How to Retain Clients AND Get New Ones With Social Media

How many marketing emails did you wake up to this morning? I can bet you it's a ton, right? And that's because everywhere that you look, especially anywhere digitally, but even in, even in real life in most places, you are getting marketed to as an individual nonstop. And your clients are no exception to that, right?

And your clients are not just getting marketed to from Target and Kohl's and wherever else, the, and Amazon, they're getting marketed to by Madison, Madeline, Ashley, whatever the hell her name is, Reid, asking your clients to leave the salon and start to pay them to be able to do their own hair at home, right? And you have these influencers who are teaching your clients how to do their own hair at home, right? Like, you, there's so many things that your clients are consuming, right? And so it's so important, obviously, and this is not obviously the first time I've talked about this, but, like, it's so obviously important that you are also showing up in those spaces if you want to retain your clients.

Normally, when we think about retaining clients, we normally think about the client experience, like, blowing them away in the chair, delivering great results, and having a standout experience that is worth the value that you're charging for. And then I also talk about in your post-visit experience, how are you furthermore engaging them, mostly internally, right, whether that be personal follow-ups or even email marketing and a newsletter in one way or an- or another, which are both extremely powerful for retention. But what I think that we sometimes forget, and what I actually don't often talk about as much as I think I should, is the fact that your marketing for new clients is still seen by your existing clients, right? Your existing clients are still on these platforms, and they're very often showing up to them, and they're just yet another opportunity for you to be able to strengthen that relationship with them and retain them even more, and by proxy, get them more likely to even refer you and grow your clientele that way as well too.

And so it's kind of, like, a double whammy and a little bit of a missed opportunity. So what I wanna talk about today is how we can make it so our marketing, where we're generally focused on getting new clients, can also be a tool to retain our existing clients today. And I have Jodi Brown on the pod to help facilitate that conversation, as per usual, and I'll ask Jodi where we should start today. So, I think you've done such a good job of covering why it's so important to get in front of your clients, right?

I think that, you know, like you said, they're being marketed to anyway, you wanna be showing up as well. So with that, you s- mentioned staying in those same spaces that we're going to market in. Can we talk about predominantly, I think, Instagram for hairstylists, that's a big place that we market to new clients, how can we utilize that same platform to actually connect deeper with our existing clients as well? So, I definitely have, like, some tangible ways that we can do this, and so I'm happy to just share all the juicy value with y'all today, if you're down for it.

Um, if we're talking about Instagram and then even Facebook as well too, you know, because your particular audience may be a little bit more engaged with Facebook, right? And either way, I think what's important is trying to get our existing clients onto our socials, if that's not how they already normally found us, um, because I know a lot of the times I had clients who just found me through word of mouth, who actually weren't even following me on social at all. And so getting them onto your social platforms is a really important thing, alongside getting them onto your email list to be able to send them newsletters. So first off, for, for most, let's make sure that we're actually getting them on your platform of choice, where you're normally going to be most active, whether that be your Facebook business page or your Instagram.

And it's such an easy ask, right? I mean, and it's such an easy thing for- to get them to do, like, if you just have a QR code of your socials right on your station, super easy. They'll most likely tap into that, just even naturally, right? Um- Hundred percent.

but one really o- uh, I say obvious, straightforward way, but it may not be obvious to everybody, is your stories, whether that be on Facebook or on Instagram, because your stories are particularly going to reach your existing clients, right? Um, whereas with posts, you're reaching both existing clients and, uh, potential new clients or beyond your followers. And I would say right now, I think that stories have much better engaging reach than your general feed posts. That's my, my general consensus, and Jodi is nodding her head as well.

And Jodi knows better than I do. And so, um, I think, you know, i- it's a very excellent way to take your, to, uh, to not only take the p- the new potential clients who may be lurking and need to be a little bit more nurtured into booking with you, um, a- uh, but also engage your current clients and make them remember who you are, that you exist, that you're a human, and that you are here for them, and that you are a great person that they love and have a good relationship with, um, in many different ways. And so there's a couple things, th- a couple ways that we can do that and a couple things that we can do in our stories to make that happen. Um, the very first thing, I think, is just, like, posting personal stuff, you know?

And here's my tea, y'all, like, I could probably honestly, I could probably be a little bit more personable, vulnerable on social media. Like, it's something that I feel like for- forever, for a long time, I have made a very curated feed, and I don't really put a lot of myself out there per se, but there are... So for those of you who are like, "I don't wanna put my life on social," trust and believe, like, you don't have to bare all in any way, shape, or form. You can actually show up, quote unquote, "authentically" in a very strategic way that feels good to you, but still resonates with people, especially your ideal audience.

