SOCIAL MEDIA: FOE OR SAVIOUR?

The salon business model was not always as tech-savvy as it is today. Word of mouth and local marketing were part of the common approach. However, the unprecedented advancement in the use of technology has brought to light the power of social media in the salon industry.

Increase in reach

How important is social media in sectors such as salons, where face-to-face communication is key?

Sachin Kamat, Director, Enrich Salons, says, “Social media is extremely important to the salon sector. Previously, most of our clients used to be from 2-3 km radius of the salon. However, social media has given us the power to grow and expand beyond that. With time, you gradually understand the ropes of social media better and can use it to your benefit each day. It is a powerful medium in bringing your salon into the eyes of people.”

Vaishakhi Haria, Creative Head & Director, Splash Salon, explains, “If we go back 15 years, we as artists would have a photo album of our work. Now all of it is available in my palm at one click. It is free, accessible, and user-friendly. Nowadays, my clients see my work even before visiting me!” Social media has surely given Haria the power to grow her client circle. “I take digital media seriously and invest my time in it,” she says. “It gives me the opportunity to sell my work and services to clients without me having to contact them and that is the beauty of it!”

Growth of social media

What change has social media brought about through the lockdown?

“I started Vanilla Skills seven years ago and I was among the only three people who taught social media skills pan-India,” says Benita Bhatia Dua, CEO, Vanilla Skills. “I have seen the journey of social media in the country.” She adds that in the past six and a half years, social media grew slowly and steadily; but in the past six months, it has grown fourfold. People from every industry, be if B2B, B2C, NGO’s and so on have created a digital presence for themselves in the past six months.”

Deepak Praveen, COO, GreenTrends Salon, says, “Statistics suggest that post-COVID, on an average, people spend 30-40 per cent additional time on social media applications.” He also points out to a recent study conducted in terms of a consumer’s purchase circle that suggests that people have started spending twice as much time than before in evaluating and choosing what to purchase from a plethora of options. “These studies make it clear that social media is where we should be, no questions asked.” In terms of how social media has benefitted his salon sales, Praveen says, “It has been a great tool to reassure people about our safety measures and our sanitation. We communicate with our audience and take their feedback into consideration too. It has been all about building peoples trust and endorsing our salon in a positive light to ensure an increase in footfall.”

The downside

Pointing out to certain shortcomings, Dua refers to social media is a double-edged sword. “It can do plenty of good, but can also be dangerous if not used wisely,” she says. “People need to understand that going ‘viral’ on social media is not enough. For your brand’s growth, you need to maintain consistency and grow organically. Buying followers and likes will backfire in the longer run.” She further adds, that as an artist, one should refrain from editing images or adding filters that alter the created look. Adding filters or majorly editing pictures could be quite misleading for the customers. “Colour correction and slight editing to add to the aesthetics are encouraged, but drastically altering them is not advisable.”

Beyond the Tier-I cities

Looking at the medium and small-sized salons, not just in the Tier-I cities, but the Tier-II and -III cities as well, industry experts share some tips to consider while using social media.

Praveen emphasises, “Social media is a boon for the salon industry, especially for salons run by entrepreneurs. Social media has brought to us the power to reach out to audiences without any barriers - using it well is our responsibility. As a small salon, you need to ensure that you create quality content for your platforms. Study the market, do your research, and learn what content works and what does not. You need to start small and then grow step-by-step.”

Dua shares her three tips for salons using social media across the board and not just Tier-II and III cities:

• First, it is important to invest at least 15-30 per cent of your marketing budget into social media advertising. In today’s time, when people spend a minimum of three and a half hours in front of their screens, money invested in social media marketing will reap higher benefits.

• Second, understanding the requirements of your client and then providing them with a solution for the same can be beneficial to your salon. In this way, salons can use their social media platforms to increase their recall value by informing and helping their audience with their grooming needs while they are at home.

• Last but not the least, instead of chasing numbers, while using social media, salon owners should focus on reaching a wider audience. Higher followers do not guarantee more people viewing your content or higher engagement. Adding hashtags is a great way to increase your posts’ reach.