Salon Marketing Idea #1

Make Your Salon or Spa Stand
Out From the Crowd

If you are a hair stylist, make up artist, massage therapist or cosmetics salesperson, you know that your business relies on  knowledge and skills, excellent service and great products. As with most businesspeople, you're constantly building customer relationships to create loyalty, great word of mouth and repeat business. You're also prospecting for new business so that your company grows.

And while it's always competitive, there are a variety of ways to distinguish yourself from the crowd.  They key is in find the best way to stand out, without being a pest. 

How do you make yourself memorable? By using promotional items like the lipstick pens displayed here. Promotional items are frequently called the "silent salesmen" because they spread your marketing message, even when you're not around. Give your customers unique, tangible and practical items that will remind them of the great service they received from you and it will go a long way to beat the competition.

In addition to using promotional items, be sure to reward loyalty and keep your current customers coming back with monthly specials and discounts when they refer friends. Provide extra rewards for customers who refer numerous friends, getting them excited to help grow your business.

If you have an upcoming event, sales presentation, party or demo, give customers great take away items that fit with the theme of the demo or industry. Items like these serve double duty and they're a great investment for your marketing dollars.  They display your logo and as an added benefit,  they are great at starting conversations (hopefully about your company) when the pen is used to write notes. They are small enough to fit in a small purse or cosmetic bag, and will be used (not thrown away) after the event is over.


Give customers a take away item that is practical, and more likely to be used after each presentation or demo, so that they will remember the great service they received from your company.

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7 Tips to Keep Customers Motivated After the Holidays

Be Creative to Bring In
Customers After the Holidays

This article is written for salons and spas, but the concepts apply to any other industry that experiences a slump after the holidays.  

The New Year is full of promise and adventure for most people. Full of  resolutions and good intentions. Everyone is optimistic about the future.  

At the same time, the bills from the holidays have started to roll in and the reality of holiday spending has started to sink in. The new year can inspire salon customers to cut back on spending. Salon services may be seen as an not needed, especially in comparison to food, housing and gasoline. 

If they don't cut it out altogether, there may be a tendency to do it themselves (DIY) or spread the frequency of services out over a longer time. With these challenges, what's a salon owner to do? This is the time to do some planning and answer some initial questions that will help you balance out the peaks and valleys in sales. So the first question is what opportunities are available after the holidays that will bring in customers, that could be offered, even in December to make this time less stressful? Starting to think of the slow time before it happens will increase the likelihood that the slump will be a thing of the past.  

Here are some ideas to get you started: 

The month of January can provide some opportunities that may not be obvious.  There are always opportunities to connect with your customers each time they walk in the door. You can provide them with incentives that will ensure a steady stream of customers during this down time.  

1. Offer your customers a referral bonus for spreading the word to friends and family. If the person comes in for service, reward your customer.  For example, give them a promotional items like the ones shown in the picture that have the discounted service and a promo code on them. When a new customer refers the promo code they will receive the discount and so will the person who referred them. Tie it to a specific time frame that coincides with a slow time for your business.
2. January has New Year's Eve, which is a time that people want to look good. Offer a new year's eve special for everyone that comes in to obtain services during the last week of December. This will energize sales and set the stage for January.
3. January is also National Thank You Month and what better time to say thank you to your customers for their business! Saying thank you goes a long way toward gaining more business. Give out a promotional item as a thank you. The promotional items in perfect over other items because it doesn't double duty. It reminds customers of your business for brand recognition, and it's a great way to say thank you. As an added incentive, you could give a larger gift (grand prize) to the customer who brings in the most referrals.
4. It's also Book Blitz Month, and the perfect time (if your customers are into books), to have a Book of the Month, kind of like Oprah's Book Club where you have discussions about the book on certain days of the week.  Those activities can draw additional customers to the shop where they can be serviced while discussing the book.
5. February is a big month for couples with Valentines Day. Start planning your Valentine's Day specials. Maybe you want to offer specials for men and women.  Offer discounts if couples receive service on the same day. 
6. February is also American Heart Month, February 1 is National Wear Red Day. Order red t-shirts or heart shaped promotional items to give away to promote awareness. Sponsor a fundraising page and take pictures to post on your sponsor website. Have all your stylists wear red t-shirts with your own message and take pictures to post online.   Takes the Go Red for Women Challenge and forward the proceeds to the American Heart Association.
7. There are many weddings planned for Spring. In March, offer packages for the bridal party and mother of the bride... And the list goes on.

