As a busy salon owner I'm sure you have your hands full with bookings, ordering, staff etc. But if there is a lull in your bookings or your business isn't growing the way you had planned then it might be time to take a look at your marketing strategy. With people turning to social media more and more for business recommendations and an increasing amount of our lives is spent on our phones it goes without saying that some of the more traditional marketing methods may not be as effective. I have detailed a few ideas below to help you start or revamp your marketing strategy to help grow your business and increase your client base.
- Marketing plan
Make sure before you start that you have a strategy in place which details what you want to achieve and how much you want to spend on marketing. Consider your business now and how the growth will affect you. You don't want to spend huge amounts and not get anything back so researching your area and target audience is key.
- Social Media campaigns
Social media can be one of your biggest assets other than your expertise and experience and is, for the most part, free so it's a popular avenue to go down. You should create business profiles as this increases the likelihood of someone clicking into your profile as it looks more professional. Most people are on some social media platforms, if not all of them, and it can be extremely beneficial to your business to grow through these channels. Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok are just a few of the platforms you can utilise. Remember that each platform works differently so Tiktok is more about you and trends that fit with your genre so you should showcase yourself and your team and make it fun where possible. When you're on Tiktok the volume is automatically on so you can hear the Tiktoks as soon as you're on it. With Instagram and Facebook you have to click the reel to open it and hear it so it's easier for people to scroll past if you haven't got your information or your hook right there in the beginning. Instagram and Facebook are more about your services and your brand so high quality photos and videos of your work is the way to go. Some ideas for content include sharing tips relevant to the industry, transformation videos, before and after photos/videos and 'meet the team' posts.
- Word of Mouth
Another one of the best routes for marketing is using existing clients to recommend you either by word of mouth or on social media. Encourage people to leave a review on your Facebook page or recommend you on Facebook groups they're in. This way people are more likely to follow up with you as someone else has already had a positive experience with you. People do like an incentive to leave reviews so you could potentially offer a discount or freebie for positive referrals that lead to a booking.
- Emails
Using emails for newsletters or communications to promote offers and discounts can be another good way to keep your clients coming back. Anything from offers around the time of their birthday and promotions to giving clients an insight into your salon and the industry is a positive way to keep clients interested in you and your business. Use companies like Mailchimp to manage your email communications on your behalf. Make sure that any companies you use will fit in with your marketing budget and review it regularly to make sure it's actually beneficial and bringing in revenue.
- Visual marketing
As well as your business being visible on social media you also want it to be visible in person too. Have a look at our blog about how to choose a great location for your salon to help maximise your visibility on the high street. Advertise in your window the services you offer, the products that you use, even try and get your business ethos across from your shop front. Try to get your branding to reflect what your business is about. Making it clear from the start is important so your client doesn't get any surprises down the line. Networking with other businesses in the local area is another great way to increase footfall in your salon. Ask if they can put your poster in their window or have some of your business cards to give out. You can do the same for them and help each other.
Whatever avenue for marketing you choose make sure you research your target audience beforehand so you can be confident that whatever you choose will bring in the business you need.