Hello, and welcome to the Theory of Marketing Relativity Podcast. I'm Jess Burton, a marketing specialist here at Epic Marketing Consultants Corporation. Let's talk all things marketing and merchandising with our Epic team. On this week's podcast, we have Bethany Malloy. She's the owner of Gloss Salon, Delaware. And she also teaches new Great Courses, helping those who want to get into the wedding industry. So welcome.
bethany:Thank you. It's great to be here.
Jess:So today, we're going to chat about UGC or user generated content. And I think that the salon industry, and the beauty industry, and the fashion industry and the wedding industry are all really big on user generated content. It's why we have influencers. It's why we have people like brand ambassadors, because that user generated content is gold. So if you could just run us through how you guys use your user generated content.
bethany:Absolutely. So in a salon, we definitely have our own space to take pictures, because visual pictures of what we do is the best way to get across what we do. Then after that, you know, especially for weddings, we work very closely with the photographers, and you know, you want to keep that respect and that relationship with them. And we do that by making sure that we share only with permission. And when we share we always, always always anyone that they mentioned we mentioned obviously you mentioned the photographer, but we also mentioned anyone that they mentioned, that's represented in their photography.
Jess:That is such a good point. I always it's, there's so many good little nuggets, I think that like keeping in touch with all of your other the people that you're working with the photographers, any stylists, any wedding venues. Making sure t at you're also tagging everybo y.
bethany:For makeup, we want to make sure that like that's it does not work directly for our company, we want to make sure we're also mentioning them as well. Just to give everyone the respect that they deserve for the work that they've done.
Jess:Absolutely, I think that is it's a very like Ann and I both do photography and like we've learned I've learned time and time again that like, just because you aren't using the same vendors for everything doesn't mean that you can't honor them and be respectful on like their craft. I know a big thing, side topic, a big thing is like with a bunch of my friends getting married, I always tell them, don't go for the photographer who like is super trendy, go for the one that matches your aesthetic, like
bethany:absolutely
Jess:not everybody's gonna want the same look just because your friend used that hairstylist or that makeup artist, that might not be what you want. And that's okay, go with what you like. But I definitely think that building those relationships and maintaining them, especially through being able to use social media is important.
bethany:Absolutely. And that's one of, again, with pictures. That's one of the things that we always will look at to we'll say, show us a picture of you, just on a regular day or something that you've posted on your social media. So you know, you might like what your friend looks like. But it's better for us to see what you normally, you know, would like yourself to like when you do your hair makeup. And then we'll go from there and obviously make it more wedding related. But you like you said you want to make sure that it is still them on their wedding day. Definitely. Another thing that we do for the user generated content is if you're using products, and they're in the picture, make sure you tag the product as well, that company because you're going to get so much more reach with your pictures.
Jess:That is so true. I'm always looking for like, a good product. I feel like I am like I'm probably the worst like hair like with hair products, like I fall in and out of love with hair products all the time. But like it is one of those things where like if I see someone I know, tagged a dry shampoo, or was like this, you know, light hairspray held out through my entire wedding. I'm like, okay, maybe I need to give that a try. Exactly. I am an impulse. Well, I'm not I'm not an impulse impulse buyer, but I will if someone I know recommends it, I will look at it at least five times. But yeah, products are another good one. I didn't even think about that.
bethany:Well, they have such a large following on social media. So if you tagged them in your picture, you know, you're not only giving them credit, but you're also gaining that visibility.
Jess:Yeah, and it's like it's usually generate content like double fold. Like you've used that now, if they use your posts like, yep to like, talk about, you know how great their product is. It's that back and forth of just like, exposure that helps a business grow. Absolutely. Now, when you guys deal with user generated content, obviously, you're in touch with photographers, and you're in touch with venues, do you reach out to them? Do they openly send you stuff? How does that kind of relationship work.
