Marketing has always been a vital aspect of a business’s success but is especially important in today’s world of crowded industries and technological conveniences. The internet has been a near-universal game changer and one which has even impacted on the viability of certain strategies for resolutely brick-and-mortar businesses – such as the humble beauty salon.
If you have recently opened a beauty service or salon or are looking for new ways to up your marketing game, there are a number of new strategies you can try, each of which has different suitability for different end goals.
Personalised Marketing
Personalised marketing has been relatively easy to manage since the early days of mail merge software. The concept is more important now than ever, as algorithms and software solutions cater to individuals all the time – from website content reflecting prior user search habits to advertising picking up on individual consumer preferences.
In beauty, personalised marketing can be used to directly target returning customers. If you have customers that use you semi-regularly for nail treatments, you could stock up on acrylic nails and target them for preferential treatment in the form of a generous discounted session. This is made all the easier if your booking system is already digitised, as offer emails can be automated based on the purchase habits of regular customers.
Subscription Services
Subscription services have become a leading model in the digital sphere, as everything from content platforms to software licenses adopt monthly payment arrangements over outright purchases or individually listed items. The same model could be used to your advantage with regard to your salon, where customers pay a flat monthly fee in exchange for a variety of services up to a pre-agreed maximum.
This could also be used from an e-commerce perspective, as an opportunity to shift wholesale stock of beauty products to a whole new demographic. Subscribers could receive a monthly ‘beauty box’ containing a range of new products and items – with a surprise element for fun.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is no longer ‘new’, as platforms like Instagram and Twitter continue to play pivotal roles in people’s digital and overall social presence. But the continued popularity of social media has given rise to a number of new marketing trends, one of which being influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing describes the collaboration of brands and businesses with high-profile social media users; typically, the result is a form of product placement, whereby products and services appear in sponsored social media posts.
Collaboration with local influencers could be a good way to drum up organic business and expand the reach of your brand image. Using hashtags, you could identify influencers in your area and reach out to them with the offer of a free treatment or set of beauty products.
