Social Media Followers Under The Microscope

By Kayla Zigic

How focused are you on “growing” your Instagram following? And are you focusing more on the followers you “don’t have” over the loyal followers you do have?

In the virtual world, we are led to believe that social media is a numbers game. I remember when each client I worked with wanted to hit a magical number, whether 1000, 5000, 10,000, or more followers, the “follower count” always seemed to be their primary goal and objective. And they believed that their online business and social media would be a success when they hit that magic number.

Unfortunately, follower count is still very much an obsession among 90% of social media users. I see it in forums daily “I lost 36 followers this week. Did this happen to anyone else?” (More often than not, those unfollows may be bot accounts, people that moved away, or people who don’t align with your brand anymore, and that’s okay).

And then suddenly, there becomes a disconnect on the real reason we use social media.

So, how is it that we are spending more time focused and obsessing about the followers we don’t have and followers we are losing over the followers we still have that are current clients or can potentially become clients with the right social media strategies?

I’m about to let you in on a giant truth bomb...

I can, hand on heart, tell you, just like everything else on social media, sometimes things are not always what they may seem in real life. And I can promise you, a “big” following doesn’t always mean a “busy salon.”

Now, why am I, as a social media strategist in the beauty industry, telling you “not to focus on the numbers?” because, in the social media world, we like to call metrics like followers and likes “vanity metrics.”

We describe a vanity metric as a feel-good social dopamine rush. Metrics like “likes” and “followers” serve no real purpose unless those “likes”, and “followers” are converting to bums on seats or bodies on beds. And rarely does a large number of likes or followers correlate to the number of clients you have in your salon, yet we’ve become so focused on followers and people unfollowing that we have forgotten the most important people of all, the followers we already have. to have a successful salon. Yes, growing a following is important, BUT it shouldn’t be the overall goal of your social media strategy, ever!

So, what should you be focusing on within your social media?

Social media is a platform designed to allow people to be you guessed it, “social!”

First and foremost, you need to focus on building your community and nurturing the followers you already have and start turning them into advocates for your salon.

That means taking the time to create authentic and meaningful connections with your audience and beginning to navigate the world of social media and start truly connecting with your dream clients.

How can this be done?

Have you heard the term people buy from people? That is very much true on your social media platforms. People want to see you, they want to see your staff, they want to learn about you, your specialties, your interests, your quirks. Not only do they want an incredible therapist, who provides a fantastic service, but they also want a therapist and a salon they can connect with them on a deeper level. Share some things they might not know about you and your staff, start sharing your mission statement and your visions, and address their concerns personally.

For Example, if you are a salon specialising in acne because you have/had suffered from acne, share that. If you are a salon that focuses on blondes because your hair was damaged when you were younger, share that too. That helps you build strong relationships with existing followers, but it also allows you to build your brand authority as an expert in your niche so that when new potential people come to your page, they can see you are an expert in the services you are providing.

Also, start building relationships in your inbox and your comments. I know you’re busy, but if someone has taken the time to “engage” with you, you must follow social media etiquette and engage back. If a talkative client came into the salon and the therapist didn’t reciprocate the conversation, that client may not return. Think of this the same for social media. Why would someone continue to engage if that wasn’t reciprocated?

Here are some metrics I like to suggest focusing on over your follower count.

• Your Engagement.

• Your Bookings

• Your Enquiries

• Your Sales

But these metrics can only be achieved by followers that have built a connection with you; existing followers account for 95% of these metric goals. And if these followers become clients and then become advocates for your business, they will be your best form of social media advertising; think of them like your social media word of mouth, one of the most powerful marketing tools available.

So, instead of focusing on your follower number, I urge you to change your social media mindset and focus on your community. By doing that, your following can only grow.

Beauty veteran turned social media guru and & social media myth buster. Kayla Zigic has worn all the hats in the beauty world. Therapist, salon owner, trainer, social media marketing agency owner, guest speaker and now a beauty social media educator, Kayla is passionate about combining her years of industry experience and intense social media knowledge to help salon owners reach their social media goals through her membership Socials for Salons. Kayla’s goal is to create a world full of confident, social media savvy, salon owners, who get results, without having to spend hours daily on the platforms. She is on a mission to help all salon owners who feel overwhelmed, uninspired, frustrated with social media, and teach them how to build a strong social media presence and convert followers into loyal clients.

@socialsforsalons