# Nail salon Instagram: designs, prices and booking posts [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/nail-salon-instagram) Clients choose a nail tech by scrolling. The photos sell the work; the posts between them should make booking feel obvious. Here is what to post, at what size, and how to keep it looking like one salon. ## The short version - A nail salon Instagram is mostly photos of finished sets, with branded posts in between that tell people how and when to book. - Portrait 1080×1350 posts take up the most room in the feed and suit hand photos well. - Swatch posts, seasonal set launches, open slot announcements and a pinned price menu cover most of what a salon needs to say. - One background, one typeface and one layout per post type make a feed look like a single salon rather than a collage. - Price menus read best grouped by service type, with times shown and add-ons kept in a separate block. A good **nail salon Instagram** is built on two kinds of post: close, well lit photos of finished nails, and a small set of branded posts in between that say what is new, what it costs and when you have a free slot. The photos earn the follow. The branded posts turn a follower into a booking, so they need to be clear, quick to read and recognisably yours. ## What a nail salon should post each week A steady rhythm beats bursts of activity. Most salons can keep the plan below going in under an hour a week once the layouts exist. | Post | Format | When | | --- | --- | --- | | Finished set photos | Portrait post or carousel, 1080×1350 | Three to five times a week | | Open slots this week | Story, 1080×1920 | Monday, then whenever a cancellation frees a chair | | Swatch or colour of the week | Portrait post, 1080×1350 | Once a week | | Seasonal set launch | Carousel, first slide branded | Four to six times a year | | Price menu | Portrait post, pinned to the grid | Once, updated when prices change | | Aftercare tips | Carousel or Reel | Once or twice a month | A realistic weekly plan. Photos do most of the work; branded posts fill the gaps and drive bookings. Post at 1080×1350, not square. The portrait frame takes more of the screen, and hands photograph better tall than wide. [Instagram post size](https://gradiently.design/guide/instagram-post-size) explains how the grid crops it. ## Colour swatch posts Swatch posts are the nail world's own format: a row of shades, each named, so clients can screenshot one and show it at the appointment. Give each shade a friendly name and the brand and number it comes from in the caption. Keep the background quiet so the shades are not tinted by it. - Ballet slipper: #f4d6cc - Bare peach: #e8b4a6 - Dusty rose: #c7646b - Cherry cola: #8e1f2f - Black plum: #3b1f2b - Sage chrome base: #a7b8a0 A swatch post in miniature: six shades from nude to dark, each with a name a client can ask for. Real shades never match a screen exactly, so say so in the caption and photograph the actual bottles or a swatch stick next to the post. The palette is the hook; the photo is the proof. ## Seasonal sets and launch posts Seasonal collections give clients a reason to rebook. Plan four a year, name each one, and launch it with a carousel: a branded first slide with the set's name, then three or four photos, then a last slide that says how to book. Here are background directions that suit each season without fighting the nails. - Spring, petal and mint: `linear-gradient(160deg, #fbe7ec 0%, #f6d3dc 50%, #e7f0e3 100%)` - Summer, apricot and coral: `linear-gradient(150deg, #ffd9b8 0%, #ffb3a1 55%, #f48aa0 100%)` - Autumn, cherry and copper: `linear-gradient(160deg, #3b1d1d 0%, #7a2e2a 55%, #c07a4a 100%)` - Winter, frost and plum: `radial-gradient(circle at 70% 25%, #e8e4f0 0%, #9a8fb3 40%, #2a2340 90%)` Four seasonal grounds. Soft enough to sit behind a hand photo, distinct enough that each collection feels new. A portrait launch slide for a nail salon reading The Autumn Edit is here over a warm gradient The first slide of a launch carousel. Name the set big; save the details for the caption. A vertical story for a nail salon reading 3 slots left this week with days listed underneath An open slots story. Short, specific, and honest about how many are left. For palette ideas beyond these, [pastel colour palettes](https://gradiently.design/guide/pastel-color-palettes) and [autumn colour palettes](https://gradiently.design/guide/autumn-color-palettes) have more codes to borrow. ## Booking openings that actually fill The open slot story is the post that pays the rent. It works when it is specific. "Spaces available" gets ignored; "Thursday 2pm and Saturday 11am, gel or BIAB" gets replies. Add a link sticker or tell people to message you, and post it again when a cancellation comes in. 1. **Name the days and times** Exact slots feel real and urgent in a way that a general offer never does. 2. **Say what fits in the slot** A one hour slot fits a gel manicure, not a full set of extensions. Saying so saves back and forth. 3. **Leave room for the sticker** Keep the lower middle of the story empty for a link or message sticker. 4. **Save it to a highlight** A Booking highlight with your current hours means new followers can find the process without asking. Matching highlight covers make the profile look finished. [Instagram highlight covers](https://gradiently.design/guide/instagram-highlight-covers) shows how to make a set in your colours. ## Nail price list design A pinned price menu answers one of the most common messages a salon gets. Group services by type, show how long each one takes, and put add-ons such as nail art, removal or repairs in a smaller block underneath, so the main list stays short. ### Hard to read - Every service in one long list - Script font for service names - Prices floating in different places - A busy photo behind the text - No times, so clients cannot plan ### Easy to read - Grouped: manicures, pedicures, extensions, extras - A clear sans serif, script only for the salon name - Prices aligned on one right hand edge - A calm background with steady contrast - Time next to every service If the menu runs long, split it into a carousel: one slide per service group. The same design printed at A4, 2480×3508 pixels, can go by the till. ## One look for the whole feed Nail photos are colourful by nature, so the branded posts should be the steady part: the same background, the same typeface, the same position for your salon name. That rhythm is what makes a grid look curated rather than random. [Instagram grid aesthetic](https://gradiently.design/guide/instagram-grid-aesthetic) shows how to plan it, and [salon social media posts](https://gradiently.design/guide/salon-social-media-posts) covers hair and beauty more broadly. Gradiently suits this well. Claim a Mark as your salon's background and every branded post shares it, while the Mark keeps its calmest area behind your words so prices and slots always read. In the Studio you can crop hand photos into arches or circles, tint them in your Mark's colours, and set the price menu once as a template you only update. ## FAQ ### What should a nail salon post on Instagram? Photos of finished sets, open slot stories, swatch posts, seasonal collection launches, aftercare tips and a pinned price menu. ### What size should nail salon Instagram posts be? Use 1080×1350 portrait for feed posts and carousels, and 1080×1920 for stories and Reels. ### How often should a nail tech post? Three to five photo posts a week plus stories whenever slots open is a pace most salons can keep up without it becoming a second job. ### How do I make a nail price list for Instagram? Group services by type, add times, align prices on one edge, keep add-ons in a separate block, and pin the post to the top of your grid. ### Should I show prices on my nail salon Instagram? Usually yes. A pinned price menu saves you answering the same message repeatedly and helps clients book with confidence.