Influencers continue to be as influential as ever (surprise, surprise) as they talk about their favourite products, holidays and clothes on social media, shaping how consumers spend their money. But how can they help hairdressers, and is it worth inviting them into your salon?
The team at Brooks & Brooks have recently started inviting beauty influencers into their Covent Garden salon, both independently and working with their product partner, L’Oréal Professionnel. “It’s not something we have done before, but we now have a manager who has experience in this world and manages it for us,” Jamie Brooks explains. “Ultimately for any salon business it’s about bums on seats, and as we are located on a high street, we need to be more consumer focused than we have been in the past.
“There’s a big difference between press and influencers; press have a following of readers, while influencers have a following of targeted consumers, so they are two totally different audiences. Recently we teamed up with L’Oréal Professionnel to offer a treatment in the salon for selected influencers.”
If you’re thinking of inviting influencers into your salon, Jamie points out that there are a few things to consider first. “Do you have team capacity? Are the team fully trained in working with and talking about products and services? What are your expectations when working with influencers?”
Reflecting on the experience, Jamie says: “The day was certainly a success for us and we will definitely be doing it again; we have gained new clients from the influencers’ audiences as well as the influencers themselves. It was hard work but was worth it, as there was a real connection with the influencers, relationships were built and it was a real experience for our team.”
If you’re new to working with influencers, Jamie shares his top tips:
1. Work with your product partner as their reach will be bigger than your own, meaning they can bring a broader range of influencers to your salon.
2. Working with a brand means you can concentrate on what you do best – the hair – while they negotiate social posts, salon mentions etc.
3. Look at it as a business rather than something nice to do. You have to get something from it to be worth the time and effort.
4. Choose influencers that suit your brand, know your market and have an audience who you are targeting. There’s no point getting an influencer with a big audience who likes vivid colours if you’re a balayage salon.
