio.
Engage consistently so they don't forget about you after the initial excitement.
Include CTAs regularly inviting them to book facials, waxing services, or injectable consultations.
The key is consistent follow-through after the takeover, not just relying on that one day of exposure.
Ready to Master Collaborations and Every Other Aspect of Your Marketing?
If you want to implement effective collaboration strategies like story takeovers, plus have access to all the content and support you need to consistently market your esthetician or aesthetic injector business, join The Esti Content Club.
NEW: Injectable content coming in March 2025! In addition to comprehensive esthetician resources, we're adding content specifically for aesthetic injectors and nurse injectors.
Inside, you'll find:
Marketing training on local collaborations, partnerships, and community-building strategies for estheticians and aesthetic injectors
800+ content templates (plus injectable content launching March 2025) so you always have fresh content to share before, during, and after collaborations
Weekly Reel ideas and trending content to keep your feed active and engaging for facial clients and injectable patients
3 monthly live group coaching calls where you can get personalized guidance on collaboration opportunities and strategies
A community of estheticians, waxers, nurse injectors, and aesthetic professionals who are actively collaborating and growing together
Monthly content calendars that help you stay consistent and strategic in your esthetician or aesthetic injector marketing
Stop struggling with what to post and start implementing proven strategies that grow your business.
Join the Esti Content Club and use code ESTI20 for 20% off your first month!
Transform your esthetician or aesthetic injector marketing with collaborative strategies and consistent, high-quality content.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I approach a business about a collaboration if I've never done this before? Keep it simple and value-focused. Explain briefly who you are, what you do (esthetician services like facials and waxing, or aesthetic injector services like Botox and filler), why you think your audiences would benefit from learning about each other, and propose a specific collaboration like a story takeover. Make it easy for them to say yes.
What if the business wants to charge me for the collaboration? Story takeovers should be mutually beneficial and free. If they want to charge, they don't understand the concept or they're not the right partner. Move on to someone who sees the mutual value in cross-promotion.
How often should I do story takeovers for my esthetician or aesthetic practice? Once a quarter is a good cadence. You want them to feel special and not overdo it. Focus on quality partnerships rather than doing them constantly.
What if the takeover doesn't result in immediate bookings for my facial services or injectable treatments? Not every marketing effort produces immediate results. Story takeovers build awareness and relationships. Some followers may book months later. Track new followers and engagement, not just immediate bookings. Play the long game.
Can I do takeovers with businesses outside my immediate area? You can, but local collaborations are more effective for service-based businesses like estheticians and aesthetic injectors since clients need to physically come to you for facials, waxing, or injectable treatments. Focus on businesses within your service area.
Join estheticians and aesthetic injectors mastering collaborative marketing strategies that grow their businesses. Use code ESTI20 for 20% off your first month of the Esti Content Club.