Turn your Social Media Into New Clients

Social media is strategically significant to growing your business and keeping existing clients. Stylists and salon owners all over the country have been finding fantastic success by using social media to gather new clients and referrals, but one thing is for certain; just because you have an Instagram or Facebook presence doesn’t mean you’ll see results automatically! Like anything worth doing, you’re going to need to put in just a little bit of work – and you’ll start to see the results ten-fold.

Unsure how to get started with a powerful social media marketing channel? We’ve condensed it into five, quick-and-dirty tips to get you started.

Digital Footprints

The first thing to think about is: what is your brand? Not sure where to start? Google your name or your salon to see what pops up. Perhaps you have a massive digital footprint, and that’s marvelous. Run through the results to ensure that the content aligns with your story. If you’re invisible online, that’s a problem that you’ll want to address. Remember, you’re only as relevant as your last post!

TIP: Post often! Our recommendation is every day, but if you need a stepping-stone to get started, try to post 4 times a week.

BYB: Build Your Brand

‘What should I post to my social media channels?’ Try this quick exercise and think about:

1. What do you want to be known for?
2. What distinguishes your salon experience from the stylist down the hall?

Now…dish the answers via social. Think of it as forging relationships, rather than selling:

1. Discuss industry trends and new styles or services.
2. Ask for ideas and opinions to spur conversation.
3. Illustrate your expertise by contributing valuable information to other conversations that are happening online.

Social Media = Your New Portfolio

Remember when everyone used to come into your salon with a photo of Jennifer Aniston? Now, more likely than not they are swiping through screenshots of Instagram as they are sitting in your chair explaining their inspiration. Guess what? It’s time to BE their inspiration and use social media as your online portfolio!

1. Post before and after photos (with your guests’ permission of course) to show the community and potential guest what you can do!
2. Post how-to videos to establish your level of expertise and become their go-to for all things beauty
3. Share pictures of your studio and invite people into the wonderful experience you’ve created

It’s A Phone-Call With A Friend

It’s not called ‘social’ media for nothing! It’s important to put a human touch on your social media postings and comments. Think of every post as a one on one conversation rather than a message on a billboard to be read by everyone driving past. Your clients come to you because they love you, whether it’s your style, your personality, your skills or your humor and social media provides an opportunity for you to talk to them online, every day(!), the way you do when they are behind the chair.

#Hashtags

Believe it or not, hashtags are a powerful tool to build your brand, especially on Instagram.  Here are three quick steps that every Instagrammer should have in their tool kit.

1. Create an Instagram for the name of your salon. For instance, a salon called Volume Hair Design could use #VolumeHairDesign in its content to increase its ranking in organic searches.
2. Consumers are searching Instagram for hair inspiration. Use descriptive hashtags on your work (#ombre, #balayage, #Fringe, #PastelHair, #instahair) to appear in those search results.
3. Remember to use the hashtag #SolaSalons! Why? Because we may just pick it up and publish it to our hundreds of thousands of followers across the network. #Famous

From Facebook to Instagram to SnapChat and beyond, your guests (and potential guests) are using social media for hours every single day. If YOU are not talking to them, some other stylist may be! Time to jump on the digital train, and enjoy the ride!