What to Post on Instagram as a Hair Salon (That Actually Brings in Clients)
Most salon owners know they should be posting on Instagram…
but knowing what to post consistently is where things fall apart.
Why Posting Random Content Doesn’t Work
Your salon Instagram should feel like an inside look into what it’s like to visit your salon. The team, the space, the hair (of course), and the overall vibe of what a client will feel when they’re in your salon! A wall of hair photos can be impressive, but if they can’t picture themselves in your salon, they will find somewhere else that they can.
Posting random hair photos or graphics unfortunately isn’t enough in today’s day and age. People are looking for a place that they trust, feel aligned with, and genuinely want to visit.
The 5 Types of Content Every Salon Should Be Posting
I like to refer to this as the “pillars”. These are the foundation of your page and truly give a holistic approach to creating a great page that actually converts.
Transformations - your client afters, but get creative with them!
Face-to-camera/personality - your potential clients want to see who will be doing their hair!
Education - after all, you are the professional, talk about what you know!
Behind the scenes - to those not in the industry, what we do is exciting, show it off!
Client experience - areas of the salon, what it looks like, be proud of what you’ve built!
How Often You Should Be Posting
The truth is, especially now, there is no magic number on how often you should be posting. Quality > quantity always reigns true, but it’s still a good practice to show up.
Instead of focusing on posting once a day on your feed, take the time to engage with other profiles and be active on your story. 2-3 feed posts per week is more than sufficient if you’re actively engaging on your profile!
Your story is an underrated tool that you can use to speak directly with your followers. You can use this space to be more “candid” or more real.
The more you show up, the more you will be shown.
The Missing Piece: Content Direction
So now you understand that you should be posting more than just hair pictures, the 5 pillars, and that you should be engaging on your profile, but what’s missing?
Without content direction, your Instagram can still feel disconnected. I know you’re probably saying “okay but what even is content direction?”
Think of how you would approach a new client - virgin, level 4 hair, wanting to be platinum blonde. You wouldn’t necessarily just jump in, right? You need more information, what’s her lifestyle? How often is she styling her hair? Can she realistically maintain a color like this? Is she okay with coming in every 4-6 weeks for a gloss and every 6-8 for a partial?
It’s the same idea here (stay with me) with content direction, it’s a plan or guidebook that you use to create each of your posts. It’s the strategy behind your content, guiding you ultimately on what to post, how it’s presented, and how it connects your brand to your dream clients.
So just like how you would approach a client, is how you approach your social media. There has to be a reason WHY behind everything. Why are you posting this reel? Why are you adding a photo to your story?
Content direction is the WHY — it’s based off of how you want your business to be perceived and your goals.
Your WHY directs the type of content you’re posting, is it fun, light-hearted, and welcoming? Or is it edgier, bold, and unapologetic? It creates a voice, how your messaging sounds. Are you replying to comments and dm’s with “Thank you!” and '“Love to see it!” or “Yess diva, you go.”
So really, when I say content direction, I mean making sure your Instagram actually has a plan behind it, not just posting randomly, but posting in a way that attracts the right clients and reflects your brand.
If you’re struggling to stay consistent or don’t know what to post, this is exactly what I help salons with through social media management.
