5 tips for running a salon social media account

Whether it's your sole focus or something that you do alongside your column, running a salon social media account can be fun but very time consuming. As the Digital Editor of the biggest trade hairdressing magazine in the UK I've picked up a few tips along the way for acing engagement and interaction across multiple platforms. Here's a few key things I've noticed has worked for salons...

Focus on one main platform

There are so many platforms now that it can feel overwhelming when you are tasked with upping the salon social media game. It's good if you can have a presence across all the main platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) but if you know you're going to be stretched it's better to opt for just the one and put all of your social time into that. Instagram is the platform that most hairdressers and salons use as it's the visual platform so this is a safe choice. It's also the platform many of your customers will be looking for inspiration. And as it's owned by Facebook you can hook the two business pages up and you can cross post.

Mix inspiration with real life

Prospective clients that you are looking to entice with your social media are looking for more than a perfectly curated grid, they also want to see the real life of the salon. What are your clients like? Do they look like them and can they relate? What are your team like? Can they imagine those people doing their hair? It's important that you mix the real life of the salon with the aspirational posts – salons like Bebop London (Instagram pictured) do this well. Your social media is essentially a marketing tool, so make sure you're using your apps wisely to gain a larger client database.

Utilise scheduling tools

Scheduling tools are so crucial to keep your content flowing without having to be constantly attached to your phone. Using a social media management tool means that if you're followers are most active at 11.30am but you have back-to-back clients your post will still go live. Using a tool like Hootsuite or Buffer allows you to input your image, captions, hashtags and links and set it to go live on your chosen feeds whenever you like.

Your social media is essentially a marketing tool, so make sure you're using your apps wisely to gain a larger client database.

Interaction is key

Social media is meant to be just that, another way to socialise with other people. It's great to create an aesthetically-pleasing feed but if you neglect to communicate with your followers or potential followers then your account won't grow and you won't reach prospective new clients. Check your direct/inbox at regular intervals to make sure you aren't missing anything – customers will often message via online with queries before calling the salon. You can also search hashtags to find your kind of clientele and comment and like their pictures.

Encourage geo-tagging and hashtags in salon

Beyond great content, another way to up your brand awareness via social media is by geo-tagging and hashtagging your posts. Geo-tagging puts all your content from your location in one place and means that if people and searching that area your salon will easily be discovered. Hashtagging is also a great way to group your images and your clients images together as a form of online portfolio. Creating your own salon hashtag (ie Headmasters have #hairbyheadmasters) means that everyone can see the real work you create. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsKjw_LAV0H/