How to use this page: Find the kind of work you want most below. Pick three places from its table to start with: one online, one local, and one in person. Work those for a month before adding more. Every site, directory, and convention has its own rules and fees, so read them before you sign up.
Places every shop should set up first
These apply to all four kinds of work. Do them before anything else.
| Place | What to do there |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Claim or create your free profile. Add your hours, walk-in times, phone, booking link, and photos of real healed work. Ask every client for an honest review (see C1 and C6). |
| A shop account plus an account for each artist. Post healed work with the style and artist named. Put your booking link in the bio. | |
| Facebook business page | List your hours and services, turn on messaging, and post flash days and events. Many local clients check here. |
| Your own website | Show each artist, their styles, your flash, your house rules, and a booking form that takes a reference photo (see C4 and C5). |
| Local chamber of commerce or business group | Ask about membership and events. It puts you in front of other owners who send people your way. |
Custom and large-scale (sleeves, back pieces, cover-ups)
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Online places | Post healed large work every week, session by session. Collectors follow artists by style (see C2). | |
| Online places | YouTube and TikTok | Post time-lapses of long sessions and the reveal, with the client's written OK (see C3). |
| Events | Tattoo conventions | Apply as an artist or visit to meet collectors and other artists. Bring a portfolio and a way to book. Each convention sets its own booth fees and rules. |
| Partners | Guest artists and guest spots | Host an artist whose style fits your shop, or take a guest spot in another city (see G3). |
| Local clients | People who regret an old tattoo | Offer free cover-up consults. Never trash the original artist (see R3). |
| Repeat clients | Your own past clients | Book the next session before they leave. Offer sleeve continuations and add-ons (see C7). |
Walk-ins and flash
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Local places | Your storefront and window | Clear walk-in hours on the door, flash sheets with prices where people can see them, and a sign that says "Valid photo ID required." |
| Local places | Near military bases and colleges | Post walk-in hours and flash drops where those adults already look: local Facebook groups, community boards, Instagram. Check ID every time. |
| Partners | Bars, barbershops, salons, and restaurants nearby | Ask to leave a small stack of cards. Offer to do the same for them. Never tattoo anyone who has been drinking. |
| Groups | Birthdays, bachelorette parties, friends getting matching pieces | Offer group booking times and a small matching-flash sheet. Every person signs their own consent form and shows their own ID. |
| Events | Your own flash days | Run a Friday the 13th flash day, a long industry tradition of small flash at a set price (see G1), or a charity flash day (see G2). |
| Events | Military and first-responder appreciation | Host a thank-you day (see R2). Get permission before using any branch or agency seal or insignia. |
| Directories | Google Maps, Yelp, Facebook | "Tattoo near me" searches land here. Keep hours and walk-in times current and answer messages fast. |
Fine-line and minimalist
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Online places | TikTok | Short clips of small pieces start to finish, the stencil, placement tips, and healed results. |
| Online places | Pin healed fine-line work to boards by style and placement. Many people save ideas here before they book. | |
| Online places | Clean, well-lit close-ups of healed pieces. Name the artist and the style. | |
| Local partners | Pet groomers, vets, and shelters | Small pet portraits are popular in this style. Run a pet portrait flash day with a local partner (see R1). |
| Local partners | Boutiques, nail salons, and coffee shops | Ask to leave a small card with your booking link. Offer to share their posts too. |
| Booking | Your booking form | Ask for a reference photo, placement, and size up front. It saves a lot of back and forth (see C5). |
Piercing, touch-ups, and laser removal
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat clients | Past tattoo and piercing clients | With their consent, tell them when new jewelry arrives, when touch-up days open, and when guest artists visit (see C10). |
| Local clients | People fading an old tattoo before a cover-up | Pair laser fading with a cover-up consult. Only run a laser where your state's rules allow it and by who they allow. |
| Directories | Google Business Profile and Yelp | Many people search "piercing near me" or "tattoo removal near me." List these services by name. |
| Local partners | Salons, spas, and jewelry shops | Trade referrals. Their clients ask about piercings and removal. |
| Online places | Instagram and Facebook | Post jewelry drops and healed piercings (with written OK) and plain aftercare tips. |
What to bring and what to say
Bring every time
- Business cards with your shop name, booking link, and walk-in hours
- A small printed portfolio or a tablet with healed work (only photos clients said yes to)
- A sheet of original flash with prices
- A sign-up sheet with a box to agree to hear from you by email or text
Walk-in script for a nearby business
"Hi, I'm [name] from [shop], the tattoo studio down the street. I won't take much of your time. Would you mind if I left a few cards by the register? I'm happy to put yours out at our front desk too."
Message to a Facebook group admin
Hi [name], I'm a tattoo artist at [shop] in [town]. Now and then I'd like to share our flash days and aftercare tips in the group. Are business posts allowed, and is there a certain day you'd like me to use? Thanks for running the group.
Email to a convention or guest-spot shop
Subject: [Your name], [style] artist, asking about [convention / a guest spot]
Hi [name],
I'm [your name], a [style] tattoo artist at [shop] in [town]. I'd love to [apply for a booth at / do a guest spot at] [convention or shop] on [dates].
My portfolio is at [Instagram or website link]. I carry my own license and follow local health department rules wherever I work.
Please let me know what you need from me and what the terms are.
[Your name]
[Shop] | [phone] | [link]
Convention checklist
- Read the convention's rules, booth fees, and the local health department's requirements for guest artists
- Printed portfolio or tablet with healed work
- Original flash with prices, and a way to take deposits for later bookings
- Consent forms, aftercare sheets, and a way to check photo ID
- A sign with your name, styles, and a QR code to your booking page
- Follow up with every lead within two days
Read the rules before you sign up. Directories, booking sites, and conventions each have their own fees and terms, and they change. Check the current terms yourself. Get consent and include an unsubscribe for marketing emails and texts. Never pay for reviews or give discounts for them. Don't run raffles or "chances to win" without checking your state's rules.
Keep a simple list of every place you have listed, posted, or visited, the date, and any clients who came from it. After a few months, put more time into the places sending you work and drop the ones that aren't (see C9).
Want Annie's to do this for you? Annie's can set up and manage your Google Business Profile, directory listings, and consult booking page so you show up in more of the places tattoo clients look.