Social media can be complicated, especially because of the ever-changing algorithms. With social media best practices constantly changing, it can be difficult to figure out how to position your salon/spa or clinic to followers and interested clients.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLATFORMS
What are your goals? Establishing these will help you determine which platforms you can use to reach your customers. A good place to start is Facebook and Instagram. Facebook has an incredibly large user base, is still the largest social network, and supports a wider range of content formats. Instagram focuses on photo and video sharing and is more mobile-friendly. Other platforms to consider include Twitter (for communicating and maintaining contacts by exchanging quick, frequent messages), Pinterest (for sharing inspiration and developing ideas), LinkedIn (for connecting and networking with professionals), YouTube (for sharing content in video format), and TikTok (for short-form videos).
PUBLISH ENGAGING CONTENT
Nowadays, short videos are the most used and viewed content on social media. These videos usually last between 60 and 90 seconds. They allow users to see a compressed form of information in one minute. Short video content is mainly found in TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Today's audiences are busier than ever due to our over-the-top, fast-paced lifestyles. It's important to make sure your content is relevant to your target audience. Creating a specific tone and image for your salon/spa and/or clinic's brand is critical to getting people to remember, share and revisit your pages.
Captioning your content is very important. It's how your business presents itself through photos and/or videos. This is an opportunity to make sure people are taking away exactly what you want from the page. It can also keep the conversation going in the comments section of your post. This is a great way to show people and followers that you are building a connection and listening to people's requests and concerns.
You can also add direct purchase links (if you have an e-commerce website and sell products). This gives the customer/end user the option to purchase directly from their device.
Remember: your work is your content. Document as much as possible, as frequently as possible. Ask your clients if they're OK with being photographed. Share your documented work on your social media pages. At Footlogix, we love sharing before and after pictures we receive or are tagged in. We see how much of an impact these results can have on our page, and we find they resonate really well with our audience. Think of your page and your content as your portfolio pieces.
ADD A "CONTACT" AND/OR "BOOK NOW" BUTTON
These features can be transformed into a variety of call-to-action buttons. You can
by email, phone, or even a link to your appointment/booking service. This gives followers control over how they want to contact and interact with your business. It also gives users the opportunity to ask questions directly, rather than in comments on posts.
Keep a thick skin because not everyone on social media is polite. Some users may leave a nasty comment and that's OK. There's no need to get involved. You always have the option to block anyone you think is being rude.
Social media should be fun, but it's important to remember that the salon/spa/clinic's content should provide value to its followers. Ultimately, we all need to be entertaining, educational, and relatable when we post something. The goal is for the content to be as shareable as possible for everyone to see, while also building a community and a relationship with your followers.
