If you are anywhere similar to me, then you’d know it is extremely difficult to find a trustworthy salon. And if you are a little more impatient, you’d rather shave off your head, than spend time and effort finding a good salon. However, if you own a salon, you need to stand out of the army and hook customers like me.
Salons have talented hairdressers, makeup artists, nail technicians, and estheticians who are among the best in their field but are still struggling to build a high customer base. This is because of the absence of right marketing, people don’t know that you exist. With the right marketing approach, you can target your potential customers and get better results.
What I admire the most about marketing is that it is endless, boundless, and limitless. It is a mindset and if you are open-minded, you will succeed. So whenever you feel you are out of ideas, remember, there are always more, you just have to research more, dig a little deeper, and ideas will rush to you. But that being said, there are times you can also external help to help you market your skills.
If you want to stand out, grab attention, become famous, profitable, and create a brand, then here are some great salon marketing ideas. Study these ideas that I’m sharing and I promise you will get inspired to take your salon business to the next level.
Table of Contents
Top-Notch Salon Marketing Ideas To Boom Your Salon Business
a) Register Your Salon On Online Directories
Do you know that more than 70% of customers shopping for a service or product will search online before visiting the physical store? This means your salon is supposed to pop on top search pages. For that to happen, you must register yourself in the below-mentioned platforms for better reach.
i. Google My Business
What do you see when you type “salon near me” on Google? Does it show your name? If you don’t show up when people look for a salon in your surroundings, you basically don’t exist to potential new customers. Being listed on Google My Business is crucial for marketing your salon because 83% of the searches are done via Google.
ii. Yelp
This is how you will see yourself on Yelp.
If you want to pull millennials into your venture, registering on Yelp is essential. By being on this platform, it becomes easy to show the authenticity of your company by adding pictures, reviews, and you can also respond to customer feedback. This platform also allows you to provide discounts to consumers who book your services. For example, discounts of 10% on manicure and pedicure.
iii. Facebook
This is another significant directory that you want your company to be listed on so that local active Facebook users can locate your salon. Plus, this is a user-friendly platform that allows you to conduct live sessions wherein you can interact with your customers and other audiences. Plus, you can also use this platform to showcase your skills and inform the customers about new offers and updates.
b) Create Your Salon Website
Your salon’s website is the face of your salon and the creator of first impressions. Being in the beauty industry, I’m sure you know how important a first impression is. Secondly, having a website shows that you’re a genuine salon business with certified and experienced staff.
Create a professional looking website to earn the trust of your potential customers. Consider finding enlisting the help of MedSpa marketing agencies to optimize your site.A fully-functioning website will attract new clients, manage your bookings, show new updates in your services, and ultimately grow your business. Use services pages and relevant keywords for more visits.
Read More: Why Are Websites Necessary for Small Business Growth?
If you do not have a domain, then get it at affordable rates at BMA EASY. Moreover, you can get your free website today just by applying at Infibusiness Free Website.
c) Email Marketing And Salon Newsletter
For example :
Being in the beauty industry and owning a salon straightforwardly means you are running a customer-relationship business. But how can you maintain so many relationships? The answer is simple: Email Marketing and Newsletter.
Many times emails can go unnoticed. However, if they are written and handled correctly, daily emails sent to your customer list will have a major effect on your branding and sales.
So next time a person wants to visit a salon, your name will automatically pop up in the person’s mind. That’s because although that person hasn’t gone through your emails but seeing them daily has left a lasting impression on them.
They have to be:
- Starts with a catchy subject that captures the interest of customers
- Beautiful and quick to read
- Sometimes non-sales-oriented (meaning the main goal is not to sell or book appointments)
- Pleasant, educational, enjoyable, and fascinating to learn.
To stop being monotonous with sales or other promotions try something like this to connect more:
- Include a snapshot of yourself and share a story about the most fascinating or thrilling thing that has happened to you in the past month.
- Share a makeup trick or “hack” with pictures you shot yourself.
