With new salons opening up every day, the hair and beauty industry has been exploding in recent years! There are more than 900,000 salons in the United States as of 2022. While this is excellent news for the entire industry, increased competition necessitates that as a beauty salon owner, you improve your marketing game to keep current consumers and attract new ones.

In order to gain a competitive advantage, you’ll need salon marketing ideas that are creative! With that in mind, we’ve put up a list of seven salon marketing strategies that work and are guaranteed to bring in lots of new customers.

Know your target audience 

Before we get into the salon marketing techniques, you should first know who your target audience is and what they enjoy/dislike. All of your major marketing decisions, such as which channel to utilize or what kind of pictures to use, will be determined by what makes your audience tick.

You’ll need to make sure that your company’s Google listing and website are SEO optimized if you own a hair salon and most of your clients find you through Google. Alternatively, if your nail industry customers are increasingly active on social media, you may wish to focus on improving the visual appeal of your social networking profiles!

To understand your target audience, conduct comprehensive market research and evaluate your existing client base. Consider the preferences of your planned age groups, gender, economic status, and so on to complete your offerings, pricing, brand image, and so forth. Here are some pointers to get you started:

• Examine your company’s current social media posts for insights. What kinds of things do people like and share the most?
• What attracts the most people to your page? What are they saying in the comments?
• Look at your past appointment logs to see what products and services you sell to your clients the most.
• If you’re looking for a new way to generate more sales, your scheduling software may even have an analytics page that would tell you how many clients you have and their demand and purchasing patterns.
• Also, get to know your competition well. Gather information about your competitors by spending some time on their websites and booking platforms. Begin by making a list of all of your rivals. Then conduct a SWOT analysis on each one of them individually.
• What can you learn about your competitor’s company that you don’t know? What unique selling proposition (USP) or distinct advantage does their firm have that yours doesn’t? Put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer and try to figure out what makes them appealing.

Let’s get started with marketing salon idea now that the groundwork has been laid.

7 salon marketing tips to boost your salon business

Let us now get down to business and answer the question “How can I market my salon?” as promised, so that you may create a successful salon marketing plan for your company!

1. Create and optimize your Google presence 

The most popular way to look for local businesses is through Google. In fact, when people do searches on Google, 46% of them seek for a local company. And that’s why ensuring that your company shows up in Google search results when customers search for “salons near me” is so important. Google My Business is a tool that can help you achieve this goal.

Do you know that customers are 70 percent more likely to visit companies with a Google My Business page? Having your company listed on Google is a method to guarantee that your leads can locate you on Google Search results.

listing directs them to Google Maps with directions and your web and physical address. This makes it simpler for the searcher to go to your website, get directions, contact information, operating hours, and positive reviews from prior clients.

Google My Business is a fantastic (and simple) tool for using that allows you to:

• Google My Business allows you to: Engage with potential clients and manage your online reputation
• Interact with prospective consumers and manage your online reputation
• Manage client photos, videos, and other user-generated content
• Curate customer images, videos, and other user-generated content
• Gather information on how your customers find you on the internet
• The signals sent by Google My Business also play a part in local SEO planning.

When creating a Google My Business account keep the following points in mind:

• Ensure that your data is correct, comprehensive, and up to date. You don’t want to inadvertently deceive interested consumers by displaying any incorrect information on the internet.
• Make sure your address, phone number, etc. are correct and up to date, and that you’re easy to get in touch with.
• Make use of Google My Business Messages for direct communication with clients.
• Share news about your company through updates on social media sites.
• Also, don’t forget to add a book button to your Google My Business profile so that potential clients may easily schedule an appointment with you.

To add a book button to your Google My Business profile, you must be listed on Reserve with Google. Here’s what it looks like:

is a recently launched search-and-book system from Google that allows consumers to make appointments with your salon by searching for and booking appointments on Google Search, Google Maps, or the Reserve with Google website.

To be listed on RwG and add a book button to your GMB profile, you must register with an authorized scheduling partner.

Paid Google PPC advertising is another popular salon marketing strategy. However, we recommend waiting until you’ve built up enough reach from organic efforts before attempting this.

2. Revamp and optimize your website

Potential clients now go to hair salon business websites in order to obtain crucial information before making a decision. A website makes your salon look more professional and genuine to potential consumers, according to some experts.

