PMU lead report · October 2026
When permanent makeup leads come in, and what they do next
We counted 14,067 people who filled out a Facebook or Instagram ad form for one of 36 US permanent makeup studios, Jun 1 to Oct 20, 2026. 43% of them filled it out between 8pm and 7am, and the busiest hour of the day was 9pm.
By Evan Marrone, cofounder, builds the system · Updated
The short version
Six things the numbers say
When leads come in
Many leads come in at night, and they peak at 9pm
The numbers by hour
| Hour | Leads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 12am to 1am | 572 | 4.1% |
| 1am to 2am | 324 | 2.3% |
| 2am to 3am | 223 | 1.6% |
| 3am to 4am | 176 | 1.3% |
| 4am to 5am | 156 | 1.1% |
| 5am to 6am | 222 | 1.6% |
| 6am to 7am | 333 | 2.4% |
| 7am to 8am | 398 | 2.8% |
| 8am to 9am | 485 | 3.4% |
| 9am to 10am | 477 | 3.4% |
| 10am to 11am | 499 | 3.5% |
| 11am to 12pm | 500 | 3.6% |
| 12pm to 1pm | 530 | 3.8% |
| 1pm to 2pm | 555 | 3.9% |
| 2pm to 3pm | 629 | 4.5% |
| 3pm to 4pm | 726 | 5.2% |
| 4pm to 5pm | 750 | 5.3% |
| 5pm to 6pm | 760 | 5.4% |
| 6pm to 7pm | 825 | 5.9% |
| 7pm to 8pm | 952 | 6.8% |
| 8pm to 9pm | 1,036 | 7.4% |
| 9pm to 10pm | 1,153 | 8.2% |
| 10pm to 11pm | 1,016 | 7.2% |
| 11pm to 12am | 770 | 5.5% |
22% came in between 7pm and 10pm alone, three hours that are an eighth of the day. And it isn't one busy studio pulling the total: at 26 of the 30 studios with 100 or more leads, the busiest hour of the day began between 7pm and 10pm (Jun 1 to Oct 20, 2026).
So the busiest hours for new leads are in the evening.
How fast they book
Most bookings happen on day one, but not all
58% of people who booked a consult did it within 24 hours of filling out the form (1,148 people across 26 studios, form fills Jun 1 to Sep 20, 2026).
Not everyone books right away. More than a third of the people who booked went quiet for a day or more first, and most of them came back within a day of a text from the studio (412 of 1,148 people, form fills Jun 1 to Sep 20, 2026). That's timing, not proof that the text is what brought them back.
What they ask
Price comes up a lot
44% of leads who texted asked about price or cost (7,716 leads across 36 studios, Jun 1 to Oct 20, 2026).
We counted a lead as asking when she used price, cost or “how much” in at least one text.
Booking soon or later
Consults booked further out were cancelled or moved more
Consults booked 5 or more days out were cancelled or moved more often than ones booked sooner, 61% against 46% (1,867 consults across 32 studios, appointments Jun 1 to Oct 13, 2026).
That's an association, not a cause. “Cancelled or moved” includes consults that were rescheduled, so it doesn't prove booking sooner prevents cancellations. Offering some times in the next few days is still an easy thing to try.
For reference
How fast these studios answered
These studios answer their leads with our texting assistant, so this is our assistant's speed, not every studio's. In them, a new lead's first text went out a median 28 seconds after the form came in, at night as fast as by day, and 94% of leads had it within a minute (14,067 leads across 36 studios, Jun 1 to Oct 20, 2026).
And when a lead texted, the assistant's median reply came 76 seconds later, day or night (38,743 replies sent within 2 hours of a lead's text, 36 studios, Jun 1 to Oct 20, 2026).
What it means for your studio
Four things to try
- The busiest hours for new leads are 7pm to 10pm. Plan for someone, or something, to answer then.
- Answer price questions plainly. A lot of people ask, and a clear answer keeps the conversation going.
- Follow up for a day or two. Quiet doesn't always mean no.
- Offer some consult times in the next few days, not only weeks out.
How we counted
So you can check us
Every Facebook and Instagram lead-form lead at the 36studios using our system, with test leads removed. Hours are each studio's own time zone.
Each number carries its own dates, because each question needs its own window. Arrivals and price questions cover form fills from June 1 to October 20, 2026. How fast people booked covers form fills from June 1 to September 20, so everyone had at least 30 days to book. Cancellations cover consults with appointments from June 1 to October 13, so their outcomes were known.
“Went quiet” means a day or more without a text from her before she booked. These are patterns, not causes: where a number could be read as one, we've said what it doesn't prove. The numbers come from our own records, counted on Oct 21, 2026, and we refresh them as more data comes in.
Quoting this report
You're welcome to cite it
Quote any number here with a link to this page and the dates that go with it. Suggested citation:
Permanent Profits, PMU Lead Report, October 2026. www.permanentprofits.co/pmu-lead-report
Want to see how these numbers play out for one studio? See our results.
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