This post originally appeared on Sola Salon Studios
As Halloween quickly approaches, the rest of the holiday season is just around the corner. We wanted to offer you some holiday marketing tips that will help you maximize the cheer and minimize the stress. These tips may also help you to bridge the gap on any year-end financial goals. Don’t let the pumpkin spice lull you into winter hibernation—let’s make these last three months your most profitable (and fun) yet.
Plan Ahead
The holidays tend to creep up on us. All of a sudden, the calendar has never been more full, clients seem stressed, and on top of all of that, you are planning your own holiday happenings with friends and family. To avoid the last-minute panic, plan ahead by putting these dates in your calendar, and deciding early which ones you’d like to capitalize on this holiday season:
- Halloween: Sunday, October 31st
- Daylight Savings Ends: Sunday, November 7th (Remember to adjust your sleep schedule and set your clocks back!)
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25th
- Black Friday: Friday, November 26th
- Small Business Saturday: Saturday, November 27th
- Cyber Monday: Monday, November 29th
- Hanukkah Begins: Sunday, November 28th - Monday, December 6th
- Christmas: Saturday, December 25th
Set End of Year Goals
Once you have mapped out the holiday season with regard to your time in and out of the salon, we recommend working backward from a goal. Make sure to be realistic. This has been a wild year, and it’s ok to reassess your goals from the beginning of 2021 and make new ones for the end of 2021. What are your year-end goals for the last 3 months of 2021?
Also, when your books are filled, almost too filled—that is a good indication that it may be time to level up. If you are overbooked, it may be time to raise your prices on services to bring you into the New Year with business growth. If you plan on raising your prices for 2022, the last two months of 2021 are a good time to announce this to clients. We recommend letting them know via email and perhaps in-person for some of your most loyal clients.
Plan Promotions
When it comes to holiday promotions, there are infinite ways you can go. Figure out what works best for you and your clientele, and determine the details of the specific promotions you want to run.
Deck the Halls
While decor may not seem like the best return on investment, it can actually turn up the vibe in your studio enough to attract customers to the holiday promotions and retail displays highlighted throughout the holiday season. When your decor is suited to an eye-catching product display or signage about your sweet holiday deals, the extra spirit can convert a client into a shopper faster than you think.
Huge fan of Halloween but not the biggest Christmas gal? Go for mini pumpkins and ditch the wreath. Love ringing in 2022 but stressed by Thanksgiving weekend deals? Offer metallic fairy hair from Christmas to New Year’s Eve and skip on the Gratitude Giveaways. Remember that you don’t have to do everything—a little goes a long way.
Click here to see the full list of holiday marketing tips.