Red lips, nude lips. Long hair, short hair. Lowlights, highlights. Each year new trends emerge in your salon, and the same goes for the ever-changing world of social media. To wrap up 2013, I wanted to take a quick-look at the top Facebook trends for the year and how you can continue to maximize your presence and most importantly generate engagement.

As your social media guide, I always suggest focusing on your audience first. Remember, the quality of your fans is far more important than the quantity.

So, let’s take a look at the top five findings and what they mean for your salon’s Facebook page:

1.   Get Cheeky

It’s no surprise that people are most likely to comment on a post with a photo included and what better place to capture your clients looking their best than the moment they are leaving your chair? Be sure to keep an iPad or your smartphone handy to snap those after photos. Then ask your clients if you can post their photo on your Facebook page. It’s also a great idea to also have a photo release handy for them to sign – just in case.  Note: Here’s a quick stat from Hubspot on photos and the engagement they generate.

2.   Less is More

 Twitter isn’t the only place where short posts are appreciated. Your fans are more likely to engage when a post is below 250 characters. After all, who has time to read a long status? Focus on quick-take tidbits of fun, creative content.

3.   Thursday and Friday Rule

Have a case of the Mondays? No worries! Social media users are prone to being more active on Thursday and Friday. In comparison to other days of the week, these two days receive higher engagement rates. 

4.   Ask (Questions) and You Will Receive 

Seems pretty self-explanatory. You ask, they answer. Keep in mind that not all questions are created equal. It’s best to utilize closed questions, where opinions can be given without making the commenter come up with an elaborate answer. Questions beginning with the words should, would, which, and who are the most effective for receiving more engagement, according to Hubspot.

5.   Winner Winner!

If you’re trying to gain a new fan base, contests are a great way to jump-start your interactions. We all have our eye on the prize, right? When creating contests, focus on posts that your fans can easily participate in. For example, a ‘caption this photo’ or ‘fill in the blank’ contest is a simple way to encourage fun comments.  

As always, stay connected. 

Connect With Evoke Brand Strategies:

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About www.EvokeBrands.com:

At Evoke Brand Strategies we develop digital, social media and mobile strategies for salon professional, beauty and luxury brands. As branding and public relations veterans, yet early adopters of all things digital and social media, we understand the importance of creating measurable, buzz-worthy campaigns that generate bottom-line results. #evokebrands #evokesocial #salonsocialmedia #spasocialmedia