Social Media Ideas for Small Businesses: Elevate Your Salon’s Online Presence
In today’s digital age, it’s essential for salons to take advantage of social media marketing. Why? In recent years, many people have started using social media platforms as search engines when seeking new brands and services in their local area.
For example, in 2022, almost 40% of Gen Z conducted searches using TikTok and Instagram instead of Google and Google Maps. This is according to Google’s internal data as reported by TechCrunch. However, we also recognize that many small business owners spend tons of time, effort, and money on social media without seeing the fruits of that labor. The most effective social media ideas use trends strategically to build connections between your business and clients.
In this blog, we’ll explore how you can attract new clients, showcase your team’s talents, and foster a loyal customer base. Let’s explore effective social media ideas for small businesses, focusing on the salon industry.
Here’s what you’ll find in this guide:
- Small business social media strategy
- Content ideas for small businesses
- How WellnessLiving can support your social media efforts
Small business social media strategy
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by fast-moving trends and multi-million dollar campaigns from the biggest brands. The trick is staying focused. Social media content for small businesses needs to be strategic and combine proven tactics with creative approaches to emerging trends. Here are a couple of tried and tested strategic elements to keep in mind.
Showcase your brand’s personality with original content
Social media gives you countless opportunities to be authentic and playful with original content. Playfulness comes in many different forms, from highlighting the human side of your salon to tapping into Internet and meme culture. The most important thing is making sure it’s authentic to your brand.
CeraVe’s 2024 campaign with Michael Cera is a prime example of a playful social media campaign that’s full of brand personality. Through social listening and intelligence, CeraVe’s marketing team found social media chatter from years prior asking if Michael Cera was associated with the skincare brand. They ran with the idea.
The campaign played up Cera’s last name, connecting him to the brand, and was complete with influencer interviews, TikTok videos, and more claiming he was the mastermind behind the skincare brand. Ultimately, the campaign garnered nine billion impressions even before its Super Bowl ad aired.
Although this particular large-scale campaign isn’t accessible to small businesses, it shows how useful social media and out-of-the-box thinking can be when it comes to playful, personality-driven, and effective marketing. It also proves the value of scouring social media platforms for campaign and post ideas.
Here’s what you can do to make customers feel connected to your brand even before they step foot in your salon:
- Highlight your team’s interactions, customer experiences, and behind-the-scenes moments.
- Don’t be afraid to show the human side of your salon.
- Share candid moments, team bonding activities, or even a day in the life of a stylist or aesthetician.
- Create video testimonials with long-time customers who have unique stories and memorable personalities.
Key takeaways: Treat social media as a way to connect with your audience in authentic ways, show off your team and your brand’s personality, and let them peek behind the curtain. Remember that audiences are drawn to playfulness, humanity, authenticity, and relatability. For salons, this means showcasing the real people behind the brand and offering a peek into the everyday workings of your business. Be sure your brand personality shines consistently across social media channels.
Incorporate SEO into your social media content
Understanding and implementing a strong SEO strategy isn’t just for blogs and websites. It’s an essential part of a successful social media strategy. By incorporating SEO principles into your social media marketing posts, you can increase your visibility, attract more followers, and drive traffic to your website.
Start by optimizing your social media profiles with relevant keywords. For instance, if your salon specializes in balayage, make sure terms like “balayage expert” or “best balayage salon” are prominently featured in your bio and posts.
Additionally, use keywords in captions, hashtags, and video descriptions to help your content appear in search results on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Combining SEO with social media marketing allows small businesses to reach a broader audience and boost their online presence.
Key takeaways: Remember that more and more users are turning to social media for their searches. So, the most effective SEO strategy is a holistic one. Identify what your business specializes in and does best, then incorporate keywords around those services into all of your content. Every text element is another SEO opportunity, from social media bios to video descriptions.
Content ideas for small businesses
Reports on the best, most effective, and most exciting social media platforms and content formats seem to change at an impossible pace. The following small business post ideas will help you take advantage of emerging social media trends.
