How to… use Instagram to promote your hair business

With more than 50 billion photos shared since Instagram launched in 2010, it’s a no brainer that you should be using Instagram to help promote your business.

Here are 6 tips on how to do this:

1. Lighting – use natural lighting! Most therapists choose to take the ‘after’ photo right in the chair after the service is finished however this is not the best lighting! Salons do not tend to have the best lighting and a busy salon floor can create shadows. This results in the photo not accurately showing how the colour looks in person. A better option would be to take the photo in natural lighting within the salon or even asking your client to step outside to take the photo. If you do not have these options, a ring light is a great alternative.
2. Focus on the hair – You will probably find that your clients will not want to have pictures of their faces posted all over social media and that is fine! A great alternative is to take a picture of just the hair from behind, that way the client does not need to worry or feel self-conscious about having photos taken. Make this portion of the treatment an experience for your clients, tell them how great their hair looks and show them the picture after, this will help boost their confidence and they can see how great their hair looks.
3. Backgrounds – Try to take the photos against a solid background so that the focus is just on the hair, sometimes when there are other objects in the background, the focus can be lost. You can choose to take the photo against a plain wall within the salon or you could opt to buy a backdrop to keep the consistency with your photos.
4. Editing apps – Using editing apps such as Canva or Lightroom to add your business name or logo will make the photos look much more professional and uniform on your Instagram profile which will attract much more attention.
5. Plan – When taking photos, take lots!! Use different angles, different props and if you have time, different styles of the hair you are photographing. This will enable you to have a big selection of photos you can upload daily to keep your uploading consistent.
6. Ask your clients to participate – Let your clients know your Instagram handle and ask them to tag you in any photos or stories that they may upload showing off their new hair. This way you are not only reaching your followers, but your client’s followers too. A lot of new clients to a salon come from word of mouth, and this is a great way to get word out there!

Do you have a business Instagram account?