Digital marketing and social in particular is now without a doubt one of the strongest contenders to grow a business successfully. Though with being in such a digitally minded society with “72% of all internet users now active on social media” (Jeff Bullas, 2014) and so many readily available channels, it can be extremely overwhelming to know what platforms you should or could be using to grow your business successfully.So we decided a brief social media guide is totally in order! We will briefly highlight the pros and cons of the channels we use, what platforms we recommend for your salon to consider and why! Just to state, this blog is for February 2016 so who’s to say things won’t change 6 months later. Get on the boat now because there is one thing we know to be definite about social, it is ever changing!
First up! Facey B! We are going to start with Facebook and it’s PRO’S because it is, without a doubt, an absolute gold mine! It’s the dominating social media market and so it holds huge potential in terms of what it has to offer and more importantly, who it has to offer. Facebook holds the opportunity to really make your page its own and not just by changing the cover and profile picture. For Salon Tracker, we introduce the Facebook Booking Widget through Salon Tracker, with the ability to book online which holds huge potential for salons and their customers. Facebook also offers the opportunity to initiate some fantastic marketing through its paid advertising features, audience targeting and remarketing which makes them a leader in terms of audience segmentation. You really can stretch a small budget quite far whether it be to sponsor posts or to increase page likes. Just make sure you measure EVERYTHING and have reason to sponsor.
The NEG’S- In the last couple of years, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand apart from competitors as a Facebook user and as an advertiser. There is undeniably a pay-to-play culture which means for those with little to no budget, it’s increasingly harder to beat your competitors. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find success.
The Verdict: In 2016, Facebook will continue to grow and as Dan Noyes (Zephoria 2015) states, with “over 1.55 billion monthly active Facebook users, statistically, Facebook is too big to ignore.”
PRO’S- What’s great about Twitter is you can really do some advanced searching and actually seek out every client who is looking for a business like yours! It’s also a great tool to network with people through favouriting, commenting and sharing. For businesses, Twitter requires someone to monitor it all the time. If you can facilitate this, you can potentially find great success. Images and hashtags do very well on Twitter, which is great for the salon industry. It really allows you to stretch your information onto other people’s networks, and quite easily. A tip with Twitter is to keep up to date with what’s actually trending- a great way to boost engagement and followers!
NEG’S- Twitter has had its fair bit of backlash in 2015. It had been on the rise for a few years and then suddenly plateaued, which leads to question where your clients disappeared to? There are only so many characters you can ‘tweet’ within when using Twitter- which can be a nightmare.
The Verdict: Twitter is a great network, if it’s understood! We recommend it more for individuals, but businesses can make it work- you just have to have your brand personality and voice nailed! If you have this then with some persistence you will find success!
Insta is Facebook’s little sister… so let’s start with the PRO’s. Instagram is on the up, up, up! It’s one platform that has huge potential and will inevitably continue to grow, especially with the Facebook strategy as its example leader. Instagram is such a smooth platform and of course very visual, which keeps its users enticed. As long as Instagram continues to grow the ability to network, then it will continue to see success. Instagram is great if you engage a lot with clients, so we’re talking client pictures, testimonials, quotes of the day… if you can use all of the above then you are likely to find someone who wants to listen to your noise!
NEG’S- Instagram have very strict guidelines in terms of copyright when reposting other people’s content. Another “issue” is that Instagram is a perfect world with perfect expectations. Your clients want to see the absolute bees knees, the best filters, the best designs! Which means, you are expected to offer high quality content as a minimum expectation. If you aren’t up to the challenge of how much time you will spend on Instagram, then this might not be the platform for you!
The Verdict: Instagram is a must for salons... there's no doubt about it! It's the best engaging platform there is because its all about the likes to grow!
Pinterest is an interesting one so let’s start with the PRO’S! Pinterest is female dominated which means hair, beauty, tanning, spa pins are second to none. Another great thing about Pinterest is that your followers will see your pins without you needing to pay to play and without them needing to follow you directly. Pinterest has some great inspiration from salon décor to salon marketing inspiration so even if you do not nail the market, you may find success on there by accessing all of the little treasures it has.
THE NEG’S- Pinterest can be a bit of a “wish list” platform as opposed to a direct buy, which is the kind of atmosphere it creates.
The Verdict: Pinterest is great for inspiration which we stand by. Whether you find success or not is another story but what you will get is more creative ideas which will helpfully grow your business in the best ways possible.
Last but not least- LinkedIn! Let’s start with the PRO’S! This platform was definitely built for networking, which is what we love. The opportunities you have to to connect with companies and people is uncapped. If you have a personal profile and are looking to build your business by accessing suppliers and new industries- it’s fantastic! There is nothing to stop you creating a company page to showcase your salon.
The NEG’S- We’re yet to be convinced of an SMALL salon’s need to use LinkedIn but being optimistic, the opportunities can always be created!
The Verdict: We're on the fence with the advertising opportunities HOWEVER, successful networking is one of the most important skills you will learn as an entrepreneur and where better to meet your peers and salon suppliers? They are all here!
And that’s it! We hope you got loads out of this blog for now but like we said remember social is ever changing! If you have liked what you read then why not come visit us at Professional Beauty London, where Salon Tracker will be exhibiting our Salon Management Software! It’s at the Excel Arena on February 28/29 2016. This event is set to have all of the biggest names in the trade making an impact on business through new sales and seminars. Think of your business beyond the day to day and act now! Get your FREE ticket to PBL right HERE!
Sources:
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/01/17/20-social-media-facts-and-statistics-you-should-know-in-2014/
https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/
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