1. How social media can help your business

• It helps to create exposure for your business and spread the word, allowing you to target a wide audience and grow positive relationships.
• Social media media has a huge reach, with 66% of over 18s in the UK using Facebook, giving you the opportunity to reach a large amount of people relatively easily.
• Social advertising is cheaper than traditional advertising and you can monitor how much you would like to spend on each post, leaving you in control.
• You are able to reach a wide demographic via social media, whether its through paid advertising or simply tailoring your posts to suit different demographics. This could  be anything from ages or locations to interests and hobbies.
• Social media allows you to learn about your audience. Ask them questions, interact, monitor what gets the best reactions and learn from it each time.
• Your social media pages allow customers to learn about you. Make sure all the information you want them to know is easily accessible and remember to always be on brand and professional.
• Customer service –  quick and easy way for customers to be able to get in contact with you. Make sure that your response rate is good by responding quickly to messages and try to make every experience wtih you as positive as possible, this way they may leave a good review.
• Social media is available anywhere and everywhere. If you are on the go and want to talk about something, it is quick and easy to post, no time needed for editing or printing. This allows you to be spontaneous and react to hot topics and always stay relevant.

2. Audience

Who is your target audience? Have a clear understanding of who your audience is and what they want to see and read about before starting on your social media journey. This will help you to create relevant content and will also help your decide what social media platforms to use.

3. Channels

When you have a clear understanding of your target audience, look into what social media channels they tend to gravitate towards the most. There is no need to create a profile across all platforms, focus on the top two most relevant platforms to start with. See below for a breakdown of the most popular social media platforms by age group.

• Gen Z (born between 1999 - 2007) - Snapchat (Instagram 2nd)
• Millennials (1981 - 1996) - Facebook (YouTube 2nd) 
• Gen X (1965 - 1980) - Facebook (Instagram 2nd) 
• Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964) - Facebook 

Facebook is a great tool to use to promote your business, allowing clients to easily message or leave reviews. It also has the option for paid advertising which allows you to target specific audiences. Instagram is a brilliant tool to use for our industry as it is very visual and allows users to share, like, comment, save and send images and videos. Twitter is a very fast-paced platform and is popular for social customer service. Users can share messages, photos and videos as well as send direct messages and promote their content organically or via paid promotions. YouTube allows users to watch, upload, comment, share and subscribe. A great tool for professionals such as make up artists to show off their work. However, it is a very competitive platform and requires a lot of time and effort if you are to post content. Tip - If you are interested in starting a YouTube channel but are unsure you will get a decent following, start by creating and uploading small video clips to Instagram and build your following on that platform. You could then ask your followers if they would like to see more in depth videos on YouTube.

4. Commitment

Make your social media channels a priority by allowing yourself or a member of your team time to monitor your feed, reply to comments and engage with followers. Establish a goal and create a strategy to help you reach it. Social media channels can have a big impact on a business when you commit to them and use them to the best of your ability. Make sure you get into the habit of updating your social platforms on a regular basis. This will show you are active and will enable you to create a positive presence within the industry. Regular posts also mean more visibility, which means more people are likely to see your posts. Ensure to post engaging content and encourage customers to interact. The reactions buttons on Facebook give users the chance to ‘like’ posts, as well as express other emotions such as surprise, anger and more. Using the reactions buttons is also said to improve the reach of your posts, which will help grow your Facebook following. Features such as messenger and comment sections also give you the opportunity to interact with your clients and are a great way to answer any queries they may have. Within the beauty industry in particular, many clients tend to have queries regarding product ingredients, treatments, costs and more so having direct contact to your business is a great benefit for them and is sure to eliminate any worries they may have prior to booking their appointment.

6. Content

The content you create allows you to show passion for your business. Ensure your create positive, regular content to let your followers know how enthusiastic you are about the industry and your clients. Building a fan base that enjoys your content is half the battle when it comes to marketing on social media.

Many of us are more visual, with our attention being easily caught by a vivid image or video rather than paragraphs of text. Information is important but let images do the talking by posting photos of your work, your salon’s brand new interior or perhaps the latest product or equipment you’ve added to your supplies. You could also post videos to show off your services. Showing potential clients what you have to offer is a great way to entice custom and, with tweets including images receiving 18% more clicks than those without, it’s definitely worth adding a photo to your post. Instagram is also rapidly growing and was crowned the second most used social platform in 2016. Make the most of this platform by ensuring to post regular images and videos to promote your salon.

