I am not one to hype up social platforms or apps, but when I find something I see as an opportunity for the people that I love, then yes, I get a little over excited like I am this morning when I discovered Vine. And their tagline is awesome: Make A Scene, well thank you Vine, I think I may just do that.
This new social video sharing app launched by our friends at Twitter, is being called the Instagram of video and works very much like Instagram; how we capture content, post, caption, use hashtags, like, follow, etc.
The social revolution continues to bring so many awesome solutions for the professional beauty biz. This is one of them. Just think about what you can do sharing 6 seconds of video on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and your website.
Here are just a few opportunities I see:
1. Capturing cuts, colors and styles
2. Introducing a new team member
3. A quick tour of the salon
4. Introducing a new service or product
5. A super quick how-to
How do you see yourself using Vine for business?
Here is a super cool video from Mashable which takes you through the Vine app. It’s super quick and very informative. Watch it.
Photo and video sharing are here to stay and give you so many opportunities to share your work, deliver more value on your social + digital pages and help you become a more discoverable business on the Web.
So my challenge to you today is to download the app, start capturing video, and share it. (If you have an iPhone of course, as its not yet available on Android.)
“To understand the mindset of the connected consumer, one must realize that everything begins with search and intent.”
Brian Solis
Many of us have heard the news about Facebook Graph Search, a new search and discovery tool. While it is still in beta testing with a select group of people, I found a few things that might be helpful in understanding what it may mean for all of us.
I love this video from Facebook explaining why they created Graph Search. This is a good place to begin understanding this new tool.
Lets first understand that there are two ways to look at this new feature. Personal and Business. I am going to focus on the business side for this post. The best way I can wrap my mind around Graph Search is to think of it as a super social, highly targeted and personalized Google.
Are You A Discoverable Business?
One of the most important things to understand about the social and digital Web for business is becoming more discoverable. As my hero and mentor Brian Solis says so well in the opening quote, everything begins with search and intent. People are looking for your business. Your job is to be sure they can find it. This is done by being highly engaged on social platforms such as Facebook, referral platforms such as YELP, and of course, having a good website that clearly communicates your why, what and how to engage with your business.
To learn more about becoming a more discoverable business on the Web, check out our Webinar.
What You Can Do Right Now on Facebook
Consistency engage on your business page
Post relevant content at least one time per day
Be sure your About section and contact information is strong and clear
Claim Your Page Name (URL) (Here is a post I did on that in case you do not know how)
Be sure your business is categorized correctly (Click here to learn more about Business Page Categories)
Here is another video from Slacktory on Facebook Graph Search, with a hilarious spin. It’s awesome.
PS: To learn more about Facebook Graph Search, click here.
It is amazing how the social web works in making significant connections. A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a client about a situation that happened at their place of business and the importance of helping make people feel significant.
Is Anybody Home?
I was at my clients place of business and noticed a potential new client walk in. Not a single team member acknowledged this person. The woman just stood at the front desk, patiently, grabbed some literature, and just kept waiting. Finally, I excused myself from what I was doing to say hello to this potential new client and answer any questions she had. She was so happy that someone finally noticed she was there.
Have you ever walked into a place of business and not been noticed? Nobody looks up or even says hello? How did it feel? It sucks. And we have all been there.
So after I left, I jumped on the phone with my client to explain what had happened and we discussed how we could educate and inspire the team to understand the importance of helping everyone who walks through their door feel significant.
Discovering Angela Maiers
Only a few hours after that call, I came across the nicest post on the Passion Squared Facebook page from a beautiful woman named Angela Maiers. She expressed how much she loved the page, that is was “Passion Embodied.” Well of course, I was thrilled to see feedback such as that, and immediately Googled Angela. My jaw dropped to the floor. I could not believe this incredible woman took the time to notice Passion Squared, then cared enough to share her thoughts on my page. It was like she had been with me earlier in the day and heard the conversation I had with my client. Nothing in my world is a coincidence. This was just another confirmation of that.
Please take some time to experience Angela’s TEDx Talk about the importance of the You Matter message. It is very powerful and a must see for anyone who works with people. So that means all of us.
You see, it does not matter whether you are sharing the message of significance to a group of young people in school or you are acknowledging a client or potential new client as they walk through your door. The message is the same. We all want to feel significant. Something to think about both online and off. Are you listening? Are you paying attention? Do you care?
Angela is the author of The Passion Driven Classroom, a book all about ways to cultivate a thriving and passionate community of learners in the classroom and is a key thought leader in business and education. To learn more about Angela Maiers and her company Maiers Educational Services, click here. You can also follow her on Twitter @AngelaMaiers
A big shout out of thanks to Angela for inspiring me, this post, and for taking the time to engage with my Facebook page. It means the world to me. You matter.
“Any great and inspiring leader or organization that ever existed set out to do something completely unrealistic.”
Simon Sinek
When I read this quote it struck me, as I am one for seeming at times “unrealistic”. I cannot count the times in my life that someone told me something was not possible, that I lived in a fantasy world, that my I needed to be “realistic.”
