Category: Online Marketing
Matthew Landis interview with Utah franchisee April Benincosa
Meet Mathew Landis – salon owner, entrepreneur, coach, interview by April Benincosa, Utah franchisee for Image Studios 360. April has four locations under her management in Utah, serving over 130 salon professionals. Image Studios 360 provides modern, luxurious salon studios at affordable rates. We believe in our core values of CREATIVITY FREEDOM & SUCCESS and our goal is to elevate the beauty industry to new heights with our education, support, and platform that enables people to easily open their own salon without the risk or investment it takes to open a traditional salon. We’re a beauty incubator that helps people reach new heights through salon ownership. Find out more at www.imagestudios360.com.ccess.
Blood Sweat & Shears
Image Studios 360 empowers people like you to take the leap into salon ownership – realize your dreams by joining the IMAGE team today!
Create the Space you have always wanted!
Image Studios 360 was designed for industry professionals like you, making it possible to have your own salon and be your own boss. Our concept is simple: we provide an incredible space and atmosphere – you bring your passion, talent, and clientele. Together we create an intoxicating formula for success.
In The Line Of Beauty
IMAGE Studios® empowers people like you to take the leap into salon ownership – realize your dreams by joining the IMAGE team today!
Enjoy the Success You Deserve
Let’s face it – we’ve all worked our asses off in this industry for many years, and now it’s time to enjoy the success you deserve by enjoying the freedom of owning your own salon. The traditional salon business model is a dying breed (and a difficult one to survive with), while the Image Studios 360 business model paves an affordable and safe way to open your own salon without all the risk. Isn’t it time?
Instagram 101
Instagram offers a great social platform, particularly for hair stylists, to showcase their work to their followers. Here are a few tips on how to use Instagram
Follow, and be followed. Before you can start making an impression you’re going to need followers. Spend some time following as many people as you can (especially people who fit your demographic), and a lot of users typically “follow back” those who follow them. It’s the circle of reciprocity on Instagram. Be patient though, it takes a few months to build a solid network of followers, but once you do you will be glad you did.
Take it slow. Nothing is worse than following a stylist that decides to post 25 photos in 5 minutes. You may be excited and want the world to know, but keep it limited and share only your best photos. It enriches your followers experience and benefits you. If you’d like to combine photos, apps like Diptic and Fuzel can create a collage. You can export them straight to Instagram to make photos even more attractive by telling people a story.
Pump the stock brakes. No one wants to see that stock photo you took a screen shot of on your iPhone, pretending it’s your own. They’ll quickly unfollow you if you ever post photos that are stock images. Just don’t do it. Ever.
Choose your hashtags wisely. Please, please, PLEASE! Understand that hashtags are not bullet points to your photo or post, but are ways to search what’s trending online. Use hashtags as keywords to what your photo is about, and have 2-3 hashtags that you use as your own, and use them every time you post a photo. For more info on how hashtags works, see our blog post on it.
Involve your followers. Brands such as Red Bull and Audi have mastered creating communities on Instagram using hashtags and Instagram contests that get users to interact with their products and brand by connecting to their lifestyle and emotions. You could give away a gift card to clients who post photos of their new cut or color. Make sure your clients use one of your hashtags so you can track it, too.
Comment back. It’s important to interact with people in Instagram. It’s a network largely based on the emotions that a photo provides, and that emotions includes conversation (in the form of comments) made regarding your photos. Try to make communication a two way street and people will be excited not just to follow you, but to interact with you. Most importantly, look for comments that may show interest in booking an appointment with you. There is gold hidden in Instagram comments!
A lot of salon professionals who are new to Instagram (or social media in general) are a sometimes gun-shy when it comes to posting photos of their work. All I will say on that is this:
Take pride in how far you’ve come, have faith in how far you can go.
Don’t underestimate your abilities. Your clients love you for a reason.
#How #to #use #hashtags #correctly
Unfortunately, most people using hashtags don’t realize what they are used for. Using them correctly can boost the reach of your posts & photos quite a bit. Hashtags are used as keywords for your photos, enabling people on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to search hashtags listed on content they like to find more photos.
A REAL EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY WORK: Lets meet Jane. She is an avid Instagram user and loves following people who post beauty related photos. She’s always looking for the latest look and style, and Instagram is a great way for her to do that in her spare time. She also has money to spend. In this example she just stumbled upon a photo of a blowout at Dry Bar called the “Cosmo Tai”. She just gasped for breath thinking how great that style would look on her. Now lets follow the process of how she finds out more:
By using a consistent hashtag (#cosmotai) Dry Bar has 626 related photos using that hashtag. Now Jane has hours of photos to browse if she chooses. Most likely she will look at a couple that appeal to her the most, and then attempt to find out who she can go to for this look.
