9 Genius Social Media Tips We Learned From BTC’s “Social Studies” Panel
If you’re a hairdresser, social media is a must. BTC’s Founder and Creative Director Mary Rector-Gable knows this more than anyone. So for our 2016 COLOR, Cut & Style show, she brought together eight social media superstars for our first-ever “Social Studies” Media Panel, where they shared their best tips for social media success. Check ’em out!
The panel included:
- Mark Bustos (@markbustos)
- Matty Conrad (@mattyconrad)
- Stephanie Brinkerhoff (@hairandmakeupbysteph)
- Rebecca Taylor (@rebeccataylorhair)
- Johnny Ramirez (@johnnyramirez1)
- Anh Co Tran (@anhcotran) and
- Kevin Givens, BTC’s own social media guru
See all the photos from our “Social Studies” panel and COLOR, Cut & Style 2016!
1. Transformations Are Attention-Grabbers
What really grabs someone’s attention is a powerful before and after. “People who follow us are looking for something real and authentic,” Kevin said. “It’s that real stuff that comes from behind the chair. And the transformation is what really grabs people’s attention.”
2. Determine Your Image
Some stylists, such as Matty, have gained followers by giving them an honest glimpse into their daily life. “I realized that Instagram is kind of like a magazine about your life,” said Matty. “So think about what kind of magazine you are. Are you Thrasher Magazine, or are you Vogue? Or are you a magazine you only see in a hair salon?” This will help you determine what kind of image you want to project.
3. Perfect Your Photos
“I don’t post [a photo] if it’s not perfect,” said Rebecca. “I like to make sure the lighting is right. I take the extra 20 minutes to style it out perfectly to make sure I’m putting the best work I can on my page.”
4. Always Say Yes
Most stylists on our panel agree: you have to say yes to the difficult jobs because they’re the ones with the biggest payoff. “I take the big jobs that nobody else wants to take,” said Johnny. “I can already tell when a girl walks in if she’s going to be a major money shot. So I go for the major transformations. That’s what will get you people calling into the salon saying ‘I want that.’”
5. Make It Easy For New Clients to Find You
“You must put your contact information in your Instagram description,” Mary said. “Include your location—your city, state and salon name.”
6. How-Tos Are Powerful
How did Stephanie gain more than 5 million followers on Pinterest? “Post how-tos!” she shared. “There are only so many people who want to see pictures of your work, but there are more people who want to see how you’re actually doing it!” To that end, why not go a step further and post videos?
9. Be Yourself
“When I stopped worrying about my followers and stopped caring what people thought is when my social media really took off,” shared Rebecca. “So focus on doing what it is that makes you feel really good.”
10. Haters Gonna Hate
We all know that with a large social media following comes inevitable haters and trolls. So how do the members of our panel handle haters? “Just know that it comes from a place of jealousy,” said Rebecca. “So don’t feed into their negativity.” Stephanie added: “Don’t let your self worth come from what people say or how many followers you have.”