Plus, from your website, clients may find out a lot more about your salon, such as the services offered and pricing information.

So how can you start building your salon website? 

If you want to build your own website from the ground up, it may be a daunting experience and need a substantial amount of money. It’s also critical to make the most of your money and have faith – no matter how good your website is, it doesn’t always necessitate a pricey splash.

• If you’re just getting started with your business or are still a small salon, you may modify your appointment-booking website for free.
• This can function as both your website and a booking portal, which will enhance client happiness with your virtual interface since it will all be in the same location!
• If you have a little extra cash, consider using easy-to-use website builders like Square Online or Wix, as well as their do-it-yourself templates. Wix is one of the most popular salon website builders. It’s really simple to use, and you can even construct highly professional salon websites with predefined design templates. It’s also quite affordable!
• If you don’t have the resources to develop a well-structured salon website, it’s always better to hire a professional. A professional will handle all of the technical nitty-gritty so you don’t have to, and he or she will give you with a product that you are satisfied with! 

After you’ve completed your basic salon website, don’t forget to coat it in high-resolution images and optimize it well!

• Functionality should take precedence over flashy effects. Your visitors don’t want to see dazzling animations on your website. They just want websites that are useful and simple to use. When consumers arrive at your site, they want to be able to easy find crucial information (such as opening hours, phone number, address, appointment booking link, etc.).
• Test your salon’s website on a mobile device: Today, the majority of website traffic comes from mobile phones. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
• Make it simple: If your website takes too long to load, people will abandon it. So be cautious about using many big photographs on your site. You also need to check for any broken links or superfluous text on your site.
• Add your booking link to the home page: A “book now” CTA (call to action) will instantly turn all those highly-engaged website visitors into booked appointments. You may add it as a “Book Now” button or simply include your entire booking page on your website.
• Add your own images and videos to create a stunning website that reflects you and your salon, as well as optimize it: Using high-quality photos on your salon’s new website is essential. Your site should have a minimal amount of clutter and confusion. The photographs and videos you add are where you convey color and emotion into your site.
• Make sure you include the following information:
• Your service price list
• Credentials (e.g., certifications, honors, client feedback)
• Presentation of yourself and your team
• The salon’s narrative, mission, and values

3. Use social media to attract new clients 

In the hair and beauty business, social media may be effectively utilized to attract new consumers and interact with them, making it an excellent salon marketing tool. In reality, it is one of the greatest salon promotional ideas today! Here are some great salon social media ideas to get you started:

• If clients use your social media platforms to check-in and book their appointments, you may provide them with unique discounts or free services (Facebook, Instagram, or any of your other social networking sites). This will help you promote your salon’s name through these networks.
• Install a photo booth in an attractive and beautiful location of the salon (an Insta-worthy location, as they say). People who have had their hair or makeup done can snap photographs of themselves and tag your salon on social media. These images will instantly pique the interest of possible clients on social networking, and you may receive some service queries as a result.
• Use Facebook Live to post live videos. The benefit of using live videos is that you can get immediate feedback. Your audience will enjoy watching these films, and potential consumers will be compelled to scroll down your feed.
• Here are some Facebook live video ideas to get you started:
• Give your viewers a behind-the-scenes look at your salon by filming staff interviews and product reviews.
• Make the process interesting and enjoyable by including some behind the scenes footage during production.
• Organize creative social media contests and giveaways: Social media competitions and giveaways are a great way to engage your audience on Facebook and/or Instagram. The prizes might include haircuts or other services for the winners of these events. You can even have Giveaways for the top 10 contestants of these competitions. On social media, the winners may post pictures with their rewards, including tagging your salon.

Once you’ve gone through our guide to organic social media marketing for your hair salon, you may also invest in paid hair salon advertising on these platforms.

4. Release discount coupons and vouchers regularly 

Why are discount coupons so significant? Rolling out discount plans is also a wonderful method to use your downtime or fill up your lean hours. Many of your staff may be idle during working hours due to a lack of clients, which is neither beneficial for your company nor the employees. To optimize your salon business, you can provide services at a reduced price on certain days or hours during the day.

To create your discount coupons, carefully inspect your productivity output, busy hours, and low-efficiency days or nights.

