In today’s digital world, your salon needs a social media presence. It doesn’t matter if you own a small local salon or a big multi-location business, being active on social media should be an essential part of your business marketing strategy.
One of the first things that people do when they hear about a new salon or spa business is to do some research – namely by searching their social media channels. Why do they do this? Because it gives them an immediate insight into how the salon is run, what the environment is like, what treatments they offer and the level of service they provide.
Did you know that 37% of Irish people are influenced by online reviews & reputation when choosing their hair salon and 48% search online when trying to find a new hair salon?
Your salon’s social media pages are an online representation of your business. They are the face you show the world and give you control over how you want people to perceive you. Social media is a place where you can inject personality and fun into your brand through a carefully curated feed. Delivering quality content to users across socials builds brand awareness and increases sales.
Remember, success on social media is not all about followers, comments, likes, and new clients; it is also about promoting products, new services, your online shop, and creating more revenue streams!
Here are some of our top tips on how to improve your salon’s social media presence and optimise it for success.
Consistency is Key
The most important way to improve your social media presence is by being consistent. Consistency is crucial when it comes to social media and it is important to find the right balance. If you post too often, you may overwhelm your followers, and if you post too little, you may become irrelevant.
Did you know that being consistent is not just about the number of times you post? It is also about maintaining the same tone of voice and branding across all of your social media pages. Why should you do this? Well, it all boils down to creating a sense of familiarity with your followers. The more your audience gets to know you, the quicker they begin to trust in your business and your product recommendations.
By posting regularly, and in a brand voice and tone that your followers recognise, you can establish yourself as a source of trust and truth for followers, clients, and everyone in between.
(psst… Phorest’s free salon marketing calendar can help you carve out some time to focus on social media)
Don’t be Antisocial! Engage with Your Followers
Social media is all about building relationships, but many brands on social media are antisocial – they just talk to their audience, not with. One of the most effective ways to build an online presence is to engage regularly with your followers. The best way to do this is by responding to comments and DM’s promptly.
Similarly, ask questions, create polls and encourage your followers to engage with your page. Doing this creates a sense of community whilst also increasing your engagement and reach metrics! It can also allow you to understand your followers’ needs better, discover any pain points they have, and enable you to make better business decisions.
If your clients, employees, industry bodies or fellow businesses are reposting and sharing your content, make sure to thank them for doing so. Try your best to return the favour when you can, and you’ll start to see how social media momentum can continue to build
Content is KING!
Remember, the content that you publish is a direct reflection of your business! Use your social media pages to showcase your talent and what makes your salon special. When your potential clients are looking through their social media feeds, you want to capture their attention with an amazing image or eye-catching video that stops them in their scroll. Make sure you use good quality, clear imagery & try to stay away from stock photos you find online – people love to see you, your team, your work, and your salon!
Here are some ideas of content that works great for businesses in the professional hair and beauty industry;
- Photos of your work or treatments you offer to give new clients an idea of the type of services you provide
- Your team at work in your salon or your friendly front-of-house staff
- Before & After images showcasing client transformations are always a winner – but always get clients’ permission if you want to use pictures of them
- ‘How to’ videos – you could show your followers how to apply a treatment they can buy in the salon at home
- Your salon! You have spent a lot of money on making your salon look good, so why not show it off?
- Exclusive flash discounts and promotional offers just for your social media followers
- Memes! Nothing brightens up our day like a funny meme and by jumping onto trending memes and content you can gain new followers and appear on top of the social media trend game
Collaborate With Influencers
Working with influencers is a growing trend across all industries, particularly the salon industry. Many social media influencers have worked tirelessly to create a highly-engaged audience who are influenced by their behavior and trust their recommendations. Influencers can promote your business and drive more sales, which will help build brand credibility and awareness.
When working with influencers, what you’re trying to do is get that person to talk in a complimentary manner about your salon to their followers, so it piques their interest and encourages them to book an appointment with you. Have you ever thought of inviting a local influencer into your salon for a free treatment? Maybe you have a new treatment you would like to promote? You will see across social media that lots of businesses are using influencers to promote their product or service, but would this work for you?
When collaborating with an influencer, it is important to set clear goals, expectations, and guidelines, and it is essential to choose the right influencer for your business. Look for influencers who align with your values, have a similar target audience and, most importantly, fit with your brand.
Hold a Social Media Competition or Giveaway
There are many different types of competition available to run on social media, From asking followers to “like & tag a friend in the comments to enter” to encourage people to share your post, comment an answer or fill out a form via clicking a link. The options are endless!
Before you run a competition, consider what you want to get out of it. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic and engagement to your page? Increase social media followers? Make sure your contest aligns with your goals and is also on brand for your business.
It is also important to note that before running a contest, you should read the platform’s rules for doing so and abide by them.
How Will You Harness The Power of Social Media For Your Salon?
Social media is not just about self-promotion, it’s about building relationships with your industry buddies, clients, and followers and establishing yourself as a leading and honest voice within your industry. Embrace this mindset and focus on sharing genuinely helpful and unique content to create a digital community that pays off in terms of brand visibility and revenue.
How will you implement these tips into your own social media strategy? Let us know in the comments below or find us on Instagram/Facebook @phorestsalonsoftware, we would love to chat with you over there!
Thanks for reading! #Togetherwegrow