Client A: Innovative Social Media Strategy for Barbershop Success
As a social media manager, I've had the opportunity to explore the myriad ways businesses can connect with their audience. One of my most exciting projects is with Client A, a barbershop owner in his late fifties. His ambition? To transform his business from a physical hair-cutting space to a thriving online community and to create more “passive” income. My task is to craft an innovative social media strategy that will make this evolution a reality.
Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how we're building a strategy that blends community engagement with educational content to achieve his goals.
Step 1: Identifying the Problem and Offering a Solution
The first question I ask any client is: What problem can you solve that can be shared on a platform? For Client A, the answer was clear — hair care education.
We're compiling hair care tips and educational materials for him to share on social media. These tips will focus on common challenges faced by his clients, such as:
How to take care of curls
Hydrating and moisturizing curly hair
Reducing frizz
Scalp care, especially for those experiencing balding
This content will be tailored primarily to people with curly and textured hair. Although Client A's barbershop clientele is predominantly male, 50% of his online audience is female. Therefore, we ensure his content addresses more extended hair care and children's hair care tips.
Step 2: Our Community-Centered Content CreationAnother key element of the strategy is fostering community engagement. One way we plan to achieve this is by leveraging customer interviews.
We've seen other barbers successfully engage with their audience by asking kids fun questions like, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" or getting older customers to share life advice. This personable and community-centered approach helps foster deeper connections with the audience.
Client A's barbershop already has a reader's initiative for kids. Children who read books during their haircut appointments receive $2 at the end of their session. We're incorporating this initiative into his social media strategy by sharing kids' book recommendations and featuring children who participate. This highlights Client A's community values and makes his content more relatable and engaging.
Step 3: Targeting an Untapped Market — Content Creation in Your 50s
One unique pillar of Client A's social media strategy is positioning him as a voice for content creation in your fifties. There's a vast, untapped market of people in their forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond who have valuable insights but aren't represented much in the online content.
We're creating a series where Client A will share tips on how to start producing content later in life. He'll discuss:
The importance of sharing your experiences
How to use social media to grow your business
Practical steps to create content in your fifties and beyond
This content will resonate not only with his current audience but also with his current audience. Still, it will also attract a new demographic of individuals looking to start their online journeys.
Step 4: Leveraging User-Generated Content
User-generated content is an effective way to build credibility and community. We're encouraging Client A's customers to take photos at the barbershop and share their hair care experiences online. This content will be collected and reposted on Client A's social media channels to showcase real client experiences.
In addition to photos, we're incorporating testimonials into the content strategy. Customers can share their stories about how Client A's hair care tips have helped them. These testimonials will be featured in posts, videos, and even newsletters.
Step 5: Measuring Success and Adapting:
The Key to Our Strategy as with any social media strategy, data analysis will be key to measuring success and adapting the approach as needed. We'll monitor engagement metrics to see which types of content perform best and use that data to shape future strategies.
This approach ensures that Client A's content evolves to meet his audience's needs and interests. By focusing on educational content, community engagement, and tapping into underserved markets, we're building a sustainable strategy to help Client A transition from behind the barber chair to a thought leader in his industry.
Final Thoughts
Starting a social media management business has taught me that success comes from understanding your client's unique goals and crafting a strategy that aligns with those objectives. For Client A, this means creating a digital presence that allows him to step away from day-to-day operations while continuing to provide value to his community.
Suppose you're considering starting your own social media management business. In that case, I advise focusing on solving problems, fostering community engagement, and continually adapting your strategy based on data. The journey is one of continuous learning, but with each step, you'll see your efforts pay off — just as we're seeing with Client A's barbershop.
