It’s a recurring question that fills countless hair & beauty blogs and forums, and one that seemingly has no definite answer - how do you gain new clients? If you’re reading this, then chances are you too are looking for an answer. Before you begin sharing posts and handing out business cards like crazy, you need to first understand how gaining salon clients works!
I’m sure you’ve experienced this situation before - you’re at work and waiting for your 5 o’clock to come in for the usual updo. You sit around aimlessly, while the salon across the street is providing balayages, highlights and trims like hotcakes. It seems as though they never have slow days, even during low periods. You follow them on social media and attempt to recreate their offers and posts, only to get a measly handful of clients come in from your posts. Why does this work for the salon across the street and not for your business? Chances are they’re on a completely different tier. What do I mean by this? Think of it this way - there are three main levels your business needs to overcome on its way to fame, each of which requires a unique marketing approach - and naturally, you want to begin with the first tier.
This is the level most new salons and spas find themselves at. At this point, you’ve just opened your doors and are ready to take in new clients. Thankfully, almost every business passes this tier without a problem. At this level, it is important to get the word out about your business and its opening. This is the perfect situation to gain customers, as people will be interested in visiting the new salon and seeing what they provide. Make sure to share the news about your business in local press and visit local businesses you’re familiar with, inviting the staff to your opening.
Tip: when visiting local businesses (cafes, restaurants, etc.), it is important to ask the staff there if you may leave some of your flyers or business cards. Such businesses see a constant flow of clients which may also be interested in your treatments.
The great thing about the first tier is that your business has a clean slate. You have the perfect opportunity to create a name for yourself and to give new clients a great first impression of your business. As for marketing, you’ll want to primarily reach a more localised audience, as they’re the most likely to become your loyal clients in the future.
When your business transitions into tier number two, many changes occur. Primarily, your salon or spa gains a reputation in your local community and you feel the need to reach a larger audience. Additionally, this is where many business owners get lost in their marketing activities and treat everyone as a potential client, instead of targeting a specific group or groups. An important step that is oftentimes overlooked is creating a loyal customer base. Customers who have already attended your salon might visit your business a few more times before choosing to go elsewhere for their treatments. This usually occurs if you don’t give customers an incentive to return to your business. A simple, “thanks for visiting, come back again, we’ll have some nice offers next week” won’t draw crowds into your business. For this tier, it’s best to utilise a reliable beauty & hairdressing software like Booksy and employ its marketing tools. You have the option of upselling, running happy hours or flash sales, promoting specific offers or even getting the word out about your latest salon event with the help of text, push and email notifications, sent directly from the system.
This tier is by far one of the more difficult ones to reach. If your business is on this level then you’re seeing high levels of customer loyalty along with an increase in new clients, but you’re not done just yet! With a substantial local reach, you crave to grow your business even more, and the only place left to do so is on social media platforms. Unfortunately, many tier one and two businesses look at growing their Facebook or Instagram audience, instead of focusing on a more localised clientele. They attempt to attract passers-by, who may flock to the business, but what happens during a low season when they’re all gone?
A successful tier three business will have a strong localised following and a constantly growing one on social media. The secret to reaching this level is by focusing all your marketing efforts on your local clientele and gradually expanding outwards into the world of social media. With a strong and loyal customer following, achieved thanks to Booksy marketing features, you can focus on other activities that you wouldn’t have time for otherwise! See for yourself how Booksy can help you gain more loyal clients - grab your free account today!
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