Two salon owners discuss the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence to help run their salon...
Sam Burnett, owner at Hare & Bone,
says yes...
“AI is a hot topic right now, and while I appreciate many are sceptical and nervous about the arrival of this software, the fact is it isn’t going anywhere. It is here to stay and will continue to develop at a rate that is unprecedented. As with many things in life, if you don’t take the time to learn and evolve then you get left behind, and the same goes with AI. It is essential that we use it for good and understand the power this opportunity can bring our businesses. By writing business plans, social media posts, newsletters, AI can assist quickly and with expertise in areas that we, as hair professionals, don’t specialise in.
“However, there are two major factors to consider. Firstly, whatever AI produces should only be considered a starting point. It creates information collated from online research, it does not know your opinion on trends or share your personality on posts. You need to edit the copy in order for it to reflect your brand values and tone of voice.
“Secondly, and this is an important one, it is all about balance. AI should support your work. It should not become your marketing department. Use it to help you plan a campaign or guide you through a strategic launch. You must know what your brand stands for and allow AI to feed into that, not control it. It is important as creative people that we continue to look outside AI for inspiration - in nature, galleries, books, people, cities and theatres, to listen to our intuition and find a balance between real life and AI.”
Joe Hemmings, founder of Bloggs and Honest Salon Leadership, says no...
“This is an easy one for me. As much as I believe in using AI when it comes to running systems and processes in order to bring consistency to your business, I am completely against using it when it comes to human connection. In a world that is becoming more and more automated, I personally miss that human connection and building relationships.
“There are many ifs and buts surrounding the use of AI in business debate, and it's important to remember everyone’s situation is different. For example, a multi-national chain or a salon that relies on new clients to survive is completely different to a salon that has a loyal and local clientele. A big factor here is knowing your client base. Our most valuable marketing tool is word-of-mouth and recommendations from existing clients, and therefore directing our marketing towards them.
“In my opinion, if you have local clients then you need to be tapping into that and building a community that supports your business success and growth. This is down to communication and clients feeling involved with your business. Our most effective marketing tool is our clients. Engage with them on a human level and let them spread the word organically. I understand AI could make things easier and also save you time, but I would argue that if you don't want to prioritise a personable marketing approach then you don't deserve to have the clients in the first place.”