- The spotlight on the 3 products of your salon you enjoy and why.
d) Manage Online Reviews
Eight out of ten users state that they trust ratings and web reviews almost as much as if they were suggested by a peer. In reality, 92 percent of customers look at ratings before choosing which salon to visit. This means that a salon with no feedback is worse than one with a few poor reviews.
So make sure that you have a decent number of reviews for your salon on Google, Twitter, and Yelp. Client reviews not only offer new customers the confidence that your salon is fine, but they also make your salon ranks higher on Google. The client insight always helps to boost your business.
Be transparent, if you have a strong client relationship, ask them to leave a truthful comment on the services. Plus, you can also ask them what aspects can the salon improve. This showcases that you value your customer and their feedback. The repetitive clients are bound to leave a positive comment for sure.
e) Partnership With Other Local Businesses
If you’re looking to attain more customers, interact with other companies around you and ask if they wish to collaborate together. If it works out, both parties will attract more clients. For example, few restaurants offer a free movie ticket on purchase of an amount of order price. This kind of deal can work for salons too. Again, for example, Nearby beauty shops or spas can offer a discount voucher for your salon.
f) Social Media
As I mentioned earlier, client relationships are very important for success. When you want to promote your salon, make sure it has a presence on all the social media sites. Youtube, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram are going to help you get the message about your salon out there.
There are various ways you can use social media sites to your benefit:
- Use relevant hashtag “#”: Use them to be proactive. Research says that posts with 9 hashtags or more perform 2.5 times better. So in case you didn’t know, hashtags play an important role in reaching out to new people.
- Show off your staff’s skill through authentic images, blogs, videos, etc.
- Showcase the story of how your salon came by.
Read More: Best Time to Post on Facebook
Nowadays, people review your social media accounts before actually coming to your salon. Update your social media with current trends and new styles as per your target market and gain the trust of your potential new clients.
g) Influencers
Instagram influencers bring with them a huge set of audience. Collaborating with a local influencer will help market your salon in your local areas. Thus, you can use the influencer’s influence to make waves on Instagram and to get more clients.
Example: Shonna Dexter is the owner of Recreating Rays sunless tanning salon in the United States. She works with women models and influencers to grow her business.
h) Offer Referral Discounts
One of the most attractive ideas is referral discounts. Once I come across a hairdresser that I love, I’m bound to recommend him/her to all my friends. Why not give your customers a little bonus for doing your advertising for free?
You can send an email or postcard with a nice note, “Thanks for talking about us to your friend, Amy! We’re glad you thought of us. We want you to know we’re thinking of you, too. So, here is $15 off on your next visit.”
Another way is, you can partner with local companies to offer referrals to each other. For example: If the dental office next door has a client asking for a salon recommendation, ask them to suggest yours by offering the dental office members a discount.
Lastly, your older clients tend to have more brand loyalty. So make them happier by offering loyalty discounts on top of referral discounts.
i) Produce Video Content
Virtual/visual content has immense value in today’s times. As much as people like to see pictures of your work, after a while, these pictures can be very monotonous. Especially if you’re looking at a lot of different photos on Instagram and everybody is sharing the same before and after pictures.
What people are really interested in nowadays is, who’s behind the camera! They want to learn your style, your attitude, and your sense of humor. The way to engage an audience is to give them a glimpse of reality. For example, record a video showcasing all preparation you do before doing the makeup of a bride.
One of the easiest ways to do so is by the videos of you and your team. I know you still feel like you don’t have something exciting going on, and nobody cares about it… but believe me, they care about it. That way it becomes more interactive and the audience can also connect with you.
So begin to showcase yourself, your staff as well the back-end scenes. If you’re conscious, just start with photos. Then slowly move towards making a boomerang to record a simple 30-second “interview” video. At last, when you’re confident you can create longer content.
j) Salon Promotions
Everyone likes a good deal, so if you’ve got a reason to advertise, make sure you do it! This is going to get new customers to walk into the salon in no time.
Few deals that will work for you:
- Special First-Time Visit– All new clients get a special discount for their first visit.
- Last Minute Specials– If a client asks for a last-minute cut, give them a small discount.
- Monthly Specials– Have one service discounted each month. This draws in clients looking for that service. Simultaneously, also generating curiosity in those who may not have thought about getting the service earlier.