There are many ways to increase your following, including posting on a regular basis and encouraging others to share your posts or page. A great way to do this is to launch a "Like and Share" competition.

What to post? If you are stuck for ideas on what to post, look for inspiration from others, including your competition.

Some content ideas that we know followers love...

Hashtags

Use relevant hashtags in your posts to draw in users who are searching for specific content, for example #ChristmasNails or #WeddingUpdo.  You could create your own hashtag so clients can share their pictures with you and potential customers are able to see what your customers have been sharing with you. This is a great way to receive positive feedback and recommendations from existing clients.

The 20% rule

One important element to remember when creating and posting content is to use the platform to build a following and your brand personality. You should only actively promote your business in 20% of your content.

We Nail'd it

The Nail'd it salons are pure Instagram goals and their feed is super dreamy! They also create the most beautiful nails.  

Lashes by Bella

This Premium lash extension artist has created a beautiful coherent feed with her consistent content. She uses good lighting to get beautiful pictures of her clients results and breaks it up with fun, relevant imagery  and info-graphics.

7. Engage

Don’t simply create a post and then expect users to engage with them. It is so important to engage with other users as well. This will help to build relationships, grow your following and can lead to future collaborations. Gain inspiration from other users, sometimes a quick scroll through social media can spark an idea. Communicating with clients (existing and potential) will help you to build a relationship and create brand loyalty, which will lead to repeat custom and word of mouth advertising.

Here are some other tips to help you engage with your followers and other users...

1. Comment on other user posts
2. Participate in conversations
3. Share relevant posts and information
4. Create user-generated content
5. Pose and answer questions
6. Address criticisms
7. Show appreciation to followers/customers etc.
8. Tag others in your posts. e.g the brands you use they might share your post which could gain you more followers.

8. Information outlet

It’s great to visually show off your businesses potential but social media is also a great way to communicate basic information such as your salon’s location, contact details and treatment menu. Facebook allows you to enter your location and, on the ‘about’ page, clients will have access to a map to show them where you are based. This page will also show your contact details and you can add some background information about your business.

9. Reporting

Define specific goals and monitor your progress. You can do this by creating a simple spreadsheet and recording the engagement each posts get as well as how many followers you gain over time. A simple line graph is a great way to be able to see the trend of your progress.  This will allow you to see if you are on track to reach your goals and if you are not making any progress, what could you do better to ensure you reach those targets?

Top tip

Install a “Pin it” or “Share” button onto your website to allow users to share your images and website easily and quickly.

10. Imagery and photography tips

• Edit your photos using a consistent filter to create consistency and coherent branding throughout all your content. VSCO and Canva are useful apps to have on your phone to quickly edit an image. Nowadays there is no need for a professional camera – phones have brilliant cameras. Use natural light to your advantage or if possible, invest in some professional lighting. It will completely transform your images.
• Avoid shadows
• Find the best angle to position yourself. If you are taking a picture of your salon, look at the layout and make sure the position creates an inviting feel. 
• Balance the camera, if you have an unsteady hand you could use a tripod or rest the camera/ phone on a flat surface. Crooked angels rarely look good.
• Think about what should be at the focus of the image. One focal point in the image will help the eye focus on that particular area and will make the overall image more appealing
• Take more than one photo. This will allow you to have choice when it comes to editing and posting
• Use info-graphics e.g create your own quote imagery with your brand logo on. If another user shares this image, other users will know where it originated from and may follow your page.     

Tips from our social media experts

“Stay professional but also let your business’ personality shine through with tone of voice and type of content you post. Post regularly to keep your followers engaged and show you’re active. Make sure you engage with your customers and respond efficiently to any customer queries they may post. This will affect your response rate and possibly your page rating so you want it to be as positive as possible.” -  Adam, Marketing Executive and social media guru

“Plan your posts but don’t be rigid, if you see something that is relevant but hasn’t been planned, post it. Make sure the personality of your business shines through. Stand out –  use your USPs to stand out from the crowd. Always make notes of ideas. Even if the content wouldn’t be relevant for another 6 months, write it down and plot it into your plan at a later date. Great ideas happen when you least expect it. ” - Maaria, Marketing Executive and social media lover

Does your business use social media? Please share your tips in the comments below and tag us in any posts on Facebook or Instagram.

Statistics: www.businessinsider.com