Back to School Marketing 101: Must-Have Tools for Independent Beauty Pros

The back-to-school season isn’t just for students—it’s the perfect time to refresh your marketing routine. Whether you want to boost bookings, showcase your services, or stay top-of-mind with clients, these tools will help you show up consistently, stress-free, and professional. 

Here’s your Back-to-School Marketing 101 cheat sheet: 

🎨 Canva 

Design like a pro—even if you’re not one. Canva lets you create branded graphics, logos, pricing menus, Reels covers, and more. Use its templates to keep your visuals polished and consistent. Bonus tip: save brand colors and fonts so every post stays on-brand effortlessly. 

✂️ CapCut 

It’s no secret that video content is outperforming all other content on social media. But creating video doesn’t have to be intimidating! With CapCut, you can trim clips, add captions, transitions, and music—all from your phone. Perfect for Reels, TikToks, or quick promo videos that highlight your services or behind-the-scenes moments. 

📸 Pexels & Dupe Photos 

No photos? No problem! Grab free, high-quality stock photos and videos with a real, relatable vibe—perfect for filling gaps in your content calendar while keeping your feed authentic. 

📅 Content Calendars 

Consistency is key, and planning ahead is a game-changer. A content calendar helps you map out posts, promos, and educational content so you’re never scrambling at the last minute. 

Where to create one: 

• Google Sheets or Excel – Free, simple, and customizable. Track dates, platforms, captions, and post status. 
• Trello – Visual boards and cards make it easy to organize ideas and move content around as plans change. 
• Notion – Clean, flexible, and perfect if you like structured templates you can drag, drop, and update. 
• Canva – Offers free social media calendar templates you can edit directly in-platform. 
• Airtable – Think of it as a super-powered spreadsheet. Track ideas, photos, hashtags, and deadlines all in one place. 

📱 Plann or Later 

Stop stressing over posting times! With Plann and Later scheduling tools, you can plan your Instagram grid, write captions ahead, and auto-post while you’re busy working your magic in the studio. Bonus: see a visual preview of your feed so everything looks the way you want before going live. 

💡 ChatGPT 

If you still haven’t tried ChatGPT, you’re missing out on instant brainpower for all your content needs. Think of it as your personal creative sidekick: perfect for brainstorming captions, drafting blog posts, writing promos, or even repurposing old content for maximum impact. Fresh ideas and engaging copy, right at your fingertips. 

🌟 Sola Pro Webpage 

Did you know that the Sola website gets over 300,000 visits each month? That means more visibility to your business! Give your page a quick audit and make sure it’s up to date with services, pricing, testimonials and photos that showcase your style. This is where clients first learn about you—make it welcoming, polished, and ready to convert visitors into loyal clients. Head to the Sola Pro App to manage your webpage today!

With the right tools, marketing can be creative and engaging—making it a lot less stressful and even a little fun! 

Not part of the Sola family yet? If you’re dreaming of running your own business—and marketing your very own brand—check out our salon suites for rent! 

_ 

Cover image photo credits: christinacuts_