Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone who got their hair cut, had a tag attached to their locks that said something like, “Haircut by Jessica”? I mean, if people walk around wearing brand names on their t-shirts, why shouldn’t you get free advertising for a job well done as well?
Unfortunately, even giving an amazing haircut to Taylor Swift before she graces the red carpet won’t send you any new customers. Haircuts just don’t have any branding opportunities. However, there are plenty of other ways to get people into your salon, and here are a few you can start using today.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #1: Partner with local photographers
Photographers are always in need of makeup artists and stylists for their shoots. In addition to often being paid for their on-site services, stylists get credit along with the photographer for any published photographs.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #2: Take client photos consistently
Keep a digital camera handy and take photos of your cuts and styles regularly. Since most people have a boost of self confidence after a haircut or style, many will be happy to pose for a few shots.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #3: Post photos online frequently
Choose your best and most diverse photos and make sure to post them on your website. Even more importantly, post them on your Twitter and Facebook Wall. People may not visit your website frequently, but they monitor their Twitter and Facebook feeds on a daily and hourly basis.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #4: Be your own model
Nobody wants to get a haircut from someone with a bad one. When you’re working, take the appropriate time in the morning to get your hair looking its best and when you’re out at an event where you’ll be seen, act as your own billboard.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #5: Keep business cards with you
As mentioned in the previous tip, you should act as your own billboard. Do fun and interesting things with your hair that make want to tell you that they “like your hair”. When they do, hand them your business card!
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #6: Start a blog
Nothing works better in online marketing than becoming a resource of targeted information. As a hair stylist, you can probably easily think of products you can review, or tough braids that you can write tutorials on. They don’t need to be New Yorker length feature articles – 500 words will do just fine. These articles can boost your visibility in search engines and give you a whole lot more to share and talk about on social media.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #7: Throw contests
A good haircut only costs your time, and can bring in new customers. Throwing contests that ask people to follow you on social media, or even better, submit public testimonials as a way of entering, can be invaluable to your business.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #8: Keep up with the hottest trends
For example, right now feather hair extensions and tinsel extensions are all the rage. Any hair salon that starts offering feather hair extensions today, is going to have a tough time competing with other hair salons who have been offering them for over a month now and already have customer pictures to post on Facebook and Twitter.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #9: Host a promotion at a public place
Some hair salons have had success setting up at art festivals, or simply setting up shop at a local park (with permission) and offering free cuts or bang trims. These events not only give you exposure but also allow you to hand out your business cards or discount coupons for their next cuts.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #10: Try SMS marketing
Sending the occasional text message to your clients can have a big boost in bookings. Reminders for their 6-week follow up or for special promotions is only recommended for regular customer though, as very old clients may have already found a new hairdresser and may feel uncomfortable asking you to stop messaging them.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #11: Try email marketing and newsletters
If you’ve already started your blog, you won’t have trouble filling up a monthly email newsletter to your clients. The newsletter may feature promotions, news and all the informative posts you’ve been adding to your website.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #12: Offer your own “daily deal”
On your website, Facebook and other social media accounts, offer one deal a day for one of your services. Local customers may very well subscribe to your feeds just to stay informed of when you have a deal that meets their need. This way, you get the customers and you don’t have to give up all your profits to one of those other daily deal sites.
Hair Salon Marketing Idea #13: Offer your own “Mobile App”
Having a mobile app can help you get more customers, book more appointments, and increase revenue. For many small businesses, a mobile app is a great new way to connect with customers and open new marketing channels. But for hair salons and barbershops in particular, mobile apps offer a bunch of great features to boost business cost-effectively.
Here are our favorites:
Mobile Reservations
Customers can fire up your app and access mobile reservations linked directly to your in-house calendar. They can browse open slots and book appointments easily, while on the go. This saves your staff some time on the phone, and makes it simple for customers to get an appointment conveniently, especially if they don’t feel like calling in.
Appointment Reminders
You can send current customers reminders of regular appointments through your mobile app. By being proactive, you can likely capture a segment of customers that might have wound up visiting another establishment, or that just let it go too long between appointments. With dedication to securing more frequent appointments, you can increase your yearly revenue per customer (and keep the community from going too shaggy in between cuts).
Style Libraries
“I want a trim, but I don’t want anything too drastic . . . and I want to look kind of like Jennifer Lopez, but also sort of with a dash of Martha Stewart, if you know what I mean . . . and did I mention I’m way into punk style now?”
You could send these people to the salon down the street, just to be mean, but why not offer a style library in your app instead to help them pick out a style? Using a simple photo gallery, you can collect photos of various styles, and have customers browse and select specific haircuts. That way, you can improve communication about styles, and hopefully get some clear guidance about what customers like.
Customer Photos
Your app can also have a feature that lets customers take photos and email them to you. This is great for creating a database of customer photos for testimonial purposes, advertising, or just reference. If a customer comes in and can’t remember what was done last summer, but wants the same thing, you’ll have a photo that will tell you exactly what to do.
Special Offers
Push notifications (messages that users get notified about on their devices home screen) allow you to drive activity on special promotions, deals, events, and offers. If you ever need to generate revenue during a down time, push notifications allow you to generate interest easily and proactively.
You can also offer GPS coupons that users unlock when they “check in” to the app at your location. This adds a fun dimension to your business that rewards customers just for visiting your location! Speaking of rewards . . .
Loyalty Programs
A mobile app allows you to offer a mobile loyalty program (buy ten cuts, get one free, etc.). You won’t need to print up cards or track anything manually – it’s all done simply through users’ mobile devices. Whenever they make a qualifying purchase, just have them pop open the app and hand you their device. Using your secret code, you can then record the purchase. When the qualifying amount is reached, you’ll know. Pretty easy stuff.
Referrals
A mobile app can make referrals easy. With a single click, a user can post to a social media account on Facebook or Twitter about their experience with your business. This allows you to earn new business organically through the networks of existing customers.
Product Sales
Gel, paste, wax, clay, or whatever the heck it is you guys are rubbing into our hair these days – you can sell it all through your mobile app. Customers can browse products, submit orders, and make payments easily, helping you open up a new revenue stream.
The benefits are many and the costs are few – look into making your own app for your salon or barbershop sooner rather than later, though. If you move now, before competitors do, it can still be a distinctive advantage. In the future, as apps become more common, this will be less true.