5 Irresistible Facebook and Instagram ads to build your beauty biz
I’m in Italy right now, and I am looooooving life. The weather is perfect (pretty freaking hot some days!), the food is incredible as always, and I’ve been doing some much-needed catch-ups with all sorts of friends. The summer has been whizzing by so fast - it’s hard to believe we’re at the tail end of it!
Have you been making strides in your marketing efforts for your beauty business this year? If you’ve found that you’ve been so BUSY that you’ve barely had time to stop and think about marketing...don’t stress, friend! Today’s blog is for you.
If you’ve been around for a while, then you know that there is one marketing technique above all that I am obsessed with and really believe in - social media ads! I grew my own business by running profitable, effective ads on Facebook and Instagram, and I’ve also taught hundreds of beauty business owners how to replicate my success by targeting and “wow”ing their ideal client matches.
Facebook and Instagram ads are a low-cost, high-ROI way to market your beauty business. You can send out a wide net or tinker with every aspect of an ad to target exactly who you’re looking for - and you can guarantee that your ad is being seen by thousands of eyes! The best part about social media ads is that you can constantly monitor metrics to check and see if they’re still working for you. For these reasons and more, I preach the good work of Facebook and Insta ads to everyone who will listen!
I’ve rounded up some of my past blogs about running Facebook and Instagram ads for your beauty biz, and today we’re gonna cover the 5 social ads you MUST be running this summer to snatch up all your favorite new clients before we head into the craziness of the holidays!
Whether you’re a solopreneur renting your first booth, a hairstylist just starting out at a new location, a nail artist running your business from your home, or an esthetician looking to build your client list, check out these insanely productive social ad ideas for some inspiration. Even just investing $25 into a few FB and Insta ads can make a huge impact on your business...let me show you how!
#1: Introduce yourself and your beauty biz with a video ad
Okay. First, some facts before we dive into this first ad idea:
Videos get more impressions, views, clicks, and conversions than text ads. Every time!
A video ad is the perfect format for showing off your personality, your beauty biz, and your niche
Do you need more reasons than this for running a video ad introducing your beauty business to the world? NO! But read on, because you’re about to understand why this type of ad works so well to convert strangers’ eyes into adoring clients.
A recent survey compiled by Databox states that nearly 60% of online marketers reported video ads driving more clicks and engagement than image and text ads. And I’ve seen this again and again with my own ads and with all of my students - video ads work so well. People want to watch. They want to click and engage. It gives them a break from scrolling, and videos are such a fun way to educate, inspire, and connect with your ideal audience.
So what do you put in your video ad to really grab attention and market your beauty business effectively?
Make an intro video! Pretend this is the first introduction anyone is having to you, your business story, and your salon, regardless of whether you’ve run social ads in the past. Tell your audience who you are, where you came from, what kind of beauty business you have, who you love to serve, and why you love what you do! Check out the blog here for more details on how to nail your intro video, as well as some tips on beating those Film Jitters (hint - everybody gets them...don’t let them stop you!)
#2: Choose one service to educate your audience about
Whether you’re an esthetician, hairstylist, waxer or spray tanner, you probably offer one specific service that you’ve invested the most money, time, and training into...so why not get a great ROI by sharing everything you can about it?
As an example, let’s say you offer a facial service that clients rave about, but maybe doesn’t get booked as often as you like...that’s the service to advertise!
Check out this blog post to read about how my friend Melissa did a great video about her Pumpkin Everything Facial and had amazing booking results.
I’m sure you already have a service in mind you’d like to start selling more of...so start brainstorming a fun, educational ad to get clients booking!
#3: Offer a discount code for your online store
Ok so obviously this one depends on...you know...having an online store...but if that’s you, you’ve gotta jump on this ad idea if you haven’t yet.
This is a common technique marketers use to get people browsing their online store selections, and it’s common because it works really well. Choose a best-selling product that you have lots of, such as a popular lotion or conditioner or nail set, and offer 10-15% off of it, if it’s purchased through the online store (which you’ll obviously link to, in the ad.) If your online store has been optimized for easy surfing and easy shopping, you’ll find that one small discount offered on a popular product can translate into lots of extra money in your pocket as people notice what other cool offerings you’ve got. If you’re feeling extra generous, you could extend the discount to 10-15% off their whole cart...but often, one little discount is all someone needs to buy some awesome new beauty swag.
Check out this blog post for more helpful info on advertising your online shop to sell out of your beauty retail products!
#4: Throw a VIP Party and run an ad to your “warm” audience!
Everyone likes a party, and especially a party that’s exclusive!
First up, in case you’re unfamiliar with the term - a “warm” audience is made up of the people that have interacted with ads you’ve run in the past. Clicks, conversions, and impressions can all be tracked and those people can be chosen as a target demographic for your VIP party ad.
A VIP party doesn’t have to be a big affair...it can be something as simple as offering a free gift or a small discount to those that send you a message to confirm they’ll attend or whatever sort of action you want them to take. And it can be online or in the salon - you choose the format that works best for you, and that you think would be most enjoyable for your VIPs. The idea is to drive sales by making your audience feel appreciated, understood, and seen...while also, of course, reminding them of all the cool services and products your beauty biz offers.
Read this blog post for more info on VIP events and a bunch of other marketing hacks, while you’re there!
#5: Sneak peek of renovations/new services/new team members!
This one is another video ad idea, but instead of featuring yourself, you can feature your beauty business!
This is a great way to “advertise without advertising”, by giving viewers an exclusive look into your business. Whether you want to feature your staff working hard, or the addition of a new treatment room, or announce a brand new service you’ve just started to offer - this kind of ad will get engagement and drum up interest in booking. Be sure to add your beauty business details at the end and a warm invitation for viewers to come check you out!
How much money should I be spending on Facebook and Instagram ads?
Social media ads are an investment, there’s no doubt. But unlike other forms of marketing investments (paying for copywriters/web designers/logo creators etc), Facebook and Instagram ads can be really, truly affordable for even the smallest beauty business budget.
I spend a lot of money on Facebook ads per year (sometimes up to $10,000 or more), but even $5 a day on ads for one week can show a return on investment if you’re targeting your ads effectively. Some of my most successful students have spent just a few dollars a day and been booked up within just a few weeks!
For a thorough breakdown of how much you should spend based on your beauty biz needs and budget, click here to read my blog post all about it!
Challenge yourself to try out some of the ad ideas I’ve shared today, and prepare to be surprised and delighted by the real results of new clients falling in love with you and your salon!
And if you want to get started using Facebook and Instagram ads this summer to grow your business, be sure to download my Starter Kit below:
xo,
Stephanie