This Celebrity Hairstylist is Quitting Instagram – Here’s Why
Hairstylist Marie Robinson is getting rid of her Instagram account. (Photo: Marie Robinson)
In a beauty world where our regular day-to-day conversation is peppered with terms like followers, hashtags, and vloggers, hearing a successful celebrity hairstylist say she’s going to quit social media can feel like blasphemy. After all, in the grander scheme of Instagram, celebrities are still the fodder that makes a following happen. Just snap a selfie of you palling around with, say, Miley Cyrus, and you’ll see what we mean.
But just because NYC-based colorist to the stars Marie Robinson has access to clientele like Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, doesn’t mean she’s felt completely comfortable using their famous mugs to promote her Instagram. Such is partly why, after moving to a new glistening space in the Flatiron district recently, she’s shutting down her account to start the new year. To Robinson, it seemed like the right way to start 2016 with a bang, and also, “our clients, celebrity or not, have always appreciated our discretion so we decided to close the salon Instagram,” she explains.
Marie Robinson’s salon doesn’t need Instagram to be successful. (Photo: Marie Robinson)
Besides, the account wasn’t necessarily driving business either. “Instagram is a great way for people to connect, keep in touch and even trigger discussion about important events, and there is no doubt that some have become huge successes promoting their products and talents with it,” Robinson says. “But in our salon, we have noticed our clients are usually personal recommendations or word of mouth or they had stopped somebody on the street and asked where they had their hair done. This is the ultimate compliment!”
Even if Instagram isn’t bringing in customers, it still serves as a marketing tool for many hairstylists. By quitting, there’s the risk Robinson is stepping out of the online conversation or, at least, risking #FOMO (fear of missing out). Robinson counters that perhaps it’s less about missing out than it is about finding the voice that suits you. “Instagram has given a voice and exposure to many companies — big and small — helping them find talent and clientele that they may not have otherwise connected with,” she admits. “On the flip side, because there is so much content out there, it’s easy to go unnoticed or overlooked.”
Certainly, we’re inundated with imagery and content through our social media channels, but to quit altogether is a brave gambit that’s only underlined by Robinson’s high profile. It’s a statement in itself, but in our fast-streaming culture, will anyone remember in a day or week or month? Perhaps that’s not the point anyway. Robinson’s priority is her clients, she says. She’s keen to provide them with a wonderful environment, which by her definition is more private. She explains: “They walk out with beautiful hair color and cuts and had a great time while they were there—like an exclusive club.”
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