15th February 2022
Social media, the giveaway is in the name, it’s all about you being socially interactive and informative with your clients, and potential new clients. It’s about marketing your business through a variety of different methods, imagery, animations, quotes, feedback, and reviews.
Unfortunately, what has happened over the last few years is the rise of TikTok, Stories and Reels has created something a little less serious and a lot more nonsensical social world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for fun on social platforms but there has to be a blend of everything to make sure you don’t alienate customers.
Most social platforms I look at now feature too many frivolous postings and not enough informative stuff, it’s great to see a full head of hair in a zany video that suddenly becomes a short sharp bob, but what is always missing is what was done to create the look, likewise when I see a head of hair in the midst of a balayage and then a finished result with no explanation, no story about how it’s been achieved, it always makes me think an opportunity was missed to promote products and services.
As for static imagery, there really is way too many ‘back of head’ shots featured now! I get it, some clients don’t want to be featured, plus GDPR means you have to have signed proof that the person photographed is happy to feature on your social feeds, but it seems to be a little bit of a cop out to me. If you must post a pic of the back of the hair, do it with a pic showing the hair beforehand as well, and then show what products you used to cleanse, condition and style the hair.
By adding imagery of the products you have used, the images suddenly become a story and that makes your social pages more engaging and more interesting for people to see.
Don’t shy away from making the silly videos, they do have their place, but strong imagery also fits the bill as well. Some ‘experts’ suggest that you moues only use videos, I say that’s utter nonsense, just look at what gets posted each and every day, far more static imagery than videos… it’s about a blend!
Use all the options available to you to create a full bodied informative social world.
Your retail offering must be featured, if you share the products that helped you achieve the look then the story you create becomes stronger, and you then use social media as a marketing tool to help spread the news about what your salon has to offer.
If you never show products, you miss the opportunity to showcase what your salon stocks. So, when you have created a beautiful before and after look, add some imagery of the products you used and build the awareness that is critical to the success of your retail offering. Use the official imagery your manufacturers supply, and also use some images captured by you… for example if you take a client pic and they are holding the products you recommended, that’s a very powerful subliminal message you post out!
Likewise sharing pics of the team and their favourite products is another strong visual message you can share to strengthen the awareness of your retail brands.
Whatever type of imagery you use, video’s, gifs, static imagery, quotes, try and stick to the following 5 favourites to create a smorgasbord of info and imagery for everyone to see.
No.1: You and your team: Always the most popular posts, your followers and clients like to see you!
No.2: Your clients; Try and showcase before and after images with the product story added, it’s a great recommendation of your business when a client is featured (and, in the current climate when masks are still being worn, even the shyest client could be featured).
No.3: The services you offer, create a visual menu for social and add lots of before, during and after imagery.
No.4: Retail: Share imagery of the brands you carry for home use, use all your social platforms to show off the products you stock. The retail you offer is as important as the hairstyles you create when you are thinking about what to post.
No.5: The environment, images of the salon in action, the exterior, the street where you are based and anything that is of interest locally.
If the 5 key topics can be mixed up and featured together (client with retail products etc) then the message your social world delivers becomes a worthwhile, productive one.
And then add quotes, funny video clips, pictures of pets etc. Keep it fresh, but always keep the main focus on your salon and its offerings.
Use your social platforms to create a visual representation of your business, which is always so much more than hair!
