We caught up with the beautiful Kate from The Beauty Business Society to talk all things social! Having first met Kate a few years ago when she was managing a clinic here in Brisbane, we know firsthand how much of a beauty boss she really is.

We asked her a few questions about the Social Media Scene in the Beauty Industry, so pop on a facemask and settle in… She knows her stuff!

Which Social Media channels do you think are most important for businesses in the beauty industry and why?

Social media in general has added a whole new dimension to selling products and services to your target audience.

Traditionally, businesses in the Beauty Industry would have to spend big bucks on costly ad campaigns to target consumers and would have to rely on their staff to upsell products. Now, Social Media channels, particularly Facebook and Instagram, have provided them with a platform to reach their audience for free! This can be especially impactful for smaller businesses who don’t have a huge marketing budget.

Instagram and Facebook are amazing tools to increase brand awareness, whether in the form of client reviews, recommendations, expert bloggers, or influencer endorsements.

What are your top 3 tips for branding your beauty business?

Number 1: Discover your brand purpose and determine your target audience.

You would be surprised at the amount of business owners who I speak to in the Beauty Industry who have absolutely no idea what their brand purpose is, other than to make money. You must ask yourself: Why do you exist? What problem do you solve? Once you have figured this out, it will be much easier to map out your target audience. (And no, your target audience is not women and men between the age of 16 and 85!!!) Map out your ideal customer, the person you want booking and buying from you. Keep in mind who exactly you are trying to reach. You’ll tailor your message to meet their exact needs.

Number 2: Figure out your Unique Selling Point

Sorry to burst your bubble but Beauty Businesses are a dime a dozen! Every corner you turn, there is another nail salon or laser clinic. Starting a brand that is memorable means you dig deep to figure out what you offer that no one else is offering. What differentiates you from the rest? What makes you stand out in someone’s mind and convinces them to book with you instead? When posting on social media make sure you focus on your USP and think about how you provide value that improves customers’ lives.

Number 3: Integrate your brand into every aspect of your business

If you don’t have a branding guide (A collection of specifications detailing the physical side of your brand; colour palette, logos, fonts etc) then you should invest in having one created. It helps you appear more professional and establishes trust with your customers and followers. It helps you maintain consistency on social media & gives you and your employees a central place to access visuals to create more effective content. The brand-building process never stops! If a client walks into your business your brand image should be on display everywhere! Anything tangible–from business cards to coffee cups to packaging –needs the stamp of your logo.

How can beauty businesses get their staff more involved in their social presence?

Social Media is constantly evolving with time and if you want your business to stay relevant, you have to keep up! Unfortunately, offering great treatments simply isn’t good enough anymore. You have to stay at the forefront of your customer’s mind, and the best way to do that is through Social Media. This is where your staff come in. People want to see “the face behind the brand”, they want to trust the people they will be booking their bikini wax with. Your staff members must be active on your social channels. I’m a big believer that “Social Media Content Creation” should be listed as one of the duties in the staff member’s contract of employment. I have distressed salon owners contacting me saying that their staff members won’t get on camera or put any time into social media as “it is not part of their job”. So I think it’s time to rethink how we delegate these tasks. You can incentivise your staff to put in the effort by including Social Media activity as one of their KPI’s when outlining their monthly targets.

I also think having a dedicated “Whatsapp” group for social media ideas is an amazing way to get your staff involved. They can upload ideas, or content they have created on this platform so it also works as a content bank!

I think making the experience more positive and fun is integral to getting your staff involved! Think Carrot, not Stick! And ALWAYS acknowledge a job well done!

What are the biggest challenges/mistakes you see beauty businesses make online?

For me, a massive mistake people make is focusing on vanity metrics like follower numbers. People get totally caught up by this. One of my most frequently asked questions is “How can I make it to 10k Followers?” The elusive 10K!
My answer is always the same: Would you rather have 10,000 followers and have 20 of those become customers, or have 800 followers and 400 of those become customers?
By providing your customers with engaging, valuable and save-worthy content, you ensure organic growth. You will notice a massive shift if you stop focusing on these numbers and start focusing on content. Without trying,(or buying…never buy followers guys!) your follower numbers will grow and the amount of inquiries and bookings you have will increase. A swipe up link isn’t the be all and end all!

Do you have 3 things that beauty businesses can start doing to improve their online presence right now?

Start Planning content

90% of beauty business owners tell me they don’t have time for Social Media so they end up only posting once or twice a week or even worse: throwing something up just for the sake of it. Planning your content in advance is a game-changer! It takes the stress out of posting and coming up with content! Block two hours a fortnight out of your diary and prioritise content creation.

Engage with other pages

Like comment and message other accounts for 15 minutes before and after posting. Engagement creates engagement. Try this before your next post.

Show your Face

People buy people. It’s the trust factor! Showing up consistently on Instagram Stories and videos is fundamental for the success of your business. It builds up so much trust and authority

Simple ideas to get you started:

• Introduce your followers to your team and give them backdoor access to your salon and the treatments you offer.
• Talk about the story behind your brand (Why and when was the company set up)
• Talk about products and treatments and why they work!

See more from Kate and her team by following her on Instagram or visiting her website