How To Brand Yourself As A Barber
If you're looking to grow your following on social media and become the go-to barber in town, this blog post is for you! We'll cover some of our best tips to help get your business started.
Making yourself recognizable means branding yourself online, building an audience that's interested in hearing about your latest haircut creations, then creating content based on those interests—in other words: knowing where your clients are spending their time and what they're talking about, then making sure you're there.
Here are five best practices to help you brand yourself as a barber on Instagram:
Use hashtags that are popular with your target demographic - #menshaircuts for men's haircuts or #womenshaircuts for women's haircuts. Also, make sure you tag your city and the largest city near you. Tagging will help people who use those keywords find you more easily!
Post before noon on Fridays and Saturdays so that customers can plan and book an appointment with you during their lunch break or after work hours.
Take lots of photos and post them regularly. People don't want to take chances on you being the best barber in the shop to cut their hairstyle, so you have to show them, as they say in Missouri, "Show Me."
Become friends on Instagram with your clients so you can tag them on their photos, and in turn, they will give you a shout-out or share their photos which can instantly lead to referrals.
Connect your Instagram account to your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts so you can save time by cross-posting. Also, make sure you are using a business Instagram account so that it can stay professional and barber-related.
You have two options for growing your followers: paid advertising or organic growth through posting quality content that people enjoy reading and viewing. We recommend starting with an ad campaign targeting posts that will be most relevant to potential customers (e.g., haircuts) before moving on to more generic topics like hair maintenance to keep it compelling at every step of the way.
In terms of figuring out a budget, we suggest starting with Facebook ads at the cost of $1 to $2 per day and then adjusting based on what works best for you.
To get the most out of your ads, we recommend using:
An attractive selfie as your profile picture that showcases facial hair or barbering tools
A catchy headline like "Beat That Buzz Cut!" with an informative blurb that includes keywords people are more likely to search for (e.g., how to grow thick beard hairs)
A photo showcasing something related to the post's topic, like a haircut or other hairstyle
An engaging call-to-action button such as BOOK NOW so they know how easy it is when they have all this information at their fingertips!
We also suggest that you use Facebook's ability to advertise on Instagram for the exact cost to get twice as much exposure, "more bang for your buck'.
It's also important to show your range, meaning don't post just your best haircuts; post photos of you cutting different textures and styles and demographics.
What are the benefits of branding yourself as a barber?
Your community will recognize you.
More clients and more opportunities to make money from haircuts, beard trims, or other services you offer
The owner(s) at your place of work will have one less thing to worry about because they don't need to be on duty all day. They can focus their energy on things like marketing!
How do I brand myself as a barber? There is no simple answer, but there's always an easier way.
Don't forget the traditional ways of promoting yourself, like postcards and business cards.
Don't skimp on these great promotional tools. Spend a little more to add photos of your cuts to your glossy business cards so when you hand them to strangers, you're giving them a reason to consider you when their barber can't get them in that week.
Remember that you're competing with more than just barbers in the area when getting business. You are also competing with barbers within your shop, so be creative and think outside the box for new ways to promote yourself!
Let's not forget the Gen Z generation. They're more likely to seek out a barber on social media or their favorite app. So make sure you have a strong presence on Snap Chat and Tiktok.
Once you start reaping the rewards of all your advertising, it's important to remember that getting a new client in your chair is only the first step. Now that you have them, you will have to live up to their expectations by giving them the best service possible.
It's important to remember that you are on a job interview every time someone new sits in your chair. The client is interviewing you to be their regular barber.
The ultimate goal of every barber should be to fill their calendar each week with regulars which means you always have to give new clients a great haircut, honor their time by keeping appointments and be a professional.
Here are a few turnoffs for the average client:
Not giving them a consistent service and haircut (Clients don't like surprises)
Not respecting their time (Don't keep stopping to conversate with others, learn how to talk while cutting)
A dirty station-How is a client supposed to think you sanitize when your station is a mess?
Not being available at their scheduled time? It's your job to manage your calendar; if you can't be finished in time for your appointment, don't start.
Bad communication. If something changes, call your client immediately to cancel or reschedule so they can adjust their day accordingly
Branding yourself as a barber is all about telling your story and getting the word out to clients to know who you are before they walk in the door. Make it easy for them by branding your physical space with signage that includes your name, logo, and contact information, and online through social media posts on Instagram or Facebook.
You've got this!
Find out more at www.haircutnow.com