bethany:So there's usually two different ways that it happens when you you can either get sent things, so some photographers, if they are blogging about it, will send you a link. And also, they send you a list of everyone, all vendors from that wedding. So it's very, and they'll say, you know, please share, but make sure that you tag everyone. So that's really nice, because it's spelled out, you already know that that information is out there on their website, also on their social media, and they send you all the pictures, we also do ask permission from the brides in their contract. So even if the photographer shares the content with us, we still go back and say, you know, maybe they didn't want us to use it. And we have that paperwork in our contract with the bride. So we always get back to that as well, just before we share. If it's already on social media, and we are already tagged on it, I either use a repost app and make sure that I just, you know, copy and paste everything right over. Or, you know, take a screenshot, never crop, never filter, never change the photographer's, you know, pictures, you know, obviously, and their work, that's their work, so, and then we share it that way. But it's really like, almost every time it's from the photographer, so we maintain, we like to maintain great relationships with photographers. And with that being said, if you're in this industry, or any industry that does use photographers, if they need you for anything, be there. I mean, and you know, do free work, you're getting content, and that's worth money. So we do that a lot.
Jess:I work. Yeah, I used to work at a high end jewelry store. And one of the things we do is those styled shoots all the time. Which I think are also great, especially now, with people wanting to I hate to say this, but like, I feel like 20 years ago, the wedding industry was very, like everybody was doing this trend. Everybody was doing this trend, like there were like two or three things that everybody was doing. And I only noticed it because my mom and a couple of her friends all got married within the same like month or two and they were all posting they're like celebrating 30 years of marriage, whatever. But all of their wedding dresses were the same. All of their hair was the same. But I feel like now everybody's kind of all over the place in a good way. It's you've got someone who's having a barn boho wedding over here. You've got someone who's doing like an upscale New York Manhattan feel. Yeah like I had a friend. I some of my friends went to a wedding this week. That was like, the most casual wedding I've ever seen in my entire life, but teach their own. But yeah, and I think that that kind of stuff helps diversify everyone's portfolio that like we don't just do high fashion, we can also do super casual, we can do beach, we can do boho we can do, especially with hair. I think that's kind of the big one.
bethany:Right. And when we you'd mentioned that with the education when we do the education, that's how we, you know, set it up, it's either you're doing classic look, which is more of that, you know, old school glam or something just totally timeless. Or your doing a boho you're adding braiding things like that. So that's exactly how we teach it and you need to know all of it, all of it, if you're going to be in this industry. Like you said before, if you're a photographer or someone else you can have a very niche look, and then they can choose you based on that. But in our world, you've got to be able to produce pretty much anything. And it changes all the time. And then you know, then a pandemic happens and then everything changes and everybody's like, I just, you know, they either are super stressed out and what more or they're just like, I don't even care. You know, we're doing blowouts, whatever, you know. I just want my hair and makeup done.
Jess:Exactly. I it's so funny because I that cracks me up. Like I just got a wedding invitation that like a year ago when she was like two years ago and she was planning her wedding. She was like one of those people that was like bound to spend $500 $600 $700 on invitations. And the ones we ended up getting for her reschedule. I like texted her and was like please tell me that you just like had these printed at Staples? She was like I'm so over it. She's like I have she literally said she said I have a hair appointment tomorrow. Like, do you have any ideas? Because I just don't even want to think about.
bethany:Yeah, exactly, exactly. And some people even did like spoof funny things. We did a wedding on this past weekend that literally crossed out the old date, all because everything, they had everything printed, and they just crossed it out. And they're like, I don't even care. But it was funny. And it was cute. You know what I mean? So it was nice. But
Jess:I know I will say I have enjoyed seeing everybody's, I have enjoyed seeing everybody's creativity. When it comes to the rescheduling and cancelling and moving.
bethany:I mean, a lot of our brides twice they've had to reschedule. So it's a lot. I feel. I just feel terrible for them, honestly. So
Jess:I feel you. Um so do you have like a favorite kind of user generated content?
bethany:A favorite kind, um, definitely, something that is from a photographer, that is not a setup photo, that they got just off the cuff, they saw a moment, something like that, obviously, if it shows our work beautifully, that's a huge plus. And I mean, you know, just vision, I'm a very visual person being in this industry and love it. I love everything about it. We just had one recently, I mean, she was stepping out of a Rolls Royce. It just was the most beautiful photo and they shared it, they tagged us and we just couldn't be more grateful for that. That we're able to share.
