A steady flow of foot traffic is one of the key elements to maintaining a thriving, sustainable business —especially when operating in the service industry. Looking for a fresh way to amp up marketing efforts and attract more clients? Encourage customers to pamper themselves – and book extra appointments – with promotional specials.
Promotions are a simple way to create buzz. They give current clients an additional reason to visit you while enticing new clients to come see what your salon is all about. The best part is, launching a promo is easy! Simply build an offer around a recurring holiday or a one-time idea, and inform clients about your latest specials using social media, email, text and word-of-mouth marketing tactics. We’ve come up with a few ideas to get you started. Go ahead, steal these promos, and craft your own themes, too. Then, sit back and watch as business booms.
Annual Promos
Annual promotions are tied to recurring yearly events. (Think: holidays.) We hope these examples will help get your wheels spinning. Remember, though, that the sky’s the limit!
New Year, New Look
Start filling up your 2017 appointment book long before the ball drops by running a promotion that’ll encourage clients to pre-book for the New Year. Blast out an email letting clients know that if they schedule an appointment for the coming year by a certain date, you’ll give them a free retail product prescribed just for them. Or, give a free add-on service for advanced booking, offering, for example, free deep conditioning treatment for those who make an appointment for 2017 before December 1.
Love Yourself
Flip the script on February’s lovey-dovey day, and toss a “Galentine’s Day” for the women who frequent your salon. Invite your guests to bring in their friends for a styling lesson or teach them how to create the perfect smoky eye. Have sparkling wine and appetizers, and send each women home with a rose and a discount for a future service.
Family Matters
Take my mom, for example: She loves mother-daughter time so much that she purchases mother-daughter spa packages every year, leaving me to reap the benefits! Offer a discount for clients who book with their mother or daughter for a day together in the salon. Better yet, join forces with, say, that cute tapas restaurant across the street, and supply clients with vouchers for a day at the salon followed by dinner on the town. Guests will love having a reason to engage in mother-daughter bonding, and they’ll love having an excuse to get beautiful for dinner, too!
Give Thanks
November’s all about being thankful and giving back. Why not ask clients to bring in gently used winter gear and blankets in exchange for a 20 percent discount on their next retail purchase? Don’t forget to let customers know that their unwanted outerwear will be donated to a local shelter, where you’ll also be volunteering services for those in need. The revenue generated from extra patronage at your salon won’t feel nearly as good as the difference you’re making in your corner of the world.
Holiday Hoopla
Whether your clients celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa, everyone wants to look their best for the holidays — and that makes December one of the busiest months for most salon owners. Already booked more clients than you can handle? Holiday promos can include gift ideas, too!
Consider selling gift certificates and prepackaged gift baskets in the spirit of making holiday shopping a tad easier for your clients. Or, entice guests to grab a retail item (or two!) by offering a free travel makeup set – mini-gloss, mascara and sparkle shadow – with every purchase.
Milestone Promos
Distinct from annual deals, special occasion promotions are discounts that speak to those exciting achievements in an individual’s life. From modest birthday discounts to giant wedding packages, these are the deals that’ll let your clients know that you’re there to pamper them every step of the way.
Here Comes the Bride
Looking good is instrumental to feeling good, which is why most stylists love helping women prep for their wedding days. Consider creating a regimen for your brides-to-be, inviting them to work up to their desired look with frequent visits that include deep conditioning treatments, additional trims or gradual color integration. With one or two added appointments, you can easily increase your bottom line by hundreds of dollars per bride.
Savvy stylists also take advantage of partnerships. If you’re in a salon studio, connect with a provider from down the hall – someone offering a service you don’t currently supply – then, using a discount as bait, bundle your services together into a package your clients won’t be able to resist. Even if you aren’t operating from a salon studio, you can still put together packages with local business owners – photographers, restaurateurs – who will likely jump at the opportunity to cross-promote.
Prom Promo
Prom is to teenagers what weddings are to adults! It’s an once-in-a-lifetime experience, and a night for students to go all out. If you’ll be doing hair or makeup for prom-goers, stock up on special accessories, glitter hair spray and fancy lip gloss, and offer young clients refreshments and relaxing treatments, such as an aromatherapy hand massage. You’ll rake in extra cash by tacking on extra services, and you’ll have your teen clientele raving about their experience to friends — likely on social media.
Birthdays
There’s rarely a one-size-fits-all approach for your clients, but there’s one thing you can count on for every last one of your clients: they all have birthdays. Some of your clients will dread it, and others will be counting down the minutes until they can let loose and have a day that’s dedicated solely to them. Regardless of their outlook, birthdays apply to everyone and most people consider it a good excuse to spoil themselves. Consider offering 25% off retail items during your client’s birthday month. Invite them to stock up as a gift, and introduce them to new items they won’t be able to live without.
Be Vocal
Once you’ve decided which promos to offer, it’s time to spread the word about your latest specials. Use social media, include the message on your email and text campaigns, and make sure to tell every client who walks through the door about the upcoming promos you’re running. Be consistent with specials, and guests will look forward to your promotions — and to celebrating with you all year long!
About: Founded in 2004, Sola Salon Studios provides beauty professionals with high-end, fully-equipped salon studios alongside the support and tools they need to experience the freedom and benefits of salon ownership. Sola's innovative salon model empowers hairdressers, estheticians, nail techs, massage therapists and other like-minded professionals to take control of their lives and their careers. Join the Sola community to experience a level of creative independence and career support you won't find anywhere else. For more information visit www.solasalonstudios.com.