The concept of using video in your salon’s social media marketing game plan is still relatively new to many of you. IGTV, IG Live, Reels, oh my! Reels are the latest video craze on Instagram and creating/posting your salon’s own can result in unbelievable reach and engagement. In this blog post, we’re going to give you 8 Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when creating IG Reels for tour salon.
1. DO: Create reels with images and videos in portrait mode
Portrait mode is more visually appearing on reels (and stories) as there are no borders and the image is in full view. The Instagram algorithm favors reels using portrait mode therefore leading to increased number of views.
DON’T: Create reels with photos and videos in landscape mode leaving borders
As mentioned above, visuals shot in landscape mode leaves borders and a video/picture that is far away and hard to fully view in reels format.
2. DO: Make sure lighting is clear and photo quality is good, edit before if necessary
When taking picture or shooting videos of hair color in particular, lighting and background is key to achieving an amazing result. Use natural sunlight or a ring light to ensure to get a great visual to use in your salon’s reels.
DON’T: Use poorly lit or blurry photos
We’ve all been there; you create the most stunning hair color and for some reason, it just does NOT translate in photos. When this is the case, adjust your lighting and if that doesn’t solve it, try taking a video instead! Have high standards for the content you put out on social media, you’ll notice an incredibly difference on the engagement and reach your posts get!
3. DO: Always add music from Instagram library
Adding music to your salon’s reels not only makes then video more enticing to watch, it also plays to the IG algorithm and helps boost reach! Keep an eye on trending music and sounds to add to your reels increase engagement.
DON’T: Add music you don’t have permission to use
Depending on what type of account your salon has (personal or business), you will have different access to different audio. Make sure you’re not trying to trick the system and work around it by uploading audio you don’t have permission to use in another way as Instagram may remove/take your post down.
4. DO: Always share reels to feed
Although the image is slightly cut off on your Instagram feed, it is still important to share all of your reels to your feed to avoid missing out on potential engagement.
If you DON’T, you’ll miss out on views
Don’t worry about the overall aesthetic of your page, post all reels to your main feed to increase views!
5. DO: Keep first caption in center of page
Whether it’s a title or a caption that lets your audience know what’s to come in the video, make sure this first caption is smack dab in the middle of your post. Or at least in the square that will be shown on your feed.
If it’s off center, it may be off screen meaning audience can’t read it
As we mentioned above, it’s important to post reels to feed, even if the format is different. You can prevent cutting off important font by making sure you position it in the center, allowing your followers to read it regardless of how they’re watching.
6. DO: Always use hashtags in the caption
Think of hashtags in reverse before posting; ask yourself “what are people looking up that would bring them to this post?”. If you’re posting an incredible hair transformation, make sure to use key words that are commonly searched for relating to your video.
DON’T: Skip using hashtags. No hashtags means no discoverability
Don’t slack on hashtags, they’re still just as important as ever to be discovered on Instagram! As mentioned above, choose commonly searched terms as your hashtags to increase visibility. You can search these hashtags in advance to see how popular they are and try mixing them up to see which perform best.
7. DO: Keep reels short and easy to digest
People are impatient by nature, so it is important to grab their attention right from the get go and hold it for as long as possible. When it comes to short form video, that attention span is short lived so make sure to keep your reels short and appealing to your audience.
DON’T: Make reels too long and complicated
Don’t waste your limited time working on long and complicated reels that your audience may not even watch fully. This is a work smarter, not harder moment, and you want to make sure you’re playing to your audiences wants and needs. Think of creative ways to get your message across in a clear, concise, and quick way.
8. DO: Look at insights
There is a plethora of information at your fingertips on Instagram that allows business pages to analyze the insights of each post. By measuring your post engagement on every level from interactions, to reach, you can better strategize how to create better performing content in the future!
DON’T: Measure only by views
Views are great and it is important to keep track of how many each reel is receiving; however it is not the most important insight to analyze. A huge number of views doesn’t matter if those viewers are not translating into actual paying customers, so it is more important to track engagement so you can cater to the audience that may actually end up becoming clients of your salon.
CONCLUSION
Now that you’ve got the in’s and the out’s of the do’s and the don’ts of Reel creation and distribution, get recording, salon owners! The most important thing you can DO is start, and DON’T hesitate or hold back!
Looking for even more Reel inspiration? Give this episode of The Salon Scoop with Michael Cole a listen but clicking here!
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‘Til next time,
Your Team at Salon S.O.S