Now lets take a look at a hashtag fail. Jane has been browsing Instagram and comes across the same photo, this time with an irrelevant hashtag #cosmotaiplease. Now see how her efforts pan out as she tries to find out more:
From this example you can see how hashtags are meant to be used, and how using them poorly can cost you an opportunity to pick up a new client. Choose your hashtags wisely, and be sure to choose a hashtag for yourself so people can find out who you are. You don’t need to be too explicit in your hashtags. For a reminder, just look at the search results for #costmotai (626 results) vs. the results for similar hashtags (#cosmotaiplease, #cosmotaicurls, #cosmotaiblowout, etc.) which all produced just 1 post.
Let Justin Timberlake show you how not to use hashtags.
Here are some more details on using hashtags:
SO, HOW DO YOU USE A HASHTAG CORRECTLY? The answer is easy: Is your hashtag something that other people are using? Is it based on a currently trending topic on Instagram? Is it part of a niche following for like-minded users to talk to each other? Are you or your salon using it to brand yourself or organize content? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then go ahead and use the hashtag. Let’s examine each of those scenarios a little deeper.
IS IT SOMETHING OTHER PEOPLE ARE USING? Two great example of this are the hashtags #ff and #fml. #FF stands for Follow Friday. It’s a weekly trend on Twitter and Instagram where users tag their friends with hashtag #ff to encourage other users to follow them. It’s a great way to gain new followers and give props to your friends who tweet about interesting things. Hashtag #fml is a little more vulgar, but it’s used all the time. It stands for F*** My Life. People use it when something bad happens to them – usually out of their control. Come home to find your basement flooded? Hashtag #fml. Out on a blind date with a guy who turns out to be a major creeper? Hashtag #fml.
IS IT A CURRENTLY TRENDING TOPIC? A hashtag is great for being timely and immediate. It lets users know what is going on right now. Broadcast television has done a great job of creating relevant hashtags. For example, during the Emmy Awards a few nights ago, #emmys was a trending topic across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you wanted to see what other people were saying about the Emmy awards, all you had to do was search for hashtag #emmys. You’ll see the same thing during the Super Bowl or the season premiere of The Walking Dead. It’s a way for people across the world to share in the same moment together.
IS IT PART OF A NICHE FOLLOWING FOR LIKE-MINDED USERS? This is usually where I use hashtags the most. For Image Studios, we use #imagestudios and #lovewhereyouwork quite a bit. People who search and use those tags themselves are able to see things that I post and I can do the same. Hashtags help the salon community stay connected, and in this case, the salon professionals at Image Studios. We share reviews and photos. We offer tips when we find a great article or blog post. It creates community.
ARE YOU OR YOUR SALON USING IT TO BRAND YOURSELF OR ORGANIZE CONTENT? This one is similar to the previous example about like-minded users. It’s okay to create your own hastag – as long as you have purpose behind it! Like I mentioned above, we use #imagestudios and #lovewhereyouwork as our official salon hashtags. Notice that these custom hashtags aren’t too long or obnoxious or unrelated to anything. There is a purpose behind them – and they’re great for organizing our content, too.
DON’T ABUSE HASHTAGS. Use them for what they were meant to do. People who make hashtags for every silly little thing are like that girl at the party who never shuts up and everyone wants to punch her in the nose. Don’t be that person.
Salt Lake Tribune article on Image Studios 360
Jason and Shaun Olsen founded their business, Image Studios 360, with one overriding concept in mind. Most hair stylists and other beauty professionals are great and creative artists, but few have the needed business knowledge to be as successful as they can be in their work.
To view the original article click here.
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ABC4 Story about Image Studios 360
Nadia Crow from ABC4 interviews Image Studios 360 co-owner Jason Olsen and hair stylist Timothy Muir at Image Studios 360 South Jordan. To view the original article click here.
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Image Studios 4-Week Online Marketing Plan
Online marketing can make your head spin. There are countless options, experts, trends and changes. That’s why we created this 4-week marketing plan with easy-to-use steps so you can start marketing your salon online (or step up your current efforts). By following one clear-cut action per day, you’re online marketing efforts will see huge results.
