When you have a job that is as visual as being a hairdresser, you will want to use Instagram to market. Instagram is one of the most visual and popular social media sites so your potential reach is huge. When it comes to marketing your salon, there are a few tips to remember.
To market your hair salon on Instagram you will want to make sure to take pictures in flattering angles and with good lighting. You want the color to really show while showing off the style. Hosting contests or giveaways is another good way to build up your reach as well as using the right hashtags and filling out the full number of permitted tags. Engaging with your audience and posting regularly are two ways to ensure you will be noticed and find more engaging followers, instead of people who simply like and don’t return.
Pictures
When you take pictures for Instagram, remember that Instagram is a visual social site. You want to be seen at your best. You want the lighting to be perfect and to really show the styles from all angles. If you’re showing a color job, you want it to shine and pick up the color perfectly. Remember, don’t just post pictures of the finished projects. Throw in before and after pictures as well as pictures and videos showing what you do. Have clients sign waivers and you can get a perfect portfolio.
Contests and Giveaways
Contests or gift card giveaways will help boost your customer base. They can up the number of people who interact with your profile and if you have requirements like liking your page or tagging people, it will boost your following.
To do a good giveaway, make sure to post the best pictures you can and determine if you want to give away a hairstyling session or gift card. If you want to give a styling session, make sure you have plenty of videos of the styles you do. That way, people will know what you’re giving away and will want it.
Videos
Videos can be more vital than photos. They will highlight your process and the way you do things. If you have a treatment that is extra relaxing, make sure the video shows the model or client relaxed, or even sleeping. You want to put relaxing music to the video as well. Make sure the lighting is good and the videos are high quality.
Stories
You want to make sure to post stories on a regular basis. Stories will show more on peoples’ feeds and will give them notifications so they will not forget about you. Don’t overdo and post nonstop stories, but if you make sure to post new stories 1-3 times a week, it will boost the people viewing.
When you post stories, make sure they are the best pictures of the hair styles you do or short videos of you styling. Stories will send notifications to your followers, so you will be in their notifications immediately.
Learn the seven best content marketing strategies!
Other Ways to Advertise
You can do everything right but if you do not regularly post and respond to fans, you will never build. You need to make sure you are posting at least one time a day. Instagram will let you see analytics and you can see the best time to post according to when the fans of your page are most active. Facebook and Instagram are now owned by Facebook, so cross posting on both sites helps.
You can schedule posts to post at certain times and during certain days, so if you do not have the time to post daily but find extra time another day, posting and scheduling can be your best friend.
You also need to make sure you are engaging with your fans. You do not always need to personally respond to everyone, but if you are able, that helps.
If you have too many comments to personally respond to everything a nice “thanks” can make a big impression. You want people to see you as the human you are- not simply another face on the site.
Post actual pictures of yourself and occasional pictures of your life. You want to connect with your fans on a friendly and personal level, so you want to make sure that they see who you are as a person. I don’t mean you need to have a million selfies, just post a few well taken pictures of yourself to show that you are a person.
Marketing on Instagram is the same as other social networks. You want to make connections with others, and you want to be seen as the human behind the business, not just another business. You want to make sure you’re seen in the best light possible, so you want to spend time editing your photos, carefully positioning everything, and making sure your clients are always shown in the best light.
Related Questions
Are Instagram Ads Worth It?
They can be, they may not be. Running an advertising campaign that is well thought out and tailored to your exact target market can be a very good investment. If you make sure the ads show the picture or video you want to show, in the best light with the best background noise and you specifically target the people you know will be your market, you can make a lot. If you go in without knowing your target or haphazardly put up an ad, you may find that you’re wasting money.
Is Facebook or Instagram better for a hair salon?
Both have their benefits. With Facebook, you can keep everyone easily informed and with Instagram you can pull them in with pictures. The best bet may be to have both sites and link. If you link Facebook and Instagram, you can cross post to both sites at once and it will save you time. Not to mention there are people on Instagram who aren’t on Facebook and vice versa.
Looking to start your own Salon? Get the documents you need to get organized and funded here.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
About the author. Entrepreneur and Salon Business Fan.
Hi! I am Shawn and I am a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online salon business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a salon business owner, I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Salon Business Boss: I want to help salon business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.
