Social media is an excellent way for you and your salon or spa to get and stay connected with your customers. But does your team take advantage of the reach of this fantastic platform? After all, it’s free and is a great way to connect with current and potential clients.
It’s actually quite surprising, that so few salons or spas take full advantage of the social media platform. Many of these beauty businesses have a website or a profile on review sites, and yet their presence on social media remains scattered at best. What’s worse, is only posting to one channel due to convenience or perceived value.
The reality is that your customers do want to know what your salon or spa is up to but they span out across multiple channels. The suggestion is to avoid posting only the backs of heads on one millennial-only channel, step up all efforts and show off those pretty waves on all favorite channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
If your salon or spa does not have a strong social media presence, it’s time to create one. Doing so only takes some planning and a little upkeep to work for you. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Handle This
To be liked, followed or even shared, your salon or spa’s social media should be found quickly. If you don’t already have accounts, set them up on all major social channels using consistent account names or “handles,” if possible. Having one handle or name that works for all channels will simplify your efforts when referring to your salon’s social media in any marketing material (i.e., follow us on social @YourSalonName).
Brand Power
When you set up your profile, add your logo and use a beauty shot, either of your salon or spa or a model with great hair or skin, for the cover image. The cover image, logo, and everything on your profile page should reflect the level of quality that your business offers. That’s why it’s essential to have a professionally designed logo and an image that looks like it has been professionally shot. If possible, try to align the profile with your brand colors and occasionally include your logo or signage in posts to keep things unique and branded.
Accuracy & Consistency
Take the time on each channel a few moments to fill in the appropriate sections for business hours, address, pricing, “about us,” etc. Keep all profile information consistent on all channels and take the time to update it regularly – just be sure to run spell check before posting.
Plan Ahead
Once your presence has been established, and each social media channel is branded, plan out posts to happen a few times a week at the very least. Most social media channels have a means by which to schedule posts in advance, but there are apps like Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, and Planoly can help. Regardless of how you post, plan your content in advance and then fill in any gaps with other opportunities as they happen.
Here are some ideas for possible social media content:
News & Events
Document any salon or spa event such as parties, classes and other events, and everything from your grand opening to any special occasion. Snap away and post accordingly, making sure to use appropriate captions and hashtags.
Hair Trends
Any time a client, or even another stylist, makes a significant change with their hair, show it off with a before and after makeover post. Also document haircuts, hair color that turned out fantastic, updos, first haircuts, and so forth. If you find the post of interest, your clients likely will too! Shoot it, brand it, tag it, post it! Just be sure to ask for permission from your client (or the model) before you do any of the above.
Trending Right
Your salon is in the business of making other people look and feel beautiful, so your staff should work hard to be at the forefront of trends. As trendsetters, make occasional statements and show examples of what’s coming next for cuts, color, and styling.
Promote What You Do
For services, highlight a new technique, a specific service or promotion such as offering discounts for first-time clients, etc. For products, consider showcasing an item and posting about how to use it or the benefits that it provides. You can also offer a special promotion to help clear out any product overstock. Also, take a moment to ensure that you are following all brands on social that you carry in the salon, that way you can share their content and repost to each of your channels.
Shout-Outs
Post as many positive reviews about your salon or spa as possible but be sure to cite who said it and when. These can be shared from review sites like Yelp or Google Reviews, offered through a plug-in on your wall or site, or screen captured from other posts or curated from your own email marketing efforts.
Go Inspirational
On occasion, post words of wisdom with a series of inspirational quotes. Many online sources offer appropriate content, and everybody loves the affirmations. Share theirs, go for stock imagery or create your own branded versions of these quotes by adding your salon logo.
Be Consistent
If you can’t manage the time for your salon’s social media, assign the task to someone else. Consider making it the regular duties of your receptionist or a responsible assistant or anyone on staff who has the desire to manage your online channels. You can even assign the task on a rotating basis, so you get the benefit of multiple administrators. You can also hire a social media specialist to manage the account for you but be to set standards and to give them the needed assets to keep up the posts and engage with followers.
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