Did the algorithm change again? Is Instagram really turning into a video-sharing platform? How many hashtags are too many hashtags?
Social media platforms are constantly being developed and changed and while we spend our days point cutting, balayaging, and blow-drying it can be challenging to stay up-to-date on the latest unwritten rules we need to play by to get noticed on the feed. To take some of the guesswork out of the mystery that is Instagram, we’re highlighting some of the top pro tips for social media strategy from Wella Education and Wella Passionista Cameron Kepford. Learn what you need to know to get “liked” this season.
Listen to the @WellaEducation IGTV Live here or continue reading for the top tips!
Breaking Down The Platform:
About You:
You’ll generally want to keep separate Instagram profiles for work and personal life. That way when potential customers look for your services they are able to see a wide range of your work. While you’ll want to maintain a professional tone, you should also add elements to your profile that give clients an understanding of you, your style, and your personality.
In your bio, you should include:
- Your location
- Notes about what you specialize in
- Details on how to book
Insights:
If you opt for either a Business or Creator profile, you’ll be given access to “Insights” (analytics) about your profile. This will give you a deeper understanding of the best times and days to post content throughout the week to give you the highest amount of engagement.
Engagement:
As a social media platform, Instagram gives more love to accounts that behave in a genuine way. By posting at various times, mixing up content (from video to images to reels, etc.), and by responding and interacting with their audience naturally.
Variety:
It is a great idea to mix up the type of content you post and utilize all the functions that Instagram has to offer. Play around with angles, shoot stylized photos as well as behind-the-scenes shots, and aim to start using everything from Reels to Stories, IGTV, and Guides. Using all the functions that Instagram has to offer can create greater chances to interact with your audience.
Sharing expert insight, Cameron Kepford suggests organizing Story Highlights based on similar colors, styles, and even an “About Me” highlight so new or existing followers don’t have to scroll your entire feed and are able to see the specific content they are searching for all in one place.
Captions:
What you say about your image is just as important as the image you are posting. While it is a great idea to keep things short and witty, you should use your captions to share value-added tips like your formulas, how you got the style or which products used.
Hashtags and Tags:
Gone are the days of posting as many hashtags as possible. Instagram favors fewer, more well-thought-out hashtags instead. Aim to include about three local hashtags that describe the location you work in, three hashtags that explain the image (color, cut, etc.), and three that are brand-specific. In addition to this, you should always hard tag any brands you have used to put your work on their radar and increase your chances of getting reposted on their platforms. For example: the best hard tags for Wella Professionals are @WellaHairUsa and @WellaEducation. When it comes to hashtags #WellaHair, #Wellahairusa, #WellaProfessionals, and #WellaPassionistaUSA are great places to start. From there, you can get more specific with Wella Professionals ranges such as #EIMI or #KolestonPerfect.
Organization:
The salon can be a high-paced environment that doesn’t always allow time to organize your posts. In addition to this, after a long day at work, you might not be in the mood to work on content when you get home. This is exactly why it is a great idea to spend one day a week or a few days a month planning out upcoming content. It gives you the chance to concentrate on meaningful captions and plan out your feed so you won’t be scrambling to put a post together.
The Main Takeaways:
- Aim to be authentic
- Don’t focus on your follower count
- Instead, concentrate on increasing engagement and genuine interactions with your followers
- Be consistent with posting and commenting
- Show your followers who you are while showcasing your work
Follow @WellaHairUsa and @WellaEducation for the latest tips, tricks and techniques from Wella Professionals!
