If you’re a salon owner, you’re probably aware that the mark of a good stylist is gaining the trust and faith of their clients. You probably deal with a range of customers with different needs and preferences. Some customers may come in looking for a good haircut, while others are looking for a good massage facility.
How do you ensure that your client base sees you as the best in the business and has faith in your services?
Through personalized marketing, of course! As a salon owner, you want to stand out from the crowd to hook in all those picky customers that can’t find a salon to meet all their needs. Your job is to personalize your promotional tactics to secure these clients and make a name for yourself as the go-to salon for all needs.
If you’re unsure about how to start, we’ve shortlisted some of the most effective personalized marketing techniques you can use to put your salon on the map.
1. Start a loyalty program
Unlike other businesses, a salon treatment is a very personal experience for many people. It requires familiarity, comfort, and a deep understanding of the client’s individual requirements. You may have many customers who’ve been coming to your salon exclusively for months or even years.
Don’t let your regular clients feel ignored. Reward them with a loyalty card that shows how much you value their business. You can start a punch card system. For every 9 visits to your salon, you can offer the 10th one for free, or add in a bonus hairstyle or manicure appointment.
For a more sophisticated measure, go for a points-based loyalty system. Attribute different points to your services, and once a customer reaches a set total, offer them a reward in the form of a free service or a special discount.
Massage Green Spa offers a great loyalty program to hook in customers where you earn points for every appointment or purchase. As a reward, they offer free aromatherapy, sauna sessions, facials, and much more.
2. Teach a workshop
Salon service reviews are often based on how personalized and customer-oriented your service is. But not everyone is fully aware of whether they need your services. One way you can rectify this is by hosting workshops for your local community.
Hold special classes to teach local community members how they can groom and take care of themselves. Here are some ideas of classes you can hold:
- Braiding or easy DIY hairstyle classes for styling at home.
- Classes on maintaining healthy skin and having a regular skincare routine.
- Workshops for single fathers to show them how to style their daughter’s hair.
- Workshops on how to identify your hair type and care for it.
Hold these workshops at your salon or partner with local community centers or colleges to host them. Such personalized efforts to engage your community will let people know that you have the customer’s preferences at heart.
Either charge a minimal amount for such classes or hold single free sessions where you can encourage the purchase of your beauty products.
This will be a worthy endeavor for your salon’s overall image in the community.
3. Get a hold of influencers
These days, people spend more time on social media than anywhere else. Odds are, if someone famous on social media has repped your salon, people are more likely to be influenced by their opinions.
So why not leverage social media for your benefit? Search for prominent Instagram micro influencers within your local area and approach them to enhance your marketing game.
This is more beneficial than going after big fish among influencers as micro influencers are usually cheaper to work with. You also get the opportunity to work with a variety of audiences by working with multiple influencers targeting different segments.
Let’s say you’re introducing a brand new protein hair treatment and want to promote it. Contact local micro influencers and offer them a free or discounted treatment for a full review of your services on their social media. Offer different deals to different influencers so that you can cover a bigger chunk of your product range.
For this strategy, keep in mind that the influencers you choose are genuine with their coverage. Don’t fall prey to people looking for free offerings and try to avoid getting ingenuine reviews.
Have influencers share high quality videos and images on their Instagram feed. You can offer them a single service you want highlighted, or plan a whole spa day with different offerings for them so that your salon can be reviewed as a whole. It’s well worth the effort.
4. Advertise locally with enticing salon flyers
A salon is often a local business, and most regular customers are usually local members of the community looking for a trusted stylist. Which is why it is integral for your marketing strategy to focus specifically on your local target market.
Look for places in your community that have high foot traffic and have a set of eye-catching salon posters ready to be put up. It might seem challenging to design a professional poster that attracts customers at first glance, but the internet has a ton of easy solutions for you.
With online design tools like PosterMyWall, you can get free access to a wide range of enticing salon flyers and posters that can be customized according to your personal needs. Create a free account on PosterMyWall and look for your design of choice. Then hop onto the editor and add in your own touches and additions to make it attractive to your clientele.
Advertise your best-selling services on your flyer. Print your brand name on top for everyone to see. Create a list of your most popular deals and discounts. To avoid cluttering up your flyer, add a modern touch by using PosterMyWall to incorporate a QR code into your flyer that links customers to an appointment booking form.
5. Invest in Facebook retargeting ads
If your customers have visited your website or booked an appointment once, you need to keep them on your radar for future bookings. One of the best ways to do that is through social media. Almost everyone scrolls through Facebook and Instagram in their freetime, so why not use that to your benefit?
Use Facebook retargeting ads to target Facebook users that have visited your site or clicked a booking link for your salon. Invest in Facebook Pixel to track visitor behavior on your site. Use this visitor information to create custom ads in Facebook Ads Manager to be visible on your potential customers’ feed. Track their behavior to see what they’re interested in and produce targeted ads accordingly.
Let’s say a customer clicked on a link for a hair treatment without booking an appointment. Use Facebook to demonstrate ads that promote your hairstyling services to that customer. Show them what they want to see and compel them to avail your services through the power of personalized advertisement.
6. Extend promotional deals and gift vouchers
A salon treatment is a personal and luxurious experience for many. People like to treat themselves to a relaxing spa day or a new hair treatment on a special day. This may be a birthday, an anniversary, or special holiday.
Offer a special gift to your clients through a range of promotional offers. Create a birthday deal where you gift your client a special discount, or an add-on service like a blowout to make them feel well-treated on their big day.
You can also offer promotions on special days such as Mother’s day or International Women’s day to let your clients know you appreciate them and are willing to celebrate their big days.
Alternatively, you can introduce a line of gift vouchers that your clients can purchase for their friends and family. Offer a range of vouchers ranging from $100 worth of services to a free blowout with their next haircut. This will not only add a new touch to your product line, but will encourage new clients to come in to avail their gift vouchers.
Marketing to a wide range of clients and their needs can often be challenging, particularly when you’re asking them to trust you. With these 5 effective tips, you can cater to all sorts of clients and build an image as the go-to salon for everyone in your community.
