How to run a solarium's Facebook page?
You will read the article within 5 minutes. From this post you will learn:
- How to set up a fanpage, i.e. a corporate Facebook page?
- How to run a fanpage for a tanning room or light therapy room?
- How much does running a Facebook page cost?
- What are the benefits of having a Facebook page?
Facebook is a powerful tool ideal for promoting small local businesses. It's effective and relatively cheap. What's more - you can measure the effects of your efforts on an ongoing basis. You can commission running such page to someone (for a fee), or you can do it on your own. Then, however, the currency will be your free time. In this short guide, we explain how to create a solarium fanpage. If you already have a fanpage, this post will help you increase the effectiveness of your current page. Before we begin, an explanation - the terms "fanpage" and "page" mean the same in the article and will be used alternately.
1. How to set up a fanpage, i.e. a corporate Facebook page?
The basic setup of a Facebook page should take a few minutes... Provided that you prepare all the necessary materials in advance.
The first step will be to create a page. To do this, log in to your private Facebook account, and then select the plus (upper right corner) and then the "page" option. The next steps are very intuitive. Facebook will ask you for the company name, category and description.
The name of the Facebook page should be well thought out, if your solarium's name similar to a competitor's salon, consider adding something that will make it stand out. For example - when we have a Tropical Beach Solarium and a competitive Tropicana Solarium, this distinguishing feature may be adding the name of the district/city, e.g. Tropical Beach Solarium (Berlin). It is difficult to change the name once selected. Facebook is thus trying to prevent the creation of "click farms", or fanpages for resale. This is why, this choice must be carefully considered. "Solarium" can be selected as the main category. It is also worth selecting the additional category "local business" - it will make it easier for you to later add very useful functions, such as "opening hours", "location" and the subsequent management of ads.
The description of the company is as important as the posts that will be published later. It is worth writing something more than "Professional tanning salon". For example: "Modern XXX sunbeds, 1 EUR/minute" or a suggestive description full of pleasant associations, e.g. "Relax, recharge your batteries and feel like on vacation."
Photos/graphics
In the next step, Facebook will ask us to provide a cover and profile photo. Make sure to prepare both graphics in proper sizes. At the time of writing this article, the valid dimensions for the profile photo are 170 x 170 px and for the background photo 820 x 360 px. Unfortunately, Facebook likes to change dimensions of graphics from time to time. Up-to-date information can be found here. The graphics can be adjusted with a simple graphic design program, e.g. CANVA. The tool is free and requires no installation, plus it lets you create interesting graphics and apply filters.
A properly selected cover photo determines whether you will get your potential clients interested and whether they will trust you. A common practice is to show the interior of the solarium and/or employees (e.g. smiling staff in front of the cabin or an employee polishing a beautiful megaSun 7800). You can also go for minimalism and provide a clear message on a plain background with the most important information about your salon.
The graphics should also include information with the opening hours and address. Try to "look" at your salon through the eyes of new clients and facilitate finding the right address as much as possible. It is helpful to describe a landmark that everyone in the area knows, for example “ul. Słoneczna 3, entrance from Centrum Shopping Centre”. If customers most often book a service by phone, consider including a contact number in the creation.
Acquisition of new clients
Only now can we set additional functions that help our clients contact our salon. Facebook will ask you to fill in additional data, salon website address, location, etc. Note that you can switch your messaging preferences from Messenger to WhatsApp. Facebook also allows you to set up an autoresponder that will automatically reply to the first message sent by a client. In such a message, it is worth remembering about: saying hello and asking to do one specific thing, e.g. “Hello. Thank you for your message, we usually reply within 30 minutes. If you want us to call you back, leave us your phone number. Have a nice day! Regards, Anne from Tropicana Solarium" Finally, all that's left is to add the selected button that will appear on your page, for example "call now" or "book now" (if you use an online booking program).
2. How to run a solarium fanpage?
Many business owners forget that Facebook is not a free advertising space, but a place where people meet (hence the name - "social media"). If you publish only sales posts, e.g. "Buy XXX cosmetics", you will quickly discourage potential followers. On the other hand, there is no single way that will guarantee traffic on the Fanpage. However, you can remember a few rules:
- Running a Fanpage does not require regular posting. It's not the frequency that matters, but the quality of the posts that impacts audience engagement. It's better to post slightly less frequent but more interesting content.
- Publish sales posts rarely.
- Organic (i.e. free) traffic has been cut so much by Facebook that it is not possible to reach all "fans" of the page with your message. Especially when it is sales content. Sales posts should be published through ads. Even posts from a very well-run fanpage, with a small amount of sales content, will appear on the wall of only 15-20% of all fans.
- Publish posts that are "human" and sincere, that is, posts that include people. These can be photos of sunbeds with appropriate comments (e.g. "red lamps - Joanne's favourite! Have you tested already?") Slow-motion clips look great. Recording such clips lasting a few seconds is very simple and requires only a mid-range smartphone with the "slow motion" option. In this way, you can record, for example, spreading the balm on the forearm.
- The guides of salon employees or their own cosmetics reviews, e.g. in the form of a video, also work well. It is important that your posts are interesting and authentic.
3. How much does running a Facebook page cost?
You can pay for running Facebook with your work time or money, if you decide to outsource it to someone. The valuation of such work depends on many factors (scope of work, rates in a given region, quality of the contractor's work, knowledge of the industry by the contractor). In the case of small businesses, the best solution is to work with a freelancer, mainly due to the price and the opportunity to devote more time to our business. To find a freelancer it's best to ask your friends who use or used such services or look at advertising services.
What distinguishes a good contractor who will actually have an idea for your fanpage?
- They expect your support in the creation of materials for publication, e.g. photos, statements.
- They are inquisitive, try to understand your company and its competition.
- They don't provide services to many companies at the same time (6 and more is a lot).
- They don't advertise themselves as a "person for everything", e.g. "Running social media: Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook Ads, video production." Contrary to appearances, each of these social media requires a completely different approach.
- Their rates are adequate to the scope of work. Exceptionally low rates should raise our suspicions.
4. What are the benefits of having a Facebook page?
First of all - it's easy to find you via Facebook. But at the same time, you make it easier for your satisfied clients to share information about you with others.
Second, running Facebook gives you credibility as a company. We often check the profiles of private people before meeting them "in real life". The same happens in the "company - client" relationship. The client may want to check what our solarium looks like, whether it is clean, whether the equipment is modern, etc.
Third, Facebook offers great organisational possibilities. You can ask your fans for their opinion on a given topic. You will learn about their preferences and find out what can be improved in your business. It is also an ideal medium for quickly informing about changes in the provision of services, e.g. changed opening hours or new products. The need to have a tool for ongoing contact with clients turned out to be particularly urgent in the months of the pandemic - many people have found out about alternating closings and openings of salons (related to the coronavirus) via fanpages.
Fourth, Facebook is a great tool to advertise your services. You can read about how to legally do it in the case of a tanning salon and how much it costs in a separate post How and is it possible to advertise a solarium on Facebook?
Read the entire series of articles about a solarium on the web:
