How often should I post online? by Joe Cignetti

So, what is the right balance for posting on your salon’s business page while keeping your audience engaged and happy?

I have put together a few points that may make you decision easier!

1. 3-5 Posts Per Week: Quality Over Quantity

• Why 3-5 Posts? This range hits the sweet spot for maintaining visibility without overwhelming your audience. If you post too little, clients may forget about you; too much, and they might unfollow due to feeling bombarded.
• Content Variety: To make each post count, plan different types of content that reflect your salon’s brand and appeal to your target audience. Here’s how you can structure your weekly posts:
  • Before-and-After Transformations: These are powerful because they visually showcase your team’s skills and the client’s satisfaction. People love seeing real results.
  • Client Testimonials & Shout-Outs: Client’s love being featured. Share a testimonial or a story about a satisfied customer. Tag them in your posts (with their permission) to create a personal connection and encourage shares.
  • Product Recommendations or Haircare Tips: Position your salon as a trusted source for haircare advice. Offer tips like “How to maintain colour-treated hair” or recommend products you use in the salon. Make these posts educational but also sales-oriented to encourage product purchases.
  • Behind-the-Scenes Content: Show the human side of your salon. Photos or videos of your team at work, preparing for a big event, or just enjoying their day can create a relatable connection with your audience.
  • Promotions & Special Events: Share limited time offers, loyalty programs, or upcoming events like charity drives, client appreciation days, or holiday specials. These posts can help drive traffic to your salon.
• Posting Days: Strategically spread out these 3-5 posts across the week. It’s often better to post on peak days like Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays when people are more active online, and their minds are on personal care and self-improvement, especially closer to weekends.

2. Daily Stories: Real-Time Engagement Without Overwhelm

• Why Use Stories? Stories (on platforms like Instagram or Facebook) are perfect for daily, informal updates because they disappear in 24 hours. They feel more personal and spontaneous, which suits the dynamic environment of a salon. Clients can get an intimate look into the daily life at your salon, making them feel like part of your community.
• What to Post on Stories:
  • Client Interactions: Snap quick photos or videos of happy clients or show off fun moments during an appointment.
  • Time-Sensitive Promotions: Since stories are temporary, they’re great for last-minute openings, flash sales, or limited offers.
  • Interactive Features: Use polls, questions, or quizzes to engage with your followers. Ask them what hairstyles they love or whether they’ve tried a particular product. Engagement tools help your audience feel involved.
  • Team Highlights: Feature your team members regularly. It helps clients connect with the staff and builds loyalty, especially if they book specific stylists.
• Frequency: Stories can be posted more frequently, even daily. Since they’re casual, you can be a bit more freeform with content. Just ensure it feels authentic and aligns with your salon’s brand.

3. Plan Around Peak Engagement Times: Maximize Visibility

• Understand Your Audience: Use insights from Facebook or Instagram analytics to find out when your followers are most active. Typically, evenings after work (5 PM–8 PM) and weekends tend to be high engagement periods for salons, as people are thinking about self-care and social plans.
• Test & Adjust: If you’re unsure when your audience is most active, experiment with posting times. Try a few posts in the morning, some in the evening, and compare engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments) to identify trends. Once you know when your audience is most engaged, use scheduling tools like Facebook’s or Instagram’s native planners, or third-party apps like Later or Buffer, to automate your posts. I personally use Later for my business.

4. Engage Through User-Generated Content & Interactive Posts

• Encourage Clients to Share: User-generated content (UGC) is gold for salons. Ask clients to share photos of their new look and tag your salon. When they do, repost their photos on your business page. It creates social proof and strengthens the community feel.
• Host Giveaways & Contests: Every few weeks, consider hosting contests. For example, ask followers to comment or tag friends for a chance to win a free service or product. This encourages organic engagement and expands your reach to new potential clients.
• Feedback & Surveys: Ask your audience what they want to see more of—whether it’s hairstyle inspiration, product tips, or live Q&A sessions. When followers feel like their opinions matter, they’re more likely to stay engaged with your content.

5. Monitor and Adapt Based on Performance

• Track Engagement Metrics: Use analytics to see how your posts are performing. If certain types of content get more engagement (likes, comments, shares), focus more on those. If posts don’t perform well, tweak the content, timing, or presentation.
• Balance Input from Your Team: Since “the girls” in your salon are eager to post frequently, get them involved by brainstorming ideas together. Encourage them to each take ownership of specific content types (like one focusing on products, another on styling tips, etc.), so you don’t lose variety or overload your audience with similar posts.
• Stay Consistent but Not Stagnant: Consistency is key, but so is adaptability. Keep your core posting strategy solid, but remain flexible to try new ideas, styles, or campaigns that might resonate better with your audience over time.

6. Avoid Over posting: Quality Trumps Quantity

• Risk of Over posting: If your team posts too frequently, it could lead to post fatigue, where followers become desensitized to your content and stop engaging. Oversaturation can make your brand feel less exclusive and more like background noise.
• Create a Posting Schedule: With your team eager to post often, structure a weekly content calendar to ensure variety, consistency, and balance. This way, everyone can contribute without overwhelming your followers. You could assign posting days to each team member and rotate responsibilities so that everyone’s creativity shines without stepping on each other’s toes.

I suggest for a salon, keeping the right balance between frequent engagement and maintaining quality is crucial.

Posting 3-5 times a week on your business page, coupled with daily stories and a mix of engaging content, can significantly elevate your salon’s presence, and build deeper connections with your audience.

With the enthusiasm of your team and a structured approach, you can effectively grow your salon’s brand while keeping your followers engaged and excited to see what comes next.