Did you know there are more than 80,000 salons and/or barbershops in the US alone? In such a competitive industry, making sure your brand stands out against the competition is key to your success. But, when you’re already focused on all the day-to-day tasks of running a busy salon, finding the time to achieve this can feel quite daunting.
We’re here to help!
Explore ten advertising and marketing ideas to help you boost your hair salon success...
1. Automate with a Chatbot
Chatbots are a simple way to gain new customers and convert them into regulars. They also free up your time while offering your guests effortless convenience. Here are some scenarios in which a chatbot is an effective digital marketing tool used by many hair salons across the beauty industry.
- Individuals visiting your website to book appointments can easily be assisted by the chatbot.
- Instead of ringing for answers to frequently asked questions, customers can quickly ask the chatbot – freeing up your phone lines and saving time.
- If you miss a customer call, a chatbot can automatically text the customer and help with any booking, rescheduling or cancelation requests.
2. Send Engaging Newsletters
Regular emails are a classic example of salon marketing, and for good reason! When done right, they are a great tool for grabbing the attention of new and existing customers alike. Plus, they can be utilized to drive traffic to your website and social media channels. However, it’s important to ensure the content is useful, non-salesy, educational, and aligned with your brand tone.
Stick to the rule of only sending content when you have worthwhile news to share in order to maintain engagement and build trust and credibility with the audience. Aim to be educational and leverage email marketing to provide the audience with valuable content, such as hair care tips and hacks and insights from stylists. This ensures your brand stays top of mind while showing guests you’re here for them outside of their appointment – nurturing long-lasting relationships. One great way to get started is to try sending a quarterly newsletter that aligns with the changing seasons. Since our hair and skincare needs evolve depending on the weather this provides a great opportunity for to guide guests through any seasonal changes to their routines.
3. Turn Trends into Tips Your Customers Will Love
The beauty industry has always been hugely influenced by fashion, music and celebrities – after all it’s to these popular figures that individuals look for their style inspiration. So, if you’re not keeping up to date with what is going on in the world around you then you could get left behind.
Ensuring you are familiar with evolving trends and styles means you can better meet and exceed the expectations of your guests. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to make your salon stand out! If there’s a new trend you love, then advertise it on your social media or website to attract new guests. Just be sure to focus on what’s trending in the demography of your target group so the right message is being conveyed to the right individuals.
Read more: 5 Beauty & Wellness Trends to Embrace
4. List Your Salon on Google Maps
Being listed on Google Maps boosts the credibility and reach of your salon by giving it a face and name among the many other local businesses competing for attention. It's also one of the most effective hair salon marketing ideas as it puts you in front of new customers who are actively looking for salon services in their area. Google Maps also displays reviews, which, in the era of social proof, are critical in helping users to make informed decisions about your services.
5. Gather Post-Appointment Reviews
Research shows that 92% of people read online reviews before booking an appointment. So, if your guests constantly exclaim how much they love their new hair while they’re in the chair, encourage them to share their feedback in a review! Not only does this help you to attract new customers but reviews provide you with valuable insights into how you can better serve your guests.
Therefore, aim to boost your reviews by making the review process really easy. Send a follow-up email or short text message with a direct link to your business’s social media handles or Google page where they can leave a review. This way, you can avoid the need for customers to open a search engine and fish out your salon business page. Better yet, if you have a branded app you can send an automated alert directly to there as soon as the appointment is over.
If you want to take it one step further and gather insights to improve the business then send out a survey asking for their feedback. This not only helps you but shows guests that you truly value their thoughts and opinions. Plus, with the right salon management software, you can automatically send out these survey requests after each appointment, meaning there’s no extra work required for your team! Zenoti can help you do all this and more.
Learn how Enrich Salons Grew Feedback Collection to 45% in 4 Months
6. Leverage Social Media
Instagram is undoubtedly one of the most effective channels for hair salon advertising because it delivers results. Your customers are using the platform to research hairstyles and access styling tips and guidance so make sure you’re delivering.
Learn how Jonny Levi Studio leveraged social media to drive growth...
