Are you currently thinking about getting a Facebook page to use for marketing your salon business? Still thinking it over and wondering if it’s right for you? Not everyone is cut out for social media just yet, but regardless of whether you aren’t ready or even suitable for marketing your business using social media you have this urge to jump onboard because you don’t want to miss out on opportunity if it exists.
Here are some things to consider before taking the leap.
You don’t know why you should
What are you trying to achieve by having a Facebook page and what will it do for your short, medium and long-term business objectives? If you haven’t thought through what you plan to achieve by having a social media strategy, than you aren’t ready to get started.
You don’t have a brand identity in place
If you don’t have a strong understanding, that is documented, about who your business is than you aren’t ready for social media. Online, your brand is much more salient and takes on a stronger personality. If you aren’t 100% sure who you want to be to your customers and how you want them to see you, you can confuse everyone with misguided communications.
You don’t have extra time and resources
Social media is not free. It is not easy. If you don’t have someone on your team that understands how to use social media for marketing, and understand the strategic motives behind why to use it (see reason #1) than you should consider outsourcing this or hiring someone for this purpose. Social media is not something that can be done well if you don’t have time to dedicate consistently to it. See one of our latest blogs on ‘Why you can’t turn your back on Facebook’ for an example of why you have to be ready to dedicate yourself.
You don’t know who you are trying to reach
While Facebook just hit 750 million users, that doesn’t mean all of your clients or your prospective clients are using Facebook, or Twitter or even like to cruise YouTube. You need to match up your target audience profile to what demographic uses each network and how frequently. If you can’t find a match made in heaven, then you may not be well suited to jumping on social media.
You don’t know what return to expect
Social media isn’t a quick turnaround; it’s a long-term strategy that won’t replace your other marketing activities, they’ll simply amplify them. You’ll use social media for press, editorial, community events, advertising your services, educating your clients, attracting new clients and spreading your online brand. These are all ways that you’ll use social media and the return isn’t immediate and you have to work to track its success. If you aren’t ok with this, or equipped to execute, perhaps social media isn’t for you.
The problem is, you could be wasting time and precious resources on a strategy that you cannot sustain instead of putting it towards activities that is more suitable for your salon. This doesn’t mean you’ll never jump on with the social media, it just means it’s not smart to do so right now.
Author Bio: Valorie Reavis
Social Marketer, foodie, closet geekA marketing professional who has focused primarily on the hair and beauty business for of the past decade, Valorie now runs linkup marketing, a digital marketing agency for the hair and beauty professional. Valorie works to engage clients in the marketing process and help them successfully engage with their clients and community. Energetic and passionate about the industry, Valorie focuses on blending traditional and digital media in order to bring salons closer to their clients.
