THE TikTok BOOM | Pocketmags.com
Professional Beauty
Professional Beauty


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THE TikTok BOOM

As one of the fastest growing social media platforms out there, there’s never been a better time to jump on the TikTok bandwagon. Amanda Pauley finds out how salons and spas can use the app to promote their business and attract younger clientele

Although TikTok blew up during the Covid-19 lockdowns due to its addictive dance challenges and hilarious lip syncing videos, the platform has gone from strength to strength, and is now a key player in the social media market for attracting younger clientele into your business.

It seems surprising, but the video-only platform’s influence is not to be underestimated, with an incredible one billion people around the world using the app each month. “TikTok is the biggest innovation in marketing that I've seen in the past decade –a platform exclusively for video content, which encourages authenticity and supports smaller creators,” says Ben Lifton, founder of salon marketing consultancy Content Kweens.

“It has the most intelligent algorithm, which means that consumers’ ‘for you page’ (FYP) is scarily accurate, that the content you love creating can be found by people like you. This page also constantly shows new content from accounts people don't follow, so you have more opportunity to show up in the feed of prospective clients – far more than you do on Instagram.”

In the hair and beauty industry, there’s still a misconception that TikTok is mainly used by teenagers, but that’s just not the case. In Ireland, the platform has between 1.5m and 1.8m users per month, according to data from Mulley Communications. Of these, up to 992,000 are aged between 18 and 24, and up to 450,000 are aged between 25 and 34.

“Salons and spas should be adopting the TikTok platform into their marketing strategy because they don’t want to get left behind,” says Cey Sesiguzel, co-founder and producer of video production and digital marketing agency Two Fresh.

What content works best?

TikTok differs to other platforms in the social media realm because ‘fun’ is such an important element in what should be created. Your messaging, however, also needs to be consistent and authentic. For example, mixing up dancing videos and challenges, followed by another with a trending filter and then an educational piece won't work – it’s too chaotic.

“You need to create content that’s aligned with your brand. There is nothing that gen Z hate more than try-hard millennials and baby boomers,” explains social media strategist and digital content creator Akesha Reid. “I think a lot of people assume that TikTok equals dance challenges and lip syncing, and while there is a lot of this, that doesn’t have to be your trajectory.

‘Salons and spas should be adopting the TikTok platform into their marketing strategy because they don’t want to get left behind’

“#LearnonTikTok is a campaign by the app that’s had huge traction because so many creators have seen hacks go viral.

So, is there a hack that your clients could be doing at home in between salon treatments? Or a common skincare misconception that you want to mythbust? These are the kinds of videos that are saved and shared, which encourages more views.”

Sesiguzel agrees, advising that salons and spas need to take time to study popular trends that are going viral on the app so that they can work out what fits into their brand story. He notes that the ‘transformation’ trend is currently working well on the platform in the fashion and property sectors, but could work well for hair and beauty businesses too.

“TikTok allows you to create ‘match cuts’ [an edit that uses elements of one scene in the transition to the next], which is a great way to show before-and-after results. So, you could have some fun and match cut images of stressed clients before treatment with happy clients post-treatment. This simple storytelling, combined with popular music, works well on the platform. Also, avoid traditional forms of marketing, especially anything that might come across like a sales pitch.”

Another idea is to hone in on what you love about your job or your expertise as the algorithm can see the type of content you’re posting – be it educational, entertaining or inspirational – and will target people interested in this on their FYP.

“Industry pros should treat Instagram as a portfolio of their best work, while TikTok is where they can educate clients on homecare, talking about the gazillions of products that are out there,” explains Lipton. “You can tell much better stories through this kind of video content.”

How long should my videos be and how often should I post?

The platform is still pretty young, so there’s not a definitive answer to how many times you should be posting, but TikTok does recommend sharing three videos per day to encourage more views and for the algorithm to share to the FYP.

“However, as this isn’t your actual job,it can be hard to dedicate the time,” says Reid.

“Luckily, unlike Instagram, no one cares if you have the same outfit on for five videos, it’s about the content you’re providing, so bulk filming on one day and spaced out posting will stop you needing to constantly carve out time in the day to film.” Even if you can only post once a week, consistency and persistence are the most important things because you will need to test different strategies.

‘Industry pros should treat Instagram as a portfolio of their best work, while TikTok is where they can educate clients on homecare’

“Like any video content, there should always be a beginning, middle and end. Aim for videos to be 15–30 seconds, or up to one minute for educators, and always shoot in a vertical format using gorgeous lighting,” explains Lipton.

“Also, if you're capturing content of a client, make sure the light source is behind you and keep your subject in the centre of the frame. I'd only ever add text if it adds value and, with the caption, only use three-to-five hashtags related to your niche.”

How can I measure my success on the platform?

Now, this is the tricky bit because as much as you can see how many people are viewing, liking, saving and sharing your content on the platform, you will still want it to translate into bookings. But, it’s not that simple – brand awareness is a big part of what TikTok can do for you.

“Sometimes it does translate to sales, but creating content for this platform needs to be seen the way we see print ads and billboards – it’s about visibility, but now with the added ability [of consumers] to buy or book directly via their phones,” says Reid.

TIKTOK JARGON BUSTED:

For you page (FYP) – this is the first page you land on when you open the TikTok app. It’s a curated feed of videos from creators you might not follow, which the algorithm thinks you will like based on your interests and past interactions.

IB (inspired by) – if you see the letters ‘IB’ in a TikTok caption, then it means the video has been ‘inspired by’ another viral video. The original user will usually be tagged alongside the letters.

“Before you start throwing money at promotion tools, build a bank of content so that when you do start promoting and viewers click on your profile, there are lots of videos for them to watch and get a sense of your brand.”

To help build revenue from your content, you also need to upskill so your videos look the part, so get booked on to a good video editing software course.

“There’s no need to pay someone else to do your videos for you. Since using my video editing techniques and transitions, my students now bang out videos every day and have seen their average client bill increase by £24 in the past three months,” explains Lipton.

However, if you do have the money to have someone external build your profile, then Sesiguzel advises making sure that they understand your business and will protect your brand’s reputation. “Be involved in helping to build your community – you need to follow and engage with other people’s content so that they also start to take notice of yours – and let your clients know you’re on TikTok and will be releasing exclusive deals for them on the platform.”

This article appears in the January/Feb 2022 Issue of Professional Beauty & HJ Ireland

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  COPIED
This article appears in the January/Feb 2022 Issue of Professional Beauty & HJ Ireland