Let’s face it, people’s attention span is becoming shorter and shorter. So as salon owners you need to have the tools to grab their attention digitally. 

Digital marketing is a quickly-evolving industry whose dos and don’ts evolve and change as quickly as do public opinions and tastes. However, we have compiled the 7 trends we can expect to see becoming more important this year.

1. Mobile phones are where it’s at.

More and more people continue to swap their desktops or other screens for their mobiles. Digital marketers as well as developers and designers need to be aware that mobile comes first. 

That means that all the content you publish, all those videos and photos, hair salon website designs or even the shortcuts software you use, needs to be optimized for mobile devices. Pay attention to the load speed, text and button sizes, file formats and other relevant factors which improve user experience, and make sure you grab those ever shorter attention spans of your audiences. 

Does your website do this well? Is it time for an Audit? / Update?

2. Video content is the king.

It’s all about stopping those thumbs scrolling!

So, how do you grab the attention of your target audience?

By creating more meaningful content which will stand out amongst the ever more crowded digital space. As evidenced by TikTok, the increase in popularity of video is a trend which will only continue to grow in 2022 and should definitely be included in your digital marketing strategy regardless of your niche.

Some of the easiest yet most effective ways to stop those thumbs scrolling are with how-to videos, before and after videos, time lapses presenting your treatments as well as video testimonials and behind the scene shots. Educate your target audience while entertaining them, introduce them to your team and make a meaningful connection with them by letting them into your world before they ever set foot into your business.

3. Influencer marketing is still key.

Additionally, having a trusted and familiar face to advocate for your brand helps get you in front of a much wider audience and is a great way to highlight your salon and what you are all about. Despite the fact that the end of 2021 saw some turbulence in this field, influencer marketing remains one of the best trust building methods for (almost) all lines of business and is a trend which will follow us throughout 2022. 

Beauty sector marketing is one of the niches which is perfect for influencer marketing. Whether it’s promoting your services on your social media, organizing live events around them (and reporting that on your networks) or including their testimonials and recommendations on your beauty salon websites, there are almost innumerable ways in which this sort of collaboration can be utilized to mutual satisfaction and professional benefit.

4. Online reviews are more important than ever.

However, it’s not only influencer’s voices that are important to your target audience. People are interested in hearing how others interacted with your business and if the experience was pleasant. With the help of online reviews, it has never been this easy to obtain, or publish, helpful consumer reviews. Customer behaviour is changing. Now it is often the first thing that a potential client looks up when researching a business – they want social proof!

This is why it is important to include online reviews when advertising your salon services – it drives your online traffic, makes you appear more open and accepting of feedback, builds better trust with your potential customers, increases the transparency, and drives interaction. People who’ve read positive reviews from their peers are more likely to start a conversation with you and eventually become your loyal customers.

5. Conversational commerce is gaining momentum.

And speaking of communication, the term “conversational commerce” was first coined by Uber’s Chris Messina in 2015 and refers to “the intersection of messaging apps and shopping.” It has been growing ever more popular since then, and definitely won’t stop in 2022. Mostly applied in some social media marketing where the interaction rates are higher than on websites, the key point is to educate your target audience about your products and services in addition to making a conversion. 

While we know that most of your hair and beauty salons aren’t traditional e-commerce businesses, there is no reason why this trend couldn’t be incorporated when advertising your salon services online or when users are interacting with your salon booking software. If done right, not only can conversational commerce increase your number of conversions (be it products sold or treatments booked), but also drive you higher revenue through upselling or cross-selling.

6. SEO is becoming more integrated

However, let’s not underestimate the power of a high-quality website. Consequently, one of the oldest forms of digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), has been growing more significant and valuable almost every day. Search engines like Google are constantly changing, improving and expanding the way their algorithms work. They are increasingly focusing more on context, the importance is now on deep understanding of search engines’ (the most common being Google) values and users’ experience. High-quality content combined with a good technical architecture and a knowledge about how algorithms work are the factors that will rank your website better in the search results, making it more visible to your target audience and so directly creating more potential customers. And since competition is increasing on a daily basis, it’s obvious that good SEO practices and a great website are so vital.

7. It’s all about the algorithm.

And speaking of algorithms, it’s important to understand that they are what’s driving every part of digital marketing nowadays. Not only are they behind the previously mentioned position of your websites among the search results, but they also determine what content is presented to each of us on various social networks, what search, display and shopping ads we see, what videos are suggested or directly played for us on YouTube, often even what promotional emails we get. 

You get the picture. One of the crucial elements of those algorithms is user experience, meaning the way they interact with the content presented to them. That is why it is increasingly important for that content to be in line with users’ needs and expectations, highly relevant and useful – otherwise it risks becoming invisible.

In the meantime, Facebook and Instagram as we know them are not going anywhere, while LinkedIn and TikTok are only growing more important and present in our everyday lives. 

So, in summary,

– A good website is crucial. 

– Make it mobile friendly. 

– Promote that site using social ads, google paid search ads and Influencers. 

– Create great, useful and informative content and make it video content. 

– Continue to work on the SEO of your site with a view to coming problems and delivering a great user experience.

– And use your social media channels to engage with your audiences.

This is what we do here at Digital Salon Group.

If you feel you need help with any of the things we talk about above, please contact us about how we can help you. And check out our Digital Marketing services here