Cutting In with Joanne Hay Decorating

With over 8,000 Instagram followers, over 100,000 Facebook and an impressive TikTok presence that has surpassed 200,000, Joanne Hay (@joannehay_decorating) is leading the way for women in the painting and decorating industry.

Joanne is a professional decorator with nearly two decades of experience who has built an online platform that is not only brilliant for business, but a true motivation for young women considering a trade.

In this Q&A Joanne opens up about what inspired her to start social media, the barriers she has encountered along the way and why being herself is her greatest asset.

What inspired you to focus on your social media content and what were your initial goals?

“I’ve used social media for years, more just for advertising even sharing content of just rolling and cutting in. I recognised it helped generate more work as potential customers liked to see the in between and the process of jobs.”

What do you look to achieve with your social media?

“I hope to reach as many women and young girls as possible, and show them how successful women can be in a trade. My social media has opened up a lot of opportunities for me that I’m incredibly grateful for. Social media can take up a lot of time and hard work, even just to generate a steady flow of work or enquiries. I aim to achieve and help make positive changes towards women in construction and trade work.”

What type of content has gained the most traction for you?

“I’ve found ‘How-to’ videos or short clips explaining a product or process gains the most traction. People like short videos with something they can learn.”

Have you faced challenges along the way?

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced is dealing with online abuse and trolling, all from men. Men from all types of working backgrounds and all ages, even the grandads! No joke.”

“I deal with it so much better now, and my sarcastic replies are quite a big hit with many of my followers! I’ve had 18 years of men saying the usual stuff, it doesn’t bother me at all. What bothers me, is that it has an affect on the young girls that won’t enter a career in trade because they don’t know how to deal with the abuse or negative comments. I’ll always be a voice for them.”

You’ve had amazing success on TikTok, what advice would you give decorators on platform choice?

“It only takes one video to go viral on TikTok and that pretty much sets you up on there, but businesses and brands are mostly on Facebook or Instagram. They are the most professional platforms for advertising in my opinion.”

Has social media success helped your business in the real world?

“I’ve been to award ceremonies, worked with some of the biggest brands in construction and decorating advertising some of the very best products. I’ve been invited to talk in colleges and became an ambassador for Arroworthy, one of the biggest decorating brands.”

What are your top 3 social media tips for other decorators?

“Be yourself. Don’t become a character on social media, it’s false advertisement.”

“Show your process of working, show the ugly side of the jobs because potential clients need to understand what goes in to a job to get the quality finish. It helps them understand and appreciate professional quotes and prices a lot better.”

“Don’t be afraid to show your face. Potential clients get a feel of who you are and the person they’re looking to hire. A face to the name before they’ve even met you gives them a lot more confidence before you turn up at their door to give a quote.”

What’s next for you on social media?

“I’m just continuing to do what I am now. I’m helping inspire a lot of people, I get so many messages of support and appreciation from hundreds of people. I’ll always do my best to ‘paint’ my trade in a great light. I’m fortunate to have a platform to do just that and hopefully be an inspiration for many more young girls and women.”

A big thank you to Joanne for sharing her experiences and we can’t wait to see her journey continue. You can follow Joanne on social media via TikTok, Instagram or Facebook to stay up to date with her latest content. She also has recently launched a brand new YouTube channel, expanding her social media presence into longer-form content, which you can subscribe to here.