Advertise specials, events in social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  If possible take reservations, registrations or check ins on social media to provide a way to track your results.  Give customers a discount for "liking" your Facebook page. Use signs and posters inside your shop to advertise as well.

Once the new customers arrive, make sure to keep them motivated to return over the long term. Customers are trying to make the most of their moneyand if you keep this in mind and find ways to reach out to them, making it convenient for them to reach back you will never have a serious shortage of customers.

There are plenty of other opportunities to make a connection with customers during this down time. Use incentives like loyalty cards, gift certificates, and promotional giveaways. For more information please review our article Using Events to Market Your Business. 

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Using Events to Market Your Business

Napkins, Cups and Signs are
Important Additions to Any Event

What better way to connect with customers than an in person event? Events can be hosted offsite or at your facility. They provide an opportunity to educate, interact, demonstrate and obtain feedback from your target audience. Remember, that effective marketing means your prospects will remember your name and know where to find you. Not only should you pick the right way to reach your customers, but you need to have a rock-solid message too. 

Ideas include using the event to kick off a marketing campaign or a product launch to gain even more mileage. Once you determine the event type that will work best for your campaign, you can begin planning. Choose an event that is open to the public or an invitation-only event for your VIP customers. Events are an excellent way to distinguish your business from the competition with a theme and message that packs a powerful punch. 

Examples of possible events include open houses, grand openings, product launches, holiday and occasion inspired gatherings, mini seminars, lunch and learn and live demonstrations, shopping parties, there are many ways to attract your customers to an event. Customer events, when geared towards education and appreciation, can pay off in terms of strengthening your ties to existing customers while uncovering new ones. 

To help you make the most of your event marketing efforts, here are a few things to consider:

Before the Event:
• Invitations: Mail or hand out invitations to customers and foot traffic. Include a direct marketing piece that will remind them of the event. Create an email invitation that can be sent and accessed by all email and social media followers. Servces like Mail Chimp provides templates that can be used to make creation and distribution easier. Using sites like eVite to send free invitations to all the folks on your email list can make things easier. Guest replies are tracked automatically, providing an accurate headcount. eVite also allows guests to invite more people to the event. 

• Build Excitement: By using targeted tweets, posts and social media methods to build anticipation. Consider developing special newsletters dedicated to the event and spotlighting key speakers, feature employees, highlight exciting news and presentations. Be sure your content addresses the entire event, not just your participation in it. 

• Order Promotional Items: Make a lasting impression after the event with plenty of promotional items, business cards, brochures and other printed materials that guests can take with them. Order items 6-8 weeks prior to your event. Allow more time during peak seasons and holidays.
        • Cups, Napkins and Plates: If you’re serving food and beverages at your event order printed cups, napkins and plates that displays the name of your company, how to reach you and the name of the event if wanted. 
        • Signs and Banners: Order banners and signs to advertise your event. To provide practical, tangible items that remind guests of the event, use thoughtfully selected promotional items in the colors that tie them to your theme.
• Sales and Discounts: Consider having a sale during the event. Offer discounts say for the first so many guests through the door. Print the sale information on brochures, cards, and brochures. Send offers via social media. 

During the Event:
• Registration: Allow tech savvy guests to use mobile check-in technology to eliminate snaking registration lines. Have staff available to handle check in and distribution for of any items you want each guest to receive. 