What is realistic anyway? Is it not in the eye of the beholder? I wonder what would have happened if some of the greatest leaders, athletes, scientists and educators listened to the naysayers. Our world would not be as rich, that I know for sure. The greatest inventions, cures, technology and businesses have been born out of awesome people not listening to those who say it’s not possible.
A quote I shared last month has become my mantra, and possibly my next tattoo. It speaks so much to this principle of “realistic”. The quote from Rose Etheridge begins with “Follow Your Inner GPS…” That is so powerful to me, as I believe that we each have our own reality, our own dreams and desires and nobody can tell us if its right or not.
Each of us possesses within us great abilities to make amazing things happen. And so many times, our light is dimmed by someone who does not dream as big as we do.
If I had listened to the naysayers I would not have:
Gone to college
Dropped out of college
Gone to beauty school (did not drop out, did awesome instead)
Worked for one of the greatest professional haircare companies in the world
Become VP of Marketing for that company
Gracefully walked away from “the greatest career in the world”
Started my own business
Began writing a book with the dream of being a published author
What “unrealistic” things have you done that make your heart smile? What would you do if anything was possible?
Next time you have a thought, idea or plan that feels right to you, and you have gathered all of the tools and resources you need to make it happen, remember to follow your inner GPS.
“Be human. • Be aware. • Be honest. • Be respectful. • Be a participant. • Be open. • Be courageous.”
Brian Solis
By now, most businesses have some type of Facebook presence, but there is still a long way to go to be able to turn that presence into a tool to engage, build meaningful relationships and deliver value to your community.
Think of it this way: If a human walked into your place of business, would you say hello? Would you answer their questions? Would you say thank you when they gave you a shout out? Of course, the answer is yes. Guess what? That is exactly how we want to engage with humans on Facebook.
Engagement on Facebook is measured by the amount of Likes, Comments, Shares, RSVP’s to an event or Answers a Question you posted as a poll. You can see this “measurement” right next to your Likes number, it’s called “Talking About This.”
Here are 5 Steps To Increase Engagement 1. Post Consistently
The more consistently you post, the more likely you will show up in the News Feed and the more likely people will engage. Consistently means at least one post per day. Remember, you can plan your posts and schedule them, click here to see our post on how to schedule a Facebook post.
2. Post and Share Relevant Content Now I know what you are saying, what exactly does relevant mean? Well, you know your community better than anyone. And you know your brand, your story and your goals. If you are not sure, engage your team, think about your focus in your salon or business, and come up with some ideas around those focuses such as before and after images, team shout outs, inspiration, new products and services, etc. To learn more about content creation and curation, click here to view our webinar.
3. Respond to Comments, Messages and Posts to your Wall This is a biggie. Like I said in the beginning, if a human walked into your business, would you acknowledge them? Of course you would. Facebook is no different. Your community wants to know you are listening and you care. One way to show this is by being an active participant on your own page. Think about it. Click here to read our post on the importance of social customer care.
4. Make Use of Tabs for Online Booking and Events There are so many free tabs available to use on Facebook. And while many of them are not viewed as often your actual Timeline, they are there for a reason. Consider offering online booking, and be sure the platform you choose offers a Tab that you can easily install on Facebook. This way, your clients and potential future clients can make an appointment right on Facebook. Convenience at its finest and for sure a must do for the connected customer. We love Schedulicity for online booking, they offer all that and so much more. Click here to learn more and sign up. They have graciously given us a special offer we get to pass on to our community, a FREE 60 day trial. How awesome is that?
And remember, if you are having an Event such as a Grand Opening, a Product Launch, a Fundraiser, etc to make use of the Events tab. We have found it to be one of our most engaging Tabs.
5. Ask Your Community to Click on Get Notifications and Show In News Feed Many of us have heard about Facebook messing with what shows up in the News Feed. And yes, its true. Each social platform has a formula they use for search and discovery. So its our job to figure out how to “be seen” in spite of the formula so to speak. Now what we know for sure is if you do the four steps above, you will for sure be seen more often in the News Feed. However, there is a simple way to ensure your community sees your posts more often and gets notified when you post to your page. Click here to see our simple step-by-step on how to make that happen.
Where Am I Going To Find The Time?
So there you have it, 5 simple things you can do to increase engagement. So now I know what you are thinking; where am I going to find the time to do all this?
Here is my answer. Make time. Social business is our new reality, we can no longer choose not to engage. Well, actually, we can, but I would not recommend it. In order to grow, to become a more discoverable business, its time to re-think how we spend our time and what activities we are spending it on.
Make a commitment to spend 30 minutes a day on your social pages. That is it. And if you have to, wake up a half hour earlier. Schedule yourself in the salon. Do whatever you have to do. If you want it bad enough and it’s important to you, you will find the time. You always do.
One-On-One Mentoring
If you want to learn more about engaging in the social space and creating a plan for your business, I offer one-on-one mentoring to help you craft the ultimate plan. Click here to reach out and we will decide together if this is the right program for you. I look forward to connecting with you and helping you realize your dreams.
