Is Your Salon on Pinterest? If Not, It Should Be

What is the number one reason customers come into your salon or spa? The short answer is: to look good. Yep, you know it, we know it and you customers are likely to admit that the only reason they take the time and spend the money on your services is to improve their self-esteem. But are you taking advantage of this fact? Pinterest could be the perfect social media vehicle for promoting your business and getting more customers through the door.

Why Pinterest?

Yes, you can post pictures on Facebook and Twitter, but Pinterest really is all about eye candy. The text, if any, is short and the focus is on images pinned to virtual boards that show the things people love to see, eat, wear, use and own. Not only do most Pinners enjoy pinning recipes and fashion, they also pin things of general interest – and weight loss tips, exercise routines, health and beauty products/services, all speak directly to the main demographic of the site.

Your main target market demographic definitely uses the site. Here’s just a few recent statistics about Pinterest:

• Over 70 million users
• 80% of Pinners are women
• 20% of American women who use the internet also use Pinterest
• 2.5 billion Pinterest pages are viewed per month
• 20% of social referrals come from Pinterest

Chances are many of your current customers are already avid Pinners. With an average of 67 followers per Pinner, that means your repinned images are also shared with 67 others, on average. And if your followers connect Pinterest to their Facebook page, that number goes even higher.

Another big benefit of Pinterest is that pins have a long shelf life. Unlike Facebook posts and tweets, which are quickly swallowed up by more current updates, your pins can easily be found months or even years later and repined or shared over and over again.

What to Pin

Convinced you should put your business on Pinterest? Then the next step is to find the right images to attract new customers. Here’s a few of our suggestions:

• Before and after photos of customers who have lost weight using FIT Bodywrap®
• Photos of customers using your spa services
• Images of your advertising materials showing current sales or specials
• A photo of a group, such as bride and bridesmaid, who got pampered at your salon or spa
• Photos from a special event at your business
• Demonstrations of your services, such as spray tanning or a FIT Bodywrap® session

Of course, be sure you receive permission from your customers before using their photos on any social media site.

Best Practices

Business success via Pinterest isn’t going to happen overnight. It’s important that you pin regularly to attract Pinners to follow your boards. Follow as many users as you can since many of them will reciprocate by following you back. One good way to find Pinners you know is to search for your Facebook contacts; another is to search by geographical tags, such as city and state. Repinning fellow users’ pins is another way to entice others to follow your boards. And finally, be sure that everyone knows your business has a presence on Pinterest by adding “Pin It” buttons to your website content and linking your Facebook page.

Take your salon or spa to the next level by using social media to your advantage. Pinterest could be the best one to focus your efforts on since it’s such a visual medium. And don’t forget to follow FIT Bodywrap Pinterest boards, either!