Tiktok, reels, videos… oh my! We’ve spoken at length about how important of a player videos are in your salon’s digital marketing game, but have you ever asked yourself WHICH form of video marketing is the best to utilize?!
In this blog post, we’re going to discuss TikTok and Instagram reels, and how to use both to create educational and entertaining video content. Once we’ve filled you in on everything you need to know about both video platforms, we’ll give you some great content ideas to inspire your own video content creation!
For even more digital marketing trending ideas, give this blog post a read!
Without further ado, here are the basics you need to know.
TikTok
TikTok was initially released in 2016 but really picked up speed and popularity around 2020. TikTok is a short-form, video sharing app that allows users to create and publish content that can reach a huge audience without much of a following. Most videos on TikTok are goofy and entertaining and there is a ton of emphasis put on “trends”. It began mostly as a source of entertainment but more recently, many brands have utilized certain techniques as of way of generating user-related content.
Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels feature was launched in 2020 as a way for platform users to create short form, engaging video content. Reels are heavily featured in the Instagram “Explore”, which means a potential opportunity for further reach than regular photo posts.
When it was originally announced, Reels were criticized as sort of a “TikTok copycat”, but there are actually a few clear cut differences that we are going to let you know about.
TIKTOK VS REEL FEATURES
-TikTok is it’s own platform, Reels are a feature within an existing platform, Instagram. This is important to keep in mind because if your ideal clients aren’t on TikTok, they won’t see any of your videos but if they already have you on Instagram, they are more likely to see your Reels come up on their feed.
-TikTok videos can be up to 10 minutes, Reels have 60s time limit. TikTok JUST announced the 10 minute video length option, but this opens up the floor to longer, more informative and educational videos. So you are definitely more limited time wise on Instagram Reels but sometimes 60 seconds is more than enough!
-TikTok has a huge audio library of music, but also allows users to upload own “sounds” or music, IG Reels has a more limited audio library. Many of the “trends” on TikTok come from user generated sounds or music, so the opportunities are truly endless for audio. Instagram still has an incredible library of music, but TikTok’s library is superior.
-TikTok has more effects to apply to your video whereas Reels use more filters. This means you can be more creative with TikTok as it’s effects are more versatile.
-TikTok’s age demographic is 18-24, Instagram’s is 18-34. TikTok is definitely a “younger” platform, so if your ideal client is in an older demographic, you’ll likely have a better response on Instagram.
-TikTok’s For You Page is customized based on users interest, Instagram Discovery page is more of a mix of content. Which begs the question, would you rather a specific group of people see your content or as many people as possible?
Although TikTok is a clear front runner for video effects and features, you might find Instagram Reels to be the better option for your business. Are you using video content to create brand awareness or to recruit ideal clients? Is the purpose of your video content to be educational or entertaining? These are all questions to ask yourself before deciding on what the best option for your salon is! Or, even better, we suggest trying BOTH platforms to see which videos perform best on TikTok and Instagram!
VIDEO IDEAS FOR SALON/SPA
Before & After Transition videos. There are countless ways to create amazing transition videos for salon transformations. This is an easy way for salon/spa businesses to dip their toes into video content!
Share a styling hack. This kind of video involves zero editing skills, just simply record yourself explaining and/or demoing the hack!
Behind the scenes. People love seeing what’s going on being the scenes so hit record when doing even minimal tasks like unpacking an order or putting together a client purchase.
Introduce yourself or your team. Include fun or little known facts about yourself so your audience can get to know the face behind the business!
Tutorials. Your audience follows you because they trust you’re a beauty expert, so use videos as a way to share your knowledge! Hit record while you demonstrate how to execute a hairstyle or makeup look.
When it comes to creating content for your salon's social, remember to be AUTHENTIC! Read even more about fearless authenticity on social media in this blog post!
Now that you’re armed with the need to knows of all things TikTok and Instagram reels, we challenge you to do some questioning and experimenting! Determine what you are hoping to accomplish with your video marketing efforts, and then trial and error until you find what works for your salon and your social media audience.
Videos are your opportunity to be silly and funny, so don’t take yourself too seriously when recording! It will absolutely feel awkward and you may be deterred from putting yourself out there, but we promise it’s a worthwhile effort in your digital marketing plans!
Make sure to tag us in your videos on TikTok AND Instagram, you can find us @salon.s.o.s on both!
‘Til next time,
Your team at Salon S.O.S