To thrive in today’s competitive beauty business, you need to put your best marketing foot forward. Sticking to traditional strategies isn’t enough especially if you want to grow tenfold. It doesn’t matter what kind of salon you own. It’s all about understanding your market and providing exceptional services. To make your business stand out, you need to list down the best salon marketing solutions. In every possible way, you need to go all out with your marketing to offer a better experience for your clients.
The Best Salon Marketing Strategies
We’ve spoken to a few salon and spa owners and listed down the best marketing strategies that worked for them:
Run a Loyalty Program
When you own a beauty salon, running loyalty programs are invaluable. If you want to give clients a reason to keep coming back, this is key. You can either offer incentives or discounts after a certain number of services have been availed. Both ways it’s a win-win for you as well as the client. There are multiple ways by which you can run a loyalty program. Give them a punch card or set up a points system. However, make sure the program is easy to track. You can even use salon marketing software for the same.
Referral Program
The next best strategy after a loyalty program is running a referral program. Though retaining an existing client is cheaper than acquiring a new one, you need to focus on building your salon client base. In this era of digital marketing, word-of-mouth is still the king. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Just call it a simple ‘recommend-a-friend’ program. You can offer discounts for referrals made to your existing clients. You can create digital codes which clients can share on social media.
Email Marketing
Generic mails are obsolete. The truth is that nobody likes receiving them. To ensure your emails are opened and read, you need to personalize them. Build an email database of your current and existing clients, and send out newsletters with content that they will be interested in reading. It can be an ongoing promotion, new service or even a beauty tip. You can even send out follow-up emails to clients who haven’t visited in a while. Offer them a discount which will prompt them to visit your salon.
Optimise your ‘Google my Business’ Profile
To attract clients in a particular area, optimising your GMB profile is key. Ensure your salon’s information is listed correctly. From the address to the business hours, everything should be right. You can also add specific keywords in your description so that you rank higher in search results for those customers. While up-to-date information is vital, positive reviews can also considerably grow your client base.
Upselling & Cross-selling
Another marketing strategy that works wonders in a salon is upselling and cross-selling. However, this is something your staff has to do. Upselling is suggesting a higher or upgraded version of a product or service than what the client has opted for while cross-selling is suggesting a related or complementary product or service. For the former, it would be recommending the highest package whereas for the latter, it would be recommending a manicure with a pedicure. It’s a good way to increase your revenue and grow your business.
Offer Introductory Deals to New Clients
If you’re a high-end salon, a lot of people are hesitant to book an appointment owing to the high prices. A perfect way to get them through the door is by offering them discounted rates on their first visit. For example, Rs. 999 for a haircut with a top stylist. Once they’re in and they’ve liked the service, they will surely want to come back in the future.
Host Events or Pop-ups
The goal is to get as much traffic as you can into your salon. You can partner with other businesses and host events in your premises. Such events not just showcase your expertise but also give you a chance to build a community. When clients visit you for the events, they end up making purchases or avail services.
Simplified Booking Process
Though this is not really a marketing tactic, it really works if you want to get impulsive clients through the door. People these days prefer simplicity over everything. Ensure you have an online salon appointment booking system in place which allows clients to schedule appointments with ease.
Monthly and Seasonal Promotions
To keep existing clients hooked, running monthly offers and seasonal promotions is a big plus. Use these occasions to create urgency and get clients to book in advance. Valentine’s Day, Diwali and Christmas are perfect times to run promotions. You can also create special holiday packages to incentivise clients to book in advance.
Run an Influencer Marketing Campaign
If you think influencer marketing is dead, you’re mistaken. Collaborate with local influencers and bloggers who can share authentic experiences at your salon. If the influencer is somebody with a large following, they’re likely to take their word for it. The kind of content they create will prompt their followers to check it out.
Conclusion
By implementing these salon marketing solutions, you can help your business stand out from your competitors. To track how each of your marketing strategies is working, get your hands on Salon360App, salon marketing software. It allows you to run a marketing campaign with utmost ease while measuring key metrics.
