Ever feel like you’re just throwing salon content into the social media void, hoping something sticks? It’s a common frustration in our industry.
As beauty professionals, we know Instagram and TikTok are essential parts of a modern salon marketing strategy, but creating content that truly resonates with potential clients can feel like a mystery.
The solution? A team-based salon social media strategy that taps into your entire staff’s insights and creativity.
Watch episode 39 of Marketing 100 with salon marketing experts Kayle and John as they break down the psychology behind successful salon social media content and share their team-based approach to creating content that truly connects.
Continue reading below for our step-by-step guide to analyzing social media content with your team and creating posts that reflect your salon’s unique personality.
Why Social Media Analysis Matters
Here’s a radical idea: the key to successful salon social media marketing isn’t in following the latest “hacks” or copying trending formats. It’s in understanding why you and your team engage with the beauty content you love.
Don’t just consume social media. Think about social media analytically. I want you to be somewhat skeptical, somewhat introspective, because I want you to take the social media that you’re consuming and run a fine-tooth comb through it to find out why you consume that social media.
The Social Media Deep-Dive Method
Instead of another strategy meeting where you tell your stylists what to post, let’s try something different. This exercise will help your team understand what makes social media content truly engaging.
Start With a Kickoff Meeting
Gather your team and explain the mission: For the next month, you’ll all become social media detectives. Instead of mindlessly scrolling, you’ll analyze why certain content catches your attention. Set clear expectations and get everyone excited about this collaborative approach.
Document Everything
Ask your team to become conscious consumers of social media. When they find themselves rewatching an Instagram Reel or TikTok multiple times, have them save it. There’s something powerful about content that makes us come back for more. That’s what we want to understand.
Tip: check out our salon Instagram tips and tools for platform-specific guidance.
Track Engagement Triggers
Notice what makes you stop scrolling. Is it the opening shot? The caption? The music? Pay special attention to when you feel compelled to comment. This shows a deeper level of engagement than just liking a post. Write down these observations while they’re fresh.
Analyze Your Emotional Response
Are you watching for escape? Education? Entertainment? Understanding your own psychology helps you create better content. Look specifically at other salons you follow—what makes their content stand out from the sea of before-and-after posts?
Meet Regularly to Share Insights
Every couple of weeks, bring the team together to discuss what everyone’s discovered. These conversations often reveal patterns you might miss on your own. Plus, it keeps everyone engaged in the process and builds excitement about creating content.
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Beyond Basic Salon Social Media Posts
We focus on just before and after photos because we’re using social media as a platform to showcase our work, but that’s not really what gets people to book necessarily. The kind of content that makes people watch is stuff that entertains them.
Think about it. When was the last time you booked a service purely based on a before-and-after photo? While showcase posts are important, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. What really drives bookings is the connection potential clients feel with your salon’s personality and culture.
Your content should fall into one of three main categories:
- Educational content (styling tutorials, product knowledge, hair care tips)
- Entertaining content (team moments, salon culture, behind-the-scenes fun)
- Inspirational content (transformations, trending styles, success stories)
The key to success is adapting these categories to match your salon’s unique style and your clients’ interests.
For example, if you specialize in bold color transformations, your educational content might focus on color maintenance tips, while your entertainment might showcase your team’s creative color mixing process. A luxury salon might emphasize sophisticated styling tutorials and elegant transformation reveals.entele.
Crafting Genuine Content
What makes salon social media content feel authentic? It’s not about perfect lighting or polished scripts. It’s about capturing real moments that showcase your salon’s personality. Here’s how to balance strategy with authenticity:
Show Your Salon Culture
Share the small moments that make your salon unique: the morning team coffee ritual, the birthday celebrations, or the careful preparation before a big transformation. These glimpses behind the scenes help clients connect with your team before they ever walk through your door.
Let Your Team’s Personalities Shine
Each stylist brings their own perspective and energy to your salon. Encourage them to share their unique take on trends, their favorite techniques, or their personal hair care tips. This variety keeps your content fresh and helps potential clients find stylists they connect with. Learn more about creating team-driven salon social media content.
Balance Polish with Authenticity
While planning and strategy are essential, don’t let them overshadow genuine moments. A slightly imperfect video of your team celebrating a client’s dramatic color transformation often resonates more than a perfectly staged photo shoot.
Share Real Client Stories
With permission, showcase not just the final results but the stories behind them. Maybe it’s a bride’s pre-wedding transformation or someone’s major style change after a life event. These narratives create emotional connections that basic before-and-after posts can’t match.
Putting Analysis into Action
Make It a Team Effort
This should be a group conversation with your stylists
Schedule regular content brainstorming sessions where everyone shares what social media content catches their attention and why. When your team understands the ‘why’ behind your strategy, they’re more likely to contribute meaningfully.
Mix Up Your Content Types
Don’t just post technical work. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of salon culture. Create quick styling tips. Show off your team’s personalities. Tell client stories. Each type of post serves a different purpose in building your salon’s online presence. For inspiration, explore our collection of salon Instagram ideas.
Study What Works
Track which posts generate the most engagement. Notice when people watch your content multiple times. Pay attention to posting times and frequency. Most importantly, analyze why certain content performs better than others. Is it the music? The caption? The story you’re telling?
Keep It Real (But Strategic)
Good social media content speaks for itself. It shouldn’t be overly manufactured. It should feel genuine and natural. But engineering what makes it feel natural, counterintuitively, is actually a very important part of that.
Yes, there’s strategy involved, but your content shouldn’t feel manufactured. Think of it as choreographing a natural conversation with your audience.
Test and Adapt
Try different content styles. Maybe your audience loves quick styling tips, or perhaps they engage more with fun team moments. The key is to experiment, measure results, and adjust your strategy based on what your specific audience responds to. For a broader perspective, see our complete guide to salon social media marketing.
A team-based salon social media strategy isn’t just about delegating tasks. It’s about creating a collaborative environment where every team member contributes to your salon’s online success.
When your entire team understands and participates in your social media strategy, you’ll create more authentic, engaging content that truly represents your salon’s culture and expertise.
Why Content Connects
Marketing is deeply psychological. Understanding what makes you and your team engage with content will help you create posts that resonate with your ideal clients. It’s not about copying what works for others. It’s about understanding why it works and adapting those principles for your unique salon brand.
Take time to analyze what stops your scroll, what makes you watch something twice, and what compels you to engage. These insights will help you create content that doesn’t just showcase your work but builds genuine connections with potential clients.
Your salon social media strategy shouldn’t feel like a menu of services. It should be a window into your salon’s world, personality, and expertise. When you nail this approach to salon content creation, you’ll find your Instagram and TikTok presence naturally attracts the clients you want to serve.
P.S. For even more proven salon marketing tips, don’t forget to check out the rest of our Marketing 100 series.
