It can seem daunting when you’re starting out as a hair stylist and trying to figure out how to keep your chair full all day long. The most important thing about your online marketing efforts is to think of this as your own business. Even if you’re renting a chair in a salon, you must market as a solopreneur. Here are the online marketing methods to consider.
Create Your Own Blog
It’s not very difficult to generate rankings when you’re targeting a specific local area. Start a blog and fill it with helpful hair styling tips. Over time, you’ll generate a dedicated local readership who will think of you every time they’re ready for your kind of services. Why would they go elsewhere when they’ve been reading all your great tips?
Create a YouTube Channel
Adding the visual element via videos allows you to not only explain tips on your blog, but also bring those tips alive as video tutorials. You’ll generate traffic on YouTube and can also embed the videos on your blog.
Use Social Media Effectively
Get good at creating social media posts that create engagement and excitement between you and your local prospects. Post information, facts, pics and tips that help your target market see you as the expert. You can post hair and beauty tips or share links over to your latest how-to guide on your blog or YouTube channel. Keep your social media posts short and to the point. Use calls-to-action to entice local fans into your salon.
How to Use Facebook
- Create posts that encourage clients to provide their opinion. Use quality questions such as, "What haircut will you get as we enter winter?"
- Post a ton of pictures. Show pictures of you working at your chair. Show a sign in the salon that’s advertising this month's specials.
- Look at Facebook like another little website. Use the Facebook tabs on your business page that allow you to show your services, salon location, reviews and photos.
How to Use Instagram
- Use trends on Instagram. Make good use of hashtags and take advantage of the latest trends or holiday seasons. You might post #merrychristmas as you reveal your latest holiday special.
- Use geography effectively by using location-based hashtags. Remember, you want your social media activity to bring in local clients.
- Post before and after pics.
- Post testimonials and reviews.
How to Use Twitter
- Post exclusive offers to your Twitter followers. This helps encourage people to start following your account and will drive targeted clients straight into your chair.
- Generate interest in your services by posting information about one of your specific services you want to focus on each month.
- Use retweets effectively. Give followers an incentive to retweet you. For example, you might offer a $10 discount on their next style or color after retweeting the offer to their followers.
Start an Email Newsletter
Make better use of the traffic generated by your blog, YouTube channel and social media platforms by flowing some of your visitors into a weekly or monthly email newsletter. This gives you the opportunity to provide specials and discounts directly into the inboxes of your local prospects and clients. You can provide your followers links to your newsletter signup page from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Don't become overwhelmed by all these ideas. Select one and make it work well. Then, add a second option. You'll soon have a flood of business from your online marketing efforts.
