How to Build Your Social Media Accounts

Whether you’re new to the beauty industry or have been around for years, social media is an important part of your beauty business. Social media is the easiest way to gain exposure for your business, showcase your portfolio, build your client base, and network with others in the industry. With so many social media platforms out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That’s why we’ve come up with a complete guide to building your social media account.

Know Your Audience

We recommend before creating any social media account, that you know who your target market is. Once you figure out who your audience is, you’ll need to learn as much as possible about them. The platforms you choose to use and what content you post are both affected by your target audience. So, ask yourself, “Who is my market? What are their interests/challenges?” and tailor your content to that!

For example, trendy posts and cheap products are great content for young adults as many of them are college students living on their own. More high-end products and classic styles may be popular for older generations who are more settled.

Picking the Right Social Media

With social media being so prevalent in our society, staying on top of popular platforms is key. Choosing the right social media for you and your brand is important, so you’ll need to know what social media platforms will be the most beneficial to you. Some potential platforms to utilize are:

• Instagram: This may be the most beneficial platform for beauty professionals as you can post images of your work which can go directly to your audience’s feeds. This platform is also ideal for client interaction.
• Facebook: Facebook can be used like Instagram to share work and interact with your followers. This platform also allows customers to leave reviews which is great for a business.
• TikTok: TikTok is a fast-rising platform that many businesses have yet to take advantage of. Don’t miss out! This is a great way to be personable, share behind the scenes processes, or participate in fun trends.

Other platforms include Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter. These can also be beneficial to your business, but starting out your social media presence with too many platforms can be overwhelming to both you and your followers. Choose 2-3 to start and then build from there!

As a general rule, your business social media accounts should be different from your personal accounts. On Instagram and Facebook, you can create a business specific account where you can view statistics and data. This way you can keep your personal life separate from your business.

Posting to Social Media

What’s social media without any posting? This is the key feature of social platforms so you need to take advantage. Frequent posting is important to stay relevant and engaging, but too much posting and followers may be overwhelmed and lose interest. When you’re new to social media, we recommend posting to your feed/stories frequently, about once a day. As you grow a following, posting becomes less crucial. That being said, post when it feels natural to you! People appreciate authenticity and you don’t want to get burned out by doing too much.

What to Post

Utilize the range of options available to you through videos, photos, and stories! Before & after photos are perfect for building your portfolio and showcasing your skills. This allows potential clients or employers to see how skilled you are and want to work with you. Clever captions and popular hashtags are great ways to keep your audience engaged and show up on the right “explore” pages. Research possible hashtags to see what’s currently trending, and use if applicable. You should also use hashtags specific to your work and brand.

Posting some of your tips and tricks is another way for you to serve your clients. It’s not always an option for clients to visit their beauty professional as much as they would like. This is why it’s important to create ways for them to take care of themselves in between visits. You can help educate your followers with at home tips, product recommendations, and demonstrations. Some options include:

• Tips to keep your hair healthy during the summer
• How to make your manicure last longer
• Products that protect your skin
• Fun hairstyles for different events

The options are endless!

Highlights

Take advantage of the Highlights tool on Instagram. Highlights are a great way to showcase products, services, and other information in an easy-to-find format. Possible highlights could include salon information, work examples, pricing, or your favorite products! Be creative and think about what can be most beneficial to your followers.

Having highlights with cohesive covers creates a strong communication between you and your followers. Future clients can easily see what you’ve done, and get a read on your style to see if they want to book you. Highlights are a great feature to utilize.

Interact with Followers

Simply posting fun content to your account isn’t cutting it on social media anymore. Interacting with your followers and clients is one of the best ways to build your brand. People want to find connections on social media, and building those connections with your clients is a great way to create trust, friendship, and a strong clientele. People want to know and trust their beauty professionals! 

Besides building relationships with clients, social media posts with more active and thoughtful interactions get more reach. Not only will you create trust with your current clients, but you can also attract more clients when you engage with your audience. 

Beauty as a Business

If you’re interested in learning how to turn your beauty knowledge into a strong business, Beauty as a Business is a great resource. Beauty as a Business is an interactive online learning curriculum made to help you build your professional portfolio and market yourself on Instagram! Some schools offer this program, but it is also available to individuals wanting to learn for themselves. If you’re ready to take the next step in your beauty social media presence, this is a great way to do so!

Career Academy of Beauty is Here for You!

If you’re ready to start your journey into the world of beauty, Career Academy of Beauty is here to help! Our school offers extensive programs for anyone who wishes to pursue a future in the beauty industry. Contact us at (714)897-3010 today to learn more or schedule a tour! We look forward to meeting you!