Industry leaders from Mane Addicts offered tips, tools and transformations for best social media results, in a panel at Salon Digital Summit, the salon industry's first hands-on, peer-to-peer event to give salon artists and managers intensive, hands-on training in social media and digital and produced by MODERN SALON, NAILS, SALON TODAY and Bobit Business Media.  Moderated by Alison McNamara, editorial director of Mane Addicts, the experts included Nina Aghadjanian, Mane Addicts;  Britt Sully, hairstylist; Kathleen Hair, stylist; Mark Townsend, celebrity hair stylist; and Lisa Walker, Starworks co-founder. McNamara prompted the discussion with a variety of questions and also fielded questions from the audience.

Best Practices: What Performs Really Well?

Nina: ‘Before and After’ photos in a simple collage perform really well for us.  If you’re doing a gallery, don’t use the ‘before’ picture as the first image of the gallery.  Also videos and pro-hacks that are displayed in an easy-to-understand way, like how to conceal a ponytail base. Something really simple.

Britt:  When I started out the algorithm was different and it was easier to gain momentum.  If I use professional photos, they don’t get as much engagements as pictures on my phone.  People like it more when it feels real. 

Kathleen: I look at my social media like it’s my resume and people should be able to go to your page and know what they are going to get from you.  I don’t put my personal life on my page.

Mark Townsend: I have to respect the privacy of my clients and I have to be careful that something doesn’t become a celebrity endorsement. So I started to show the back of my client's heads and that worked so well.  I hashtag it #markseyeview.

How Did Social Media Build Your Business

Britt: I used to post a photo at a certain time of day and had a similar style and just kept at it over a long period of time, and my style started to get recognized. At the end of the day, though, you need to like what you’re posting, too.  If it doesn’t feel like you, what are we even doing it for?

How Has Social Media Impacted the Hairdresser Community

Mark: We used to be the best keeper of secrets but I have to give a lot of credit to Jen Atkins because she brought things out to the forefront.  Instead of it being a competitive sport, it’s now a group sport. There is a camaraderie now and we can all learn from each other.

The cons are that some clients don’t want me taking pictures and posting on my social media.  I have clients who explain it to me—no pictures, please—but I have others who say, I want to be one of Mark’s muses.

How Can Someone Capture Your Attention?

Lisa: Talent, talent, talent.  That is what matters, first.  Then I want to also see if you're comfortable on camera, I want to see if you understand marketing, and I want to make sure you are working to set yourself apart, to highlight what is unique about you. 

Instagram Stories Best Practices

Nina:  Best thing is tag the bigger brands in your grid posts and also tag them in your stories.  It is that gentle nudge that, hey, I am using your products.  It is also a good way for brands to see what you’re like on camera and the brands love that user-generated content.  And for me, it shows me that you can speak to an audience and gives me incentive to reach out and see if you want to do a takeover.

Also, brands are inundated with grid tags, so tag your favorite brands in your Instagram stories.  

Keep at it, persistence is key.