As summer (and the holiday tan!) starts to fade, the trees lose their leaves, and the days get shorter, things change in the professional hair and beauty industry. With clients returning from summer holidays and the festive season on the horizon, this time of year can be quieter for salons, clinics, and spas.
However, this makes it a golden opportunity to freshen up your marketing strategy, engage more with your clients, and set solid foundations for the annual December rush. Here are some of our leading marketing ideas to help you keep your appointment book full and your business running smoothly throughout the autumn months.
Autumnal Packages- A Foolproof Way to Boost Bookings
Seasonal packages are a fantastic way to excite your clients and encourage them to buy products or book services they may never have tried before. Think about the scents, colours, and ingredients associated with autumn. Now, combine these with services that treat the most prevalent hair/skin/body concerns present this time of year to create a range of packages your clients will love.
For example, a “Pumpkin Spice Pamper Package” could include a range of indulgent body treatments performed using cinnamon, pumpkin, nutmeg, or vanilla-scented ingredients. Similarly, an “Autumn Glow Hair Package” could consist of a darkening hair colour service combined with a conditioning treatment that helps repair the hair post-summer damage.
Incorporate autumnal elements like warm, spicy aromas and rich, earthy colours to make your packages stand out and entice clients to book. Don’t forget to add seasonal packages to your online booking platform, and advertise across your website as well as social media posts and ads,
Offer Booking Incentives to Keep Your Diary Full
Autumn is often a quieter period in the professional hair and beauty industry, making it perfect for drilling down your client retention strategy. To promote increased retention rates, include booking incentives that encourage your clients to book appointments and fill your digital diary’s white space.
Booking incentives could include:
- Extra loyalty points for appointments booked on certain dates
- A small discount or extra loyalty points for referring a new client to the salon
- Offering treatment discounts for seasonal services
- Free products with bookings over a certain value
- The option to add services to an existing booking for a reduced rate
There are countless ways to incentivise your clients to book. Make sure to spread the word via email and SMS marketing to keep your clients informed, and don’t forget to link your online booking platform to all comms, to make scheduling their next appointment as simple as possible.
Want to go a step further? Why not offer early-bird discounts to those who book their autumn and Christmas appointments in advance? As well as helping you secure bookings and revenue ahead of time, doing this ensures your clients get their preferred time slots during the busy festive season—something that only the lucky few are afforded at this hectic time of year!
Curate Thoughtful Retail Offerings
Autumn is all about transitions—from new skincare routines that combat cooler, drier air, to darker nail colours that match the moody, autumnal vibe. Offer retail products that align with these seasonal changes to boost your sales both in your premises and online.
Like treatment packages, opt for retail packs that include everything your clients need for the transition into Autumn. These efforts can help drive sales, boost revenue, and delight your clients.
For example, combine your most hydrating hair and skin care products into an “Autumn Skin/Hair Prep” kit or create gift sets that combine your bestselling products with autumnal self-care items like cinnamon-scented candles or pumpkin spice wax melts. By carefully curating products to match the season, you can increase retail sales while also providing clients with the products they need to extend the luxury and relaxation of their salon or spa experience at home.
Transform Your Space with Seasonal Decor
Now that you’ve decided on your seasonal packages, created a beautiful, autumnal retail display, and given your clients an incentive to book, it’s time to consider the overall look of your salon, clinic, or spa space. Make your business look the part by decorating it for autumn. Think warm lighting, cosy decor, seasonal flowers, scented, candles, pumpkins, and other rustic accent pieces to immerse your clients in an autumnal wonderland.
Seasonal decorating is a fun activity for your team to take part in, while also being a great way of engaging your existing clients. High-quality in-salon decor is also a surefire way to attract attention from the street and encourage new clients in. With 16% saying that the main reason they visit their regular salon is because of the overall look and feel, your autumnal decor could be the bridge between you and some new loyal clients.
After investing time and money in seasonal decor, it’d be a shame not to use it to its full potential! Encourage your team and clients to take pictures and videos of your efforts and share them on social media for the world to see.
Psst: for more information on how to optimise your social media presence, download our Social Media Guidebook for Salons & Spa here.
Keep Your Clients Informed
One of the best ways to ensure higher client retention rates during the autumn months is to stay engaged with your client base. Use SMS and email marketing messages to encourage new bookings, and send automated appointment reminder messages to clients who are already booked in to ensure they don’t forget their appointments.
Go a step further by using a tool like Phorest’s Client Reconnect to identify clients who haven’t rebooked in their usual timeframe, reach out to them with a personalised message, and invite them back.
To protect the revenue that you do have, make sure to collect booking deposits for all appointments made, and establish a rigid no-show and late cancellation charges policy if you don’t already have one. Doing this can ensure a steady cash flow even during quieter months.
Feeling Festive? Keep These Dates in Mind
While we’ve covered a range of general autumnal marketing tips and tricks, if you really want to tailor your marketing material, packages, and decor for the season, plan ahead for the following holidays:
- Oktoberfest: September 21st-October 6th
- Diwali: October 29th-November 1st
- Halloween: October 31st
- Samhain: November 1st
- Día de Muertos: November 1st-2nd
- Guy Fawkes Night: November 5th
Psst: This blog gives some great Halloween marketing tips!
Get Ready to Reap the Rewards This Autumn
Autumn is the perfect season to refresh your salon’s marketing strategy, encourage your clients into the salon, clinic, or spa, and prepare for the busy months ahead. By embracing the unique opportunities this time of year offers; from seasonal packages and booking incentives, to dramatic festive decor, you can keep your appointment book full and your clients engaged.
This season, it’s all about creating memorable experiences that set your business apart. With thoughtful planning and creativity, you’re on your way to a successful, profitable autumn and a seamless transition into the Christmas rush.
Like this blog? Let us know in the comments below what you’ll be implementing to make the most of autumn in your salon, clinic, or spa.
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