Salon Business Monday!: Social Media & My Salon - Introduction To Facebook Part I

It's that time again. Monday! Let's talk about your salon.

So last week we left you a little on the edge and today we will cover most of what we did not.

We began this series of postings a few weeks ago, discussing the ways to integrate your salon and the virtual world via the internet. If you are just joining us make sure to go back and read the previous Salon Business Monday Posts, you can do so HERE.

If you are all caught up, well then let's continue shall we.

Today I am going to give you an introduction to creating a Facebook page and next week we will discuss the ways to utilize the Facebook page.

Why am I breaking this up into two weeks? Well I think it is important to not get overwhelmed with the information. The discussion of how to utilize Facebook will be vast and I would prefer to just give you some information on how to set up your page and save the insight on what I recommend you have on your page for next week.

Throughout this post I am going to be leading you to links on where to discover more information on the current topic of discussion.

How to set up a Facebook Fan Page & the difference between a fan page and a personal page:

Well this is quite easy and I am sure that most of you already know how to do this, but we will still run through the steps. However, I am guessing that many of you might see less value in a Facebook Fan Page as opposed to a Profile Page or maybe not even quite sure of the difference.

I am only going to tell you how to set up the Fan Page because I am going to be a bit biased in this post. Reason why?: Quite simple, there is far more value and ability to captivate your market and share your message clearly with the use of a Fan Page over a Facebook Page.

Here is a great article that explains the benefit of a fan page over the profile page.

And now my thoughts:

-Everything written in that article I agree with 100 percent. Having a Fan Page gives you more opportunity to reach your market and communicate effectively to each and everyone of them on a personal basis.

-Facebook had the intentions of business in mind when creating the "Fan Page" option. So naturally you will have more functionality with Facebook used in it's proper manner.

-Statistics are the only way to monitor what is working within your marketing process. If you are not able to track it, well then what is the point?

-Fans are never limited yet Friends are: apparently you can have too many friends, according to Facebook, 5,000 is the max. However, you can never have too many fans.

-I really could keep going but I think by now you get the point, also make note of this, A LOT of what we discuss next week on how to utilize your Facebook page, will not be able to be achieved with the profile page.

** I will make a note, you do have the ability to add friends in a profile setting which you do not in the Fan Page setting, but that is OK. Everything we discuss next week we help you to captivate your market and grow your Fan Base!

So Now that we have that out of the way, let's get this bad boy up and running shall we?

(Here is another great article: how to set it up and why it is a must have!)

Step 1: Easy as 123, Log on to http://www.facebook.com

Step 2: Scroll to the bottom and find the button that says "Create a page for Celebrity....." Click it!

Step 3: Enter in all of your information and make sure to do it as a Local Business.

(5 great reasons to make a fan page and to do so as a local business!)

You can subcategorize your business as health and beauty.

Step 4: If you already have a Facebook Profile, then follow the steps for that option. Otherwise it will guide you into creating one. You must do this. Even if you do not want a personal Facebook account just create one for your access to your Fan Page. It will strictly be used as an administrative profile. You can control how personal or public you allow your "profile page" to get.

Ok everyone. This is where we stop today. I know, I know its a little silly but I want to work this in steps. If you feel the need to go through and create your info and picture and all that jazz. Go for it! If nothing else you will begin to feel comfortable with the operating system.

But for now and today.... Thats all he wrote!

Salon Business Monday!: Content On My Website's Links

Hey Everyone! it's Monday and it's time to talk salon business. If you are just joining us then make sure you go back to the past and check out the Salon Business Monday posts for the last 2 weeks. We have been breaking down your salon websites. From how to start one, to what should be on your home page, to today: What content should be on your website's links!

If you need to check out the last 2 posts, you can do so HERE.

Lets get started shall we? Also if you are rushed for time that is OK! Today's post is short and sweet!

So Lets Break down what these links should have on them.

Services:

This is where we "sell" what we do. Any time there is a purchase to be made "we" are purchasing based on perceived value. It is not enough to just list your serv ices. Break your services down by category, for instance color, cutting, etc. Within each category make sure you talk about why each service that you give is worth what you are charging, without directly saying why. Also discuss the added value within each service make sure to talk about the added value that comes with that service, whether it be a blow dry, a hand treatment, a foot massage, etc. It is not enough to sell a service, it is imperative that well sell an experience and offer a welcoming and comfortable environment no matter what the market.

