School is almost back in session, and with that comes a unique opportunity for salon owners: the chance to cater to parents of school-aged children who now have a moment to themselves. Whether you want to attract these clients with an email campaign, a Facebook contest or a simple social media graphic, there are a number of ways to approach marketing strategies for the back-to-school season.
According to Chris Brennan, content marketing manager at Phorest Salon Software, creating a marketing strategy that coincides with the calendar is best practice. “It’s crucial to use the calendar to your businesses advantage,” he says. “You know that a number of events during the year will be on your clients mind, like back to school and prom. It’s just a logical decision to join the conversation that’s already taking place rather than distracting clients with a completely different campaign.”
With so many different promotional tactics to choose from, it may be difficult to find the avenue that best suits your business. Here, Brennan shares key points salon owners should keep in mind when it comes to marketing:
1. Mindset. Remember that you are not selling a product or service; you are providing something valuable for your clients. You are helping them by taking care of an important task on their to-do list.
2. Teamwork. This is not a one-person campaign. Keep everybody on the team in the loop with what your salon is trying to achieve. Huddle up, talk honestly about the goal and then update them regularly throughout the weeks. The more they feel connected, the harder they will work to achieve the goal.
3. Tools. Use all the tools you have: email, SMS, social media.
4. Take Note. See what other salons are not doing to promote their business. For example, a lot of salon owners I talk to hate the idea of using video or being on camera. But, video is one of the strongest, most effective tools you can use. So, if you know it works and you know a lot of competitors aren’t using it, this is where you can excel!
5. Have Fun! Marketing is only a pain if you think of it as a pain. Be real, let your personality shine through and smile—people like that.