Nearly everyone who owns a smartphone has at least heard of Instagram - the app that lets you share photos of your day-to-day with the rest of the world. Besides sharing personal pictures, businesses have been using this application to promote their products and services for some time now, especially those from the hair & beauty industry, which largely rely on visuals. When creating the perfect page, there are many things you should take into account - starting with a definition.
There are a variety of choices for your Instagram page - you may decide on a website & blog, books & magazines, brands & products, or the obvious “local business”. This helps people find your page more easily and lets it stand out from regular profiles, which are often personal pages. Now that you have your business profile set up, make sure you are hitting these marks:
Let’s face it, every business owner wants to make it to the top - but if your name is not world renowned, avoid using it on your salon’s profile, unless it is actually named after you. Your fan page should have the exact same name as your salon - if however it is already taken, add the name of your city, for example: “Barbers by the Bay London.” Additionally, try to avoid using spaces or other characters, as this also makes it difficult to find your page.
Imagine someone landing onto your salon’s Instagram business profile - does your bio have what it takes to encourage this user to book a service? Unfortunately, Instagram limits us to 150 characters per bio, so every letter and number counts! Make sure to include key information about your salon, such as it’s location, products and any extras, like awards it has received or one of a kind treatments offered. If you run a hybrid, like an Instagram business blog, where you regularly post your work, but also share advice, make sure to point this out as well.
When deciding on a profile picture, make sure you use one that is recognisable by your customers. A picture of you and your dog may make that difficult - instead, use your salon logo or the interior of your business. If your brand name is common, the more reason why you should help direct clients to your page. A customer looking for your Instagram profile may be easily discouraged if they need to scroll through a few hundred businesses to find your page.
When running a business profile on Instagram, one disastrous mistake you want to avoid making is setting your profile to private mode. This option allows you to filter out who you do not want to have access to your page. Although this is convenient for keeping competitions’ peering eyes away from your work, this has a negative impact on potential fans as well. When confronted by a message that says: “This account is private”, users instantly have a drop in interest - they need to request access to your page, and by the time you provide it to them, they will be long gone. Make your profile page public and stop losing the interest of potential clients!
When it comes to social media networks, Instagram takes the cake for focusing the most on the image. It comes packed with photo-enhancing tools, allowing users to post remarkable images. But in order to do so, the application needs quality material to work with - meaning quality images. Since this is your business profile, you should maintain a professional look of your page by posting pictures related to your work. Your Instagram page is your virtual business card, so make sure to add all of your head-turning transformations.
Tip: Learn how to take professional shots with the help of our guide here.
The work you do is fantastic, you have gained a solid following, but you need to focus on growing. To do this, interacting with your Instagram environment is vital. Post your work regularly, follow brands you love, tag clients, and best of all, ask them to share their new look on their personal pages. By doing so, your brand increases its awareness, and more potential clients hear about your salon.
To give your salon’s Instagram page an instant boost in sales and a stronger following, link it to your Booksy booking system by adding a book now button. Although pictures help get your point across, it is thanks to online booking that you make a profit from your page. From there, clients will be able to book directly with your business, instead of having to jump through hoops and browse other pages.
Your online booking page allows your clients to see your entire work portfolio, staff list, availability, and of course the option to book a service. Once their booking has been made, it will automatically fill a space in your appointment book. A client who falls in love with one of your transformations on Instagram should be able to book that service right away.
Make your Instagram page truly stand out - a well-written biography, user-friendly settings, amazing photos and convenient online booking are the keys to an effective Instagram page! Implement your online booking system with Booksy today!
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