These days, having an appealing storefront and website isn’t enough to gain new customers. With more information at our fingertips than ever before, the research and consideration phase of a potential customer’s journey is the real battlefield for new business. Consumers not only search the web and reviews to help them make informed buying decisions, but they also venture to business’s social media profiles to learn more.
For the Beauty and Wellness industries in particular, having a vibrant and up-to-date social media presence is key to winning the attention, and ultimately the buying decision, of a new customer.
Read on to learn how to leverage Instagram’s features to meet consumer’s needs and questions in their research phase and how to showcase your products and services, brand, and current happy customers.
Why Instagram?
Instagram is a primarily visual platform. Since much of the Beauty and Wellness industries capitalizes on aesthetics and transforming personal appearance or health, it’s important that your profile shows off pictures of exactly what your business can do.
Pictures of new haircuts, nails, makeup or a relaxing massage experience can be all it takes for your business to be chosen over competitors who have no visuals of their work. Showcasing your services and products isn’t the only superpower Instagram has to offer your business.
Your Instagram social media content can:
Let’s dive into how Instagram can establish and define your brand and generate digital word-of-mouth awareness.
Establishing & Defining Your Brand
Odds are, your salon, spa,or retail space has a certain look to it. Your Instagram feed should have the same consistent branding in every post so viewers and potential customers have a strong sense of who you are and what your business offers.
When your branding is consistent, new customers trust what you offer because there’s one singular message that’s easy to remember. Too much variety in messaging and branding can cause confusion and throw a haze around who you are and what your business does and can send potential customers looking elsewhere.
When your brand is established, there’s something for your current customers to be loyal to! It also provides a clear path for new customers to convert into and for everyone to spread the word about.
Generating Digital Word-of-Mouth Awareness
Another underrated and powerful part of your business’s Instagram presence is the opportunity to create content that your audience wants to not only interact with, but share as well.
Here are some fun ways to encourage viewers to engage with your content:
Let’s go a little deeper into how to leverage these Instagram features.
Questions & Polls
People love talking about themselves and expressing their opinions. When you create a Story on Instagram, consider adding a question or poll for viewers to respond to and interact with.
You can make the content about whatever you want, but it’s always a good idea to have some of it geared towards your services or products.
Example: you just launched a new line of products in your salon and you want feedback. This is a great opportunity for a poll! Maybe you’re thinking about adding a new kind of therapeutic massage and want to gauge interest. Asking questions about what your customer’s love now and want more of in the future can help make effective business decisions.
The opportunities are endless here...get creative!
Infographics & Fun-fact Sheets
Pushing out educational materials makes your audience feel empowered and cared for by your business. If your business is in the Wellness industry (or any industry!), infographics are a great way to simplify complex topics and make implementing positive changes in the viewer’s life seem more attainable. Bonus points if the graphic is cute! If the viewer finds the infographic useful and inspiring, they are more likely to share it with their audience and help your brand reach new potential customers.
Fun-fact sheets are fun if they are about your business, but they are even more fun if they give the viewer a chance to express some fun-facts about them that they can share with their friends! Just make sure your branding and services are clear and attached to the content so the sheet works to create awareness and loyalty with the participant.
Business Partnerships & Contests
Sometimes, it pays to be friendly with business near you who offer different services within your industry. An effective way to build awareness, new business and followers is to link up with other beauty and wellness businesses to offer a package that benefits every party involved.
As an example: your business enters a viewer into a raffle for 50% off a massage when they follow you and another competitor. The business the viewer just followed then offers the same viewer a free week of facials when they share a post and like another competitor, who then offers the viewer a sample of their new multivitamin.
This comradery helps everyone' businesses, social media following and can create a new loyal customer for everyone involved. It also communicates to your audience that your business is involved and active in the industry and is committed to offering real value to its customers.
Final thoughts:
Having a strong social media presence for the Beauty and Wellness industries is key for business growth and brand loyalty. There are many ways to leverage Instagram’s features and encourage content engagement and post sharing. If your business lacks a social media presence or you don’t have time to upkeep it in the way you would like, RevLocal has resources to help! Check them out here. If there’s a gap between what you want to do and what you’re able to do with your Instagram, RevLocal has it handled. Schedule a free call with one of our consultants today!
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Taylor Rice, Blog Contributor
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