top 3 tips for social media marketing for stylists
Now this is a topic we could absolutely wax lyrical about, but we'll keep it relatively brief on this one!
We're not going to be telling you anything you don't already know. You already know how powerful social media can be as a marketing tool for hair stylists and in particular, freelance hairstylists trying to grow their own businesses. But nonetheless, we want to share with you our top tips for getting your profile/content SEEN on social media and it begins with expanding your reach beyond the people that see your content all the time. Let's gooooo...
Proactive Engagement
Achievement level: Easy
Have you ever felt stuck with social media? You're posting relatively consistently, you're really happy with the reels and photography that you're putting out there and you still feel like you're not getting any new clients from it? Well, you probably won't be. And that's because even if you reach every one of your followers with your content, which is rare with the changeable nature of the algorithm - you're only exposing your content to people who ALREADY follow you and chances are they're already clients.
If I was looking to grow both my Instagram account following and gain new clients in the process, I'd be getting tactical about it.
Firstly, rather than wait for people to find you, go out and find people to follow who look like they might be your ideal client. Now, I appreciate it's difficult to do that via the tiny circular profile pic on Instagram and everyone having private accounts, but do your best.
Where to start?
Businesses around your physical locations - coffee shops, pilates studios, indie clothes shops. Follow the business, follow their followers because chances are that they're local people who just haven't met you or seen your work yet, make sure to throw out some likes and comments to remind them of your page. Simples!!
User-Generated-Content (or UGC for short!)
Achievement level: Medium
Not only is it just so dreamy when clients take their own photo's of their fab new cut or colour from you, when they take to Instagram or TikTok to rave about how much they love it you're immediately being shown to a whole new audience, of people who follow your client, who will no doubt be your vibe of client too. Win, win!
Now naturally you're not going to be getting this every day because these are obviously younger clients, maybe students and not your every day bread and butter clients. But you'll know when you've got one of these cheerleaders in your chair, capitalize on it!
Alternative avenue, take your own photo's of their hair and ask for their Insta so you can tag them in it ready for them to repost.
profile Optimisation
Achievement level: E-zee
This is a super easy one. Take up to three elements of hair that you love, or specialize in, and write about them in your bio. Next, add your location ie - Cheltenham Hair Stylist/Colourist. Add a clear call to action (what you want new clients to do) usually "Book with me via the link below" and whack that bad boy into your clickable links so that they can jump straight in and book.
The reason you need your location & specialties in there is that Instagram works in the same way a search engine like google does, and if you're targeting a younger clientele - know that 40% of Gen Z are using Insta or TikTok over google to search for places, so you need your profile to be searchable.
And lastly, don’t be shy. Make sure to pin a post of you in your element, doing your thang, so that potential new clients can properly see you and hear a little more about who you are and what you do!
