By Sarah Fasolo (@sarah.fasolo) SALT's Marketing Manager
Ever since Instagram launched, the social media platform has been HUGE for hairstylists and salon owners. Instagram is an extremely visual network, hair is an extremely visual medium, and styling is extremely visual work—it just makes sense that they’d go together!
In fact, done right, your Instagram page (or other social media profiles) alone can fill your books 100%. Unfortunately, getting it right can be hard.
The biggest mistake that I’ve seen? A lack of focus. Most hair-focused Instagram pages that I see all look the same. In trying to appeal to everyone, they come across as lacking in creativity and originality, ultimately appealing to no one.
So what’s the secret to success on Instagram (and other social channels like Facebook)? Knowing who your ideal client is so that you can target them in your marketing.
What’s an “Ideal Client”?
Your ideal client is the person that you wish you could fill your appointment book with every single day of the year. It’s someone who appreciates your style and aesthetic, someone who jives with your attitude and personality, someone who values the quality of the that you do and is willing to pay a fair price for it. They love what you do, are easy to work with, recommend you to their friends with similar tastes, and come back for more. They’re your regulars. They might even become your friends.
Put a little more simply: They’re the reason you got into the hair biz to begin with. You LOVE your ideal client.
Finding your ideal client
I know that this all might sound really complicated and even a bit intimidating, but figuring out who your ideal client is is actually pretty easy. All you need to do is pay attention to the kinds of clients that you truly enjoy working with, and model your ideal client off of those positive characteristics.
Once you know who this person is, answer the questions below and use this information to target your marketing and messaging.
- What do they look like? What do they dress like? What’s their style?
- What do they do for work? What do they do for fun?
- What is their personality like? Type A or Type B? High-strung or relaxed? Cat person or dog person?
- Where do they shop? What do they like to eat? What scents do they enjoy?
- What’s their greatest pain or fear? What about their goals and aspirations?
- What magazines or websites do they read?
- Who (besides you!) do they follow on Instagram? What hashtags do they use?
BONUS: Don’t forget about the emotional factor. Strip all that away and what is her deepest desire? She wants to feel beautiful. Speak to that. Once someone knows you will deliver their deepest want, they will choose you again and again.
Marketing to them
Once you know who your ideal client is—really know them—it’s easy to tailor your marketing so that it speaks to them, whether that’s on Instagram, Facebook, email, or any other marketing channel.
Because the possibilities really are endless, the easiest way to think about this is by walking through an example.
If you want to attract trendy girls to balayage or do advanced foil work on, and who will be totally fine investing in their hair, your ideal client might look something like this:
- She’s between 20 and 40 years old
- She shops at Urban Outfitters, Free People, and Madewell
- She gets her groceries at the farmers market or Whole Foods because she care about her health and figure
- She invests in her skin care and hair because she wants to look mad fine
- She’s driven, likes to have fun, and works hard!
- She wants to feel better about herself
(Note: The more detailed you can get when figuring out your ideal client, the better!)
With all of that in mind, below if just ONE WAY that you might market to her on Instagram:
1.) You post pictures of happy girls with amazing painted hair, dressed in denim, maybe eating an apple, or shopping at the mall. Your ideal client sees this and thinks, “HEY! That could be me!”
2.) You post educational photos of the amazing, high-quality organic products you use. Your ideal client sees this and thinks, “Wow, I really NEED that product!”
3.) You educate through your posts. You post why and how you chose that color for your guest’s skin complexion, why you chose a more modern coloring technique, and most importantly, you highlight the fact that you are a pro at modern coloring techniques and why it benefits her lifestyle. Your ideal client sees this and thinks, “This hair artist gets me. I need to book with her."
4.) You use their hashtags. Once you know the language she uses, it’s pretty easy to figure out the hashtags that she might follow or search for, and you can use those in your captions to help her find your posts.
Want more tips on building a your books using social media?! Click below!
