How to grow your sales and boost your online presence with social media

With more than 4 billion users and an average of 2.4 hours per day spent scrolling through stories and feeds, social media has revolutionised the way we live our lives. From how we get our news to our interactions with the people and brands we love, the power of social media is undeniable.

For salons and spas, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have changed the way you need to engage with your clients. Social media is essential to any marketing strategy, and having the right tools and practices in place to stand out from competitors has never been more important.

We’ve put together a list of ways you can increase your social media presence and start growing your business. 

Get to know your audience

Don’t make assumptions about where your followers spend most of their time online. You might think focusing on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter is best if you’re targeting Millennials, but studies have shown that Facebook is still the most widely-used social media platform in almost all age groups.

Understanding what your audience likes and dislikes will help you interact with them on a more personal level. Start by compiling data on your existing followers, including who else they follow and what online communities they’re part of.

Once you’ve started creating content and tailoring it to the needs of your followers on each of your selected platforms, you can start tracking your progress using Google Analytics and Facebook Pixels to find out who’s booking and engaging with your business online. 

Create a social calendar

When you’ve chosen who you’d like to target and where, creating a social media calendar can help you post the right content to the right channel at the right time. Scheduling tools like Hootsuite are great for helping you manage and post across all your channels in just a few clicks.

Use 80% of your content to educate and entertain your followers, and the other 20% to promote your business and the services you offer. This 80-20 rule works well for showcasing your talent, promoting your services, and encouraging followers to book.

Encourage your clients to follow you

Making sure your clients are aware of your social media at every stage of the booking process is a simple but effective way to grow your following. You want your social pages to be as discoverable as possible, so add your social media handles to your client notifications and online booking settings, your website, and any smart marketing email and text message campaigns you run. 

Add book now buttons and links to your social pages

Use an online booking platform that lets you add a “Book now” button to your Facebook page and Instagram profile. This will let clients instantly book your services by directly linking them from your social media pages to your online service menu. More than 60% of online bookings are made outside of regular working hours, so adding a booking link to your social media profiles gives clients the flexibility to book whenever they like, and opens your salon up to more business.  You can track how many clients book this way using your booking platform’s built-in sales reports.

Check out this salon that increased their bookings by 5x with a “Book Now” button on Instagram:

Keep the conversation flowing

More than 40% of digital consumers use social media to research new brands or products. Part of that discovery involves getting to know who you are as a business and what you have to offer.

Engaging with people who comment on, like, and share your organic content and ads is proven to build trust between a business and its followers. Studies have shown that 71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend them to a friend or family member, giving you free exposure to an entirely new client base.

Industry-specific and local business Facebook groups are a great way to build relationships with other business owners and influencers in your area as well as the clients you’re trying to attract. 

Create content your followers will want to share

There are a number of algorithms social media platforms use to decide how visible you are online. Facebook and Instagram use algorithms that bump up posts from accounts that a user already interacts with. For businesses looking to grow their online presence and increase their sales, this means creating meaningful content your followers will want to share and engage with. 

Exchanging DMs, tagging other people in posts, and frequently leaving comments are all actions that suggest a close relationship between accounts. Likes, reshares and views are also important. Try using industry and location-specific hashtags to put your content and business in front of people who regularly engage with businesses like yours. Since the algorithms aim to give the people what they want,  they are more likely to see your posts and start engaging with your business.

It’s a good idea to be aware of conversations happening about your business elsewhere online. Many clients will use Facebook groups and review sites for sharing their experiences (good and bad!) so keep an eye on these and respond where appropriate. 

Run exclusive promotions and competitions for your followers

Exclusive promotions and competitions that give your followers the chance to win a treatment package can be a great way to get new and existing followers to like, follow and share your content.

Running different competitions on each of your social pages will help you measure how well each performs, and a marketing campaign delivering the competition directly to your client’s inbox will encourage them to get involved and give you a follow.

If you’re looking for more social media traction, consider joining the Fresha marketplace. Every day, millions of people use the platform to find new treatments, so create your profile now, attract new clients and get even more followers with the world’s biggest beauty and wellness platform.