Make sure to list the products that you have available in your salon in this section. This is a great place to make it simple for people to find everything related to services within your salon. In my opinion, you want to make it as easily accessible to your visitors to navigate through your site. Maximum information in least amount of spaces. By combining your products and services into one location this allows that. Also talk about your products, talk about why you use them and what makes them so special.

About Us:

This is the fun part! This is where we get to talk about the salon. Tell your guests and future guests what makes your salon so great. Make sure that your literature is consistent with what your are selling and your message is consistent with your brand. A lot of what is listed on this about us section should be a more extensive version of what we talked about on the homepage from last week.

In the about us this is where you put your bios. This is where the visitors get to know the staff. List the staff in order from levels. The owner first of course and then the most experienced to the newest. This gives some structure to the navigation to the bios.

The bios should be as personalized as possible. Talk about what they offer and what services they love to do, but also talk about what they love to do outside of work. Make this fun and personalized. Let their personalities come out. Let your visitors find the staff member that makes them relate-able to them and have fun with it!

Specials:

Keep your specials visibly clean. Do not overwhelm this page with all sorts of giveaways and specials. Offer what you are offering but make is seem special. Do not make it seem like something that you give away every week. As the weeks go on we will get into more of what to offer, why, how and when. But for now my message is simple. Keep it clean and remember perceived value!

Media (videos, pictures, etc.): We are going to skip this section today as we will get into this next week! We are going to talk about social media and how to make it work for your website.

Calendar:

Your calendar should be simple and personalized. Have a staff birthday? Post it. Having a special event coming up? Post it. Anything and everything that is solidified by a date should be posted through the calender. This will keep your guests in the know!

My recommendation would be to use Google calendars. Want to know more about it? Check that out here. It is so simple to use and can be updated from anywhere!

Contact Us:

In the contact section make sure to have access to any form of communication to your salon available. Phone, email, maybe even AIM, etc. You want to give your visitors multiple possibilities to communicate with you, because everyone prefers a different method.

It is also imperative to have a map of your location, driving instructions and if at all possible a link to do a customized driving directions to your location. Also make sure to add links to your social media.


So.....

This concludes today. Remember Next week we will be going over social media. One of the most benifical peices in our segment. SO YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT! : )

Salon Business Monday!: What Should Be On My Salon's Homepage?

Over the next few weeks we are going to be discussing ways to incorporate your salon's brand/name into the world wide wine and how to make it effective.

Last week we discussed Step 1, Creating a website and the different options to do so. If you happened to missed last weeks article and you don't already have a website make sure you go back and read last weeks article to make sure you are all caught up. You can view that article here.

Today we are going to discuses your design element. Some of the things you can not live without on your website. Some of these suggestions can be be optional depending on the type of salon or limiting depending on the means to which your website is

maintained.

For those of you doing this on your own, depending on how structured and limiting your "do it your self" website company has made it, will depend on your limitations to the suggested content and ideas.

For those of you working with a web master, make sure to take notes, because you are going to want to give them insight to how you want your site designed and the content within the site.

We are going to break this up into two sections because it is a lot. So today we are going to start with the overall design and layout of the site, the home page and the menu bar of the site.

So before we begin, keep in mind today's theme: Consistency. When establishing the message and image of who and what you are, without consistency, you loose your integrity.

Lets start with the home page & website layout.

Here is a list of things you want to be aware of when creating & designing a website. Also certain things you want to have written on the homepage.

1. There needs to be a consistency to your brand: This stems from the color scheme, the logo and the energy that is captivated through the imagery posted on the site (for example: A fashion forward salon might have shots of a really avant-garde hair shots or a spa like salon should have soft elegant imagery.)

2. The literature listed on the site should be consistent with the message of your brand. There should also be a message that is personal to future and present guests. For instance explain where your salon falls into your local market. Once again if your salon is fashion forward, position your self that way, but do so in a personalized way. Do not write in generic terms. Create your verbiage in a way that speaks to people like a conversation as apposed to talking at someone. Tell your guests what it means to be fashion forward and express to them why your salon helps them to express their style. Do not be generic, be original and be inspiring to your guests. This will require some originality and some creativity from your part. But do not get discouraged. Take this very slow and think about it. This is very important so take your time and really position yourself with integrity. We are hairstylists, being creative is what we do!

