Nadine Dilong With 15 years’ experience in running her own salon business mixed with her social media know-how, Salon Social Media founder Natalie Roberts understands the challenges that every salon owner faces. Here, she explains what you’re potentially doing wrong on your social media:
Your social media is the perfect opportunity to showcase your salon’s expertise and authenticity, to connect to your target audience and engage them 24/7, even while you sleep! Good social media for your salon business is an investment now and for the future.
You can have the beautifully fitted out store, the high end equipment, your products and services, the website with your colours and logos yet you fail to continue this through consistently on your social media.
So here are ten things you’re doing wrong on your business’ social media accounts:
- Your Social Media does not make people feel good.
Great content starts with a feeling. We choose to follow accounts because we like what we see in the images, and they say something that we can connect with in the captions. Consider the feeling you are giving people with your content. Work out what your ideal client ultimately wants to feel and work on creating content that inspires this feeling. This will get them interested and keep them coming back for more.
- You’re not consistent
Inconsistent messaging confuses your ideal audience and stops you from building a strong recognisable presence on social media. On the other hand, a consistent first impression builds trust, trust builds relationships and relationships lead to sales. Make sure that all online platforms are up-to-date – think website, google, facebook, Instagram and any others you are on. They don’t have to all be overdone, just make sure the logos, profile images, headers, photos and brand message and colours are all consistent.
- Your content is bad and you aren’t telling a story
Take a good look at what you have been posting and ask yourself if your content really suits your salon brand. The best way to get clear on relevant content is to first get clear on your brand and your brand elements. You have to know your brand style and your writing voice. Once you have understood this, you can start to build your brand’s aesthetic through the visuals you choose. Always keep your ideal client in mind when creating content. Your ideal client wants to know that you get them and that you can relate to them.
- You are not showing people the end result
Connect people to the end result of what your products and treatments offer through the content you share. Give people a vision of their future ideal self through the stories and images you share. Consider what they really want to experience as a result of using your products and services and post content to show them you understand this. Share testimonials, real life stories and before and after images of your clients’ results.
- You only post promotional and sales posts
Your social media needs to have a focus from the start. You need to think beyond your latest offer and what you want people to buy. People are interested in being inspired, entertained and educated before they decide to give you the sale. Plan out your salon marketing, entertain and inspire and then you can add in the well-thought out promotional post. Show them how it will transform them, rather than going on about how the product or service works – then lead them to your offering.
- You aren’t posting any real life content
People want to know who you are (the face), what you do and what they can expect if they choose to come and see you. Share your salon culture, post a fun photo, even a behind the scenes snap, to give people an insight into the personality of your business. Share pics of your salon’s reception area, inside the treatment rooms, images and videos of the machines and products you hold.
- You haven’t really introduced yourself
Some people will come to your social page and have no idea who you really are. You need to reintroduce yourself from time to time.
Here are some post ideas to introduce yourself:
- Tell a story about what your business offers.
- Share the story of why you started your business.
- Share your business philosophy.
- Share some images of the reception area and what goes on in the business during the day.
- Share some insights into your career path and how you have got to where you are.
- Share with your clients why you do what you do, and the impact you love to make.
- You don’t get how hashtags work and you aren’t using them properly
You need to be making the most of hashtags in your posts to help people find you. People search for hashtags exactly the same way they search in google. When choosing the right hashtags for your business you need to consider this;
- If you were looking for your product or service on Instagram what hashtags would you search? How specific would you be to find something relevant in your local area? Would you search #skinspecialist or #skinspecialistsydney?
- Don’t use generic tags like #skin #skincare these hashtags are too generic and not relevant to your business. You will get likes, but you will not get relevant engagement that can lead to sales.
- You get 30 tags on every post, so use them all to gain maximum exposure on every post
- You aren’t offering value
The key to social media success is in the relationships. When you provide ongoing valued information, you become the person or business that people look to for information. You become the trusted expert. When people know, like and trust you, they are much more likely to buy from you and refer you to friends and family so what kind of value are you offering on your social media?
Before you post anything, ask yourself if the content does these three things for your ideal audience:
- Does it save them time?
- Does it save them money?
- Does it make them happy?
10. You don’t have a clear brand message
Branding your social media is not just about using your logo or business name on your social media posts. It is about the overall look, feel and voice that you are communicating with your customer. Consider what your ideal client is like? What do they wear? What do they do? What do they really want? These are just a few questions to get you started in getting clearer on your salon’s unique brand.
Creating a unique social media voice for your brand will help your (potential) customers identify with you, as well as help you attract your ideal client.
For more information, visit salonsocialmedia.com.au