We’ve created a PDF of the 4-Week Online Marketing Plan that you can print off and use to keep your efforts on track. Download here.
Below is a breakdown of the plan:
Week 1
Monday: Create a Facebook Fan Page. This should take about 30 minutes to get everything setup. Upload lots of photos, info about your services, and most importantly, a way for people to reach you. If you have one already, post something!
Tuesday: Create your Google Places page. Put your business on the map for free with Google Places (places.google.com). Easily add photos, bio, hours, coupons, etc. This will also allow clients to leave Google reviews about your salon. Be sure to list your studio # in the address!
Wednesday: Survey Your Clients. Put together an online survey to find out what your clients think about your products, your service, and whatever else you’re curious about. Sometimes the biggest ideas will come from your clients! Use free sites like Wufoo.com to create surveys in minutes.
Thursday: Yelp Me Out! Create a Yelp account if you don’t already have one (takes about 10 min), add photos of you and your salon, and as many before & after pics as possible. Also write a detailed bio about you and your services. This will help people know exactly what you do just from viewing your profile.
Friday: Get Listed. Spend a few minutes online today making sure your business is listed on every website possible. Sites you want to be on include: Google+, Google Places, Yelp, CitySearch, YellowPages, KSL Local, Angie’s List, Foursquare, etc.
Saturday/Sunday: Create a Salon Menu. Your clients may know what services they like, but do they know everything you offer? A printed salon menu also looks professional and speaks volumes to your ability to market your business. And don’t forget to frame it!
Week 2
Monday: Create a YouTube Page. This should take about 15 minutes to get everything setup. Upload any videos you may have already, and start thinking of videos you can begin making in the future. Download the “Capture” app to easily create videos from your smartphone.
Tuesday: Re-post a review. Take a screen shot of a recent positive review on Yelp or Google and post to your FB/Insta/Pinterest pages. Remember, its not bragging when you’re good at what you do! If you have a really stellar review, also print it off and tape to the corner of your mirror for all to see.
Wednesday: Gather Emails. It will be very boring and tedious, but spend an hour today collecting all of your clients email addresses. This may require some creative thinking on your part if you don’t gather that info, but it is also acceptable to simply text or call them for it as well. Besides, they’ll receive better deals anyway.
Thursday: #Hashtagcrisis. Take some time today and decide on your hashtags, and use them religiously! Many people fail to use consistent hashtags, only to lessen the effect of their posts and photos online. To co-brand with Image Studios, be sure to use: #imagestudios & #lovewhereyouwork
Friday: Send an email. Use one of our pre-designed MailChimp header graphics to send an email to your clients. Schedule the email to send 30 minutes after you are done just in case you decide to change something after it is all said and done.
Saturday/Sunday: Write a Book. Just kidding! You’ve already written it if you’ve been taking photos of your work! For a truly stunning marketing piece in your studio, use iPhoto or artisianstate.com to print an actual picture book for clients to thumb through. It will also help them decide on what style they want.
Week 3
Monday: Schedule Ahead. Choose the holidays you want to market special offers to your clients, and set reminders 4 weeks prior to each one to start planning on what you will do. Some offers can be one-day only, others can be 2-3 weeks before. Plan your entire holiday marketing plan for the year…today!
Tuesday: Tell Your Story. Again. Its probably been a while since you have posted something on FB about your salon and what services you offer. A lot of times clients may only know a narrow scope of things you do. Post your bio on your page – it will serve as a reminder to all your clients (and potential ones) about your business.
Wednesday: Show the Benefits. Post a picture and explanation of a product or service you offer and describe the benefits. To help you think of this, ask yourself “What problem does this service solve for my clients?” Remember, people buy results, not products. What results do your clients see after a visit to your salon?
Thursday: Review your “About Me” info. Make sure all of your info online is updated and accurate on all 3rd party websites. Do you have an updated website, email, or phone number? Do you have a new service you offer? Do you have a service you need to take offline? Do you have an ongoing offer you want listed?
Friday: TXTMEPLZ. More and more clients prefer to text, but is the number listed for you online a cell phone? If so, be sure to indicate that they can text or call you (in that order) and you’ll see a guaranteed spike in text messages as clients message you instead of call. Don’t forget to update all your listings online.
Saturday/Sunday: Got Feedback? Now that you are handing out your “Thank You” notes asking clients for info on their experience, you should now have quite a bit of these. Hang these around your salon, create a “Wall of Fame” where you post them, and even scan them and post on FB, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
Week 4
Monday: Ask a Question. Post a question on FB to engage clients and attract new ones. Questions could range from “What do you think the hottest hair color is right now?” or “What did you think of Michelle Obama’s dress last night at the awards ceremony” to get people engaged.
