Tips To Introducing Your Beauty Salon

You’ve drawn up a great business plan, rented or purchased the perfect location, secured your funding, and now your beauty salon business isn’t just a dream — it’s a reality. But before you cut the ribbon on opening day, there are still a few things to consider, namely, marketing and PR activities that will promote and showcase your business.

Whether you’re new to the salon industry or you’re a seasoned business owner, everyone can benefit from a little marketing assistance. After all, once you’ve taken care of the immediate needs of opening a new business, your marketing campaigns and public relations will be a deciding factor in your salon’s success.

Below, we offer nine of our favourite methods for introducing and promoting your salon so that you can make the impact you’ve been dreaming of.

Not sure how to promote your salon business? Here are our nine top tips

1. Create a launch plan

Are you getting ready to open your doors for the first time? A launch plan is essential. Launch plans are concerned with introducing or launching new products, services or other offerings and should clearly define all the activities you need to complete up until launch day.

A well-defined launch plan should include activities such as market research and assessment, launch goals, predetermined launch activities (i.e., social media offerings, press releases, etc.) and post-launch activities such as reviewing feedback.

2. Create a marketing plan

Unlike the launch plan, the marketing plan is a long-term consideration focused on your overall marketing strategy. It should include current and future offerings and helps your team visualise how your unique marketing efforts will benefit your business over time. It’s essential to create and maintain a marketing plan early on so that you can carefully map out your campaigns and ensure that every facet of your business is tied to your marketing strategy.

Remember, there is no one right way to market. Marketing plans can help you determine your target audience, and which campaigns or strategies are most effective for your business. Exploring different marketing tactics and strategies will allow you to determine which works best for your business, budget and goals — it’s perfectly normal for your marketing plan to evolve and change as you better learn how to promote your salon business.

3. Get involved online

There are very few marketing avenues as important or relevant to a small business as social media, and it’s never too early to get your business active on online platforms. Don’t wait until your salon has opened its doors to start posting on social media — pre-launch posts can help create enthusiasm and excitement for opening day.

Utilise social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to extend the reach of your business. This means you should consistently update your pages or feeds with relevant and intriguing information about your business (i.e., promotions, specials, product or service launches, behind-the-scenes looks at your team and operation, etc.) that will attract attention. You should also use social media to keep abreast of trending topics and ideas, especially in your area.

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are platforms with great reach, but they aren’t the only places you should be posting on. Don’t neglect smaller social media sites or lesser-known platforms and apps, as these can also be a great way to attract customers. TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat, YouTube, Yelp, Nextdoor and Google Maps are just a few examples of other platforms where you can market your salon to extend your reach and help grow your business. 

4. Partner with influencers or bloggers

If you have local influencers or bloggers in the area who align with your values and brand, be sure to reach out to them about a potential partnership. Influencers and other online experts can help extend your reach to potential clients who might not otherwise hear about you.

Before entering a partnership, do your research to ensure the influencer or other online individual is legitimate, shares your values and will help you reach your ideal clients. Don’t settle for just any promoter; look for someone who is genuinely excited about the industry and your business.

5. Showcase your brand on a great website

Even if you have active social media accounts, nothing will truly replace a high-quality website. It doesn’t matter how large your business is; a website is one of the most critical elements in marketing and promotion. Not only will it validate your legitimacy, but it will also provide a convenient way to locate all information related to your business, including hours, pricing, location and social media links.

Your website should be easy to navigate, well thought out and have a pleasing appearance. It should include all the necessary information about your business alongside a few optional extras such as a gallery, blog and online booking system.

Your brand is what makes your company stand out, and there’s no better way to showcase who you are than on a great website. Your website is an extension of your brand, so be sure to create a site that accurately reflects who you are.

6. Harness the power of reviews

Customers are more likely to trust and visit a business with legitimate reviews, especially reviews that the company actively responds to. Don’t allow this element of PR and marketing to go to waste! Always do your best to respond quickly and kindly to customer reviews, whether they are negative or positive.

You can further utilise the power of reviews by displaying the best ones in prominent locations on your website, in emails, on social media posts or even at your physical location.

7. Bring your previous clients with you

If you’re opening a beauty salon business after working for someone else, be sure to let your previous clients know that you’re moving on. This can be a great way to attract customers who already know and like your work, especially if you’re setting up a shop close to your old location. When previous clients visit you, be sure to reward their loyalty to let them know how much you appreciate them.

8. Find ways to partner with the community

It’s important to integrate your business into the community — doing so will help attract the long-term customers your beauty salon business needs to thrive. Partnering with other local companies, reaching out to local newspapers or advertising services or marketing yourself at community events is a great way to get to know others in the area.

You may also consider hosting events or promotions yourself that the local community can enjoy. As a salon, this could mean offering discounted services for certain events (such as formals or other school dances) or certain sectors of the community (such as veterans or other service members). Likewise, you may also partner with another local business to offer promotions, co-host special events or create special packages or services.

9. Lock in reputable suppliers and partners

Choosing the right salon product suppliers can make a massive difference to your business. Depending on what services you offer, you may need to find suppliers for everything from hair care products to wholesale mineral makeup. Finding the right distributor may require research, and it is well worth it to work with a business that shares your ideals, goals and values.

Remember, price is not the only important matter to consider when looking at salon product suppliers — you must also think of what your customers want and need. A great supplier will provide high-quality products that will benefit both you and your clients.

Marketing your beauty salon business isn’t easy — but it’s worth it

High-quality PR and marketing efforts can make a world of difference in the success of your beauty salon business and will help you achieve your goal of operating a fantastic salon.