Tumblers, Wine Glasses and Cups

• Publicity: Use social media during the event, take pictures use posts to social media (Instagram and Pinterest for example) to provide visuals and capture video snippets for sharing on You Tube. Mobile check-in also allows you to connect with attendees during the event to let them know of breaking news, schedule changes and other show activities. Remember to make this an option for your attendees, as opposed to texting them without their consent. 

• Keepsakes: During the event, hand out promotional keepsakes that will remind your guests of the event and how they can reach you in the future. When selecting items use your knowledge of the target audience and relate to your theme. Choose items are tied to your business, for example a spa related item a promotional item like something for grooming, lotions, massagers, for a spa or think of things that will tie to your theme. Items that are useable after the event will contribute significantly to brand recognition and spreading the word to family, friends and more.

Why Your Small Business Needs a Marketing Plan

In an article Why Do Most Start Ups Fail? written for Small Business Trends by Professor Scott Shane, academic evidence shows that implementing careful financial controls, emphasizing marketing plans and writing a business plan increases the odds that a start-up business will survive.   

Even experienced business owners fail to write plans, they don't have adequate financial controls and they have ineffective marketing plans.  Small business owners have the skills and knowledge that led to starting a business, but they struggle when it comes to planning, marketing and budgeting.  Whether it's budget concerns, perceptions that marketing is out of reach, or a lack of time, business owners are missing opportunities to reach new customers because they don't actively promote and market their businesses.

Making potential customers aware of your product or service, making them want it, and then selling it to them, is an absolute necessity.  While creating and executing a marketing plan is not the most glamorous part of owning a business, it's necessary to succeed.  The good news is that it doesn't have to break the bank to promote your company.  As a small business owner you may wear many hats, but it's important to realize that the marketing hat is crucial to making it from survival mode to thriving and growing as a company.  

Get started today, draft a marketing plan with our free templates. Stay in touch on Facebook, visit our website and request a quote.

Are You Limiting the Growth of Your Small Business?

You’re good at what you do; you are crystal clear on your craft, but as far as advertising and marketing, not so much.  You may be struggling to keep the doors open but not sure how to move things forward.  If so, please read on...

Are you also a small business owner who thinks that marketing is out of reach? It's a common thought that active marketing is only for large corporations and that you can't compete.  If you think it's too expensive to market your company, you’re not alone. 

During the recession, some companies have actually cut their marketing budgets to make room for other priorities.  And it's understandable that you would want to avoid spending money on anything other than critical activities.  However, keeping customers coming in the door is critical to your success.  During lean times, it's important to  ramp up marketing and promotion. 
  
Especially now with an influx of new and developing technology, there are many ways to promote your company. There are even free resources available that will take your company to the next level.   The key is in creating a plan and finding the marketing resources that work best for your business and budget.

There is a constant battle between doing what you love, operating your business and bringing customers in the front door.  You may have distributed, brochures, flyers here and there and handed out promotional items with no success.  However unless you have a plan, and you provide opportunities to measure the benefits, you will never know how effective your marketing is, or areas that can be improved.  Without measurement, you can only perceive that marketing doesn’t work.  

If your business relies on word of mouth to keep customers coming in the door it's great that you're receiving referral business.  A t the same time, using only one form of advertising is limited and it can only take your business so far.  

If you’re an owner that looks at marketing as a luxury and not a necessity, please take another look at your marketing plan.  If you don't have a marketing plan, take time to draft one. It doesn't have to be elaborate.  

You should address issues and honestly answer questions that that will help you create realistic goals, reach your ideal customers and hone in on the best selling products and services. 

We specialize in helping companies with marketing and branding, as well as planning events, implementing programs and solving business problems with promotional items. Stay in touch by visiting our website, on Facebook and Twitter.  Sign up here on our blog to receive timely updates delivered to your phone, tablet or computer. 

