Check out the rest of this article to learn more about social media game-changers for this year, originally featured from SPA+CLINIC magazine Volume 80.

Leaving 2019 behind, we say goodbye to vanity metrics and speaking about what your salon business does and why it’s so great! In 2020 the focus is on what the customer wants, and this should be at the top of your mind when creating content.

People on social media want to know who you really are behind the beautifully curated Instagram.

Customers want to know they are understood before they develop trust. Social Media in 2020 is all about showing your audience that you understand them.

When creating content:

• Always consider speaking the language of your ideal client 
• Focus on bringing them practical value
• Create conversations with them
• Give them the information they want / need
• Entertain them with stories and videos 
• Give them an opportunity to BUY NOW!
  

Content that Connects with Your Ideal Customer

Video and live streaming (think Insta Stories) are huge now! They allow you to connect with your audience by speaking the same language as them, they give you a platform to make conversation with your followers, they reinforce that your ideal clients are being acknowledged, and on top of that they’re super entertaining… At the end of the day your clients just really want to be understood, and social media gives you the opportunity to make them feel that way. Share real insight into your salon business and show results you’ve been getting with clients. 

Stop trying to be everything and anything on social media and, rather, focus on being real and significant with what you are offering by creating engaging storytelling videos to capture user attention!

Social Shopping on Social Media 

People expect and want to shop on social media, so set your social media up for sales!

In 2019, people were browsing; in 2020, people are ready to shop. Instagram’s features make it easy for your followers to shop on your online store.

To drive sales on your social channels, you need to make sure you add on any user-friendly links that lead your ideal clients towards immediate purchases. 

When it comes to online products, think e-vouchers and the pre-purchase of packages and offers online by leading people to sales pages and shopping carts. Create a wonderful shopping experience for your customers whereby they don’t need to actively leave the social media site they’re on to buy products, and make use of shoppable posts, stories and links across all social media sites.

User-generated content is key to enticing clients to want to shop instantly with you online! Examples are customer reviews, staff talking about features and benefits and photos and videos of client results. These can all be shared via social media, emails, blog posts and your website. 

Consider producing content of yourself and your staff, talking first hand about the features and benefits of your products and services, why you do what you do and more… This type of content in the form of videos is so much more engaging to someone online than the generic business sales post.

Turn your Customers into Brand Ambassadors

Create relationships online with your clients, as many of them can become brand ambassadors for your business. Social media users are no longer interested in the influencer who is clearly posting about a product because they are merely getting paid to do so.

Here, there is a brilliant opportunity to build networks of smaller influencers and have them all posting about your brand authentically. Think small to get BIG! Having 50 salon influencers with 500 – 10,000 followers can be more effective than 1 influencer with 100,000 followers. 

Find those who have a smaller following yet authentically use your product or service and really express the brand values. You want to make sure you choose brand ambassadors that have an image that is aligned with your salon brand values. 

Your business can really benefit from the rise in success of smaller influencers, as they are affordable and low risk and they can really improve your engagement by building trust and credibility with real user content.

The key to success is building more authentic and long-term collaborations with real clients and people who genuinely love your salon, brand and business!

Make sure that, as a salon business, you are adapting to the changes in social media and keeping the needs of your ideal client at the forefront of your mind when creating content. Stay in the social media game in 2020.

You can check out this article in the SPA+CLINIC magazine volume 80 below: