Looking to build a thriving salon? Our focus in this article will be to discuss some of the best marketing strategies for new salons in 2019.
Over the last decade or so we have seen a sudden surge of new businesses across all industries and the majority of this comes down to one thing: the internet. The internet is such a powerful marketing tool that it makes businesses much easier to run and generally makes a business owner’s life easier. This applies to salons too and in this article, we’ll be discussing some of the best marketing strategies to get your salon off the ground.
Set a Budget
The first thing that you have to do is look at your salon’s finances and determine how much money you can set aside for marketing. When it comes to marketing it can be easy to exceed your initial budget and spend more than you intended to, and you should keep this in mind when setting a budget. As appealing as it might be, don’t spend more than you can afford – this is where a lot of new businesses fail as it’s incredibly risky.
Let’s take Facebook ads for example. Sure, you can advertise your post for as little as a few dollars but if you’re doing this every other day then that money will start to add up and before you know it, you’ve spent hundreds on promoting unoptimized advertisements.
Set a budget, have a brief understanding of what your marketing budget will be spent on, and you’ll undoubtedly see your marketing strategies becoming a success.
Invest in a Website
In 2017 it is vital that your business has a website and with consideration to website builders such as Wix and Webs, there’s no reason for your business not to have a business - making one has never been easier!
You see, while it used to be difficult to make your own websites and you would have to hire a web development company to take care of it for you (which would make the investment incredibly expensive on your behalf), these website builders mean that you can create the website on your own and in just a few hours.
On top of being incredibly easy to set up, websites are cheap. You can get your website domain for as little as $6.99 and website hosting costs about $10.99 a month – taking into account the business that a website will drive to your salon, this small investment is well worth it.
Host an Open Day
Hosting an open day is a great way to attract new clients, show off the work that you do, and discuss some of the different services that your salon offers as well as what makes your salon unique.
To host an open day, some light marketing will do; sticking up posters around your town, putting leaflets through doors, and you could even rely on word of mouth.
In terms of preparation, an open day should consist of a few different things. Pictures of your work, detailed brochures with all the information that your customers need to know about your services, staff who are willing to mingle, and some snacks and drinks to draw in the crowds.
If you want to go the extra mile, consider offering a discount to all customers who attend the open day who book an appointment to come back. The benefit to this is that they’ll get to experience your salon’s services and if all goes well, they’ll likely return in the future for other treatments.
Become Active on Social Media
Social media is more powerful than a lot of us realise. In recent years it has become one of the most popular means of communication and a lot of us rely on social media to keep up with recent events. With that in mind, invest a considerable amount of time into building your business’s social media presence. Create a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram account – there are different benefits to each platform.
Facebook. After creating a Facebook page, join local Facebook pages and groups and make it known that you’re a new business owner. As long as you don’t constantly post about your business in a way which is obvious spam, you’ll be sure to attract a few new customers.
Twitter. While not as many people from older-generations use Twitter, it’s still a great way to interact with other local businesses and younger generations. Retweeting relevant articles, promoting your services, or showing of your recent work are all things that you can use Twitter for.
Instagram. Instagram is the best way for you to show off the work that you do and give potential customers an insight into what you can do for them. You can link your Instagram account to your Facebook page so that anything you post on Instagram will be shown to your Facebook followers – this is definitely a feature worth taking advantage of.
Being active on multiple platforms can be beneficial so it’s a good idea to link these accounts with one another either through each platform’s built-in features, or using a third-party service like Hootsuite (which allows you to control all of your social media accounts from one panel).
Contests
Running a contest can be a great way to interact with your customers while at the same time promoting your business – especially newer businesses.
If you recently opened up your salon then there’s no doubting that you’ve got a lot of work to do until everything’s perfect. Whether you’re looking for product sponsors, a catchy slogan for your business, or even if you’re just trying to come up with a logo design, a contest can be a great way to have your needs fulfilled while also giving back to the community.
Let’s say you launch a logo design competition. After a few weeks, you select the winner and you reward them with a free pedicure. Not only are they getting a freebie but you’ve got yourself a logo and a new customer – everyone wins!
Online Marketing and SEO
Following on from what we said about investing in a website, online marketing and SEO can both be really useful for promoting your salon’s online presence and customer growth. Online marketing consists of social media, advertising your website, paid advertising, and even content creation. On the other hand, SEO is much more specific.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization), simply put, is making your website appear closer to the top of page one of Google for certain search terms. For example, if you’re running a salon in New York then you want your salon’s website to be one of the first search results that appear when someone types “New York salons” into Google. After all, not many people read through multiple pages of search results, so reaching page one is your goal.
Advertise Your Discounts
Whether you’re launching a new service or you just want to treat your locals to a discount, it’s important that you advertise your discounts so that they’re known.
You can advertise your discounts either through your online presence or by designing flyers and handing them out to your customers. It’s also a good idea to tell your customers about any upcoming discounts that you’ll be running so that they return sooner and spread the word to their friends and family.