What sorts of discounts can you provide? Make a thorough examination of your budget and finances to compare the benefits and drawbacks of various discount alternatives.

• Customers who have never been to your business can be pampered with free services rather than a straightforward “15% off” discount.
• Seasonal and festive discounts are also excellent methods to promote your salon and attract new clients before major holidays. Black Friday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day are just a few times of the year when shopping is at its peak, so you can benefit from this by advertising your salon correctly.

5. Use gift vouchers 

At your salon, allow clients to give your services as gifts on special occasions and festivals by selling gift certificates. This will assist you attract new consumers while also gaining support from your current customers. In today’s experiential gifting climate, gift cards are all the rage.

From a commercial standpoint, gift cards are extremely valuable since they come with a predetermined amount of money and thus account for firm income. They usually have an expiration date and the user must use the coupons to pay his expenses before that date.

It’s been discovered that individuals frequently spend more than the value of the gift certificates during their visit, making them a highly effective and lucrative salon marketing tool.

Here are a couple of ideas for you to design and distribute your gift certificates:

• Set the dates for your voucher distribution: Giving out gift certificates during festive seasons, such as Christmas and Kwanzaa, is a wonderful method to promote your salon. They may be implemented ahead of holidays and festivals when the gift-giving season rolls around. This is an excellent approach to gain new consumers without having to offer discounts since the certificate is generally purchased at full price.

You may add some magic to your marketing campaign by using relevant coupon codes such as “Santa” for Christmas or “USA” for the 4th of July.

• At your reception desk, you may show off your nicely designed gift coupons during the festival seasons to attract the attention of as many people as possible. You may also distribute them at your salon events to encourage more purchasers.
• Make sure to include a gift card option on your online booking portal itself so that consumers can easily add it to their shopping cart when making an online appointment. 

6. Run smart referral programs 

Referral programs are a fantastic approach to build leads from satisfied clients. A customer is incentivized to advocate your salon to their friends and family and receive bonuses in return, which is a form of word-of-mouth marketing.

Here is how you can design a referral program for your salon:

• Make a conscious effort to get to know your current clients and trust your services. After that, you may ask them to promote your referral program with their friends and relatives. People trust the views of their family and friends, so if you can get your customers to suggest you to their close circle of friends, it’s more likely that they’ll make an appointment with you.
• You may offer incentives to consumers in order to get them to spread the word about your services. Your referrals may earn reward points and use them the next time they visit you if you run a beauty shop, for example. Reward points can be used on services like waxing, hair cuts, manicures, and other similar things at reduced rates or coupons for massage items.
• Online reviews may help a referral program succeed, because now having the reputation of a trustworthy company necessitates excellent reviews. Almost everyone who uses the internet reads online evaluations. It is this virtual reference to your services that can assist with salon marketing and attract new clients.

Referral programs might help you earn more money by significantly lowering the cost of attracting new consumers. And at the end of the day, if you’re referred by at least one customer, it indicates that they have confidence in you and that’s an outstanding accomplishment!

7. Market your salon as sanitized and protocol abiding to fit in a post-Covid world

How can you market your salon in a manner that emphasizes your COVID compliance and sanitization efforts?

Here are a few steps you can take to ensure your salon’s marketing pandemic prevention:

• Encourage your clients to make appointments ahead of time: Customers are more likely to book appointments ahead of time if you encourage them to do so.
• Use a salon appointment system to make things easier for yourself and your consumers. The greatest way to go is with secure gateways such as Square, Stripe, PayPal, and others that allow online and touchless payments.
• Display your social distance, cleaning, and disinfection methods: Displaying your protocols in your salon, on your website, and on social media will help build customers’ trust in them.
• Embrace virtual consultation sessions: Reduce the physical footfall in your salon and enforce social distance better by offering virtual consultations via popular and secure video conferencing platforms like Zoom.

Appointy, a salon scheduling software, may be used to make this marketing concept for your business more effective. Today, several of them allow internet payments and online consultations, in addition to online scheduling. They can also function as salon marketing tools!

Conclusion 

New clients for your salon may be difficult at first, but all it takes is patience and some clever effort to put these concepts into action. We hope these salon marketing ideas assist you in growing your business and attracting new consumers through the door. So nice luck and good luck on your marketing!