We don’t need to look at the latest news from Facebook or Google Insight reports to see what’s big on the networks. We can see it on our own Salon Hero server – where we host salon websites. Video is the major player when it comes to engagement these days. It trumps everything.
Salons these days must actively seek the approval of consumers beyond the narrow confines of their clientele, finding ways to engage new audiences and convert them into clients. They have to get the salon name out there often and on various channels. But it can be like standing on top of the One World Trade Center in New York, throwing out thousands of brochures and hoping those passing will pick one up and do more than glance at it. They rarely do, unless it moves.
According to a recent Nielsen report commissioned by Facebook, viewing video lifts ad recall, brand awareness and purchase consideration. It also lifts respect. If a brand has invested in a film that informs and impresses, the consumer is more likely to buy into it. Think about recommend-a-friend; it is happening all the time between consumers without them even meeting. They just look at pictures online. But when they see something they like, instead of picking up the phone to the salon, they search online, investigating further before committing. If there is video, the uptake rate jumps way up. Whether they started on Snapchat and moved via the website to YouTube, it is video that drives them faster and further.
I got into video a long time ago, making films for KMS, and moved on from there to creating content for other companies. Ten years ago it was showreels and VTs. But these days we are called on to produce content for websites and social networking. It’s how more progressive salons set themselves apart from those average salons down the road.
When we make these films, we also develop a large media folder that allows the business to slice out sections and ready them for Facebook or Instagram. We’ll often do a whole series that can be posted over weeks and months, used to draw traffic to the website, product or app. It drives branding across a whole series of channels. We also spend serious time labeling our films fully so they carry searchable content, bringing in new audiences caught by hashtags and keywords.
As Nielsen concluded for Facebook: ‘Every part of a video view—from the initial impression to a complete video view and everything in between—drives value for a brand.’
