Video: 7 ways to grow your Instagram following
At times, building and retaining followers on your salon’s Instagram account can feel like an impossible task. With the growing importance of social media as a way of promoting your business, this can be disheartening.
We sat down with Tammy Koslowski, owner of Glasgow’s Naf! Salon and nail tech, to discuss the best ways to build your salon’s online presence, from tips as simple as cleaning your phone screen to more in-depth advice on choosing the correct investment plans.
1. Invest in a strategy
“I think the most important thing with social media is using it in a way that works for your business. If you have the resources to spend more time and money on it then you can explore so many different avenues and really put a strategy in place.
“Use it to your benefit and set goals for yourself such as: ‘I want to reach this many followers by this time. I want to get more clients through the door. I want to communicate our values to our clients'.”
2. Keep your clients up to date
“Make sure your clients know what your prices are, where you're based and what it's going to be like when they come into the salon. Use Instagram as a communicative tool.”
3. Mix up your content
“On an Instagram feed, there are three photos in a grid. You could do a photo of the service you do, a photo of your team and one of your salon. There’s a lot of variety and opportunity. Gauge through your Instagram Insights tools what does the best for your salon.”
4. Make it look professional
“My biggest piece of advice is to clean your screen and camera before taking photos. If I'm scrolling, I instantly wouldn't like something that is blurry because it just doesn't catch my eye.
“Good lighting, clear photos and captions that go along with the content are really important. A lot of people don't read captions but I think that it can direct the conversation in a way that you want it to go.”
5. Post regularly
“There's a wealth of information online about when you should be posting. I'm not going to say that I know the best times [you should look at your own analytis to get a better idea of these], but I always think between 8-9pm is good. People are winding down from their day, they've had their dinner and they're giving themselves a bit of 'me' time to scroll.”
6. Don’t try to win arguments
“You have to be careful of this when you have a brand or business that's providing service. There are some businesses where a sassy attitude works when speaking to their audience, but I think salons have so many different types of clients that it’s more difficult.
“You have to have a level of professionalism when you're speaking to your audience.”
7. Use inclusive language
“When you're writing captions or comments, you have to be mindful of everyone that's going to see it.
“Obviously, it's a female-dominated industry, but don't use language that excludes people that don't identify as female, because you want everyone to feel safe in your salon environment.”
For more helpful advice and tips, visit Professional Beauty’s YouTube page.