Ama Zin Marketing - Marketing With A twist.

Published by The Pacific Business Hub | By Cecilia Sagote of Seki Media

When Ama Hemana, 26, started university years ago, she wanted to get into law, then politics, then journalism. She finally settled on studying business. 
 
When she studied her first marketing paper, she was intrigued. 
 
“I was blown away by how much information was immediately applicable to anything,” she says.
 
At the time, her sister Venna had started her own beauty business LashFix, the perfect ‘guinea pig’ for Ama to put her marketing theory into practice. 
 
Six years later, Ama’s marketing style has been credited as a big factor in LashFix’s success in Australia. 
 
“People often ask me ‘who does the marketing for LashFix?’” she laughs. 
 
“My sister and I are both in a place in our business where we are happy and growing considerably and now we are both teaching our own ‘trades’. So it was natural for me to offer marketing as a service.” 
 
Ama has named her brand, ‘Ama Zin’ Marketing, a play on her own name - one that she believes her business can live up to.
 
Before Covid-19 hit Melbourne,  Ama had started teaching her sold out workshops in Auckland and Melbourne. 
 
“I was so nervous,” she laughs. “My first workshop in Auckland was face to face and I was sweating like crazy. I kept shaking and stuttering and then I did the same during my first online workshop!”
 
“It's a scary feeling to say you're good at something and to try and stand out especially as a Polynesian woman. We're taught to be humble and quiet but when you're running a business and need to get clients, you can't do that staying quiet.”
 
She adds that a little prayer before her workshop does wonders.  As well as stepping out of her comfort zone with a ‘just do it’ attitude. 
 
“The feedback has been amazing so far, especially around the topic of clarity and how one can operate as a business on their own terms.  
 
“My workshop is based on marketing your business as a reflection of who YOU are as an individual not what you think your business is supposed to be like. If you have a look at LashFix we are not and have never been your typical beauty bar and that’s what has helped us stand out from our competitors.”
 
She is using this Covid lockdown time to co-ordinate more mentoring workshops for small businesses as well as improving on her popular video “lives” on social media which her followers tune into - something she continues to try and master confidence in. 
 
When asked to offer advice to other start-ups, Ama hones in on some common errors she notices other businesses do. 
 
“A lot of businesses are posting on social media just to post or just to grow their follower count, which can be helpful for business but without a strategy or lack of direction and it's ineffective. We're too busy worrying about popularity instead of converting our follower count into dollars.” 
 
You can book into the amazing Ama Zin Workshop here: https://lashfix.com.au/products/ama-zin-marketing-workshop?variant=32148716126257