And that's what I at least try to do and could probably do even more, but just, like, I don't know, sharing stories from your day or just, like, u-... acting like a human being. And even in the salon, right? I mean, like, maybe you dropped a color bowl on the floor and it's a mess, and you take a picture and you're like, "This is how my day's going," or something like that, right?

It can be as simple as that, just to show people that you're human, give them something to connect with, and just remind them of the relationship that you have with them, right? It also, like, creates, like, talking points for your ... and, and, and almost like engagement points or opportunities for your client to then maybe be inclined to DM you or reply to that story. And why that's important is because the more that you engage with these clients, espe- or these followers, especially with DM, the more likely you are going to continuously show up in an algorithm.

I don't know if you guys realize that, but, like, if you look at the people that you mostly DM or have DMed recently, you're most likely also seeing their content in your feed or on your stories on a very consistent basis. So just sharing human life experiences about yourself normally garners a lot of engagement, and so, like, w- we... This is the classic thing that I hear all the time. Whenever I post a picture of me, uh, uh, saying hi or whatever, uh, it gets a ton of engagement, and then when I post a picture of my work, it gets, like, zero likes, right?

If you want- Mm-hmm. people to, enough people to see the pictures of your work, then you need to lead with something that's going to get, make it so the algorithm is trained to actually push that work to them. And that personal, more engageable, uh, kind of content I think is going to accomplish that, and stories is a really great way to do that. Totally.

And like you said, it doesn't even have to bearing all. I think there's, like, that peek behind the scenes that people really love to consume, like that vlog-style content. That's why it does so well, right? And so even sharing, like, what you're reading, what coffee shop you visited.

Like, I constantly get DMs whenever I talk about, like, my cats- Right. or, you know, those kinds of things. So I do think there's so much that you can do, and I think you're right. It's gonna make you show up more in their feeds, and that is also how Instagram decides which non-followers to show your stuff to, is by who is actually, like, looking at and engaging with your work.

So it's gonna help almost train that algorithm to recommend your work and recommend your content to more people who are like the people you engage with. Yeah, 100%. Completely agree there. And then another thing that I was thinking about as far as just, like, sharing, like, personal stuff, is just, like, even, like, core value-related things.

And you can take this as far as you would like to. You know, some of you guys have seen me take this very far, 'cause, like, I'm just, like, not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. And so I'm not saying that you have to, again, bare all, like, or talk about political things if you don't want to, right? But, like, even just, like, things that you care about, that, uh, that your clients probably would care about too, so that way they feel more connected to you.

Um, and that- Yeah. could be as simple as, like, I don't know, maybe you really care about animals, and maybe you post, like, something about donating to this charity of animals. I don't- I don't know. Whatever.

Anything that can help people connect to your core values a little bit more I think is, uh, very helpful as well too, and actua- it's actually statistically, um, uh, right now, um, a huge decision factor, uh, as far as- Right. whether somebody decides to do business with somebody or not, right? Mm-hmm. And maybe the thing that you post of your core values will actually hurt your retention possibly, in the best way possible, because it'll get rid of the people who you don't align with, right?

Which I would much rather have that type of authenticity in my business versus the other way around. And then, um, other than that stuff, I, uh, posting your freaking clients... Little, little Easter egg off-topic here. Um, we've, as some of you, if you guys are, like, followers of the pod and maybe follow me on Instagram, we've decided to start bleeping my cursing.

And what we've decided is that we're just cutting out the words instead of, or, like, adding, like, silence instead of, like, adding a beep, because you guys, like, really hated the beeps, so. So tell me how you're feeling about the cut-out words. Like, shoot me a DM. I'm really appreciating the feedback about this and all the discourse about it.

By the way, this has been really great for my Instagram, talking about this cursing stuff, 'cause everybody wants their opinion about it. So, you know, point example, right? Like, this is a great example of how posting on your stories, posting personal stuff, even asking for, like, feedback about an interesting thing, like, can really help you in your engagement. Um- Understand.

Nonetheless, uh, posting your work. Posting your work. Um, but, but not your work, your clients. Your clients.

And tagging them, um, I think is really powerful and underrated, and I think that the stories is a great place to especially post things that maybe you don't necessarily wanna post on your feed, because maybe it doesn't align with your specialty as well, or maybe it's just not as, as a polish of a photo as you would like it to be. It's just a story. It's gonna go away in 24 hours. It's really not that big of a deal.

