A SmartTan.com poll held in early May reveals that more than half of salons consider social media to be their most successful marketing technique.

Fifty-one percent of salons said social media is their most effective marketing method, while just 13 percent said direct mail is their most effective method, 10 percent said text marketing and 9 percent said email marketing. Sixteen percent of salons said their best marketing technique is something other than social media, direct mail, text or email.

These findings aren’t surprising given the growing impact that social media continues to have on marketing and consumer lifestyles throughout most industries and segments. Recent research, compiled by marketing software company HubSpot, reinforces the growing prominence and effectiveness of social media marketing. According to HubSpot:

• 21% of marketers say that social media has become more important to their company over the past six months.
• Social media lead conversion rates are 13% higher than the average lead conversion rate.
• Companies that generate more than 1,000 Facebook Likes also receive nearly 1,400 website visits a day.
• 23% of marketers are investing in blogging and social media this year, a 9% increase from 2012.
• Approximately 46% of online users count on social media when making a purchase decision.