Do you have a salon marketing plan? Most people tell you that you need one, but what exactly does that mean? This post will lay that out and give you salon marketing tips that, if you put into practice, WILL get you results!
Basic Salon Marketing Techniques
These are the very basics and bare minimum you should be doing for your salon when starting out.
- Logo design and color scheme – Like I said, very basic. But put a little thought into it. There is actual psychology that can be used in both logo design and color schemes. For instance, did you know that red is actually a warning color? It’s evident in road and construction signs all around us. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t want to use this color in your marketing and design. If your salon is edgy and specializes in punk and alternative styles, using a little red in your logo design may help to convey you’re not a typical salon.
- Get your business listed – Even though most people don’t use phone books anymore, you’ll still want to register your business with the yellow pages. Your business will show up in local online searches and help drive traffic. But now, you also want to be sure to list your business with Whitepages, Bing, Yahoo! and Yelp, just to name a few. Again, this will ensure you come up in local online searches.
- Website – Without a website, the typical consumer takes no business seriously. It is too easy nowadays to get a website up and running. Without one, potential customers will go to a company that has one. Having a website is a very basic salon marketing strategy.
Intermediate Techniques
Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s now time to step it up from your competition.
- Social Media – Yes, it’s another thing to add to your to-do-list, but engaging with your customers on social media helps to get people through the door and coming back. Which outlet to use depends on the age bracket of your target audience and their buying habits.
- Newsletter/Email lists – Capturing your customers’ (or potential customer’s) email can be a game-changer, as long as your emails are informative and intriguing. You can only call people so many times before they get irritated. But you can send an email every day and it’s almost expected by consumers.
- Testimonials – You have to have them on your site. People don’t care what you think of your business, they want to know what your customers think. Get testimonials and update them often!
Advanced Techniques
Want to really blow your competition out of the water? Do these things to really stand out.
- Online Giveaways – This is a great way to increase your social media presence and “Likes”. It also helps to introduce your salon to new customers and your current customers will just love you even more!
- Online Appointment Booking – People are busy and don’t like waiting… especially on the phone just to book an appointment with the stylist/technician that they ALWAYS use. Give your customers an online booking option and they will thank you for it!
- Loyalty Programs – Coupons are great. But when you factor in how crammed people’s schedules are nowadays, most don’t have time to keep track of coupons. Offer a loyalty program where YOUR system is able to track number of visits and the rewards coming to your customers. Again, they will thank you for taking the work out of their hands.
Of course, everything listed here are just a few suggestions. But they will give your business the biggest impact. If you need help with any information mentioned here, feel free to comment on this post or contact us HERE. We’re always happy to help!