MENU
SEARCHAt Off 7th Salon in Centereach, New York, an active Instagram program brings in 50-60 new clients per week.
Sal Cassara understands exactly how emotionally attached the younger generations are to their phones because his daughter Chelsea is 20. “They interrupt whatever they are doing, even if it is driving, to respond to a text,” says Sal, who owns Off 7th Salon in Centereach, New York. “We connect to our stylists by texting—imagine 28 people all connected in a conversation, any hour of the evening—I think they even sleep with their phones.”
So when it came to using mobility to connect with clients to the Long Island salon, Sal called for Chelsea’s help. The salon, which trends toward young, hip clients craving avant guard color, tapped into Instagram, amassing an impressive 9,000 followers over two years. “I really started off posting images of hair the salon was doing that I would enjoy seeing,” says Chelsea, who is a pediatric nurse by day, and the salon’s social media manager on her lunch breaks. “I also don’t post more than a picture or two a day, because you don’t want to overload it and annoy people or they will block you.”
Chelsea finds success in posting images of before and after client picture, and pictures of creative color. “I’m very particular about what I post,” she says. “The angle has to be just right and I don’t like anyone in the background, so the stylists always send me 10 or more pictures of the same hairstyle. Then I always credit the hairstylist, because new clients will come in and reference the stylists whose work they admire.”
Once a month or so, Off 7th Salon runs a contest on Instagram for a chance to win a $40 gift card. To win a chance, followers have to repost the salon’s image to their own Instagram accounts, exposing their own followers to the salons branding and message. “Each time, there are particular instructions that they need to hashtag a particular word, and one girl reposting it can expose it to another 200 people,” says Chelsea. “We’ll keep the contest live for about a week and we’ll have anywhere from 200 to 300 people repost the picture to their own Instagram accounts. I scroll down and pick the winners randomly, not necessarily based on the most likes and when they come to pick up their gift cards, I snap a picture of them with the certificate and post that so people know it’s not a scam.”
For Off 7th, the picture-based social community is a gold mine. Both Sal and Chelsea credit the medium with generating the 50-60 new clients the salon sees coming in per week. And, while the salon doesn’t survey what’s bringing those clients in, Chelsea’s pretty sure it’s the Instagram. “Most of them come in asking for a particular stylist by name or asking for a look they saw on Instagram.”
Putting your family to work in the salon offers some real tax benefits, but you have you have to play by the rules of the tax code to claim them. Azarvand Tax Law's Leticia Skrabut, Esq., shows you how.
Discover how to create a true “WOW experience” for every client by first building a culture where your team feels engaged, empowered, and inspired. Drawing on Calvin Stovall’s Iconic Framework, this blog explores how salon, spa, and clinic leaders can strengthen culture, elevate customer experience, and build a business that stands out for the long term.
Sponsored by Phorest Salon Software
The wellness industry is growing fast, and salons and barbershops already are an important part of it. In her first blog, Tracy Rado shares where the wellness dollars are heading, and how salon's can grow with this movement.
While salon sales are increasing, owners often feel they're working harder for the same or less profit. Leverage Q2 data from The KIM Report, Alain Audet reveals some of the structural changes that are dampening your growth and why your region and your salon size matters.
Weaknesses in your business are amplified during the Holiday Season. Spark Pro Global's Lucy Randall shows you five things to do now to have the strongest holiday season yet.
In Kati Whitledge's latest blog, she shares how salons have moved away from dress codes and embraced appearance standards. But by removing strict dress codes, some businesses may have unintentionally lowered their appearance standards. Whitledge helps you explain to your team why an appearance standard is important and how to smoothly implement a new appearance policy.
The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit for for-profit businesses that provides a financial incentive for eligible employers who offer health insurance coverage to their employees. Leticia Skrabut, Esq., walks you through how to claim that credit.
Developing strong work habits early in one's career supports long-term success in the salon industry. Jesse Linares offers new stylists his top five tips.
Most salon owners have no idea what these numbers are. You can hit record sales and still have a profit problem. The difference comes down to four numbers almost nobody was taught to track.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
A five-area audit every owner-dependent salon needs to run. You built something that looks successful. Now find out if it can survive without you.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
Every month you put off fixing the problem, it gets bigger, more expensive, and harder to solve.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
Expand your color service menu with the Pinstripe technique. Brooks and Brooks' Marlon Hawkins walks you through the technique.
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
