Hands down, staring at a blinking cursor might be the most terrifying thing in the world.
Thatโs when caption-itis sets in; you know, the terrifying moment you realize you need to write an entertaining, inspirational, or educational post for your audience…but youโve got nothing.
Trying to find ideas for engaging content that supports your funnel, brings clients clamoring to get in your chair, and doesnโt leave you majorly frustrated can feel like a doomed treasure hunt, but it doesnโt have to.
With a little bit of planning, organization, and living with eyes wide open, you can create a content strategy you love and never suffer caption-itis ever again.
1. Live with eyes wide open
Your eyes are open, sure, but how much are you actually seeing?
Did you notice the punny joke on the sales board at the coffee shop this morning when you picked up your latte? How about the design on the for sale sign on the house around the corner when you walked your dog? Or did you hear that question your client asked you about how to properly wash her hair?
Living with eyes wide open is so much more than just looking. Itโs seeing, listening, and noting everything that goes on around you. Once you fully live with eyes wide open, youโll see thereโs inspiration everywhere you turn.
2. What do your clients want?
Your clients can be a huge source of inspiration. Listen and note the questions they ask in the chair (and donโt be afraid to ask if they have any!). Pay attention to what questions come in from your social media profiles. Are they asking about topics that you can make into social media and blog posts or even newsletters?
3. Introduce yourself
Your client work should absolutely be front and center, but make sure people know just who is behind the chair. The more they get to know you, the stronger their relationship to your brand, and the more inclined they are to make an appointment.
So say hi. Play Twenty Questions and answer them in Instagram Stories! Add some photos of yourself and your life behind-the-scenes.
4. Share how-tos
Youโd be amazed at how many clients donโt know how to wash their hair or how much product to put in. Things that might seem super basic to you will be shared, saved and loved by your clients.
Make a list of questions you get from your clients or issues with a simple fix you see a lot. Space these posts into your marketing calendar for quick wins theyโll love.
* Bonus tip: Make a content system
All of these amazing ideas you come up with should be saved or theyโre going to get lost in the shuffle. Create a content system to store everything: put ideas in your Notes app, a notebook, whatever works best for you.
Keep it updated and, when you have blocked white space to work on captions, pull it out to your content system to help you create content your followers will love.
Creating content your followers love doesnโt need to be a major headache or something you dread every time. Keep a content system handy, and devote yourself to living with eyes wide open to create posts that keep your hair stylist marketing funnel full!