As we explained in part one of our Complete Guide to Marketing Your Beauty Salon, having a marketing plan is the first step towards beauty salon success. With so many beauty salons out there – many of which are going to be targeting the same people as you – you need to use marketing as a way to stand out and reach your target audience. This might sound daunting, but it’s a lot easier when you have a plan in place.
In part two, we are taking a look at the importance of budgeting, SEO, social media and how to build effective marketing strategies.
Allocate Your Marketing Budget Effectively
One of the most important parts of marketing your beauty salon is to have a budget, and then you need to allocate those funds effectively. After all, you don’t want to be spending your budget on marketing strategies that aren’t bringing in customers, and not spending enough on strategies that are more lucrative.
When you are allocating your marketing budget, keep your goals in mind. Determine how much you need to increase your marketing spend to reach those goals, bearing in mind that around 5% of a business’ gross revenue is usually spent on marketing. Think about the various marketing channels that you are planning to use – for example, SEO, social media, signage and special offers – and determine which will provide the best ROI.
If you have big plans to grow your beauty salon, and you have the funds to do so, you might want to invest more than 5% into your marketing. This depends on how much you have to spend, how much you want to boost brand visibility and how expensive your chosen marketing methods are.
Determine the Best Marketing Strategies for Your Business
There are a lot of marketing strategies to choose from, and the majority of beauty salons choose to use a selection of many. Here are some popular examples:
- Launch a Referral Program – By launching a referral program, you can encourage customers to recommend your beauty salon by offering them discounts in return. Not only does this help you to bring in new customers, but it rewards existing customers for being loyal.
- Regularly Update Your Website – A lot of beauty salons forget to regularly update their website, which can hinder your online presence. To give your marketing efforts a boost, update your website with up-to-date information and blog posts, and provide customers with engaging content.
- Upsell Your Services and Products – If a customer is interested in one treatment or product, it’s likely that they will be interested in others. Familiarise yourself with the benefits of treatments and products, and upsell them to customers. This can increase how much someone is spending with you, without having to appeal to an entirely new customer.
- Boost Social Media Engagement – A lot of customers find beauty salons on social media, so it’s important to have a clear presence. You can boost your social media engagement by regularly posting content, encouraging customers to share your content, and posting ‘before and after’ photos of your treatments.
Don’t Forget About Beauty Salon SEO
SEO – which stands for search engine optimisation – should be part of any marketing strategy, especially if you are trying to spread the word about a beauty salon. When you search for ‘PlasmaPen’ you will be inundated with information, and that’s all thanks to SEO. SEO is all about ensuring that your beauty salon appears on Google and other search engines when someone searches for one. There are a number of SEO strategies to use, some of which we have explained below.
- Mobile Optimisation – A lot of people choose to access the web via smartphones and tablets, and so your website needs to be optimised for mobile use. A mobile-friendly website is one that works well on all devices, regardless of screen size.
- Improve Website Speed – Customers want to find information quickly on your website, and they don’t want to waste time waiting for a page to load. Google favours websites that offer a good user experience, and that includes speed.
- Update Website Content – Once you have a website up and running, it’s tempting to leave it, but you need to regularly add fresh content in the form of blogs. Adding new, engaging and relevant content to your website can boost SEO rankings.
- Keywords in Content – You should have a selection of keywords or phrases that you want your website to rank for, and these should be used throughout your content. Think about what someone might search if they were looking for a specific treatment or a beauty salon in the local area, and include these terms in page titles, meta descriptions and blog posts.
The Art of Social Media Marketing
It’s important for your beauty salon to have a presence on social media, as the likes of Instagram and Facebook are good marketing tools. It’s a way to promote your business, reach new customers and engage with your audience. But, you need to be consistent. It’s not enough to post once or twice a month, and hope for the best. You need to regularly post content that’s relevant to your audience, informative and engaging.
You also need to think about which social media platforms will work best for your audience. If you are targeting a younger demographic, you might want to opt for TikTok or Instagram, which are popular amongst that age group. If you are targeting a slightly older audience, Facebook might be a better choice. Think about when your audience is likely to be online and post then, as this will increase the chances of your content being seen.
At PlasmaPen, we know that marketing a beauty salon can be time consuming, but adding new treatments to your offerings is sure to grab customers’ attention. To find out more about PlasmaPen and the various treatment options, get in touch with our knowledgeable team.