Plan to Recession-Proof Your Small Business

According to a report from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), 62% of small businesses are generating revenue (annual receipts) of less than $25,000.00 per year. That’s $25,000.00 in gross revenue, not profit.  Once expenses for overhead and other costs are deducted, the remaining profit can be as low as $9,000.00.  This means that more than half of all small business owners may not make enough to make ends meet. No wonder small business failure rates in the U.S. increased by 40% from 2007 to 2010.

There is no doubt that the recession has affected everyone in one way or another.  For many small business owners, the first reaction to dwindling sales is fear.  Fear has stunted growth in the economy resulting in limited hiring and expansion in some areas.  Fear and frustration has also caused some small business owners to throw in the towel.  It’s troubling because according to the SBA, small businesses employ more than half of the private sector worker force.  What has become painfully evident is that when small businesses fail, we all fail.

This is probably not the vision you had when you started your business.  But… you’re still here, you’ve survived, and while that’s a great accomplishment, it doesn’t resolve many of the issues that will improve your bottom line and ensure continued success.   

The big question is how has the recession affected your business?  Have you assessed any damage that may have occurred?  If your business was negatively impacted, do you have a plan to move from merely hanging in there to thriving and growing? What are you doing to promote your business and move it forward?  Do you think that marketing is important?

We specialize in helping companies with marketing and branding, as well as planning events, implementing programs and solving business problems with promotional items. 

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SMART Goal Setting for 2013

Business Card Magnets

As another year comes to an end, it's time to dust off your goals for 2012 and determine whether you reached the goals that were set. If you accomplished most of your goals, hat's off! That's a major accomplishment. If you didn't reach your goals, please look at why they weren't accomplished. And if they are still relevant for this year, put another plan in place to ensure that you will reach them this year. Another question to answer is what are you planning to do in 2013 that will make it better than 2012?

Goal setting has been described as the process of deciding what you want to accomplish and devising a plan to achieve the results you desire.

Many business owners would rather not participate in this part of planning. It requires taking a look at previous year's results and coming up with ways to improve. Most are good at coming up with ideas in their head but not putting pen to paper and going deeper. It also takes a lot of effort to keep track of your goals as the year progresses... unless of course you have a system that allows them to stay in front of you on a daily basis. 

It's easy to say for example, that you want your business to grow next year. Maybe you want to make more money, or gain new customers. Those are great aspirations, but how will you go about achieving them? How much is "more", or what kinds" of new customers would you like to gain? Do you have a plan? What about data from last year's sales? How will you know if you've done better from the previous year/quarter/month?

The hardest part of establishing meaningful goals in making them SMART.  If you haven't heard of smart goals, using this method is a great way to ensure that you will accomplish the goals you set. The other part of making sure you reach your goals is in making sure you review them on a regular basis.

The acronym stands for:

• Specific - instead of making general goals, be as specific as possible.
• Measurable - in the example of more customers, quantify the number of new customers you want to reach next year. 
• Attainable - make sure the goals are reasonable, something that is possible.
• Relevant - make sure the goals are relevant to what is happening now or at least within the time frame set.
• Time-Bound - set a deadline or time frame for reaching your goals. 

For example if you're a local mechanic, for the goal above, you might say I want to gain new customers in 2013.  To make it a SMART goal, you would say I want to service 50 new car owners that are between the ages of 30 - 50 that live within 10 miles of my business by first quarter, 3/31/13. 

Think of ways that you can improve your business during the coming year. Then get busy writing down your goals and incorporating them into a plan or process that will ensure that they will be met.  

What will make your company stand out among the rest? Will it be improvements to customer service, new products or services, new marketing methods, more interaction in the community?  

An idea for keeping your goals front and center throughout the year could be to place them on business card sized magnets like the one shown in the picture above. Placing the magnets on metal surfaces like desks, refrigerators, filing cabinets etc. will make sure that the message never leaves your mind.  You can also plan meetings to discuss goals with key staff throughout the year, at least once per quarter to make sure you stay on track. 

Stay in touch on Facebook, and Twitter.  If you're planning an event, please visit our website for the best in promotional items and request a free quote.