Top 7 Salon and Spa Marketing Ideas To Get More Clients

If you want to succeed as a salon owner, you need to develop a marketing mindset. Know the beauty industry intimately, learn everything you can about your treatments and products and share it passionately with others. Business building is about drawing attention to your salon, to your way of performing beauty techniques, methods and modalities. Your marketing is message is not only about what you do, But HOW you do, and HOW YOU DO IT DIFFERENTLY.

1. ALL AREAS OF YOUR SALON MUST COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER:

A Salon which offers fitness classes could easily offer detox or slimming body wraps as an add-on treatment. However a salon which focuses on facials and waxing would probably not get as much interest should they offer a detox body wrap. They should rather complement their current line of facials and waxing. For example expand their facial repertoire. If the focus was anti-aging, they may introduce another rejuvenation or facial therapy such as micro-dermabrasion or photo-rejuvenation. To complement the waxing they could offer hair growth reduction ampoule as an add-on. Focus on your specific niche. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.

2. CONNECT WITH CONVERSATIONAL TONE:

In advertising our aim is for the reader to notice and read our advertisement. To keep the reader’s attention it is best to keep sentences short. Make use of subheadings to reinforce the power of your headline. Use bullet points for easy reading. Not necessarily single words, it could be short sentences to break things up and keep it concise. Remember you are talking in terms of “What’s in for the client” Get on their wavelength and talk in terms of what they want. Educate your reader. Don’t assume people know. Identify problems and supply the solution and highlight it in your advertising. Use everyday language. Fancy, elaborate words can put a reader off reading further. Simple, concise writing will guide the reader through your ad. Keep it relaxed and clear in meaning. Delete excess and unnecessary words. Clarity is king! Focus on the benefits and results your clients want.

3. GIVE CLIENTS YOUR BEST:

A client has taken the trouble to visit your beauty salon. They may have rescheduled a meeting, sacrificed their lunch break, got stuck in traffic, left their warm and cosy home to see you on a rainy day, they may have organised a babysitter to see you. Consider it an honour to have a client make the time to see you. All clients deserve a positive and pleasant salon experience. They want something extraordinary. Pay attention to the details that deliver what your clients want. A happy client is one who feels their purchases are worthwhile. Make it a pleasure to do business with you. Look at your beauty business through the eyes of your clients. When clients feel good about the experience and would like to return they feel it is worth exchanging money for the Experience they received at your salon there is greater potential word of mouth marketing sources. Make delivering on your promises a top priority.

4. TELEPHONE MARKETING:

When you have paid $1000 in marketing costs just to get the phone to ring; how will you answer it? Everything, from how you answer your phone to your marketing. Everything should be about increasing perceived value of your products and treatments in the eyes of your clients and potential clients. How are telephone calls/enquiries handled? Every single contact clients/prospect has with your business forms a perception, either good or bad. Have a copy of your latest promotions and advertisements on hand. Be prepared for calls and questions so that are armed with knowledge and ready to answer question and offer solutions. Have a pen and paper at the phone always. Have your appointment book at the phone.

5. PERFORM A SWOT ANALYSIS:

A SWOT analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This is a way of uncovering your opportunities and understanding and eliminating threats. List your competitors. List the reasons why client would rather buy from them rather than you. What weaknesses do you have in comparison to your competitors? How can you overcome weaknesses and threats? You need to know what makes you different from your competitors. Analyse your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. You can offer more value when you are able to differentiate your results orientated treatments and products.

6. KEEP IN TOUCH:

As a Day Spa or Beauty Salon owner your database is an asset worth its weight in gold. Consider the lifetime value of a client. How much does each of your clients spend on average per month, per year and over a lifetime? It costs anywhere from 5 to 8 times more to gain a new clients as opposed to retaining your clients. Therefore, it is obvious you need to place as strong emphasis on keeping existing clients. Keeping in touch with your clients and staying top of mind is important to gain repeat business. By sending prmotional material, thank you cards, birthday wishes and emails to your database you can send a lot more follow-up and repeat messages than you would otherwise with traditional advertising.

Email Marketing is a highly effective way to build loyalty and trust. It is an excellent and cost-effective medium to combine with your other marketing mediums.

7. IRRESISTIBLE GWP OFFERS:

The acronym "GWP" stands for "Gift with Purchase". As the name suggests, a GWP is an item that is presented to your client when she spends above a specified amount on beauty treatments or skin care products. The Gift with purchase (free item) could be anything from cosmetics, facial serum, salon voucher, soap packaged with fabric and ribbon, white plush slippers, perfumed drawer liners, candle gift set, product samples, mini fragrance oil etc.

With your mobile phone contracts you get a free iPod. With your meal you get a free drink. A free playstation with your TV purchase. And of course we are all familiar with the cosmetics companies who give away free tote bags, wallets, samples and introductory travel size products. Samples entice clients to trial a product. Many industries are now incorporating GWP offers. A free product enhances the transactional value of the purchase. Use GWP offers in you spa and salon, for example, with Every Hydra-facial treatments and receive a free Retinol Anti-wrinkle Serum,