Market your salon on social media and nail it!
Social media is moving really fast and it can be very difficult to keep up with the latest trends, new channels coming up, the way that algorithms keep changing, hashtags or no hashtags, captions too short or too long, static post, carousel or short-video content (reels) and the list goes on and on. To be honest, this is not different to any industry, think about the beauty industry and how quick trends change!
Now, given that this is such a big topic, I am going to focus on one specific area in this article being "User-Generated Content" also known as "Consumer-generated content).
First of all, what is User-Generated Content (UGC)?
The "official" definition is that UGC is original, brand-specific content created by customers and published on social media or other channels. UGC comes in many forms, including images, videos, reviews, a testimonial, or even a podcast.
In plain English (and by someone whose English is my second language!), it means content that a customer publishes on their social media (let's say on Instagram) after receiving a treatment from you and they tag your salon so you see it on your notifications. This sounds like all of a sudden you were given free content for the day and you don't have to worry about what to post today? Well, that's exactly what it is! Too good to be true?
Sounds great, but how can I get some UGC?
It may not be as difficult as you may think it is. You can obtain UGC from:
Your Clients
Think about that beautiful feeling when you receive a beauty treatment and you look amazing and confident! What if your beautician gave you a little incentive for you to upload a photo or a story on Instagram and tag them? That incentive can be a discount for the next session, a free touch-up or anything that is within your means but valuable to your client.
Your customers are usually the most prominent "brigade" you’ll look to gain UGC from, either because you’ve asked for it or because they’ve decided to share content about your salon.
This is word-of-mouth marketing at its best and the best part is that it won't cost you anything or very little!
Your Loyal Customers
They are the most enthusiastic about you and your own personal brand you created over time and there is a relationship of trust. Since they are so passionate about your work, this audience segment (fancy term, right!) is opportune to reach out and ask for some specific UGC.
Your Staff Members!
This is called "Employee-generated content" (EGC) and it is great to show your salon values and provide some BTS (Behind the Scenes) content. You may be saying to yourself now, why haven't I thought about this before? Don't punish yourself as you are not alone on this one!
Examples of this content can be photos of your employees getting ready for a beauty procedure, have them talk on the camera about why they love working for you or what they love the most about their job, etc. The possibilities are endless here!
This type of content helps establish brand identity and showcase authenticity.
UGC Creators
This one may not be as handy or available as the ones above however it could be interesting for you to explore this once you nailed the above 3.
A UGC Creator is someone who creates "sponsored content" that appears authentic but is designed to showcase a specific business or product. They are paid for their content which is not the traditional organic UGC we have been talking about but imitates it.
Benefits of Using UGC
- Takes authenticity to the next level
- Helps establish brand loyalty and grows community
- Acts as a trust signal
- Adaptable and flexible
- Cost effective
Pro-Tip: Create your own Hashtag and have it displayed on the Bio section on your account! I promise it will pay off over time!
If you like this blog article, leave us a comment below and share it with your colleagues!
With Love, Ari xx
Source:
https://blog.hootsuite.com/user-generated-content-ugc/
