Marketing Ideas For Salons If You Only Have 10 MinutesMay 1, 2020Salon businesses are unique. They are not only important hair and beauty service providers but they’re also excellent hubs for social gatherings. Back in the day, salons presented the very rare opportunity for many women to step outside of their homes. They were also aesthetic enterprises and worked to implement the latest styles and trends of the era. Salons manage similar functions today in the sense that they allow otherwise strangers to communicate ideas, expand their social network and prepare tangible art. But many salons get carried away with fashioning the perfect interior or design aesthetic that they forget the primary reason for their existence; their clients. They find it difficult to reel in customers or maintain a loyal customer base. They struggle to increase salon income and fail to boost profits which often result in them halting operations and shutting the whole thing down. So where does the fault lie? It’s hard to pinpoint one aspect that’s sinking their business but it’s probably got to do with their salon marketing strategies or rather, the lack of it. Marketing is key to improving your presence in the social sphere and we’ve got some ideas that might help you make progress. So without further ado, here are some quick marketing tips to help boost your salon business! 1. Have an easy to use website The world has moved everything online and pretty much most, if not all of your customers will be looking you up on the internet. This is where they will first get to know you and your brand, so it helps to have a well put together website. Images on your webpage are crucial because they give the customer an idea of how welcoming you are and how they are going to be treated at your salon. This includes creating a layout that is easy to understand and conveys information about your business effectively. Here, you have the opportunity to present prices, plans and special packages for different customers. You also have the option to sell or giveaway retail merchandise online and market your services to a larger audience. 2. Go mobile! When we talk about websites, most businesses imagine accessing desktops or laptops for the purpose. In reality, not many of us have the time to browse through our laptops. Particularly for businesses like hair salons or nail salons, most people want to quickly scroll names and services through their phones. A vast majority of users actually use their cell phones to access search engines and websites. Hence, you must have a webpage that is mobile friendly. 3. Work on your social media presence Since we are discussing online marketing strategies, let’s talk turkey. Social media is probably the undisputed platform for all marketing and advertising campaigns. Come on, it’s free! Use it to regularly post pictures of your work on your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. You can also hold fun contests, host giveaways and make interesting videos to attract an audience. The more platforms you use, the better. Try incorporating images and reviews from happy clients that help shape favorable opinion toward your business. 4. Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals In an enterprise like that of a salon, you must always be ready to request referrals if you want to grow your customer base. The easiest way to do this would be to have a happy and satisfied client to recommend you through word of mouth. But if you want a greater reach then as mentioned above, social media is going to be your best bet. 5. Build yourself a loyal clientele This might seem like the most time consuming marketing strategy but that really is the trick. Forging a loyal customer base for your business does not take tedious effort. Prompt service and some minor incentives are enough to round up many happy clients. To illustrate, you can always offer monetary rewards for clients that return to your services or recommend you to others in their social circle. Send them a mini care-box or a discount coupon for their loyalty. An alternative to this could be that you can offer non-monetary rewards like a free spa, foot massage or manicure for customers that register for your services for a set time period. Building a solid clientele is essentially a give and take process, and could do wonders to grow your salon business! 6. Revise and strategize your services Many salons are stuck in their traditional ways of operating but if you want to go big, you need to think out of the box. Think about how you can cater to a greater cross-section of the population. In other words, increase the size of your target market. One of the simplest ways you can do this is by making yourself easily accessible. Allow your clients to find and book your services through your website or social media pages. Put up a contact form on your website so customers can send you valuable feedback or ask questions. If you only accept payments via cash, introduce credit and debit card payments to make life easier for your customers. Better yet, let them pay for your services in advance by doing it online! This way when they actually arrive for their appointment, all they have to think about is looking fabulous. 7. Blog your way through it Blogging is a great way to communicate with both your regular and potential clients. Here, you can offer free advice, techniques and tips for customers to take care of themselves. You can feature content that directly relates to your service. For example, if you’re a hair salon, you can put up posts covering hair-care routines or post reviews of hair products. Blogs that are relatable and fun to read can attract an audience similar to that of a social media platform and that always works in your favor. 8. Upselling is an art A vibrant yet professional reception desk can really make or break your customer loyalty. Invest in staff that can handle client exchanges well. Train them to treat customers with politeness. They should be quick with re-booking appointments and should know when to upsell or cross-sell a product. 9. Live your truth Probably the most underrated element of marketing is to incorporate desired values into your daily life. Suppose if you own a hair salon but walk around your customers with a disheveled look that emphasizes your split ends. Do you think a customer would want their hair treated by you? Simply put, you are the face of your brand and how you conduct yourself will convey strong messages about your salon business. So if you’ve got a nail salon, make sure your manicure is on point. Of course there’s going to be variability in how exactly you can market your salon. Every business has its own unique objectives and if you’re looking to get some expert advice for your salon, get in touch with us through our contact form.