Tuesday: Schedule Future Posts. FB allows you to schedule posts up to a year in advance. Spend some time gathering photos, articles, interesting style blogs, etc., and schedule 2-3 posts each week for the next 3 months. Then set a reminder to do this every 3 months so you stay on top of it.
Wednesday: Schedule Future Emails. You just finished your FB schedule, now schedule a few emails. It is recommended to send 1 email a month with updates and special offers to your client base. Schedule 3 months of emails today, and get creative with any of our pre- designed email headers.
Thursday: Happy Birthday. Spend a few minutes going over your client records and see who has a birthday coming up in the next month. You can send each one of them a handwritten card or one of the Image Studios birthday cards, and be sure to include something for them such as the birthday special offer certificate from Image Studios.
Friday: We Miss Your Face. Getting inactive clients back into your chair is 4X cheaper than aquiring a new one. Go through your client records today and mail each of them a “We Miss Your Face” mailer. Be sure to handwrite a little note on a sticky-note and put on it to add a personal touch.
Saturday/Sunday: Record a Video. No one wants to watch a blatent self-serving video – they’re boring, and people won’t engage. Instead, think of creative ways to show off your personality, sense of humor, a thought you have, or even an interview of a client. Post to FB, Insta, and YouTube when done.
How to List Your Salon on Yelp
3 STEPS TO GET LISTED ON YELP
1. CREATE YOUR BUSINESS PAGE
Go to http://www.yelp.com/writeareview/newbiz and add your business info. Be sure to list as much info as possible to create a complete profile the first time.
If you are on a Mac you can unclick the “Leave Review” box and proceed.
If you are on a PC you will have to leave a review when you do this. Your name will be attached to the review so I wouldn’t leave a review per se, but I would leave a short snippet of what you’d like to say to your clients.
“Welcome to my salon, I am a hair stylist that specializes in __________ and promise that you’ll love every moment at my salon from the minute you walk in until you leave with your new look. Call me today to schedule an appointment” (change it up though or else all 100 of you at Image Studios will have the same introJ)
2. CLAIM YOUR BUSINESS PAGE 48 HOURS LATER – DON’T FORGET!
Yelp will have your business listing live within 48 hours. So you need to remember to go BACK to Yelp.com and search for your business listing. Under the business info is a link that says “Work Here? Unlock This Business Page”. From there it will walk you through these steps:
- Step 1: Confirm/Setup a business account.
- Step 2: Confirm your connection to the business.
- Step 3: Access your Yelp Business Account
3. FILL OUT YOUR BUSINESS INFORMATION
The first and most crucial step after you’ve unlocked your page is adding all the information customers might want to know about your business. It’s not just about keeping customers informed; the more information you put in, the more you’ll appear in searches. It’s easy to edit your info – just hit the “Business Information” link on the left-hand side of the Business Owners page, then click “Edit” next to any information you want to change or add.
Listing Your Salon on Google
5 Easy Steps to List Your Salon on Google Places
1. CREATE AN ACCOUNT: If you don’t have a Google account or Gmail account then go here to sign up: https://www.google.com/accounts/newaccount. If you do have a Google account then skip this step.
2. CREATE A GOOGLE PLACES REQUEST: Once you have created a Gmail account for your business, go to http://www.google.com/places, and click on “Add new business”. You will be directed to another page and asked for the phone number of your business. This is only to check if Google Maps has already some information about your company. You will be able to edit any existing information found.
3. ENTER THE INFORMATION OF YOUR COMPANY: You will be directed to another page to enter information of your business such as address, phone number, email address, description, category, hours of operation, payment options, photos, videos, and additional details. Click on “Submit”.
4. VERIFICATION: PIN Verification is required. You can either receive the PIN via phone or mail. It’s easier to do it over the phone, because it takes less than five minutes. Via mail, it takes one to three weeks. Please note that you should be ready to answer the phone. They will call you to the number that you provided.
5. LIST YOUR BUSINESS: Now you just need to enter the PIN and your listing will appear on Google Places.
Google Places will allow you to add information about promotions, coupons, photos, videos, and more. Encourage your clients to leave reviews and post their own photos of your salon when they are there. It would also be beneficial to have them upload photos of their hair (you take the pic with their phone) and they can upload them from their phone to your business listing.
