10 Tips For Success on Social Media

Instagram may have started out as a fun way to share pictures, but in 2017 it has much bigger implications: As a marketing tool for your personal brand. 

In an industry that is all about the visuals, Instagram is a fast, free way to show off your work- which can actually translate into business. In fact, stylists with large social media followings have seen quantifiable increases in the number of guests in their chairs, as well as more offers for editorial work. While growing a fan base isn’t totally necessary for being a successful hairstylist or colorist (talent and technique definitely still matter), it certainly doesn’t hurt.

By showcasing the quality of your work, and taking a few easy steps to get your photos in front of a larger audience, you can grow your social media following tenfold. It may take a few months, and requires some pretty consistent dedication, but if you’re willing to spend some real time curating and growing your social media presence it can have a pretty major payout in the long run.

Here are 10 tips, care of Redken social media stars Blake Reed Evans (@blakereedevans) and Matthew Tyldesley (@hairbymatt) — who have a combined following of nearly 20,000, and have both seen increases in their business because of it — for how you can grow your Instagram following and use it to your benefit. 

1. Geotagging

There are a few tried and true ways to get eyeballs to your page, and though you’ve probably heard them before, it’s only because they really do work. When it comes to making your social media content discoverable, there is no better tool than hashtagging, and more particularly geotagging. Including hashtags and location tags specific to your town & city will help local clients see your work, and can inspire them to book an appointment with you. As far as geotagging goes, Evans has a special hack: “To draw in new guests, I'll hop on the local Tampa geotag, and I'll like photos or I'll tag my photos to really popular places in my area,” he says. “For instance, there's a popular university in my area, so I'll post hair photos and I'll geotag it to that location. It will then pop up in the Top 9 photos or top posts for that location so that other people will see it.” Find popular spots nearby and pin your photos to them to get them in front of an entirely new set of people.

2. Create A Schedule

In order to attract people to your account, a best practice is to post between one and three times every day. To make this process more manageable, Tyldesley suggests creating a schedule (he writes his down on an actual calendar) to ensure there are no gaps in your content. “Monday might be ‘Man-Monday,’ so I’ll take a picture of a male client and post that; Tuesday might be ‘Transformation Tuesday’ so I'll post a before and after; Wednesday might be an editorial image either on set or behind the scenes,” he says. Developing a plan can help you maintain a strong content strategy. It can also help set your account up for continued success and growth.

3. Separate The Personal From The Professional

Though the idea of having two accounts may be daunting, your main account should only be about showcasing your professional brand — in other words- try to keep the dogs, boyfriends or baby photots to a minimum. “A [professional Instagram] is basically a version of having your own website,” says Evans. “You don't go to a restaurant's website and see photos of their kids, and if you do it's one photo to humanize the brand. I really encourage everybody to think clearly about what brand message you're putting out there.” Your brand can still be fun, but it needs to have a clear focus that shows your followers who you are as a stylist.

4. Share The Love

"If you want love, you've gotta give it," says Tyldesley, who spends about an hour each day commenting on and liking his followers' photos. For Evans, it’s about finding work that speaks to him and interacting with it as a way to connect with other hairdressers. Figure out who, exactly, you want your audience to be (guests or other stylists) and interact with them accordingly.

5. Use Captions To Your Advantage

It may seem like Instagram is all about the Imagery, but when it comes to making your imagery stand out, captions are just as important. “My biggest passion in the hair world is education, so that's where I focus a lot of my captions,” says Evans. His audience is primarily other hair dressers, so his captions include formulas, techniques and trend predictions. If you’re a stylist looking to cater your account toward clients, consider including product tips and special offers in your captions. When building your strategy, it’s all about creating content that speaks to and attracts your ideal audience.

6. Collect Content

It may be tempting to put every amazing photo online the minute you take it, but you're better off saving some of the best images for a proverbial rainy day. "Some people will put up five images at once, and then a week goes by and they haven't posted anything, says Tyldesley, who notes that posting consistently is one of the most important factors in growing a following. "Stockpile your images. When you're on vacation, you still need to post. It’s a great way to maintain your posting frequency in that you are able to release imagery even in those moments when you aren’t able to capture content.”

7. Make The Most Out Of Every Look

One hair cut or color treatment has the potential to give you enough content to last a week."Make sure you get a front shot and a side shot," says Tyldesley. "And even if it's a hair color story, you can also get a hair-styling story out of it. Talk about how you did it, what you used, and tag that client — that way, their friends/followers see it too, which can help you get more business.

8. Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

You may be the lead stylist behind a look, but chances are there were others involved in the final product, too. ”I showcase my work, but I also promote the photographers I work with," says Tyldesley. "I talk about the products I use, the designers, the models, and that has really helped with my Instagram following quite a bit.” By tagging other Instagrammers in your photos, it shows up on their profiles, too, which can help introduce your work to an entirely new audience.

9. Don’t Limit Yourself To Instagram

Though Instagram may be the most in-your-face (and most visually appealing) social media of the moment, it doesn't mean you should ignore all the others. "Instagram is where it's at, particularly with Instagram stories, but if you want to appeal to the youngest demographic Snapchat is still a really great resource." says Evans. "And Facebook isn't going away either. The average age of a Facebook user is 41, and that's a really good demographic to go after as well. I shift my language a little bit on Facebook to be a little bit more mature, not as young, and I put more specials and availability on Facebook whereas I wouldn't want that on my Instagram feed.” You can also share the same images across different platforms at different times (and even with different captions) as a way to reach a varied audience.

10. Have Fun With It

At the end of the day, social media should be a way to share who you are with the world. “It’s so easy to get caught up in 'this person has more likes or a bigger following,' but you really want to get engagement, so telling a story and showcasing who you are is the most important" says Tyldesley. “It's not just going to be handed to you. You've gotta work for it. It's not a race, it's a marathon, and it's constant, but just remember to have fun with it.”