Revamping your barbershop this year is best done with a multi-prong approach. So far, we’ve covered traditional print materials and how valuable they are even in an age dominated by digital resources. We’ve also discussed digital branding–your online presence that establishes your brand, customer relationships, and more.

The third element that contributes to your barbering business overhaul is all the rage these days–social media. While not always the end-all-be-all solution that many people believe it to be, social media is a powerful tool that barbers can leverage to their advantage. However, going about it willy-nilly is seldom the answer.

Instead, you should have a social media strategy that guides your movements on any particular platform. While the plan should be flexible–you want to adapt to changes and learn from your successes and failures–jumping in rudderless usually doesn’t work.

Expanding Your Barbershop Social Media

There’s no question that effective social media can transform a business. There are several examples of businesses that have hit the social media jackpot, gone viral, and otherwise become overnight success stories thanks to a single post.

For most businesses, however, social media is not the lottery. Instead, it is a tool that requires a long-term strategy and plenty of persistence to unlock its full potential and value. If you’re committed to creating a strong social media presence for your barber shop, you’ve come to the right place.

Create Engaging Content

The original intent of social media was to allow people to connect with one another. In other words, it was all about relationships. While most platforms have exploded with dance trends and viral videos, there is still an opportunity to connect with people in a meaningful way.

From current clients to strangers across the world, you can build a community on social media by creating and consistently delivering content that engages your target audience. Then, you have the opportunity to interact with them and develop those all-important relationships.

Be Consistent

A posting schedule is important, especially once you have built a social media following, but it is not the only area of consistency to emphasize. Your brand needs an identity, and an integral aspect of building that identity is remaining consistent in your visuals, your message, and how you represent yourself and your business on social media.

To do this, you will need a clear vision of your brand and your audience. Sometimes, this comes naturally; other times, it requires significant thought and trial and error. Don’t be afraid to experiment early in your social media journey until you feel confident in the brand identity you’ve developed.

Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube – Oh My!

There are so many popular social media platforms these days that determining which ones to join and allocate time to can be overwhelming. Not only can learning the new platforms be daunting, but it is also incredibly time-consuming. By the time you strategize, create content, post, and engage with people, it is practically a full-time job.

That said, the more platforms you embrace, the more people you engage. If you have ambition, this is a “the more, the merrier” situation, and your business will benefit from your efforts. If you cannot allocate the resources to managing multiple social media accounts or can’t justify paying someone to do it for you, pick a few of the big platforms, experiment with them, and put your passion into the ones that you enjoy and see the most return from.

Don’t Get Distracted

Social media is well-known for being addictive and draining far too much time from people. While it is important to growing your barber shop in the current environment, staying focused on your goal–expanding your business via this tool–is essential.

Don’t misunderstand–it is totally fine to have a little fun on social media. In fact, embracing the occasional trend and putting out popular content can benefit your business by attracting more viewers and increasing your engagement. You just don’t want this side of your social media to overwhelm the fact that you are a business with a message. Try to balance the serious and the silly; otherwise, you could damage the reputation of your business rather than build it.

Social media is a complex beast, especially if you are using it to grow your business. The tips included here are a good starting point for your social media journey and should serve you well as you build your brand on your platforms of choice.

For more insights on how to expand your barbershop this year, be sure to check out the National Association of Barbers. Our blog is dedicated to helping you succeed, so don’t forget to subscribe to NAOB for the latest tips, tricks, and barbering updates.