While establishing a social media strategy might be time-consuming at first, the results will more than pay off. After all, your profile is acting as your salon’s digital portfolio or Lookbook, so it’s critical you create the right impression that makes the audience want to visit you by showcasing the incredible work that you do! You could tap into trending social media hashtags or choose to create one yourself to encourage conversations about your brand. This helps to boost your following and encourages new guests by showing them that you're a popular salon that people are talking about. Whatever you decide, the key is to be consistent and to ensure high-quality imagery.
7. Run Personalized Campaigns
There’s no doubt that your guests love coming to you for the high-quality service and experience you deliver, but who doesn’t like to save a little money every now and then? So, reward your regulars or incentivize your one-time guests to return with a variety of discounts designed to suit them. You not only learn about your customers through the digital forms they complete but also while they’re in the chair, so put this knowledge to good use! Plus, as long as you’re capturing their email address or phone number when they book, this is a really easy marketing strategy for hair salon to deliver on and a very effective way to get them back in the chair.
Perhaps show them you’re thinking of them on their birthday with a discounted service or product redeemable during their birthday week. Or boost appointment bookings on slow days with offers applicable to certain days and times.
Learn more: One Of The Most Effective Promotions In Your Spa or Salon - Are You Sending Them Out?
8. Offer Loyalty Or Reward Programs
Our data shows that it costs 7x more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. So keep them engaged and rewarded with a loyalty program!
Loyalty programs which reward guests for every appointment or dollar spent at your salon are a great way to ensure they continue choosing you. For once they have started to earn points with your salon they will feel invested and start to look forward to their reward – this deters them from choosing to book an appointment with a competitor as they would miss out on earning these points.
Encourage guests to accumulate points in their digital profiles, either through points for dollars spent or a tiered system that incentivizes different behaviors that suit your business goals. Ultimately, however you choose to structure the program, the important thing is that your guests feel valued and enjoy the exclusivity it gives which keeps them coming back time after time.
9. Co-market with Compatible Local Businesses
Expand your reach and support your local community by tapping into the customer networks of nearby wellness businesses. If you’re a salon why not connect with a fitness studio, or spas could collaborate with the juice bar a couple of blocks over. There are plenty of opportunities to partner with these like-minded businesses and promote and collaborate on each other's social media platforms. And, since you offer services that complement each other, it’s a good chance to grow your customer base.
For example, coordinate with the local florist on a reciprocal arrangement whereby they advertise 10% discount at your salon to their customers and you do the same. This means that every person that visits them to buy flowers is a potential new customer for your salon and vice versa. You could also boost revenue by collaborating on complimentary packages for key holiday events, such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, where both of your services make popular gifting options.
10. Support Community Events
A great way to increase brand awareness is to get out and about in the community and involved in local events. Think about unique ways you could promote your business while perhaps tapping in to the passions and interests of your team. This will help to serve as a great starting point and also has the added benefit of boosting team bonds!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Offer makeovers to local educators or healthcare providers on your social media channels - these feel good stories typically gain a lot of traction and once you’ve connected with one individual and made them feel great, they’re bound to spread the word.
- Incentivize local real estate agents to recommend your brand to their newly relocated clients through an ongoing reward scheme, or similarly with reporters and journalists in your area.
- Volunteer at charity events, or provide sponsorships. This helps give back to the community while also giving you an opportunity to network and meet with potential new guests.
- Encourage the team to participate in a local fundraising event and wear branded t-shirts that showcase your salon or spa.
- Support sports events by perhaps offering seated chair massages at the end of a half marathon or golfing event. This gives individuals a quick sample of your service and an opportunity to get to know the brand.
- Grab a booth at the summer fair! For example, if you offer children’s hair braiding, you’ll also get chance to connect with their parent while they’re in the chair – the perfect opportunity to tell them all about your services.
Overall, before getting started with any of these ten marketing strategies, dedicating time to build out a plan is key. Evaluate your salon’s strengths and weaknesses and decide on how you can best promote your business to achieve your goals. Stay consistent and committed with your efforts and you’ll see the best results.
