By now we can agree that social media is a non-negotiable for your salon. It’s your direct line to your existing and potential customers, helping you to create interest in your business and what it can offer.
That said, social media can also be a minefield, and mistakes can sometimes be hard to come back from. Here’s our guide to getting it right.
Don’t prioritise sales over the relationship
People choose to follow you because you’re entertaining, informative and interesting. Social media is about building a rapport and relationship with your followers, and the fastest way to have them click on the ‘unfollow’ button, is to focus solely on getting your followers to spend their money with you.
“It can seem a bit like a catch-22; you create social media accounts to entice customers, but you shouldn’t bang on about them booking in,” says social media expert Patrice Klein. “The fact is, people spend their cash with people and businesses they trust. Talk about your products and services, sure, but spend most of your time presenting yourself as the expert in your field. And then the bookings will come.”
Post regularly
To have a social media account laying dormant is quite dangerous to your salon, says Patrice. “It suggests that you may have closed, that you aren’t invested in getting to know your clients. If your last post is months, weeks or even days old, it’s time to update it. To have a social media account is a commitment to keeping it active.”
Engage with followers
Make a habit of replying to comments where appropriate, as it not only increases engagement level, but encourages others to engage also. “If a follower can see that the salon owner or expert is responding to enquiries online, they’ll be more likely to also leave a comment of query,” says Patrice. “This creates confidence in your expertise and abilities and will ultimately lead to more enquiries or bookings at the salon.”
Deal with negative comments
Leaving a complaint or negative comment unanswered can widely be seen as an admission of guilt. “Look, you may well be guilty of providing a less-than-satisfactory service on that one occasion. But you need to address it. People are watching,” says Patrice. “Never, ever engage in an argument. Rather, apologise for their dissatisfaction and offer to make things right. Invite them in for a complimentary treatment, or offer to correct the treatment they had. Being accommodating will go a long way.”
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