In the difficult times the industry has faced in 2020, salon solidarity, savvy business expertise and social media proved paramount, and there’s a way to maximise you social strategies for top-tier outcomes, writes Jo Burgess.
Despite the difficult times we have faced, I was so proud to see was how strong we banded together as an industry and worked as best we could within the restrictions and limitations of COVID-19.
You did what was best for your clients and staff, and you also did what was right for your business – regardless of whether you decided to close or stay open, you did the best you could for this industry in one of the most trying times we’ve seen.
As many went into self-isolation and various stages of lockdowns, you needed to think on your feet – just as you do when a colour goes wrong in the salon. The biggest question was though, how could you possibly make an income when your doors were closed?
One of my favourite stories came from the incredible Tarryn, owner of MOB HAIR. She implemented an at home colour-kit and application service strictly for brunettes only (no-one wants their client getting their hands on bleach!). Under strict video surveillance, her team would assist their clients apply their own colour at home. Genius, right?
Tarryn closed her salon before the government restrictions were imposed on the industry. She offered some of her insight into her decision to offer at-home colour kits to her clients.
“Bondi and the Eastern Suburbs has been a high infection area for COVID-19, and we wanted to do the best thing for our staff and our clients for the health and safety,” Tarryn said.
“We understand our clients very well, and we know if they are isolating and not being able to go about their regular life, at least not having regrowth at home would make them feel better about the current situation! We decided to offer this service for existing clients only, so we could look up their previous colour history on Shortcuts, and ensure the ratios were 100 per cent correct when we prepare it in a germ-free environment in the salon. It was actually so nice for my staff and I to reconnect with our clients virtually!”
It’s ideas and positive outlooks just like this that shows our industry can survive anything!
One of the most important things that many salon owners needed to keep in mind during the COVID-19 pandemic and closures, was to keep in touch with your clients.
Even though you weren’t physically in the salon taking photos of your gorgeous work for your social feeds, there was still so much more to talk about. It was also a time to show off other equally important parts of your business – like your staff, your story, your “why” moments. Things that your clients can emotionally connect with – not just visually.
As we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, our team began looking for ways to better support and serve the hairdressing industry we love so much. Social media is where most people are spending their time, so it’s more important now than ever before to get your socials in check.
In a matter of weeks, social media established itself as a powerful channel for salons to communicate and stay connected with their clients during such a critical time. After some deep thought, we decided that one of the best ways we can contribute and help the global hairdressing community was to open up the doors to the Social Sorted membership. This allowed us to welcome and support more salons with their social media, especially in the thick of the pandemic.
So, I wanted to take a moment to share with you how one amazing salon have absolutely rocked their socials!
Daniel Di lorio, owner of Diior10 in the Bossley Park suburb of Sydney, took Social Sorted and made it a team effort! Each stylist has their own clientele and developed close relationships with those clients – so it made sense for the salon to have their own Instagram accounts. Daniel extended his Social Sorted subscription to his people so they could pick images and captions for their own channels. Laura Di Iorio, Daniel’s wife, who oversees salon marketing, then shares their posts on the salon feeds.
The strategy guaranteed variety across the team’s feeds, driving their personal business, which in turn benefits the salon. Engagement is up across the board and several team members have even got the attention of marketing companies, which have noticed their recent jump in engagement. Ensuring that stylists maintained their client relationships during isolation was to important to the salons ability to thrive.
Social Sorted costs just $35USD a month with no lock-in contract, and provides 30 new and topical images, on-point captions, a detailed action plan, and exclusive access to the Facebook group each month. It’s all carefully curated to supplement every style of salon or shop in the hair industry.
To take advantage of this offer and sign up today, visit www.socialsorted.net
Catch up with INSTYLE and Styleicons!
- Subscribe to our bi-monthly magazine
- Check out www.styleicons.com.au
- Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter
- View our digital magazine
- Follow us on social media on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn