How to create the perfect salon work portfolio

Every industry relies heavily on advertising in order to draw crowds of potential customers to that particular brand. Larger enterprises, such as Coca-Cola, are world-renowned and their potential clients already know what to expect when they hear the name. However, how do you go about advertising your beauty salon that is limited to a local reach? The answer is with the help of a well-built salon work portfolio, and here is how you can assemble yours!

What your work portfolio should include

Every successful salon owner knows that no amount of paid ads can substitute a work portfolio composed of dazzling transformations. But before you begin taking pictures of every client’s hair or nails for your portfolio, ask yourself “what do I hope to achieve from creating a salon work portfolio?” The most common response is “attracting more clients”, which is a priority for every business, however, do not limit yourself to just this. Most people that look at your work portfolio are potential clients - including the same photos over and over again will not do the trick.

Consider changing the background of the photo, or include your work performed on a variety of people. Your future customers will notice the interior of the salon in the background or your employee doing the cut - this may increase the chance of them visiting your salon. This variety of pictures not only shows your expertise in what you do, but also gives clients an idea of what to expect when they visit your salon.

Another great addition to include in your work portfolio for emphasising your expertise is including photos of your certifications. Your work shows the quality your salon has to offer, but the time and effort you have put into learning the trade is the cherry on top when it comes to presenting your professionalism.

Starting your photo session

Now that you have a rough idea of how you would like to present your business, your next step is to ask clients for their consent in taking their pictures. You must take into account that some may choose not to appear in your work portfolio and others may ask to have their faces covered. Remember not to push clients into having their pictures taken!

Make sure your shots focus on the great amount of detail you have put into your work and that they are bright and full of colour. Additionally, you can invite your customers to tag you in their pictures and include them in your work portfolio. Sharing your customers’ pictures makes it more credible. Once you have compiled a number of pictures for your hair salon work portfolio, make sure to add watermarks so that your competition does not make use of them. Watermarking is a type of signature on your photos to protect them from being used by another business. Just like a painting - if it does not have a signature, then anyone can claim it as their own.

Where should you share your work?

The obvious answer is everywhere - but that does not mean posting your work wherever. First, take into consideration what pages you have for your salon. Do you have a business website, Facebook page or Instagram? If you manage your website, create a tab and name it “work portfolio” and add your pictures there. Having your pictures thrown onto your homepage makes it look unorganized. For Facebook, create an album for your work, and on Instagram, add pictures under your “highlights” area or post them directly onto your profile.

If you are using Booksy, you can easily upload portfolio pictures to your Booksy profile - which will not only appear in the "See our work" section, but also with your listing in the search results on Booksy.