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Use Quarantine to Get Instagram Savvy

Right now is a great time to plan out your Instagram content for the next 6 months (June through December). Are you hung up on what to post? Like all social media sites, you want a variety of posts. Use quarantine to get Instagram savvy, here are some ideas to inspire you:

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

There’s no better place for before and after photos than a hair salon. When a customer is going for a new color or a transformational cut, it’s an opportunity to snap photos and show your talents to your social audience.

Of course, you’ll want to ask your customer if he or she is okay with you taking the picture and posting it on Instagram, but once you’ve got permission, this is a great thing to share with your followers. If they are a bit camera shy try profile shots and/or face covering most of the face.

COOL UPDOS

Whether you’ve recently completed a bridal style or simply done a creative braid on a client, break out your phone and get a picture of it.

NEW PRODUCTS

When a new styling product or tool comes into your shop take a share it on Instagram. You don’t want to advertise products too often, but once in a while they’re fine (80/20).

NOTES OF APPRECIATION

Social media is a great place to offer a public thank you. Thank a new client for coming in, or a new vendor for teaming up with you.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS OR SPECIAL OFFERS

Offering a promotion or a customer appreciation event? Share it on Instagram. Take a picture of the in-store poster that you use to advertise the promotion or event and use that image for Instagram. if you don’t have a poster to post, create a graphic on Canva instead.

TIMELY POSTS

Whether it’s prom season or Mother’s Day, make sure you post about timely topics. By posting shots of current holidays, you show your customers that your shop is relevant.

EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT OR WELCOME NEW TEAM MEMBER

When you hire new stylists or makeup artists, share the news and a picture on Instagram.

BE CREATIVE

It’s okay to share a picture of yourself working, a quote, a shot of a rainbow outside of your shop. It’s good show your audience that you’re human. You want your Instagram site to be relatable.

TIPS TO ATTRACT FOLLOWERS

Of course, your marketing power is only as strong as your social media reach. You’ll want to make efforts to attract followers. Here are a few tips to do just that:

HOST AN INSTAGRAM CONTEST

Contests are a great way to generate some buzz. The “post a picture and win” type-of-contest is popular and easy; for example, ask your customers to post a picture of their favorite beach hairstyle. Pick a winner at random and give them a $10 off coupon to your salon. For added exposure, have participants tag their friends. This opens up the possibility of more followers.

POST REGULARLY

Like other social media sites, it’s important to post to your Instagram site on a consistent basis. Pick a schedule that works for you and stick to it.

ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

When someone leaves a comment, make sure you respond. You want to show others that your Instagram site is a spot where customers can interact with you and your brand.

ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO SHARE

Get others to share photos on your page too. Put a few signs up in your salon asking customers to share a picture of their hairstyle on Instagram, and have your stylists mention it too.

ADD INSTAGRAM LINK TO EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE

Add your Instagram handle or a link to your Instagram to any promotional emails that you send your clients. You should also include a link to the site in every employee’s email signature.

ADVERTISE YOUR INSTAGRAM ON OTHER CHANNELS

Use other marketing channels to advertise your Instagram page. For example, mention it in-store signage, add the icon and website, and ask fans from other social media sites to follow you on Instagram.

TAG OTHERS

As with other social sites, you should tag other people in your posts to increase exposure. When you tag someone else, the post shows up on his or her Instagram page as well. Let’s say you team up with a charity to offer free cuts to veterans. Be sure to advertise the event on Instagram and tag the charity that you’re working with.

TIPS ON HASHTAGS

Hashtags are an important part of the Instagram world. Think of them as keywords; when someone searches Instagram for something, it scans hashtags to come up with search results.

It’s a good idea to use a handful of hashtags. Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post. Now, if 30 sounds like excessive then at least try to add four or five hashtags to improve your visibility.

GENERAL AND SPECIFIC

Use both specific and general hashtags If you post a shot of a wedding updo, using #WeddingUpdo is a good idea. However, the hashtag is pretty broad, so it could yield a lot of search results. Your shot might be buried in a bunch of pictures, so in addition to general hashtags, use specific words too. Maybe something like #FrenchBraidWeddingUpdo, or use both, by including #FrenchBraid and #WeddingUpdo.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Mention your location in a hashtag Help potential customers find your salon by tagging your photos with your business name and its city.

TRENDING HASHTAGS

Take advantage of appropriate trending hashtags Instagram doesn’t have a list of trending hashtags like Twitter does, but it’s a safe bet that if something is trending on Twitter, it’s trending on other social channels too.

So, when your Twitter accounts tells you that #GoldenGlobeAwards is trending, try to create a post that focuses on the award show. Try posting a shot of a fancy updo and ask your followers if that kind of style will hit the red carpets at the #GoldenGlobeAwards.

PRODUCT HASHTAGS

A lot of product lines have established Instagram sites, so use product hashtags when you can. For example, if your shop sells Redken products, you could use #redkenready in your posts. The product you use might even feature your post on their Instagram, which is great exposure.

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