Profiting from social media - business extra

Even the biggest cynic cannot deny the impact that social media has had on society and the way people communicate and yet many salon owners are still nervous about using the medium.

James Davis, owner of Clay Salon and Spa, and his social media adviser James Econs, founder of Social for Salons, set about putting salon owners at ease by offering practical advice on the tools available and how Clay has successfully used them at their Business Extra seminar at Salon International.

The duo began by setting out the three platforms that they believe salon owners can most easily and effectively use: Twitter, a microblogging platform; Facebook, a social media hub that aggregates other platforms; and Tumblr an online blogging platform. 

No matter which platform works best for you - or whether you choose to use multiple platforms to increase your social media reach - consistency is the key, they told the audience before offering guidelines on the ideal frequency of your updates:

• Twitter: 5-20 a day
• Facebook:  3 a day to 1 a week
• Blog: 1 a day to 1 a month

They then demonstrated the eight ways social media can boost your business.

1. Offers direct connection with clients, industry contacts and media

James and his team at Clay have used Twitter to develop relations with industry peers and icons. They were also able to generate local PR by tweeting the editor of the leading local paper after a salon fire, which led to local coverage.

2. It allows you to control your brand image - and grow it

Despite being a salon in a small Surrey village, Clay has managed to attract a client base that extends into London by joining in with conversations happening online.

3. All respected brands have a presence on social media

If you aren't there, people are going to be asking why. Integrating social media aspects into their own website has also reaped rewards for Clay.

4. It allows you to promote offers and speak to followers and clients

Marketing campaigns and direct mail can be a costly exercise, but using social media you can tell your clients exactly what you are offering and you can react quickly to trends or news. It's also a great way for building rapport with people before they enter your salon so that they feel more comfortable when they first walk in the door.

5. It enables you to find out what your clients really think

Your clients are using it, so it's a great way for you to find out what they really think of you - and your competitors. In the event that there are any negative comments, social media gives you a chance to respond and turn any negativity around. James also encourages his team to use social networks to follow their clients to get to know them better, which means there is no need for small talk.

6. Enables you to use peer-to-peer marketing to recruit staff and clients

Clay has effectively used Twitter to recruit new staff by having their tweets re-tweeted by industry peers. This has also created a system where they have had staff recommended, which limits the risks attached to recruitment.

7. Allows you to become part of your client's community

During the Olympics the bike race came through Oxshott, so Clay decided to take advantage of this by closing the salon for appointments and serving hot drinks to visitors instead in exchange for a donation to the local charity. They tweeted the local charity to let them know that this is what they were planning and the message was then shared on their behalf. Over the two days of the bike race, hundreds of visitors flocked to the town, more than £700 was made for the Shooting Stars charity and the salon was able to book more than 80 new clients who they had showed around salon.

8 Provides inspiration for your salon as a business, as an integral part of the community

Remember it's not just about you sharing what you are up to. Look and learn from your competitors and other local businesses and, where appropriate you can team up with them on any ideas that you share.

Finally James Econs ended with a word of warning for salons hoping to use social media as a quick fix: "Creating a social media profile doesn't happen over night. It takes one to two years to establish your brand on social sites, but it is worth the wait because if you aren't doing it, your competitors will be."