It’s all good and well to know the difference between traditional and digital marketing, but if you’re new to the whole ‘marketing world’, creating your salon’s first marketing strategy can feel like a daunting process. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Where do I start, how often can I contact my clients and what are the options?” you’re already doing something right. When it comes to salon marketing ideas and strategies, too often, people jump straight into the deep end without taking the time to consider what the first step should actually be.
Related |Â Crafting The Right Mindset For Your 2018 Salon Marketing Plan
Successful Salon Marketing Strategies: What Do They All Have In Common?
Myself and Connor Keppel (Head of Marketing at Phorest Salon Software) first covered this topic in our #AskPhorest episodes a few years ago, but of course as the salon industry itself changed, so has marketing. However, the principles remain, so let’s start from there, and then you can move on to watching our most recent take on the question.
https://www.facebook.com/phorestsalonsoftware/videos/1617210541671498/
Let’s Recap: If You Already Have Clients…
The first thing you should do is focus on your existing clients: make sure they come back to you for their next appointment! The best way to do this is to incentivise them.
- Try to get them to book their next appointment while they pay.
- Reach out by SMS (download our free Salon SMS Marketing Gameplan eBook here)
- Don’t overdo it, send them no more than one or two SMS marketing messages a month
- Reach out by email (download our free Salon Email Marketing Gameplan eBook here)
- If your clients haven’t been back in a while, try reconnecting with them, and find out why they have lapsed (if you currently use Phorest Salon Software, Client ReConnect works like a gem for this)
The main thing to remember is to mix up your content. It can’t all be sales and advertising. Think about pushing out a monthly newsletter which would also cover and explain the offers you have for the month. Then, maybe send them some expert tips that will help your clients look and feel beautiful. Finally, you could even go do up another email to explain one treatment or service in depth, with its benefits and effects.
You see this way, you’re still letting them know you exist, but it’s not another hard sell. Clients respond much better to that!
Marketing In Europe With GDPR
By May 2018, under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) it is going to be mandatory for EU-based salons to collect, house and protect your clients’ personal data and information securely, but also, to be the utmost transparent about how it was collected. You will be required to provide a clear audit trail as to how you collected it. Failure to comply with this legislative requirement could cost your business thousands – or worse; you could lose your business completely. To learn more about GDPR and make sure your salon is ready for it, download our latest eBook!
If You’re Trying To Attract New Customers
Word of mouth is still one of the most successful salon marketing strategies out there. Leverage your existing clients to try and get their friends, family and colleagues into your salon. You can do this with a loyalty program that truly adds value (not those coffee shop style programs), where you reward clients for referrals. If you don’t currently have one, our acclaimed Loyalty System is called the Treatcard and it is one of the greatest tools salon owners have at hand!
You can also, of course, encourage clients to share photos of your work on their social media pages, host an event, collaborate on a special day with a local business, get involved in charity causes, do some Facebook advertising… the options are endless! But again, first and foremost, client retention is key, so give that a massive focus.
Related | The Salon Owner’s Bible To An Incredibly Successful Loyalty Program
What About The Tone For My Brand?
You’re right, that also has an impact on your marketing. It’s also something that can be taken for granted or even overlooked. Here’s what we have to say about that.
https://www.facebook.com/phorestsalonsoftware/videos/1687349927990892/
So there you have it! The first steps to creating viable, successful salon marketing strategies that will work. If you ever feel stuck or simply want one of your questions answered, drop us a line by email, through social media or whatever is most convenient for you and we’ll be happy to tackle the subject in a Salon Marketing Q&A Facebook Live videos!
While we’re at it, if you’re looking into salon software solutions that can help with your marketing, stock management and retention tools, why not check out all our features and book a demo with one of our business consultants.
Thanks for reading! #LetsGrow
Featured imaged shot on location of Wildflower Creative Group, in Dublin. © 2018 Phorest Salon Software. This post was originally published in November 2015 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
