As a business owner, you know that Instagram is where your clients are. But why isn’t your salon, spa, barber shop, or med spa getting more bookings?
Because Instagram is crowded.
Brands that regularly post on Instagram are fighting for the attention of 169 million users in the United States alone.
They’re also competing with 200 million businesses that are active on Instagram. Most of them are from the US, Germany, or the UK. All of them are trying to convert followers into clients.
What brands learn quickly is that getting attention, likes, and followers does not necessarily translate to sales.
How can you convert Instagram followers into clients?
Start with the basics. Audit your current social management practices. Then, make booking easy with features such as omnichannel booking.
Build Brand Awareness, Authority, and Trust First
Let’s start with the basics.
Before taking steps to increase your conversion rate, use this checklist to see if you’re following best Instagram practices.
If your hair salon, medical spa, or pet grooming business is active on Instagram, ask yourself if you are:
- Sharing content that is either interesting or educational for your ideal client?
- Planning your posts ahead to form a cohesive and recognizable feed for your brand?
- Building community by addressing your ideal clients, encouraging engagement, and answering their comments and messages?
- Showcasing results your clients have achieved?
- Posting regularly?
Clients want to book with salons they trust. Someone who has shown them time and time again that they can solve their problems.
Fact: Instagram is a visual medium. Having a professional feed with high-quality, strong visuals is important. It gets their attention. But it also signals to customers that you invest in every aspect of your business, and you take pride in the service you provide to your clients.
The content you share has to be more than beautiful. It has to be relevant and valuable for your target clients. Purposeful content addresses their concerns, shows your results, and educates them. It builds your authority.
Don’t overlook the social aspect of social media. Instagram stands out as a community-building powerhouse thanks to its robust tools that facilitate meaningful engagement and connections with followers.
Here are some quick tips to enhance your Instagram community-building efforts:
- Start conversations with your followers
- Respond promptly to their messages
- Ask for feedback on your stories and posts
- Add interactive engagement icons and buttons in your stories
- Share the audience feedback you get with the rest of your audience
- Offer discounts and giveaways to those who share your services with others
For instance, if you own a pet grooming salon, consider sharing before-and-after photos of pets you’ve groomed, or take your audience behind the scenes of a grooming session.
Bridge The Gap Between Interest and Bookings
It’s time to analyze your booking experience. This is important in order to pinpoint the gap between someone liking your post and booking an appointment.
Some things to consider here are:
- Does booking require too many steps?
- Does Instagram redirect the clients to too many other channels?
- Can your clients book an appointment directly via Instagram?
- Is the booking system you use working properly (no errors or glitches)?
- Can your clients book via any device?
- Is the booking system you use syncing in real-time to prevent overbooking or overlapped appointments?
Instagram clients want instant booking, not detours. Skip the website hassle and offer direct booking within the platform. Let them convert with a single click.
How can you streamline booking for your hair salon, beauty salon, med spa, pet grooming service, or barber shop, making it effortless for your clients?
Remove Friction With Omnichannel Booking
MyTime is the best software for managing just about every aspects of your business, and all from a single platform — POS, marketing, inventory, and booking included.
With MyTime client appointment frustrations are a thing of the past. MyTime’s omnichannel booking lets clients seamlessly book from anywhere — social media, Google Maps, or your website.
In today’s world, it’s crucial for businesses to be present wherever their customers are.
Whether they see your Instagram ad for the first time or already follow you, with omnichannel booking, they can secure their appointment on the spot.
Our research shows that 20% of online bookings come from new channels like Google, Bing, Facebook, and Instagram.
Employ Actionable Strategies for Converting Followers
Tired of seeing potential clients slip away on Instagram? Here’s how to convert them into loyal customers:
- Be Responsive: Answer booking questions promptly, showing followers you value their time and business.
- Reward Loyalty: Offer exclusive discounts or packages for your Instagram community, fostering a sense of exclusivity.
- Simplify Booking: Allow direct booking through Instagram, removing friction and encouraging immediate action.
- Clear CTAs: Make your “Book Now” button prominent and guide followers with clear calls to action.
- Showcase Your Expertise: Highlight your services and the amazing results you deliver with client testimonials, before-and-after photos, or influencer partnerships.
- Build Trust: Social proof through testimonials and results builds trust with potential clients, setting you apart from the competition.
These strategies make booking with you a breeze, increasing the likelihood of followers choosing you over the competition. By providing a seamless, value-driven experience, you’ll transform your Instagram audience into a thriving clientele.
Turn Instagram Likes Into Clients With Omnichannel Booking
When done right, Instagram showcases your brand as a logical choice. Educational content presents you as an authority in the industry. Interesting and entertaining posts set you apart from your competitors. Strong visuals and branding make you memorable.
However, strong branding and reaching prospects are not enough to convert followers into paying clients.
If you want them to take action, remove the friction clients usually experience while trying to make an appointment at your spa or salon.
Clearly outline your service and share info that answers anticipated booking questions.
And most important of all — make booking effortless, at any time from any device with omnichannel booking.
Booking appointments directly from Instagram is one of many features of the MyTime management software. Start here with MyTime to bring more clients to your spa or salon.
