Content Is Now One Of Your Fundamental Business Necessities.

By Hayley Mears, Six Underground Media

It’s not a phase. Good content is the beating heart of your business. It is where every, potential, new client heads to make a decision on whether you’re a good fit for them, or not.

Looking at your Instagram feed says so much more about you than you realise and there are lots of untapped resources and missed opportunities you can be using to convert bookings, sales, and followers.

So, what are the ABSOLUTE basics when it comes to your gram?

The name for a start? Is it the same as your business name?

Did you know if your business name or handle is already taken you can still use it as a secondary name so you’re easy to find? Take a look at what I mean here.

Make your profile pic easily identifiable to you.

If you’re using your logo, make sure it is sized to the dimensions that fit the circular frame on Instagram.

If you have logo variations, swap them out regularly and remember to change them for various campaigns and holidays. Add a rainbow filter for pride month or add a border for other holidays.

ALWAYS make sure you have your location geotagged in your bio.

You only have the option of adding ONE link in your Instagram BIO so take advantage of tools like:

Linktr.ee or Later.

Linktr.ee will redirect your audience to a separate landing page where you can share all your other links. We recommend including:

- Link to Book

- Online purchase to gift cards and retail

- Website home

- Facebook

- TikTok Maps

- Email address

- Your online reviews - anywhere and everywhere that you can create more connections.

- Links to your team’s individual

The text in your BIO needs all the important stuff. Your sizzling intro into why your business has a point of difference. Make it fun and give it some colour with emojis.

Now the serious work begins. What content are you going to populate your feed with?

Let’s start with your stories. Create the best content groups and have an eye-catching cover for them. Don’t let your saved stories go stale. No one wants to watch something you posted to Instagram Stories 182 weeks ago. If it’s old archive it. If it’s irrelevant, delete it.

Remember, stories are shown the view in highlights in the order of oldest to newest. Make your content new and exciting. Anything more than six months old must go.

One of the biggest gripes I hear from stylists and salons is: I’m too busy to take photos. I forget to get the before shot. I only really do blondes, so it all looks the same.

So, here’s the thing, you need to make it work. Use your education time as a content creation opportunity. Schedule an in-salon shoot to build up a BIG portfolio of content. Your audience doesn’t need to know what’s being posted isn’t in real-time. Save it up and pepper it through your feed when you need to break up the content.

The other more common feedback I get is “We don’t do radical work, so we have nothing exciting to share…’’ You’re not thinking about all the opportunities you have outside of what is in your column.

What about saving blonde offcuts to use for example toning swatches?

What about showing your salon sustainability processes?

Have you considered using your coworkers as models for quick up-do tutorials during downtime? EVEN better, show some local love to your other small businesses and do a reel ordering your coffee at the cafe before work.

Share your Spotify playlist! Create a video to show new clients the recommended parking areas close by. Where is your go-to for a mani-pedi in your area? Show that too!

The content is endless as long as you have the commitment to create it.

There’s still plenty more that I want to share with you…

Download our eBook for a comprehensive how-to guide for capturing the BEST in salon content.

This eBook is brand new with the latest features, tech hacks, and a library of ideas and examples of what to create when you’re stuck for content.

www.sixunderground.net.au/products/ salon-photography-instagram-ebook