Is your website & social media working hard for your business?

As salon owners, it’s easy to get so caught up with the day to day running of your business, seeing to clients’ needs and keeping the salon ticking over, that you can forget how important it is to maintain your presence online.

Once your website is up, it’s vital you don’t just leave it there to stagnate. Just as with any shop front, people who find you online want to see a vibrant place where they can get inspiration and keep up with current news and trends, which is why it’s key to keep updating your site as you go.

What’s more, social media can play a massive role in getting your salon brand out there into the world, and showcasing just how great your stylists really are. Think of it this way, if people find your business online and like what they see, they are far more likely to actually walk through the door.

Earlier this year we were lucky to chat with Jaime Jay, founder of Slapshot Studio. They work with busy entrepreneurs helping them do all the things necessary to build an online presence for their business.

Jamie gave his 3 top tips for really making your website work for you:

Don’t focus on price - Have a blog & add plenty of images

This is especially important in the hair & beauty industry, as it’s a great way to show off your work, hairstyles, beauty results and your salon environment. Make your blog inviting and personalised - there is so much competition on the internet it's important to have a personal message to share, it stops people being so price focused, this is how people learn to live, love & trust you and your brand.

2. Post videos

Video’s are fast becoming THE way to get your business seen online. Not only do they add another dimension to your website, they are also trending on social media, so people will be more likely to share them even further. Think of common questions that people ask you, and post the answers in a short video. (be brave, do Facebook Live - go on)

3. Link from your social media

Not only will posting a link to your website increase traffic and visitors to your site, thus increasing the number of people booking into your salon but link posts also tend to get higher reach - meaning more people see you and your business.

4.‘know, like and trust’

That ‘know, like and trust’ factor is so important in any business but all the more for the hair and beauty industry, as we’re working daily with people on such a personal level.

5. Bring in your team:

But all this marketing can take time, which is why it’s great idea to outsource if and when you are able. Companies like Six UnderGround Media specifically manage Social Media strategies for Salons or get someone to write regular blog posts or two (I know a few if you need ‘em) and just as importantly, get your salon team involved.

The more people you can involve in your digital marketing the better - there will always be someone on your team who is keen to get in front of a camera, and not only will they help create interesting and vibrant marketing activity for your business, they’ll likely share it even further too.

Make sure you tag your team or local businesses into your posts to get further reach, meaning more people see your Brand more often.

Use a Secret-Team-Page to communicate with your team, not only to improve communication, but it a great way to get good images for your social (while you can check and approve quality control first) Get your team to post all their before and afters in there, and you can pick and choose the best of the best.

Whilst all this digital marketing sounds great in theory, when you’re busy running your salon, growing an online presence can seem like another task on the never-ending to-do list. This is why Jaime and his team have developed the 4-90 plan, and they shared with us exactly how it works.

The 4-90 Plan

The 4-90 plan is a simple way to get on top of your marketing and start growing your presence on various social media platforms fast. This is how it works:

• Pick 4 of your favourite social media sites or Marketing Strategies to focus on - we recommend Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and your website.
• Pick 1 as the go-to marketing platform for the first 90 days.
• Post 1-3 times a day on that chosen platform, focus on reach, quality of your posts, promotions and giveaways - this will really start to grow your following.
• At the end of the 90 days, move on to the second platform and concentrate on that one with the same focus and effort.

Continue to maintain the first platform of course, just not as intensely. By now you’ll have a formula that is working, make sure you maintain it - continue posting 1-3 times a week.

Build up the next platform in the same way, Focused strategy, posting, giveaways and promotion. And so forth.

By the end of the year, you will have established authority on 4 different social media & your web platform, and you have a plan in place to post regularly on each.

By the time a year comes around again, thing will have changed alot, it will b e time to review your strategy and give it some effort again - Finding fresh ideas and renewed energy for each of your 4 platforms keeps your business looking relevant and that you’re ahead of the game.

So, what’s the number one takeaway when it comes to being visible online?

Content creation is king (or queen depending on your style) - the more relevant your content is for your clients, the more chance you have of being found by your ideal clients.