Drybar: An Instagram Success Story
How did I find out about Drybar, a chain of blow dry only salons, that doesn’t even have a location in Canada?
Instagram. One day I was exploring the ‘explore’ tab and found one of their photos. I’ve been following them since.
Drybar’s Instagram is a hair lover’s paradise, with soothing tones, bursts of their signature Buttercup yellow, and content from their own stylists and customers alike. But what makes their Instagram so effective? While it is a blend of talents and strengths that make them successful, I’ve identified their key strengths:
- Having a ‘brand ambassador’
Alli Webb is the founder of Drybar, and also acts as the face of the brand. She is often seen in videos and photos on the account, and also in the Instagram stories. Having her consistently present in their feeds gives customers and viewers a relatable face that they can connect to the brand. Since the account is personable and friendly, it inclines people to follow, and hopefully enter the salons offline.
2. A consistent aesthetic
Drybar’s aesthetic is clean, crisp, bright, with pops of their signature colour — Buttercup yellow. I remember watching an interview with Alli, and her saying that having that yellow be their colour was an intentional choice. It didn’t just happen, they set out to create an aesthetic within their salons that would then be reflected on social media. Having a consistent aesthetic is visually pleasing for viewers of the feed, and their colour palette is relaxing and fun — which is probably the vibe they want to give off in their salons. Translating the feeling inside their salons to an online platform could be difficult, but by maintaining the same aesthetic they do within the stores online, they created a seamless transition.
3. Partnering with Brands & Bloggers
Drybar strategically partners with other accounts and brands on Instagram. Partnering with notable other profiles allows cross account promotion, as well as aligning yourself with a specific demographic.
Take for example their partnership with Soulcycle. Alli and a bunch of other ladies (including bloggers who then posted on their own accounts) took a Soulcycle class and then went to a Drybar to get their blow outs. Ladies who have the money to spend on a Soulcycle class will also have the discretionary income to get their hair done on a whim. Partnering with Soulcycle was strategic because it brings in potential new clientele, as well as social media exposure.
4. Staying on top of trends and events
During award show seasons, Drybar on Instagram will show their favourite hair styles, and often show how to create a similar look. They also post when it’s their favourite celebs birthday, or fun and sassy quotes that are popular on sites like Pinterest. By staying current, they can capitalize on traffic from hashtags and what’s trending on Instagram.
5. Featuring customer content
Drybar’s Instagram heavily features content from their own customers. Customers will post products or their blow outs on Instagram and then they will repost onto the Drybar account. This creates engagement with their audience. It feels less like a brand, and more like a lifestyle. Also on Drybar’s end, it aids in their own content creation; they can see what customers like and don’t like, and also have plenty of content to repost.
Drybar’s Instagram is successful for these five reasons. But there’s also something that may be harder to pinpoint that creates their success. I love following Drybar because of the feeling I get while viewing their feed. It’s relaxing, fun, and bright to follow their account. And while all of these things can compose that feeling, there also has to be a bit of serendipity or magic to make that feeling happen. And that quality may be harder to uncover.
