3 Ideas for Connecting with Your Clients Virtually

As we navigate the uncharted territory of COVID-19, salon closures and limited reopenings, we’re all searching for ways to stay connected with our guests while we’re unable to operate at full capacity—and, well—we may as well get creative with it!

Here we are, investing in online education, hosting virtual team meetings and even clinking glasses with coworkers through video conferencing apps, so why not find a way to connect with our clients via these same digital platforms. Our suggestion? Facebook!

While this platform may already seem slightly outdated to some, the fact is, people are spending a surprising amount of time scouring their timelines while home under quarantine, and Facebook is seeing quite the spike as people turn to this platform for news, updates, support and social relief.

We’re all guilty of it, and our industry is no exception. Personally, I’m a member of at least five Facebook groups created to house communities of salon owners and a few groups focused on professionals in the branding and marketing field, all of which have picked up quite a bit speed in light of our current situation as everyone is left to seek out the advice of their peers.

We’re using these groups to inquire about the status of our PPP loans, discuss new sanitation measures, and above all, we’re using these communities to support one another as we navigate our way out of this mess. So, why aren’t we doing the same thing with our clients?

It’s likely that you already engage with a large majority of your guests through Facebook. Whether they’re liking your posts or participating in your polls, you already have their attention. Now it’s time to build on that virtual sense of community.

This the perfect time to create a Facebook group for your salon, and no, I’m not just talking about one for your team—I’m talking about a Facebook group filled with friends from throughout your community. We recently built this out for our own salon, Be Inspired Salon, in Madison, Wisconsin, and the level of energy and engagement has been so incredibly heart-warming.

You can invite your team, your guests, your neighbors, even other local businesses in your area and you can use this platform to share everything from inspiration, beauty tutorials, salon specials, updates, and of course–memes! The opportunities are truly endless.

3 CREATIVE CONTENT IDEAS YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY

This group will be the key in connecting with your guests while you’re unable to service them. Here are three creative content ideas that you can post about to get your group going, even while you’re unable to operate at full capacity.

Bring on the Binge-Worthy Beauty Tutorials

We all miss our usual get-ready routines, and this is the perfect excuse to get dolled up on camera. There has never been a better time to create content for your clients, not to mention, the opportunities for repurposing this content to use on your own feeds while you’re not behind the chair.

You can teach your guests which products and techniques to use and when to use them. Your clients will totally appreciate the tips and tricks while taking care of their hair at home, and of course, they’ll be so glad to see their favorite stylist’s face.

Have Some Fun and Host a Live Event

Facebook’s “live” feature creates endless opportunities to bring everyone together. You could host a live Q&A session with one of your stylists once a week so that guests can tune in and have their burning haircare questions answered in real time.

You can even have some fun with it—for example, at Be Inspired Salon, we host a weekly Beauty & Brains Trivia night live in our group. Our Salon Manager comes up with the questions and every guest who gets 10 or more answers correct wins a $15 gift card to use at the salon when we re-open.

Keep Your Clients up to Date with Your Current Product Promotions

Your guests are likely running low on many of their favorite products since being away from the salon. Now is your opportunity to share how they can continue to support your business and get the products they need. Are you doing deliveries? Curbside pickup? Are you only accepting orders on certain days of the week? Keep your clients updated and make it super easy for them to support your salon until you’re able to see them again.

And what’s more, you can continue to communicate with your guests through this platform when you re-open. This group will be the perfect place to share information about your new sanitation measures, post about upcoming in-salon promotions and events, reminders about monthly VIP perks, you name it.

And the best part? You’ll have a direct line of access to your entire salon community. Your guests don’t currently get notified when you post on your salon’s Facebook page or share an update on Instagram, but when you share updates with your community via this group, your members will be notified immediately and you’ll always be top of mind. Time to start sending out those invitations.

About the Author: Samantha Georgson is a writer, blogger, content creator and digital marketing maven. She is the Director of Marketing for Inspired Enterprises, Inc., the parent company to three incredible beauty industry brands – Beyond the Technique; an education platform for salon owners and beauty industry professionals, Meet Your Stylist; an innovative salon software that matches clients with their perfect stylists at your salon based on behavioral economics, and Be Inspired Salon; an award-winning salon located in Madison, Wisconsin.