Jess:I think, I think that like I think those kind of photos definitely speak to the skill level. I know that like anybody, anybody can take a posed picture. But especially like being able to show that like she's literally in motion moving out of a car and her hair looks this phenomenal, is just kind of like whether people realize it or not. It's like the gold stamp of approval of like how, like the quality of the work.
bethany:Oh yeah, take a moment and feel that you can feel the emotion of the picture? For sure. Yep. 100% Yep. We also always love when they take pictures while we're there, you know, of getting ready, and you know, everyone having a good time you know we love those as well.
Jess:Absolutely. So do you have any tips for anyone, aside from taking your courses, Um in the beauty, fashion hair wedding industry on just kind of how to get started collecting and getting that user generated content.
bethany:So if you're taking your own photos, you know, it's just a lot of people forget to take photos of their work. But you that's the first step, make sure you're taking photos and the before and afters are great to have and show but on social media, I think that it's better just to have the finished product because you want to catch some you can do a slide and have the you know before after that, but having that visual just while people are scrolling through is and then they'll stop to look on social media. Obviously reels are huge on Instagram. So you know, if you could take a few videos of while you're working and put it on a reel or Tik Tok into a reel, you know, that's going to get a lot more visibility on Instagram right now. And then, like I said, anything you can tag and show love to like, if you want people to show you love, you've got to do it, you know, either before or in return. So if anyone tagged you, you have to tag them back. I mean, and if anyone was in that picture, make sure you're showing them love um that stuff. I mean, it's happened to all of us not just as you know, where we're like, oh my god, we did their hair, like that's not fair. But you know, it is what it is and it happens. Um, don't take it personal, just you know, or definitely don't comment something ridiculous, you know, like I did their hair, um you just, you know, make sure that you do the right thing. And people will notice and they'll they'll do that for you as well. Um, like I said before, anytime that you can, you know, if you don't have any content to share, go to the product lines or the tools or any bigger company um that you work with or that you use their things and just share something off of their page. It is sharing, you know what you do it is sharing products that you use, you just want to make sure that you're keeping people interested in what you're doing. So, you know, and make sure they're good pictures. Um don't it's not just about posting your work, they have to be the quality has to be there. Get a ring light set up a place, you know, specific for your pictures and do it that way.
Jess:I was if you weren't going to say it I was I think I tell people all the time. I'm like if you want to know how to take good pictures yourself, invest in a ring light, invest in a tripod invest in, one of my friends is like a cookie maker. And she invested she sent it to me because I was curious as how much it would cost it was like 30 bucks. She has a tripod that clips to her kitchen counter that has like an arm so she can video record herself making the cookies. And I was like, that's genious. Yeah, I was like something. It was a $30 thing. And she's like, it saves me so much time because she's like, I just video record myself for the hour. And then I use that outlet almost that like hour long video. She's like I use it 20 to 30 times on my Instagram.
bethany:Right, because you're shaking tidbits of that video. Absolutely. So yeah. So you need to generate content first, right? And then you can use it if you get good content, you can split it up and use it over time. Um, if you don't have if you need help, there's good apps repost app is nice because it copies the picture and it also copies their um their verbiage. And then you can just share the whole thing if you want to, you could share to a story or to your feed either way. Um, so that was really nice. And then, you know, like I said, Tik Toks great, or um getting to know reels, listen to podcasts about all of these things, and you learn a lot, you know? Definitely.
Jess:Absolutely. Yeah, this one's like super informative. I feel like we packed a lot into the 15 minutes we've been chatting. Um so if people want to get in contact you in contact with you for weddings, to take some of your classes, where can they find you?
bethany:So my main Instagram is @GlossSalonDelaware. Um, our hashtag is we are GSD so you can follow those. And I do have a personal Instagram bethany.glosssalondelaware that's fine as well. Um and then I have @glosssaloneducation@gmail.com
Jess:Awesome. Thank you so much for joining us.
bethany:Thank you so much for having me. It was great to be here.
Jess:Thank you all for tuning in this week. We hope this theory is relative to your marketing needs. Make sure you subscribe to get notified of our latest episodes.