3. The site should be very easy, user friendly and clean. Do not clutter with an over abundance of information. Keep the pictures clear and consistent. Tell a story with the imagery. Having a site with lots of literature and imagery can confuse and distort your salon's image, not to mention make it difficult for visitors to map their way through your site. When building your site think about yourself as a future guest. Sometimes as salon owners we like the idea of captivating all markets so we saturate our site with an overwhelming amount of information about the services we offer. What actually happens is when your site has multiple themes or messages the true message, your brand, has a tendency to be lost.

An example of this might be a website that has some really great images of sexy simple hair, then a message talking about how they do progressive hairstyles and then also having imagery of a super smooth keratin treatment model and talking about A keratin treatment special. Another solution to this would be to create a consistent imagery to the types of styles you create and a separate section for the monthly specials which would take the visitor to an alternate section of the website. This helps to not only make it easier to monitor your traffics interests, but also to keep a much more clear message of your brand.

4. It is imperative to give your guests an insight into what is going on in "your world." The best way to give your guests a view of what's going on in your salon is to keep them connected to your social media networks. Here is a list of things to make sure to incorporate into your website and some ways to get started.

a. Flicker or Photo Bucket: Using either of these or an alternate photo sharing site, incorporate a slide show of pictures of your salon. This gives people a little preview of your salon and captivates a visual energy of the vibe of your salon. ** Make sure your pictures are professional looking. It is not enough to just "do" pictures. It is imperative that they are consistent to the brand.

b. Twitter: Allow your guests to have access to your latest twitter feeds. This gets three things done at once. It keeps your guests in the know, it allows you easy access to keep your guests in the know & most importantly it gives a way to keep your guests interactive.

c. Facebook: Link your Facebook site via your website. You can do this in multiple ways. By incorporating it into the menu bar of your website or incorporate Facebook via a Facebook logo displayed on your site. Personally I have my Facebook linked through the menu bar on my site. I feel Facebook is a must have for salon's and the most interactive outlet between you and your guests. It needs to be a spotlight of your internet strategy. We will absolutely be getting to Facebook later on in our series. At this point you just need to link it up!:

d. Blog: Link your blog via your site. You can do this in the same manner as your Facebook. We will learn more about blogging and why it's important for you to have a blog in your world in later postings.

e. You tube: If you have videos, which you should. give your guests access to these videos, do so in the same manner as the blog and Facebook. Also if your having your site created by a web designer have them incorporate the latest videos onto your homepage or even better an introduction video to exactly what your salon is about, think about it like a commercial!

Now lets take a look at the menu bar, next week we will break down the content of each of these pages:

This is a list (in order) of what I recommend you put on the top of your site in the menu bar & of course why.

Home: This is a pretty much given. You want easy access back to the home page, the point to which the visitors came.

Services: This is very important to list this second. This is what we "sell." When people are visiting your site they are going to want to know what you charge and what you offer. Make this easy access. By listing second you are doing that.

About Us: Visitors want to know who you are. Give them easy access to bios, facts and fun information about your salon.

Specials: You do not want to put the specials right in front. Make sure you give your visitors easy access to what they are looking for right away, i.e; services and bios. It is imperative to have the services and about us prior to the specials. I think you can also have the specials all the way to the right of the menu bar and to incorporate a specials spot some where strategic on the home page.

Media (videos, pictures, etc.): This is where you will post everything media related. It is nice to give access to your social media on the homepage, however you will also need a place to hub it all.

Calendar: Give your guests access to what is going on at your salon. Hosting an event, having special promos? Let them know!

Optional: Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Etc.: If you choose to place these on the menu bar this is the spot you would do it. Basically after all the key information.

Contact Us: I prefer to place this last. Make sure your visitors have learned about your site prior to giving them the opportunity to contact you. It is ideal to have your guests know who you are before getting to know you. What a great way to make an impression!

So.....

This concludes today. Remember Next week we will be breaking down the pages, so stay tuned!!!

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Salon Business Monday! How To Get Connected Online

Time for another addition of Salon Business Monday!

Over the next few weeks we are going to give you a few ideas on how to connect with your guests via the internet.

This is not an option this is a necessity so Salon Owners if you have not incorporated new media into your salon's business strategy, we highly recommend you start today!

