Any one of the hundreds of stylists who attended the American Salon Insta Panel session at Redken Symposium 2017 on January 16 may have been forgiven if they skipped the jam-packed 8:30 a.m. class after the Grand Opening extravaganza the night before. But no amount of pyrotechnics or spectacle could keep more than 320 attendees away from the discussion on Instagram best practices. Moderator Gordon Miller, American Salon Publisher and VP of Integrated Media, was joined onstage by influencers Jenny Strebe (@theconfessionsofahairstylist), Shelley Gregory (@shelleygregoryhair) and Matthew Tyldesley (@hairbymatt) to discuss topics ranging from making time for Instagram to growing a following. A few highlights:
- ON MAKING TIME FOR INSTAGRAM: “Take photos of your everyday salon work!” encouraged Strebe. “You’re already doing the work, so why not take a few extra moments to finish a client’s hair with a curl, and share the image with your followers?” Tyldesley agreed, adding: “Just begin by doing a little bit first thing every morning. Make Instagram part of your daily routine.” Miller summarized, “Social media is today’s version of marketing. You need to put time and effort into it. Be thoughtful.”
- ON HOW TO GROW A FOLLOWING: “The quality of the image is so important,” stressed Gregory. “We bought a ring light and encourage clients to take selfies under it, against a white wall.”
- ON EDITING POSTS: “Focus on your overall Instagram page,” stated Gregory. “Keep the page looking clean and unified. I constantly review my page and delete posts that don’t flow.”
- ON INSTAGRAM STORIES: “Insta Stories are a great way to get a bit more personal with your audience without sharing too much,” said Strebe. “You can use it to tell a story about your salon, giving your followers a view into your daily life.”
- ON WHAT NOT TO DO: “Don’t ever give up!” exclaimed Gregory. And Strebe added, “Don’t listen to the haters, and don’t hate!”