But when you showcase somebody on your social in any way, shape, or form, and you tag them, like, you are making them feel so special and you're creating the opportunity for that person to then repost it onto their own story as well too. So then you're helping yourself with your awareness and visibility, but then also deepening that relationship with your client and making them feel special as well too.And to your point, h- I have ... And this was like ...

I've retired from behind the chair five years ago, right? So, this is, like, a while ago, not even right now. I remember people coming in all the time being like, "Why didn't you post that photo?" And me being like, "I haven't had time," or, "I didn't do this."

And I think, like, that's a really great way that you can quickly put stuff up, especially, like, your loyal clients who would ask those kinds of things, even if you don't have time to, like, create the post fully. I have a client who would ... who I did not post very often because the work was just not aligned with my specialty, just wasn't hair that I really wanted to post. She would always bother me about it.

She would always, like, make it very obvious that, like, she would like me to post it and, like, to photograph and document it. Which is fair because we live in this era where, like, that's the whole, like, hair world, right? Like, that's what- Yeah. like, our clients are seeing, you know?

And so, I mean, it's almost ... At this point, it's like, well, why aren't you posting me? Like, why a- ... I know, like, with my tattoos, like, my artists take a ton of videos and pictures of my tattoos, and I am going onto their page to see if they posted it or not.

Right. Like, 100%. And then I'm like, "I guess you, like, hated my tattoo then." I- I- ...

literally cannot help but feel a type of way. So, like, it's a ... These are real feelings that your clients may have, and stories are a great place to very easily engage people and make them feel special without posting it on your feed where it feels like it's a little bit more- has a little bit more weight to it, I guess you could say. So then- Totally.

Beyond stories and still on the same topic of posting work, you know, just posting your damn work in the way that you're posting on your feed, of course, right? But I think, like, uh, not just, like, posting your work. Of course we should do that. But also posting, like, when you post, like, sharing, like, the story or the journey that you and your client had together.

Especially if, like, let's say, I don't know, maybe it was like, "Oh my God, we've been working on getting blonde for this long. When you fir- when she first came to me, she was like, 'I wanna be platinum blonde.'" And you were like, "Hell no, girl. That's not gonna happen."

Look how far we've came since then." Like, it can be really cute to story tell. And I would argue, like, I think storytelling, maybe not from, like, a copywriting, marketing perspective, but just from a general human perspective, we all as humans, like, we all know how to talk and tell a story just in our own natural way. And we all, uh, actually, as humans are very interested and engaged by stories as well too, just naturally, um, because of our primal nature when it comes to stories.

Yeah. One could argue it's like the oldest form of human communication. Exactly. Like, I think it's lasted the test of time, like passing down stories.

Exactly. And so, so it's like, what an easy way when you're like, "I don't know what to write with this caption," what an easy way to just tell the truth. And it ... You know, like, all you gotta do is just say what happened, you know?

Like, so, but of course, right, like, there is a strategic way of doing that. Not to overwhelm you or paralyze you in just posting something, right? But like, but like, there is a strategic way to do that, right? Like, a- and a way to make it more engaging.

But just telling the story of this person connects to your people at a deeper level. And both that's new clients and existing clients. And then you'll have existing clients coming in and saying like, "Oh my God, I love that, uh, work that you posted the other day." And maybe they'll say, "I saw that you, like, talked to them about this and you went about it this way.

Is that something that I can do with my hair?" Or something like that. So, it gets them, like, feeling excited, like there's new possibilities. Um, and they feel like, you know, they're getting an insight into what other people's experiences are in your chair.

And that opens up new opportunities for both you and the client and keeps them engaged. And I will say till I die, like, what ... Like, the best goal or the best thing that you could accomplish for retention with your clients is making them almost, like, addicted to your service. It- i- instead of ...

Because the majority of people look at getting their hair done as a chore instead of an experience or something that they're actually looking forward to. So, we wanna make this something that is exciting and fun and fresh for them instead of just a chore. And the way that we do that is by offering new opportunities. It's by offering something that's sexy and fresh.

And by just honestly sharing stories of your clients, continuously posting your work, and I don't know, being a- sh- even posting the education that you're taking about new techniques or whatever it may be, I think could really help with retaining those clients and getting them to come back. But also, of course, nurturing your, uh, new potential clients as well too. 100%. One of the biggest reasons that clients don't come back is 'cause they don't feel like they can get something new with their existing stylist.

They think they have to go somewhere else to try something different. 100. I love that point. Very much so.

