Social media has evolved over the last 5 years, and so must salon professionals. Patrick McIvor, Artistic & TechniCulture Director for Goldwell and KMS California and Techni-Color Director of ARROJO, explains how social media has changed and offers 3 indispensable tips for salon professionals.
Social Media has changed for the mainstream user in 2 very significant ways.
1. Everyone today is involved in social media. Five years ago many people still didn’t have smartphones, never mind Facebook accounts, but today the average grandmother even has smart phone so she can keep up with her grandchildren, family and friends on Facebook and Instagram. Five years ago social media was just starting to speak to the early majority, it was a tipping point… and it’s come a long way.
2. People used to post things to show what they did; now they post what they are doing. It started with Twitter and from flashmobs to revolutions, connecting and communicating in real time presents a real advantage. In the beginning, 3G and even some WiFi did not have enough bandwidth, today you can FaceTime over 4G, Periscope and share video in real time with hundreds who can interact in real time. And then thousands more can follow the live stream… it changes the social media game.
3 Things Every Stylist Should Do
1. Link all your social media outlets together… this will make sure that if you are a big Instagram user, your Facebook friends and Twitter followers will see you too, even though you don’t make a lot of “posts” there, your stronger social outlets will still make an impact.
2. Be Live, don’t plan all your social media today, people love to share in what you are doing live. So Periscope, do Twitter Town Hall Meetings, and if you don’t know where to start, capitalize on live events like fashion shows, award shows and galas. Shows like the “Fashion Police” are just commentaries on what people wore to a show, you can do that too in real time, just watch the show and comment on social media. Share great tips on how to get the looks – start sharing live and see what happens!
3. Know what people are looking for! If you want to be discovered, you need to be where people are looking, so watch for trending stories that you can be a part of (like a how to the hottest celebrity style being searched after a new show/awards gala). Make sure you are using the right keywords and realize that titles matter. “Walking in New York City” will get more views than “Walking in Astoria.” Astoria is in Queens, which is in New York City, but who’s searching “Astoria” vs “New York City?” New York City is going to be searched far more and then they might find you. Knowing what people are searching for makes social media work a lot faster and gets people searching for you.