The power of social media in the 21st century salon

28 Jun 2013

Written by Alice Smithson

Social media is still a relatively new tool to Britain’s spas and salons. While some people see websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn as pointless distractions, other, more savvy salon and spa owners are already harnessing the power of social media to forge better customer relationships and more profitable businesses. Should you be using salon management software to better integrate social media with your business, too? Here are just a few reasons why social media has become one of the most powerful tools in a 21st century entrepreneur’s arsenal…

Marketing & communication

The most successful salons are those that market themselves effectively. In previous years, marketing was often an expensive and time-consuming affair, with print adverts, television or radio spots the only real outlets for your marketing materials. Now, however, social media has stepped into the breach to allow businesses to reach more customers at a lower expense than ever before. The benefit of social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn is that they’re free to use and capable of connecting you with literally thousands of different customers and potential customers – never before have salons been able to broadcast their marketing materials to so many people at such minimal expense.

Of course, the trick to marketing success is to communicate effectively with your audience, and more than any other medium social media allows you to do this. Most marketing campaigns are necessarily one-way – the customers can’t respond to what they’re seeing directly – but social media marketing is uniquely inclusive. You can reach out to your customers, inform them of promotions and new treatments and even remind them of impending appointments. Actively communicating with your customers is a great way of furthering brand loyalty and encouraging them to return again and again.

Feedback and analytics

Social media is not just useful for marketing alone, however. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are forums through which your customers can offer feedback on the positive and negative aspects of your business. Via the comments on your feed and the Tweets referencing your company you can determine what’s working and what isn’t, changing the way your business operates in a way you can be sure your customers will appreciate. This kind of free, honest feedback is practically unique in the world of business!

Aside from feedback, your social media sites can also be used as handy analytics tools. By examining in detail who you’re connected with, who communicates with your business and who follows your marketing materials you can get an intimate idea of your core client base. With this information you will be able to better tailor your marketing in future – either changing it to better engage with your core audience or adapting it to appeal to groups you’ve yet to exploit.

Social media really is a powerful tool for UK spas and salons, so the sooner you take a proactive role in promoting your company’s social profile, the better. Here at i-salon software we provide salon computers and salon management software designed to help you exploit technology for the benefit of your business, so why not contact us and see how we can help you achieve more this year?