In case you hadn’t realised it yet, Black Friday (November 23rd, 2018) is slowly but surely creeping up on us all. Not to panic! You still have plenty more days to plan promotional activities that will lead to increased retail sales. For the occasion, listed in this article are a few online and in-salon/in-spa fun marketing ideas. Remember, you’re not just aiming at generating more sales. Ultimately, you’re also aiming at creating unique that will attract the curious and convert them into customers.
Phorest FM, Episode 88: “If aligned with existing email campaigns, SMS marketing becomes a direct and invaluable tool to get your clients back in salons and spas more often. To discuss this whole ‘SMS in support of Email’ concept, Killian and Zoe welcome back two Phorest in-house guests to the show: Luke Doolin and Helen Devenney, from the Grow and Education teams respectively.”
Black Friday Fun Marketing Ideas Worth The Planning: Online Promos
Without ever undervaluing your brand or prices, there are quite a few easy marketing ideas you can plan for your business. “But it’s just so much simpler to put things on sale…” Wrong. With just a little effort, you can put together winning campaigns to increase retail sales on Black Friday.
Related | Tried And Tested Salon Black Friday Campaigns You Can Steal
“The Boss Is Gone” Sale
This idea is all about creating a sense of urgency. On Black Friday (or the day before), send out an SMS campaign to your customers as if it was sent from your staff. Say that you (the owner or manager) will be away and that the prices were dropped. Something that feels like: “Lucy has an external meeting today, so we’re putting everything on sale!” Maybe have a wheel of fortune to incentivise clients to spend in your salon over Black Friday – hear more about this idea in Phorest FM episode 52.
* We don’t recommend you actually discount all your products. Instead, create kits and packages and create the illusion of cutting prices by adding an extra product in (one you might be not re-order and are trying to move, for instance) and make room for the next line of products you plan on ordering.
The “Big Spender” Program
This is one of the easiest marketing ideas for small businesses. You advertise that with every (x) amount spent on retail products during the week preceding Black Friday, the customer gets a complimentary treatment or service. Think about it: without the ‘thank you’ gift, they might not be tempted to spend $/£/€120+.
Sidenote, if you’re using the Phorest Treatcard system, you could offer rewards points instead of services and treatments. To see why a good salon loyalty program is a great way to get clients spending more, more often, click here.
* If you do this, make sure you don’t undermine your prices. Ideally, you’ll want to give a treatment or service worth 20-25% of their retail bill. For example, if you say they need to spend $/£/€120 on products to get the complimentary offer, then that treatment or service’s worth should be somewhere $/£/€24-30.
In-Salon/Spa Events
Open Your Salon Early For Black Friday
By opening just an hour or two early on Friday, November 23rd, you allow working professionals to treat themselves before going to work. You can go for the “Get your glam on early this Friday” angle. Make the event even more appealing by teaming up with a local cafe or bakery and advertise a secret retail limited time only offer for those who dare pop in before work! If you’re unsure about how to proceed to team up with another local business, you might enjoy this article.
Host A Special Product Demo Day
Simple, but effective: contact your retail sales rep and get some product samples for the day. Have a stylist or therapist demo a line of products for your VIP clients. Educate to elevate!
Related | Get Your Copy: The Ultimate SMS Marketing Gameplan eBook
Black Friday Product Challenge
For this post’s last Black Friday fun marketing ideas, challenge your clients!
- Prepare a retail kit.
- When clients buy the kit, encourage them to send/tag you in an Instagram video/story of how they make use of all the products. Everyone who tries the challenge gets an automatic giveaway entry!
- A week or two later, draft 2-3 names and reward them with a complimentary treatment on their next appointment.
Not only do get them to purchase retail, but you make sure that the lucky winners come in for a treatment to claim their prize!
To have blossoming retail sale figures is often a major point for salon owners. For one, retailing is evolving hand-in-hand with technology and competing with online point-of-sales can be quite challenging. Not only that, but many stylists and therapists are quite apprehensive when it comes to selling retail products to clients.
In spite of that – as industry experts and passionate individuals – you will always hold a significant advantage over technology. Instead of losing sales to the internet, use your knowledge to listen, understand and propose a solution to your clients’ needs. You’ll quickly see them come back asking for more. As for technology, use it to market your retail products and promotions! Find out how some salons achieved an average 78% increase in retail sales in just a week – click here!
Are You A Phorest Client?
Phorest is packed full of leading salon marketing features ranging from SMS & email marketing templates to review management and publication capabilities. Get in touch today to book your free demo.
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Featured imaged shot on location of Leeson Beauty Lounge, in Dublin. © 2018 Phorest Salon Software.