Uh, so would you ra- ... I mean, it's g- uh, it's great to offer consistency. And maybe your client isn't asking you for something different, but soon enough, they're gonna see another stylist who's, like, offering this fresh, new, exciting, sexy thing, and you've never offered that to them before. And then their brain is gonna be like, "Ooh, flashy, new, sexy dopamine release over here."

And then they're gonna get taken away from you, right? So, be the first person to offer that s- um, offer that excitement in their life 'cause then, like, literally, they'll be, like, almost addicted to your service, like chemically, which I think is pretty fascinating from a business perspective. Love that. Um, then I was telling Jodi that pre my independent education, because I, like, I was a brand educator, so, like, that was a part of my situation, but I was very, like, within my own brand ecosphere.

Like, I, I didn't really exit my brand eco- ecosphere. And I was also just like ... I guess I was just naturally inclined from even from a young age early in this career to understand that, like, the best thing that I could do on social media is have my clients and my community show up on my feed, right? And so at the time, like when, I was growing my clientele and, like, working behind the chair, I didn't know what the f- the b- what the hell Behind the Chair was.

I did not know what the ... who the hell Jay Ladner was. Love you, girlfriend. Love you, sister.

I, I love Jay Ladner, and that's why I'm using him as an example. But I didn't know. I d- literally did not know Jay Ladner. And he had like hun- like 200,000 followers or something at the time, right?

And it wasn't until I started independent education where I was like, "Okay, now I need to kind of, like, branch out my horizons and now I need to fill my feed with more hairstylist-related things because hairstylists are now going to be my customer." Right? Yeah. But prior to that, I only filled up my social media with people who were going to make me money.

Because at the end of the day, like, my social media is for me to make money, right? Like, I pro- wh- most of us could probably agree that we all hate, hate social media in one way or another, right? And so therefore, you should be showing up and using that time that you're spending on something that you hate strategically and intentionally. And the best way that you can do that is curating your feed to be the people that are most important that, to be engaging with.

So, if you scroll through your feed right now, is the algorithm, 'cause the algorithm's smart, is the algorithm pushing you a bunch of hair because you've given into your natural inclination to teach it that you want to see this stuff, right? Or can we train our own algorithm to think that we want to see more things in our community, so then therefore, it shows us that, including our own clients? So, are you following your clients? Are you sh- seeing their stuff when they post it so that you can comment on it?

Are you seeing their stories so you can reply to those stories, right? And are you seeing things in your community from, I don't know, local businesses, so you can network with those people and then be visible in their comment sections and their communities, so then they therefore find out about you? Like, fill your feed up with your community and the people who are likely to pay you or be advantageous to you in one way or another, and build and nurture the relationships that way, instead of just falling into the social media trap that social media wants you to fall into basically. Right.

Yeah, and, like, you do have a followed tab as well. So, if you, like, curate who you're following and you spend your 15-minute scroll on the people that you're actually following and you've curated in the way that you just, like, described, you're going to naturally engage with those people within your community. Period. Just don't unfollow me, and then we're cool.

The inspiration's a big part of it too though . Period. Period. I'm just kidding.

Do whatever y'all want. As long as y'all, as long as y'all s- keep hanging out with me in one way or another, I'm cool. But I think I post some pretty fun, great stuff on the social that's worth, eh, engaging with. As long as it's just me, you won't hurt the algorithm too much .

What an educator person. I don't ... I think that's it. Is, I think that's all I had .

Is there anything else that we wanna talk about in this episode? I feel like this is, like, just a really good overview of kind of, like, where the marketing journey doesn't end when you have a client, like, th- having those conversations and, you know, I think part of marketing that I love the most is the connection piece, right? And this is such a big part of that conversation. And that's gonna allow you to grow, as well as maintain those relationships.

Yeah. And I think, you know, uh, we talk about how, like, everything feels so hard and it's so hard to stay consistent with just the things that we ha- quote/unquote have to do in business, right? Like, what I just talked about, where it's, like, following those clients and, like, making it so they're the ones popping up in your feed, it literally pushes it right in front of you, like, the op- those golden opportunities for you to be able to engage and nurture that relationship and retain them, right? So, like, curate the way that you're using your marketing to be advantageous for you.

And you can do that with all the simple ways that I shared with you today. So, I hope that this was helpful for you, my friend. Thank you so much for tuning in to Modern Hairstylist podcast. Peace out, girl scout.

Bye-bye.

End of transcript. © 2025 Hunter Donia LLC.