how to use instagram for beauty business
Beauty is a visual industry and Instagram is a fabulous method to stand out from the crowd. However, with full client schedules and constant algorithm changes, Instagram can seem like more of a chore than a valuable business tool. I’ve assembled five of my favorite tips and tricks to “hack” your Instagram and make it work harder for you, with minimal additional effort.
If you’ve taken my in person social media class, you’ve received a great primer on the basics. The hacks below are like a 200-level social media class, so if you’re reading this and feeling lost, don’t fret. I’ll be offering the Salon Social Blueprint as a webinar class in the very near future. 5 instagram hacks to use today
1. Get eyes on your Instagram Stories by using more hashtags
You know the drill, you take a photo or a short video and add the hashtag option, post it to your story, and hope that prospective clients will see it and want to come to you for gorgeous nails or hair or lashes. Did you know that you can use up to TEN hashtags in an IG story? Add your main traffic-grabbing hashtag in a visible way (we recommend a branded or geographic hashtag,) and add nine more that make sense for your business. The way to do this? Hide them! Find a spot in the background and change the hashtags to that color. This way you can capitalize on all of those traffic driving hashtags without bombarding your followers and potential clients with all of those words. In the below example, turn all of those hashtags in the lower righthand corner yellow, and they disappear from the eye but are still actively putting your content out there to be seen. how to use instagram for beauty business
2. Change your name!
What’s in a name? Well, your name on Instagram is an amazingly untapped resource. I’m not referring to your handle, like my other blog, @thenailscape. I’m talking about the name in your bio. Think about what a potential client would type in to the search bar. If they don’t know about you, then they likely won’t be searching for your exact business name. Make your name describe you and the services you provide, and you’ll be surprised how many new people your profile will be shown to. Brevity is important, as you are limited to 30 characters or less in the name field. See our example below: 5 instagram hacks to start using today
3. Make the link in your bio work harder
Instagram only allows one clickable link in your bio, so it better be bringing home the proverbial (and literal) bacon for you. If you aren’t yet at the 10k follower threshold that you need to have the ability to insert links into your IG story, your link bio is the best way to convert lookers at your profile into buyers at your nail table. I use a service called Linktree, which allows me to add several clickable links to a landing page of sorts. People who look at my bio can click and see recent blog posts, The Nailscape Box, and even join my email list. You’d do well to make your first button a link to your booking info. Make it as easy as possible to get an appointment with you, as the average social media user will only click twice before giving up on the booking process. how to use instagram for beauty business
4. Save time when responding to comments and DMs
“How much for a full set?” “How late are you open?” “Can I get an appointment?” How many times have you had to type out the answers to these questions? Extra points if you’ve pasted the answers into a note on your phone to save time. Instagram has a fabulous feature for those of you with a business profile. In your settings, click “business settings,” and then “quick replies.” Once you click “new quick reply,” you can type out the full reply you’d like to send like, “Hi there! Thanks for your message – A full set with nail art like this photo starts at $85.” In the shortcut section, you can type the short phrase that you’ll type instead of the long form message, like “fullset.” Next time you want to answer a question about cost, just type fullset and the full sentence will appear. You can then quickly edit the dollar amount if needed, and be on your way to other things. The time savings are real. how to use instagram for beauty business
5. Drive traffic to your posts using IG Stories
Want to show off a particularly fire color correction? Share a sneak peek of it in your story without having to run it through more editing. Simply add it to your story from your camera roll, and then click the pen icon in the upper righthand corner. Select the chisel-tipped marker tool and choose a branded or complementary color from the palette and hold your finger down on the screen. It will create a translucent color mask over the photo and allow you to give a sneak peek and pique the interest of your story viewers. how to use instagram for beauty business
What other Instagram or social media hacks would you like to hear about? Want to know when the Salon Social Blueprint webinar goes live? Join the email list to be among the first to know when it’s up and running. And as always, share this post with your friends who love Instagram and could use our hacks! how to use instagram for beauty business
Want more tips like this?
Join the community to receive social, branding, and business tips direct to your inbox, along with a FREE social media scheduling guide - learn the best times to post on each platform to reach the most potential clients.
Success! You're all set - check your inbox soon for the FREE social media scheduling guide. - Ashley
how to use instagram for beauty business
