Why this matters for a tattoo shop
People don't find tattoo artists the way they find a plumber. A collector scrolls Instagram for months before messaging an artist. A first-timer saves fine-line ideas on Pinterest and TikTok. A group planning a birthday tattoo searches Google Maps for a walk-in shop nearby. Someone with an old tattoo they regret asks in a local Facebook group who does good cover-ups.
You don't need to be everywhere. You need to be in the handful of places your buyers already look, with your name, your style and your booking link easy to find. This guide shows where those places are and what to put in each one. For a deeper look by kind of work, see T3 Where Your Customers Are.
What you need
- One shop name and one handle you can use everywhere (or as close as you can get)
- A booking link that works on a phone (see C4 and C5)
- A claimed Google Business Profile (see C1)
- A folder of your best healed and fresh work, with written OK from each client to post it
- A short list of the styles each artist does best
Where buyers look, and what to put there
| Place | Who looks there | What to put there |
|---|---|---|
| Collectors, custom clients, people checking you out before they book | A clean grid of your best work. Pinned posts: your booking steps, a healed piece, and your flash. Highlights for Healed, Flash, Aftercare, Booking and The Studio. Booking link in bio. | |
| TikTok | Younger adult buyers, fine-line and minimalist fans, first-timers | Short process videos: linework, time-lapse, the reveal, healed check-ins, studio cleaning. See C3. |
| People collecting ideas before they pick an artist | Boards by style and placement ("Fine-line florals," "Small wrist pieces"). Each pin links to your booking page or website. | |
| Google and Google Maps | Walk-ins, groups, travelers, people searching "tattoo shop near me" | A complete Business Profile, current hours, walk-in policy, photos, and answered reviews. See C1 and C6. |
| Your website | Anyone ready to book | Artist pages with style and portfolio, your booking form, deposit and touch-up policies, aftercare, FAQ, address and hours. |
| Conventions | Serious collectors and people traveling for an artist | A clean booth, printed portfolio, flash, a QR code to your booking link, and posts before, during and after. |
| Local groups | Neighbors asking "who's good around here?" | Community Facebook groups, neighborhood apps and local event pages. Follow each group's rules on business posts. Answer questions helpfully instead of spamming links. |
| Local partners | People who already trust a nearby business | Cards or a small print at barbershops, salons, piercing-friendly boutiques, record stores and coffee shops that welcome it. Ask first. |
Step-by-step setup
- Lock in your name. Grab the same handle on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. If it's taken, add your town ("[shop]tattoo[town]"). Use the exact same shop name, address and phone number on Google, your website and every listing.
- Decide shop account vs artist accounts. Most shops run a shop account and let each artist keep their own. Link them to each other in bios and tag the artist on every shop post.
- Write a clear bio. Say what you do, where you are, and how to book. Use the templates below.
- Point every bio to one booking link. One link, the same everywhere. Test it on a phone.
- Pin your three best posts. One healed piece, one flash sheet, one "how to book" post.
- Name the style and the artist in every caption. "Fine-line botanical by [Artist]" helps the right person find it in search. So does naming your town.
- Set up Pinterest boards by style. Pin from your website so every pin links back to you.
- List your convention dates. Keep an up-to-date list on your website and a highlight on Instagram.
- Join two or three local groups as yourself. Read the rules. Be a neighbor first.
Your weekly routine
| Day | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Post a healed piece, with written OK, style and artist named (see C2) | Instagram, Pinterest, Google |
| Tuesday or Wednesday | One short process video | TikTok, Instagram Reels |
| Thursday | Flash, open dates or an event | Instagram stories, Google post |
| Friday | Answer DMs, comments and reviews. Check local groups for anyone asking for an artist. | Everywhere |
| Monthly | Update Google photos and hours. Refresh pinned posts and highlights. Check your booking link still works. | Google, Instagram, website |
Need a month of ideas? Use T2 30-Day Social Media Program.
Copy-ready templates
Instagram bio (shop)
[Shop Name] · Tattoo studio in [Town, State]
Custom · Flash · Fine-line · Walk-ins [days]
Artists: @[artist1] @[artist2]
Book a consult ↓
Instagram or TikTok bio (artist)
[Style] tattoos by [Name] at @[shop]
[Town, State] · Books open [months]
Healed work in highlights · Book ↓
Caption format
[Style] [subject] by [Artist], [fresh / healed at X weeks]. [One line about the piece or the client's idea, with their OK.] Books open for [month]. Link in bio. #[town]tattoo #[style]tattoo
Pinterest board names
Fine-Line Florals · [Shop], [Town]
Small Wrist and Ankle Tattoos · [Shop]
Black and Grey Sleeves · [Artist]
Flash Sheets · [Shop]
Healed Tattoos · [Shop]
Answering a local group question
Hi [Name]! I'm [Artist] at [Shop] on [Street]. Cover-ups are a big part of what I do. Happy to look at yours and tell you honestly what's possible. No charge for the consult. [booking link] Also worth checking out a few shops' healed work before you pick.
Convention post
I'll be at [Convention] in [City], [dates], booth [#]. Bringing a new flash sheet and a few open spots for custom work. DM or book through the link in bio to hold a spot. 18+ with valid photo ID.
Before you post anything
- Get written OK from the client before posting photos or video of their tattoo or their body. Never show faces, ID or anything identifying without it.
- Post only your own work. Don't repost another artist's piece as yours. Credit guest artists by name.
- Draw original flash. Don't copy another artist's design, or a trademarked logo or character, onto skin or into a flash sheet you post.
- Show the clean shop. Studio posts should match the health department rules you follow: gloves, barriers, single-use needles, sterilized equipment.
- Adults only. Say "18+ with valid photo ID" (or your state's age) on event and flash posts.
Checklist
- Same handle and shop name on every platform
- Same name, address and phone on Google, website and listings
- One booking link in every bio, tested on a phone
- Three pinned posts on Instagram
- Highlights for Healed, Flash, Aftercare, Booking and The Studio
- Pinterest boards by style, pins linking back to you
- Artist pages on your website with styles listed
- Convention dates listed
- Written OK on file for every client photo posted
- Weekly posting routine on the calendar
Mistakes to avoid
- Trying to be on every app and keeping none of them up.
- A different booking link in every bio, or one that's broken.
- Only posting fresh, shiny work. Buyers want to see how it heals.
- Captions with no style, no artist and no town.
- Dropping links in local groups that don't allow business posts.
- Posting a client's photo because they tagged you, without asking.
- An artist leaves and takes all the shop's followers with them. Keep a shop account too.
Notes by kind of work
| Work | Where to focus |
|---|---|
| Custom and large-scale | Instagram and conventions first. Healed photos, progress shots across sessions, and a clear consult process. Collectors travel, so list guest spots and convention dates. |
| Walk-ins and flash | Google Maps first: hours, walk-in policy, photos, reviews. Then Instagram stories for today's flash and open chairs. Local groups for groups and first-timers. |
| Fine-line and minimalist | TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram. Short videos of delicate linework and healed close-ups. Pinterest boards by placement and subject. |
| Piercing, touch-ups and laser | Google Maps and your website. Clear services, jewelry photos, aftercare, and honest info about what to expect. For laser, follow your state's rules on who may operate the laser, and say so on your site. |
Want Annie's to do this for you? We can match your name and booking link across every platform, set up your bios, highlights and Pinterest boards, and keep your weekly posts going.