Published
17th Jan 2024
by Josie Jackson
If you build a following online how do you then bring them to your chair? Industry expert Josh O'Meara-Patel, Owner and Director at Barber.josh.op shares his advice on building a barbershop client base through social media...
“Social media is simply a reflection of business in real life. The most effective way to build and grow your business is through word of mouth, and social media is virtual word of mouth. To grow beyond your existing world, you need the people in it to share you with theirs. All it takes is for you to ensure that everything you do, you do with the aim of bringing as much value as you can to every single person. If you focus on the value you give, people in your network will feel this. They will value what you bring to them and in turn will open the doors to their world by sharing you, your work, and your business.
"Social media is about posting with purpose. You need to assess your goals. What are you aiming to do with your social media? Who are you trying to attract? From there it is about creating content for that purpose. For example, if your aim is to gain more clients for the shop then posting just haircuts won’t be as effective as you think. Posting the experience, posting the energy of the shop, the services available and clients enjoying themselves will bring new clients to you.
"The one thing that has always made me stand out is that I have always posted what I wanted because I liked it regardless of whether it would be deemed popular or not. If there’s one thing I’d tell my younger self it is to stick at it, because the only way to truly build a unique brand is to build it to truly represent you. Not to be a version of what you think the industry wants to see. You don’t want to stand out from the crowd. Stand away from the crowd and let them come to you.”
A brand new category at the Modern Barber Awards 2024, ‘Social Barber’ celebrates individuals and shops that have exponentially increased their business growth through their online platforms. If this sounds like you then you can find out more information here.
