Why You Should Create a Photo Station in Your Salon

I know we have all seen images from businesses with questionable backgrounds and unflattering lighting. Nobody wants that, especially businesses. While you may be able to control the pictures you post, that doesn’t mean you can control what your customers do. Being in the beauty industry, pictures are a huge part of conveying results and aesthetics. A weird picture tagging your business, posted in a review, or worse, no pictures at all, can cause your salon's digital footprint to take a hit. A simple fix for this is to create a space where customers want to take pictures, with a nice background and good lighting.

Picture this: You have a customer walk in. You chat for a bit, then they go tan. After their session is over, they come out feeling a total confidence boost, so they go to take a selfie and post it, telling all their friends to come to your salon. Would you want that selfie washed out in fluorescent lighting, taken in their car with who knows what in the background, or in front of a curated backdrop with your logo and natural lighting? Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! But what do you need for this to work?

When creating your photo station, first, we have to think about your salon’s branding. Let’s start by thinking about colors and pulling one main color and two supporting colors. Next, let's give your brand a design style. Is it neutral and chic, bold and modern, or elegant and classy? The first thing to do is decide where we will put all this. This will depend on your space and lighting. When in doubt, natural lighting is always best, so right by a window is a great option.

Next, build your backdrop using your main color. Then decide on a medium based on the design style. For example, if your main color is pink and your style is elegant, you might use pink draping fabric. From there, we are going to ask, “How do I want my salon represented?” Are you going for a bold custom neon sign or maybe a chic framed poster? If people are going to post these images, you want them to know it was taken in your salon, so having your logo or salon name visible is important.

Once we have done all that, we get to decorate. Using those two supporting colors, think about any accent pieces you might want. More wall décor, some kind of seating, a rug, and so on. Make it homey and inviting.

Once your photo station is complete, encourage people to use it! Have your staff take photos there, film salon content in front of it, and when you have a customer who is in love with their results after a session, tell them, “Oh, we have the best lighting right here!” and give them even more reason to love your salon. Encourage them to tag you in the post, and make sure to like their post and leave a nice comment so they will do it again on their next visit.

Now, each time someone posts a picture or video featuring your photo station, they are creating little bits of marketing that you don’t even have to lift a finger for. Each time a new person posts a picture from your salon, your business reaches new people who see that post. This casts a wider net for potential customers.

Having a designated space for taking pictures and filming content will also help with consistency on your social media. No more dirty counters or random toilets in your cover photos (oh yes, we have seen it all). Now, your content will have a more polished and professional feel.