I probably don't even need to tell you that Instagram should be a huge marketing priority for your salon. Could it be the fact that 96% of beauty brands are already using Instagram? The fact that 42% of US consumers decide where to spend their money because of social media? Or maybe just that fact that you see the salon across town absolutely killing it with their interaction on Instagram?

Anyway, let's assume you know it's super important to have an amazing Instagram profile and following on Instagram. But maybe you're not seeing the bookings coming from it? Or the likes and comments? Maybe your followers aren't growing as fast as you thought they would.

Running an successful Instagram account for a salon is a particular beast. It needs to be done in a specific way and because you're a local business in the beauty industry, there are probably some points you're missing.

Here are 3 of the most common mistakes that salons are making on Instagram which are costing them potential followers, bookings, and in the end lost money.  

Mistake #1: You're not directing your visitors to take action

Yes, Instagram is all about the images. Your clients love to see your latest unicorn hair colours and your staff's smiling faces. But in the end, it's all about building up a loyal following and converting those people to loyal clients. Some salons seem to forget about this fact and don't use their precious profile page to get people into their salon. Here's how to do it.  

IDEA: Use the link in your bio to link to a specific page of your website  

If you prefer that people book appointments online, link them to your online appointment booking page. If you see that clients usually want to see your services list and prices first, link them to that page!  

IDEA: Make sure your address, email and phone number are updated and available for your followers to click  

You want clients to be able to call you or locate your salon with directions at the click of a button, right?  

BONUS IDEA: Make sure that whatever website your bring your followers to is optimized for mobile (not like the website below)

Mistake #2: You're not making all of your images branded and consistent

Don't underestimate the amount of Insta-scrolling that happens on Instagram! Your followers are being completely bombarded with images and you need to make sure that yours' not only stand out but increase your brand visibility every time you post.  

IDEA: Make your photo style instantly recognizable  

Take a look at these shots from Bleach London:    

Not only do these pictures look fantastic, they follow a certain design aesthetic (grungy, colourful, closeups, certain poses) that instantly make viewers say "Yep, this pic comes from Bleach".  

IDEA: Make your brand colours stand out in every post  

Part of your visual brand is not just your logo, but your writing style, your image style, and your colours (Check out our complete guide to salon branding here). Another way of making your Instagram images reinforce your brand is to always include your colours in them in the form of text, backgrounds, images etc.

BONUS IDEA: To include a logo or not?  

One question we get is: should you put your salon's logo on your Instagram pics. This could be in a subtle way in the corner or making it stand out at the top in a big colourful way. The most important positive and negative to consider:

Positive: It's a good way for your images to be instantly recognized as coming from you.

Negative: It makes your images look corporate and business-like, which can often tune people out as they may look at your images as an ad.

Our suggestion: Try both, for at least a month, and see what kind of reaction you get in terms of interaction on images with or without a watermark.  

Mistake #3: You're not following a local marketing strategy

The truth is that your salon's Instagram (in 97% of all cases) does have a "best" kind of follower that interacts with you. They are in your target market (age, gender, lifestyle etc) and they are in your geographic area. What works for your salon won't work for a salon in Brooklyn, NYC. That's why your Instagram strategy has to work to attract the right kind of people. Here's how:

1) Tag all of your pics at your location (create a location like this if you can't find your salon)

2) Like and follow people who have checked in at your location

3) Follow and interact with people who have recently been at places near your business

4) Use the right hashtags to micro-target people in your ideal audience     - city hashtags - hair hashtags popular in your area - hashtags that could be related to the interests of your clients

5) Get involved in local events and happenings to make your salon stand out as a city "landmark". People love seeing local landmarks on their feed!

6) Partner up with a local business to do a local promo (cross promoting products, for example)  

Want even more ideas for making your salon's Instagram account kickass?

Download my eBook "The Top Salons Winning on Instagram - and how your salon can too"! I take a look at 7 of the top salons that are doing an amazing job of finding new clients and building a following on Instagram. Download it below!