We will start today with the virtual business card a.k.a. your website.

Salon owners, do you have a website? If yes, well you will just have to wait until next week when we discuss what content is necessary for your website.

During this installment you will learn a few great ways to get a site and the means to which it is operated.

So, for those of you who do not have a website for your salon and feel like it is either WAY

to expensive or you are completely website making illiterate, do we have news for you! It can and is sooooo simple.

Making a website can be fun and simple and the best part is you don't need to know how to make a website. It can be as easy as doing a Facebook page! and I know we all know how to do that.

Our first step then of this week is going to require you to do a little research to find what method best suites your needs, however we will put you in the right direction.

There are many options to ways that you can create a site for your business and still keep the expense in the minimum.

First lets look at the do it yourself option:

There are tons of wonderful do it your self website based companies on the web that ma

ke it so simple to create your site, it's like updating a Facebook page. We recommend you check out

Salon Builder!

Salon Builder will give you all the necessary tools to get started, make it simple and the cost is on a monthly basis that includes everything you need.

You absolutely need to look into all options of companies in this method. We just happen to like salon builder because it is industry specific.

Now of course there are a few down sides to doing this method as a opposed to using a web design based company, for instance the simplicity and uniqueness of the site. However, I think it is important to over look these things and take control of them. By maintaing your sense of brand through the "structured" site building system, you are still able to portray your message and have a site that you can manage and showcase to current and future business.

Make sure everything that you load into this site that is both visual and verbal properly

portrays your image and message of what your salon is all about!

Verdict: This is a great option. If you are looking for no hassle and ease I would go with this option. You will find as we continue on with this topic in the monday's to come you will be limited to some of the options with a website platform such as this. But, if time and effort are not something you have a lot of this is a great way to go and a wonderful way to get started!

Now lets look at the "let them do it" option:

I am not going to lie. If you have the money, time and lets say patience to work with a design company, I highly recommend it.

There are hundreds and thousands of graphical design based companies which can be sc

ary! So we are going to give you a list of 3, that are all great and all different.

1. Lucky Stone Media - A small bases website/graphical design based company with a strong knowledge in almost anything web design related.

Thoughts on this: Well this one is obvious because they designed The Hair Stylist Blog. It is a wonderful web/graphic design based company. Due to the fact of their size they have less clients and more opportunity to spend working one on one with you. Another great thing about Lucky Stone Media is the cost factor would be likely under average due to it being a smaller based company. Also the visual arts they create are very modern and relevant to your brand!

Verdict: Great Buy! If you have time to spend and not tons of money to blow, consider lucky stone. Biggest down side would be the time issue. You will have to work very much one on one for updates to the site, which often times can cost additional depending on the plan you have set up

2. Salon Templete - This is kind of like a hybrid in a sense it allows you to create a template so half the work is done and you can work with their graphic arts team to create a more customized site based on your needs and the template that was chosen.

Thoughts on this: It's great because you have a clear vision of what your site is going to look like before its finished, which keeps the guessing game to a minimum. This method can get rather expensive and very hard for you to up date once it is finished.

Verdict: Hold out on this unless you have a good understanding of general web design.

3. Studio AKT - A medium to large based web/graphic design company. AKT specializes more

in alternative based musical acts. This can be a big bonus depending on the image of the salon. If your are looking to bring an edge to your salon, their design team might be just what your looking for. A very plus side of AKT is the updating is just like updating Facebook or a do it your self site. The only difference is the lay out will be completely customizable. Being that they are larger, there will be less intimacy with a company like this and more than likely much more expensive.

Verdict: Very Expensive but if you can afford it GO FOR IT! Why? 2 reasons, it is completely customizable (if you can dream it you can probably get it) and 2 its as easy to update as it is a Facebook page.

Last but not least Barter!!:

Find a local web based designer via advertisements, craig s list, etc. and work with them on a bartering based system.

We are in one of the few industries that can take advantage of bartering so do it. This would by far be my #1 suggestion. However, only get involved with someone you feel comfortable with and that you know does a great job. In what we do, time is money and it doesn't make sense to have a bogus site and just because you bartered it "isn't a big deal." The time you spend doing their hair could be used doing something productive!

So that concludes today but we are far from done.

EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS

But get a site!!! It is beyond important, it is your new business card!

Next week we explore what to put on your website or better known as the CONTENT!

Until next time...........