- Birthday Month Promotions (Client/Salon)– Who doesn’t want to feel special on their birthday? By giving your client a birthday month discount, you’re sure to see them walking in your salon that month. Another way to do this is to mark the salon’s birthday, with a week of promotion.
Share your promotions on social media as well.
k) Retargeting Ads
Gone are the days of traditional ad displays where you can’t monitor who sees your ads. Today, advertising your products or services on social media gets you the attention of your targeted audience. Here, retargeting of advertising works well as it displays your advertisement to people who have viewed your site before.
Have you ever visited a website and seen the brand’s advertisements showing up on all of your social media sites? This is the retargeting of ads. 3 out of 5 people notice retargeting advertising on a daily basis.
Marketing your salon with this approach can help you get to your potential clients. There are many people who visit your website, look at the services you offer, but don’t book an appointment. By retargeting ads, you can appear on different social media sites of those people. This helps you to redirect them back to your website.
l) Run A Contest
Running a contest on social media platforms is a perfect way to get customers. For instance: Offer a person who gets the most referrals and an all-out spa day. Of course, the reward doesn’t have to be a spa day; it can be anything like a discount coupon that they can use on their next visit.
m) Branding
Communication is the key and it is the most important aspect when building your brand. The salon’s interior, your logo, your website, your staff, and your salon’s social media. Basically everything. People revisit your salon because of what you stand for, the experience you create for them, and what you offer.
A good branding strategy includes knowing your customer base, target audience, your own primary goals, and your brand identity. Lastly, ask the customers how you can improve, making your customer feel valuable, thus creating a trustworthy brand.
n) Build A Selfie Station At Your Salon
Investing in a pretty salon interior helps the salon to stand out on social media, as it provides a great backdrop for clients to take pictures and videos. Build a place of fantastic lighting and aesthetics so that clients can’t resist taking selfies and sharing them on their social media.
This interior does not necessarily have to be too extensive, just a little effort can make a difference! You can search for design ideas on Pinterest and create a beautiful space on your own. Besides that, don’t forget to ask the clients to promote hashtags that feature your salon’s name and tag your salon’s account.
o) Leverage Special Events
Seasonal events are excellent opportunities to increase salon promotions. Holiday specials have always captured the attention of prospective customers. You should have a mom’s special offer on Mother’s Day, get a Christmas discount, or put up an offer for New Year’s Eve.
Don’t forget to include weddings and prom or homecoming dance. They’re not really holidays, but they’re special events for specific groups of people, that you can use to your benefit by making your clients feel special on their big day at an affordable price.
Pro Tip: Offer getting a wash, a cut, or hair color, and receiving a free manicure. This kind of offer works well on teens, stay-at-home parents, and working individuals.
p) Business Cards
Who is the best PR for your salon? You are! And unnoticeably, you promote your salon daily. You’re the best source of publicity. Doll up in a unique hairstyle and attract everyone’s eye. This way they can approach you and you can tell them about your salon business by giving them your business card.
As a salon owner, you must carry your business card with you all the time. You never know when you may need it. And offering business cards also show a lot of professionalism.
Final Thoughts
Yes, sometimes marketing can get confusing, irritating, and may even demotivate you if you don’t get accurate results. But hopefully, after reading various salon marketing ideas on this blog, it will help you revitalize and get back on the grove.
In the case of a salon owner who’s trying this for the first time, don’t let social media intimidate you. Take your time and create a brand name for your salon on the web. You can also take the help of professional digital marketers for the same.
If you are not getting much out of your website, get a free website audit today. You will receive an audit report containing necessary changes for your website.
Broadly, these are 2 basic things to remember!
- If you’ve got something that fits, use that. Don’t feel like you’ve got to chase the “magic marketing idea” to be relevant. Be yourself and keep the content easy.
- Don’t hesitate to try new techniques, if not one, two, or three methods work, your fourth definitely will. Be persistent. Do not feel discouraged.
By reading this blog you have already taken your first step so don’t hesitate and go one step further, put your plan to action, and using these salon marketing ideas begin your campaign!!!
