Social networking and the hair industry
Published
07th Nov 2007
by sophieh
Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook have shifted from being the domain of teenagers wanting to pour out their angst, to global forums for people of all ages.
They are also increasingly being used by corporations and independent businesses as marketing and networking tools.Successful session stylist and MySpace user, Noel Gibbins of Kennadys in Ingatestone, Essex believes sites such as MySpace are an invaluable forum for displaying work:
"The opportunity to show off your work to the right people is key to developing your career. From a salon owner's perspective, it's an ideal way to see a prospective staff member's work and gain an understanding of their style, capabilities and achievements. About 80% of the work I've received can be attributed to the opportunity to show what I can do on my MySpace site."Hairdressing suppliers have also recognised the power of social networking. Wahl, for example, has a presence on both MySpace and YouTube, as Wahl head of marketing Matthew Smith explains:
"We chose MySpace at the beginning of 2007 as it was the most popular site with around 182 million users. We have also considered Facebook, Winksite, Bebo, Hi5, Classmates, Friendster, A Smallworld and Netlog, but these sites are not always popular in certain counties or regions. They are also more prone to rapid changes in popularity as new technology is introduced. The general consensus is that MySpace and Facebook have enough of a user base and foothold to survive. We use MySpace for recruiting models, to let people know about our Academy courses and we also keep our rising number of friends up-to-date with activities, new products and shows. We have tried to keep it low key and with a soul, rather than using it as a marketing tool."Terry Calvert's Clipso group has sites on MySpace and Facebook, both of which are managed by Clipso Watford stylist Thea Bishop, who believes they are a great way of staying in touch with your clients.
"Visually, MySpace is a great social networking site as you can upload hair collections, seminar/stage videos and really get creative to capture visitors' attention. We recently also started a Facebook site. It's not as visual as MySpace but you can build up groups and target them with specific messages.We've had lots of hair companies contacting us with opportunities. Also clients have started writing feedback on their experience at the salons, which is very helpful. It's great that clients have got behind the sites so much. We use Facebook and MySpace to keep in touch and to keep our clients updated with what we're doing - informing them of any promotions and special offers."As businesses continue to recognise the potential of social networking sites, their importance to hairdressing is likely to increase. Even the most technophobic hairdressers could be blogging away within months.
