Everywhere you turn, it seems like someone is saying that social media is a must for marketing your salon or spa business… and it’s true. People are looking to platforms like Instagram more than ever to find out about brands and services so it’s a great way to showcase your business.

If you’ve only been on social media for personal use, then it can feel overwhelming to figure out how to use it professionally. You’ll quickly learn that to gain any traction, you have to be intentional about what and how you post.

One of the ways you can measure the success of your marketing efforts on social media is through engagement.

What is engagement?

Social media engagement is any interaction that someone has with your account or content. Likes, comments, saves, and shares are the basic forms of post engagement depending on the platform you use.

If someone becomes a follower, clicks through to your website, or sends you a private message, these are also types of engagement. To grow your business presence on any platform you need to consistently create social media engagement.

How do you create social media engagement?

In order to get people other than your friends and family to engage with your social media accounts, you need to be strategic about what and how you post. Posting just to check a box on your to-do list won’t build a following or attract clients.

1 | Know your audience and their pain points, wants, and needs.

Think about the type of clients you’re trying to attract to your business. Are they female or male? How old are they? Where do they live – city or suburbs? Is their style traditional or edgy?

Answering these questions will help you to shape the content you post so that it appeals to the clients you want to bring to your business. It also makes it more likely that your ideal client will interact with your content.

A pain point is a problem that your ideal client has that you can solve. Imagine a bride looking for a salon for her wedding day. Her pain point might be that she lives far away and won’t be able to do an in-person consultation before the wedding. By posting content that shows how you accommodate this problem, you’re making your business more appealing to her.

2 | Share valuable content.

A good rule for social media is that content should be educational, entertaining, inspiring, or a combination of these. It might not seem like a funny meme could attract new clients, but people love to laugh and by following you they’ll be exposed to content related to your business.

Before and after images work well for the hair and skincare industry because people love to see what kind of results are possible. It also helps potential clients see your skills at work.

You can also share video content of treatments that show your technique, the process, or the experience of a service or treatment. Be sure to get consent from your client before posting anything to social media (FYI: our Business Basics course includes a template for a client consent form).

3 | Interact with your audience.

When people comment on your posts or send private messages, it’s important to respond because it helps to build connections and encourages future engagement. It’s also an easy way to answer questions about your business or service.

Most social media platforms have ways to engage with your followers outside of a stand-alone post. You can create a poll or a question box. You can do a live video where people can comment or ask questions in real time.

There are so many possibilities so don’t just “post and ghost” when you have so many opportunities to help your potential clients know, like, and trust you through social media.

4 | Be consistent.

One of the most important tips to create social media engagement is to be consistent. It’s better to post twice a week consistently than to post every day one week and nothing the next.

Also most social media platforms are designed to rank your content higher if you post consistently. By sticking to a regular posting schedule, your followers are more likely to see your content.

The Bottom Line

Social media doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you’re trying to use social media to market your business, but you’re not sure how to build engagement, be sure to check out our Business Basics course. Not only do we go in-depth on social media but we work on business strategy and other essentials for those in the spa and salon industry.