A connection with a customer might start with something as simple as them watching an Instagram Live of yours, or noticing your shop front while strolling down the street… but it might also very well start with a gift card! And while gift cards are nothing new — the concept was invented in 1994 by Neiman Marcus — you’d probably have a hard time naming someone you know who, to this day, has never purchased one.
They’re a powerful asset for businesses and an uplifting gift for those who receive it. That’s why at a time like these, we’re excited to introduce Phorest Salon Software’s Online Gift Cards feature; a great way to keep revenue coming into your salon 24/7!
Table of contents
- One of the main pillars of the #SupportYourSalon movement
- Marketing your salon’s Online Gift Cards
- Further your learning, better your results
One of the main pillars of the #SupportYourSalon movement
The #SupportYourSalon movement started shortly after the announcement that the novel coronavirus had become a pandemic; when governments around the world ordered businesses to close temporarily. In response to the financial impact this measure would have on salons and spas, clients were initially invited to reschedule their appointments, write a Google review, share their previous appointment looks to social media and more recently, encouraged to purchase an online gift card. The latter, immediately helping salons with their cashflow.
However, other key benefits include (and always will, even in a post-COVID-19 era):
- Increased brand awareness
- More holiday sales (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, Friends and Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
- Increased client engagement
- Convenience (available for online purchase 24/7 and your clients can choose from preset amounts to a bespoke price, bought for themselves or someone else)
Two-fold engagement
Gift cards are unique in the way that they create a two-fold engagement every time one sells. While the giver acts like an ambassador, the receiver, on the other hand, is often new to your brand and ready to embrace the experience fully.
Marketing your salon’s Online Gift Cards
The capability to generate sales like Nathan Jermy, Emma Wilson and Christine Cunningham is at your fingertips too! In three simple steps from within your Phorest software, you can send your first campaign to your clients so you can both stay in touch and turn their goodwill and well wishes into cash in the bank for when you reopen.
The beauty of selling Online Gift Cards is that even during social distancing times, you can see revenue come in at any time of the day. In fact, since April 1st, Phorest salons worldwide have sold over €1million in gift cards to be redeemed once non-essential businesses are allowed to reopen!
A simple three-step process
Step One: Enable online gift card sales in your system — it’s a single click process. If you’re currently a Phorest Salon Software client and would like to set up your Online Gift Cards feature, click here. If you’re not yet a client, request a demo or a quote today!
Step Two: Smart link your gift card purchase link directly into your email and SMS templates from within your Phorest marketing suite. On the purchase screen, your clients will then be able to choose from preset amounts to a bespoke price, bought for themselves or someone else. Our ready-made #SupportYourSalon campaign template was used by 9 out of our top 10 revenue-making salons in April.
Step Three: Copy and paste your Online Gift Card link to your social platforms and let your followers know how they can #SupportYourSalon by posting this video.
Further your learning, better your results
You might have heard this before, but our Education team goes by the mantra “the more you know, the more you grow.” That’s why we have free learning resources for you to understand the benefits of selling online gift cards, as well as step-by-step guides to help you make your experience a true success story.
Step-by-step guides for Phorest Salon Software clients:
- How to set up Online Gift Cards?
- How to market Online Gift Cards through marketing campaigns
- How to sell Online Gift Cards?
Get Phorest Academy certified
Phorest Academy is the one-stop online education shop where you and your team can learn all about how Phorest works and how it can help positively impact your business. If you’re currently a Phorest Salon Software client, log in and get started with the “Online Gift Cards: Generating Cash Flow” course.
What you can expect from the Phorest Academy:
- Interactive, online and on-demand training
- Learning on the go with the Litmos App
- A library of regularly added and updated courses
- Interactive Phorest systems
- Phorest Academy Certification for each course
If you’ve had great success selling gift cards yourself, let us know either in the comments below or tweet us @ThePhorestWord — we’d love to hear your story! (Pssst! We’re on Instagram too!)
Thanks for reading! #LetsGrow