Add long-form videos to your library of social media marketing posts
Video content is vital to your business’ relevance. Just ask Wyzowl. They discovered that in 2024, a staggering 91% of businesses use video marketing. But how do you determine the most effective types of video content for your business? Is it best to stick with short-form only or venture into long-form territory?
Although you’re often warned about constantly shrinking attention spans and the importance of grabbing your audience’s attention quickly, long-form video content is surprisingly popular. Short-form videos still come out on top, but 53.1% of Gen Z and 40% of millennial social media users in the US said they watch videos that are 90 seconds or longer, according to Emarketer.
YouTube is the most successful video marketing platform for marketers, and 78% of those surveyed found it effective, along with 71% and 61% saying the same about Facebook video and Instagram Reels respectively. This further proves that audiences are willing to engage with longer, more in-depth content.
Key takeaways: YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram seem to be the platforms where marketers see the most success. You can create long-form video content that dives deep into your services. For example, a full-length tutorial on the latest hair coloring techniques can show off your team’s expertise and help potential customers feel more informed and confident about choosing your salon. Long-form videos also allow you to be more engaging and build stronger connections with your audience.
Incorporate social commerce tools
As a salon owner, you likely sell hair care products in addition to services. The integration of e-commerce into social media platforms, also known as social commerce, is rapidly growing. With the rise of features like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping, it’s easier than ever to sell products directly through social media channels.
If you have or are in the process of setting up an online store, social commerce tools can drive sales. You can even sell gift cards or offer booking options directly through your social media profiles.
Livestreaming is another powerful tool in this space. Consider generating some small business post ideas around this format. For example, you can host live demos of services, including hair styling, facials, and nail art to showcase your team’s skills in real time. By integrating social commerce into your strategy, you can create a seamless shopping experience that turns followers into clients with just a few clicks.
Key takeaways: The goal is to drive sales by making purchases as simple and convenient as possible. Be sure to give customers options for booking appointments and buying products directly within their preferred social media platforms.
Leverage creative social media posts and influencer marketing
Creativity is at the heart of successful social media campaign ideas for small businesses. For salons, this means creating visually engaging content that effectively highlights your work. With high-quality images, creative videos, and eye-catching graphics, you can set your salon apart from competitors and attract new clients.
Speaking of which, influencer marketing is a proven way to target your local audience and bring in new clients. It isn’t just for bigger brands and influencers with millions of followers. It’s a powerful strategy that small businesses can leverage by working with nano or micro-influencers.
Here’s what you should know about this style of marketing:
- Nano-influencers typically have 1,000 to 10,00 followers.
- Micro-influencers have around 10,000 to 100,000 followers.
- These campaigns tend to have a high ROI due to the influencers’ smaller but highly engaged following.
- Working with smaller influencers enables more targeted marketing. You can reach a broader audience in your local area instead of getting only general brand exposure.
- These influencers can add credibility to your brand since they focus on authentic and transparent content.
You might collaborate with a beauty blogger or a local fashion influencer to promote your services. They can create a video tour of your salon or reviews of your products and services, driving their followers to check out your services while boosting your brand’s credibility.
Key takeaways: For small businesses, nano and micro-influencer marketing is the way to go. These influencers have smaller but more engaged followings and focus on your local area, potentially driving more traffic to your website and through your salon doors.
How WellnessLiving can support your social media efforts
By implementing the social media post ideas in this blog, you can boost your salon’s client base, increase engagement, and build a loyal community around your brand.
Managing a successful social media presence requires time, creativity, and strategy. That’s where WellnessLiving’s salon management software comes in. With features designed to streamline your operations, manage bookings, automate marketing, and enhance client communication, WellnessLiving frees up your time to focus on what matters most—serving clients and growing your business.
Ready to grow a strong and loyal client base? Book your no-commitment demo today.
