The value of fans vs the cost of followers
Let’s define what a fan is. (In this context of service providers such as Hairdressers, Barbers and Beauty Professionals.)
Fans (profit) put money in your till. They are the people talking about you (positively) They are the ones who have your loyalty card and phone number on speed dial. They are the ones you can rely on to visit you regularly. They value you, your judgement, your opinions and your expertise.
Followers (profile) Don’t put money in your till. Worst of all they consume an unreasonable amount of your precious time. Like most social media it’s a tool and if you are not making money out of it then you’re using it incorrectly.
Before we begin let us talk about you. What do you want Profit or Profile? Be honest.
Your follower numbers are an external sign of status. Social media giants understand the dopamine effect of attracting followers or number go up leads the user to play a never-ending game, Rumour has it they were supposed to hide these numbers to combat mental health issues that have been attributed to social media consumption. They won’t do this though. If you can purchase an “oven ready” Instagram account with 100,000 followers for £1000. Why would you spend 2 years posting daily stories to get to half that amount?
Follower numbers are the social credit score that people are measured by and stimulated with. The danger of this has been predicted in apocalyptic shows such as Black Mirror and in currently playing out in China. These numbers do not define you. Therefore disregard them, they’re irrelevant to 99.9% of the industry.
You need fans – They’re more valuable
How do you get more fans? This is the question you should be asking yourself.
For a start Don’t focus/obsess on the competition. You can’t control it. Focus on what you can control. Focus on you and your team. You know what’s best. You are unique and what is individual to you is individual with your brand. You add value. Your competition does not.
Fans find you more because of word of mouth. They are your customer’s friends and family. They find you because a friend recommended you. They don’t need a financial incentive as they are looking at connecting two people that they like, love and respect.
How can you reward your fans?
To up your game every time you see them. Go above & beyond the call of duty for them. You are in a service industry. Give them the best service and they’ll be a fan for life.
What does this mean?
Maybe an extra biscuit with their tea.
Or a free treatment at the backwash.
Pass on your expertise in a tip of how to do their hair at home?
It’s doing whatever works in the context of that individual. Do they like something new? Then do something new. Do they like being pampered. Absolutely. Pamper them. Do they love a bargain? Do them a deal. Do they love social media? then tag them in a great looking picture of their hair. You don’t need thousands of followers to make a great impact.
The compliments will rain in and you could gain a new client from their network. They choose you to do their hair. Your advantage is they have already made a purchase decision. They are sat in your chair. Never take that for granted.
Make the experience bespoke for them whatever form pampering takes for that individual and you can build a reputation that will be shared by your fans.
Competition is rife in the hair + beauty industry, we are at saturation point. Remember price is what you pay and value is what you get.
If you want to increase your price, you have to increase your value.
What can you do now?
Social media may give you a little happy feeling with the likes on your latest status update but long term;
Is it reflecting or affecting your business?
Is it showing what you can do?
Is it helping you get new clients or keeping you from them?
Are you using Instagram as a tool to inspire others or educate yourself?
Are you using Tik Tok for the laughs and escapism or in hope you can get a new bunch of followers?
Are the time costs of doing social media outweighing the benefits?
If you’re like me, the guy that’s easily distracted and attempts to use social media minimally for information and communication with customers. The number of times I go into Facebook to message a client and find myself twenty minutes later clicking the home screen to then realise that I didn’t message my client.
Using an app such as ‘Your Hour’ will give you insights into what how addicted you are to Facegramtok. (It’ll be eye-opening for you)
Now put your phone down, stop reading this. You have better things to be doing with your time.
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