Social Media 101: Mastering Powerful Platforms

When it comes to a successful social media strategy, the key is to understand what content works best for each channel. To help you learn how to best rep your spa across the popular platforms, we chatted with a few industry experts to get their do's, don'ts, and tips on how to market your spa to your followers.

FACEBOOK

  • What to post: Seasonal specials, before-and-after pictures, spa mentions in the media, staff images, links to posts on the spa’s blog and website, videos, and live broadcasts. “You can educate and inform about your business, your industry, your community, your team, and your services,” says Barry Eichner, principal at Barry Eichner Digital Media & Photography. “Don’t be afraid to have fun and entertain.”

 

  • Tip: Provide as much detailed information about the business as possible in the profile for clients to easily find the general information they need. Also, utilize Facebook Messenger to connect with clients. “As the most popular social platform, your clients are bombarded every day with branded messaging,” says Millennium’s Colleen Lemos. “A new way to interact with clients and beat out the noise is through Facebook Messenger. Whether it’s attracting a new client or delighting existing clients, Facebook Messenger can be a huge win for spas.”
     
  • Cons: Unless spas pay to boost their business, only a fraction of people will see the posts over a few days. “This makes it challenging to post content like last minute openings,” says Kirsten Markson, director of marketing and communications at Booker.

INSTAGRAM

  • What to post: Aspirational images; funny memes; theme-day content; stylized product displays; behind-the-scenes photos; images of customers, staff, and the space; and contests to gain followers.
     
  • Tip: Because this platform is limited in what can be said, be sure to highlight the most important information about the spa in the profile page. Also, use proper hashtags so that even people who do not follow the spa might come across the post. Lastly, consider the overall photo “grid” that people see when they go to the spa’s profile. Consistency is best. “Create a theme for your Instagram feed,” says Eichner. “Make it beautiful and visually appealing. ”
     
  • Cons: Again, unless spas pay to boost their business, only a fraction of people will see the posts over a few days.

TWITTER

  • What to post: Trending or breaking news, last-minute specials, photos, media mentions, and stories about the spa industry or local community.
     
  • Tip: Use as many relevant hashtags as possible.
     
  • Cons: Eichner does not recommend Twitter for small businesses like day spas, because he believes it’s not a strong platform for small business-to-consumer-based businesses. “Spas have limited resources for their social media management, and there’s better ROI in Facebook and Instagram,” he says.

PINTEREST

  • What to post: Inspirational quotes, beauty advice, seasonal trends, information, and tips.
     
  • Tip: Always link the images back to the spa’s website so that users can find out more about the image and interact with the business.
     
  • Cons: It attracts a very specific audience, so many potential and existing clients might not see the post.

SNAPCHAT

  • What to post: Tutorials, behind-the-scenes footage, motivational or inspirational images or quotes, a sneak peek at new products, exclusive deals, and contests.
     
  • Tip: Tease Snapchat stories on other social media platforms to get the attention of followers and encourage them to follow the spa to see more.
     
  • Cons: Because Snapchat is used mostly by millennials, the content posted on the platform needs to be engaging, fun, and targeted specifically toward this demographic. Also, posts disappear after 24 hours, which makes it easy for followers to forget about the brand or business.

Connect with American Spa on social – follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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