5 Ways To Market Your Beauty Business

Whether you’re new or expanding, marketing is crucial to growing the clientele and profit of your salon or spa. But there are so many marketing options out there with varying benefits, price points, and target audiences—so which should you choose?

Below you’ll find five easy and cost-effective marketing methods to launch or develop your beauty business:

Social Media Business Page

Social media helps reach large pools of untapped, potential customers, and it costs nothing to start. In today’s technological world, people look at the social media pages of a business before stepping in the door to see reviews, services, events, deals, and the quality of the content the business puts out.

Businesses with compelling and unique pictures, videos, and posts have a better chance of attracting new customers. Better content makes the business appear more professional, knowledgeable, and luxurious. Great content also gets shared more, which means more free marketing for you.

Although social media is free, many platforms also offer the ability to put out paid, sponsored posts for target audiences in your area. This can be useful because you know that the money you are investing is directly touching your audience and having the largest impact.

Partnerships

Partner with local businesses for mutual advertising and growth. You may want to connect with businesses that complement your services, like local gyms, eateries, skincare offices, coffee shops, and others in your area. Ask if you can put flyers at their main desk and offer to do the same for them.

You can also have special coupon codes with a partner business. For example, a membership at the local gym gives the customer 15% off massages at your salon. This will get new clients in your salon—since they’ve been working out and need a massage. Then, when you give them a great experience, they will come back for more massages and other non-discounted services.

You should also partner with local photographers. Working with a photographer will get great content for your social media pages and give your business more exposure, while also helping the photographer expand their portfolio.

The more partners you have, the more free advertising and mutual success you will gain.

Use Business Cards

Whenever you are talking to a potential partner or customer, always give them your business card. A business card reminds people who you are, where you are, and what you do—the three keys to get people in your door. Etiquette says to ask for a card in return whenever you give one, and this creates a new, informal partnership.

There are a lot of ways to distribute your business cards, and the only cost is that of the cards themselves. Show off your salon services by sporting an interesting haircut, cool nails, or even walk around in a robe: this will get people’s attention, and then you can give them your business card. You can also strategically drop cards all around your city: when you stand up from a bus seat, leave a cab, walk away from a counter. People will look to see what you dropped and your business name might stick in their heads.

Never leave home without your business cards. Aim to give out five cards a day, and you will quickly and exponentially grow your partnerships and customer base.

Promote a Daily Deal

Daily deals are discounts or packages that last 24-48 hours, and they are usually on websites that promote the offer on a larger scale. You can advertise a discount on a company like Groupon, who will distribute the deal out to local, target customers.
When a customer comes in with a daily deal, it is your staff’s job to turn them into a repeat customer. If you give a daily deal customer an amazing first experience, they will come back to you even after the discount is gone.

You can also promote daily deals through your social media page or a local newsletter without going through a website. Although this may not reach the same audience as a larger platform, you will still be able to get more customers in the door that you can wow with great service.

Have an Event

If you are just starting out, have a grand opening launch; if you’re already established, celebrate an anniversary or just throw a party! Invite family, friends, partners, and clients to come—and tell them to bring their friends. You could publicise a discount or special deal, or you can offer great animation, like free makeovers or cupcakes.

Make sure you advertise the event on your social media page, in newspapers, and write a press release to go out to your local community. Although events can be a more costly marketing tactic, if you utilise your partnerships and social media page, you’ll only have to pay for refreshments and decorations!

Events are a great way to engender client loyalty, grow your customer base, improve partner relationships, and get information out about your salon.

Marketing on a shoestring budget can be a challenge. If you use the five above tactics, your community will quickly learn all about your business, services, and great benefits—at almost no cost to you!