Using social media lets a cosmetologist interact with clients outside the business setting, creating an atmosphere of personal service.
Social media is a big part of people’s lives. While the platform may differ, this is true of both young and old. People compare notes, talk to friends and look at business pages to see what is happening. Business owners in the know use social media as yet another tool to reach out to potential customers. Finding your target audience and talking about what your services can do for them is something every cosmetologist should consider.
How to Find Your Target Audience
Do a little research. Determine ahead of time who you are trying to reach. Are your salon’s clients older or younger? Does your shop have a largely female or male clientele or is it a mix? What services do you provide most often? Choose your social media platform based on your target audience too. For instance, most Instagram users are females in urban areas. If your clients stretch beyond one demographic group into another, target articles on each social media platform to engage that group. You can ask existing clients if they use social media as a way to determine how you can reach them on an ongoing basis.
Social Media Platforms
Take a look at several prominent platforms:
- Facebook: This social media platform has 1.9 billion users. They are predominantly female but a lot of men use it too, including Generation X and millennials. This is the most used platform. You can use this platform with ease to post pictures of your salon or styles that you favor.
- Twitter: This platform has fewer users at 317,000 million. More men than women use Twitter, and the majority of users are in the 18 to 29 age range. More than half of the users do not post but many retweet. Twitter is great for discount promotions.
- Instagram: Most users of this social media platform are under 35 and women outnumber men. One interesting note is most users follow brands. Pictures of some of your best results or even that last cosmetology school presentation can carry a lot of weight with followers.
Determine What Size Audience You Have
When you are preparing to build your social media base, it is better to target specific audiences rather than reaching out to too many users. It is simple to do this since there are many guides available online that help you find a specific niche audience. Checking out your competitors is another way of doing this. See who they are targeting, and determine if that works for you too. Facebook has apps that allow you to create a custom audience. In addition, once you’ve done that, Facebook can create a duplicate or lookalike audience, putting you in direct contact with even more potential customers.
Deciding what type of clients you want to draw to your business helps increase your clientele by word of mouth and through interesting posts in social media.
Learn How to Post
Whether it’s Facebook or Twitter, you need to learn how to post. Use curated content sparingly but use it. This requires looking at content across numerous platforms in addition to news, infographics, and videos and sharing at least one per week. Limit promotion to one every seven days. Write content daily that you know will engage readers. You want to keep content fresh and even inspirational. Your audience makes the effort to follow you because they trust your posts will be a source of good daily information about things they are interested in. Hang onto your audience with a well thought out content plan.
Questions and Polls
Use questions and polls to see what your audience is thinking. Readers love to be asked what they think, confirming that their opinion matters.
Answer Complaints
Don’t think ignoring a nasty remark or complaint can keep it from being noticed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Answer every complaint with openness. Show that you want to know what customers find annoying. They’ll respect you for it.
No matter what area of cosmetology you practice, posting photos on social media can show off your skill and creativity.
Post Pictures and Salon Information
Readers love visuals. If you have photos of styles or work you did for a wedding or prom, post them. Followers might have a similar upcoming event, and they need to see what you have to offer. If you were a stylist for a local charity event, show your stuff on social media. Whatever you do that you feel is exemplary should be posted. No one will know what your salon can do for them unless you show them.
Use social media to let clients know your appointment schedule daily. Make it easy for them to book an appointment too. Link the post to an app on your website where clients set up appointments. The more convenient it is to get to the salon, the greater likelihood your calendar will be full.
Online Cosmetology School
Beauty Academy offers online continuing education courses for your convenience. We know that cosmetologists have a busy schedule. However, we also know that continuing education is needed to keep you abreast of new developments in your industry. Check out our courses to see if Beauty Academy is right for you.
The post How to Build a Stellar Cosmetology Brand Part Three: Social Media Marketing Basics appeared first on Beauty Academy.
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