Jump-Start Social Media

Join the digital revolution and start social media for your spa

by Kristina Mazzenga

The first thing a prospective client does is peek at your social media. In this day and age, consumers are drawn to your online presence, and potential new clients will always look to your Facebook or Instagram before walking through the doors of your spa. That being said, your profiles need to be on point, impressive AND discoverable. If you’ve never been exposed to the world of “social media marketing,” the concept itself can seem quite intimidating, especially if you’re starting from scratch. By understanding how you can utilize social media to its full potential, you have the power to not only drive a TON of new followers to your website, but also to turn not-so-regular clients into consistent ones, too!

With so much potential value in each social media platform, it’s worth investing the time and the effort required to set them up properly. To start social media for your spa, here is a complete guide to creating your Facebook and Instagram accounts to skyrocket your spa services.

How do I start social media for my spa?

Your Bio

With approximately 2.1 billion active users on Facebook and over 700 million active users on Instagram, it’s extremely important that consumers are able to find you quickly and conveniently on social media. In addition to sharing basic information about your business, adding your website and email in your bio on Instagram and in your ‘About’ section on Facebook is a must. Bios should be constantly updated with the latest information in regards to location, phone number and email address. In your bio, briefly describe a featured product or service and link it to your external website to make your bio a powerful marketing and sales tool! Similarly, cross-promoting your social media channels is a simple way to help grow your social following across the board. Before you start social media for your spa, take the time to fill out these sections with care, as both current and potential clients will turn to them frequently. Utilize this space to showcase who you are, where you are, and what makes you unique.

Extra Tip: Though each of your profile bios will differ, your name should remain consistent across all social media networks. This allows people to find your account more easily. For example:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourBusinessName
• Instagram: @YourBusinessName

Images

Always strive to use high-quality photos, whether you use your company logo, a photo of your business, or a headshot. Image consistency across all networks is imperative to better your discoverability on social media and develop immediate trust with your followers. For example, regularly changing your Facebook cover photo keeps your profile interesting to existing followers and gives you the opportunity to re-engage with those who may have not been interested the first time. Keeping your profile photo static will help you maintain brand recognition and consistency across all networks when you start social media for your spa.

Now, what do I post…?

The three most important things to keep in mind when posting content on your social media are:

1. What’s in it for my audience?
2. Would I click on this?
3. Is this relevant to my business?

If you can check off these three things when generating a piece of content, then it’s worth sharing! But what kind of content is good content to be sharing? There’s an endless possibility of content to share on social media, but here are three examples of content that you can try when you start social media for your spa:

Company news

This could be anything from highlighting a new team member, a behind the scenes pic of your newly renovated retail area, awards you’ve received or anything exciting happening in the industry!

What’s trending?

Popular trending hashtags such as #MotivationMonday, #TransformationTuesday and #FacialFriday are great ways to increase traffic to your social media. Although hashtags may not be very popular on Facebook, they’re extremely important for boosting your following on Instagram!

Questions about hashtags?

Need some ideas? Message us on Instagram (@lneonline)!

Product highlights and recommendations

Take a video of an employee (or yourself!) using one of your retail products. This will showcase what’s HOT on your retail shelves and will entice your followers to ask questions about the product!

Here a few more ideas you can incorporate into your social media using both photos & videos!

• Before and after photos
• Reviews/testimonials
• Interview with owner, director or esthetician
• Promotions & events
• Quotes (funny, inspirational AND informative!)
• Ask questions using photos, videos & LIVE broadcasting!

When it comes to what you should post on Facebook versus Instagram, it’s going to come down to trial and error. Don’t get discouraged! When you start social media for your spa, building a social media following takes time. Your audience is going to vary from one social network to the next, so it’s important to take the time to interact with your followers on each channel to see what resonates best on each channel. That being said, take advantage of the Facebook Insights tab (available on every Facebook Business page), which displays free statistics in regards to when your Facebook followers are online and exactly what day and time is best for you specifically to post. Access Insights by clicking the ‘Insights’ tab at the top of your Facebook Business page when you are logged in. Instagram Business accounts have a very similar feature, also called Insights, that can be accessed by clicking the bar graph-like image at the top of your profile when you are logged into your business account. This feature allows you to see your demographic of followers, as well as both the best days and times to post based on your followers’ activity.

How do I gain followers?

To get followed, you must first be a good follower. Here are a few ways you can start social media for your spa off on the right foot and gain real, interactive followers on your social media channels:

MAKE THE FIRST MOVE

Just like you would a new client coming into your spa, act like you are meeting someone for the first time. Instead of simply “liking” a comment that a follower leaves on your page, initiate a conversation! Tagging a person’s name in comments helps build trust with your followers by showing them you are a real person behind the business. Also, hashtags are a great way to connect you to potential customers. Search #’s relatable to your industry, products or services and start engaging with those of similar interests!

ASK QUESTIONS

Ask and you shall receive! Create a quote image using Canva (free, easy-to-use website!) that encourages your followers to respond. For example, “What is your favorite spa day activity? Comment below for your chance to win a FREE treatment for you and your bestie!”

CREATE A CONTEST

Contests are a great way to get people talking about your social media! Ask your followers to ‘like’ or comment on one of your photos to automatically be entered to win whatever it is you are willing or financially able to discount or give away. Encourage them to tag their friends in the comments to really get the buzz out!

Similar to the rest of your online presence, your social media profiles should be active and posted to regularly. Set yourself a reminder to check your profile and to interact with your followers at least once a day, and don’t ignore it!

For more social media contest ideas, message us on Instagram (@lneonline)