As of 2023, over 60% of the world’s population uses social media, making it one of the most direct and cost-effective ways for business owners to reach their customers. However, the things that make social media an unpassable opportunity can also be some of its greatest challenges. To an untrained eye, social media can resemble the wild west. Trends come and go without mercy. The platforms themselves are ever-evolving, as is the user experience. But the learning curve is worth it.
78% of salon professionals agree that a strong social media presence helps attract higher-paying clientele.
That’s why Phorest has called in the experts. During their interactive social media workshop on day two of the Salon Owners Summit, Kate Lynch, founder of the Creative Society, and her co-host Niamh, gave attendees a practical starting guide on how to launch an Instagram content strategy in 2024.
Let’s Talk Instagram Stats
- Instagram has ten times higher rates of brand engagement than Facebook & TikTok
- 70% of users search for brands on Instagram
- Content that includes a human face receives a 38% higher engagement
Your brand is on a journey. Content strategy is a map to guide you on your way.
Niamh began by explaining the importance of setting goals. “You need to be honest with yourself about your starting point,” she said, so you can set realistic goals for where you want to go. It is easy to flash forward to the ideal end result in your mind–a beautiful feed and a following of superfans–but this takes consistent, incremental action.
Break down your content strategy into the following:
Goals: The “Big Dreams”
These are long-term, so you can give yourself a loose time frame.
Objectives: Measurable
Like increasing your follower numbers, engagement rates or bookings, these are short-term measures of success that help you move towards your ultimate goal.
Initiatives: Action Steps
What specifically are you going to do to achieve your objectives?
Feed posts are the foundation of your Instagram content strategy. There are four main types:
- Reels
- Carousel
- Images
- Graphics
Branded vs Unbranded
Your feed, or “grid”, is your greatest asset on Instagram, and branding it intentionally establishes credibility, which can encourage more bookings.
Reeling in the Success
Instagram Reels are short-form videos which can be customised with audio and visual effects. Similar to TikTok, Reels often follow trends and are designed to be bite-sized and easily watchable. Unlike Instagram Stories, Reels can live on your feed indefinitely. They also have a higher reach than other forms of content, which means they are more likely to show up on your followers’ feeds.
As Niamh and Kate told the Summit audience, “Let them think you are cringe.” The secret ingredient in a good Reel is you. Reels give you a chance to be fun and casual and to show your brand’s unique online personality. Letting people get to know you through your reels can build trust and help them feel connected to you.
Those in the audience had the benefit of getting a hands-on tutorial on the Creative Society’s top 3 Reels features:
- Audio: add audio from the Reels library or sample sounds from other Reels users. This is a perfect way to dip your toe into the latest Reels trends.
- Green Screen: Upload an image or video as a virtual background and record yourself in front. This is great for narrating your service menu, online booking flow or showing your retail products some love.
- Timer & Countdown: Set a timer to record hands-free. Now, everyone can be in the shot rather than assigning someone to film, or you can produce more content solo.
Putting the learning into action
To culminate the workshop, Kate and Niamh gave Summit attendees a final task: find a partner and reproduce their version of the following reel together.
Want to try it yourself?
Step 1: Head to @creativesociety.ie on Instagram to save the audio from their Salon Owners Summit Reel. Tap the audio (music icon) at the bottom left of the screen, then tap ‘use audio’ to bring up the Reels screen.
Step 2: Find a partner.
Step 3: Person A films Person B as they wave and put their hand over the camera just as the beat drops. Stop the recording with Person B’s hand covering the camera.
Step 4: Now it’s Person B’s turn to film. Start the recording with Person A’s hand over the camera. As you start recording, person A retracts their hand and waves back at the camera. Stop recording.
Step 5: Add text to give the video context. The Creative Society’s example said, “Who is going to the Salon Owners Summit? We are!” You can use this to introduce your team or tell us you are coming to the Summit in 2025.
Step 6: Trim the video so there is a smooth transition between Person A and Person B, and shorten the frame where the camera is covered to only last a moment.
Feeling the Salon Owners Summit FOMO?
Want to make sure you’re in the room to hear insightful talks like this next year? Get your tickets for the next Salon Owners Summit!
