Are you struggling to think of great marketing ideas for your salon? Whether you’ve just opened a business or you just need a change for the New Year, it’s a great time to start looking at your current marketing plans and how they could be better.

When you need to boost your clientele, you can use techniques like partnering with local businesses, improving SEO, and gaining traction on social media. Take a look at the top 5 salon marketing strategies that you need to use in your salon.

Social media

One easy way to amp up your marketing efforts this year is to use social media to boost your clientele. Sometimes a potential client’s first impression of you is online which means that your website and social media pages need to be top notch.

Using platforms like Facebook along with email marketing and a powerful website will be a great way to bring in new customers. You can use Facebook ads to promote your business to a specific demographic too.

Make sure your social media photos are clear and well-shot while making sure the content on these pages are clean, professional, and helpful. Make sure you avoid gossip on your pages but be sure to personalize it with replies and comments to your clientele on the public platform. Twitter and Linkedin are also a great way to connect with local businesses.

Use social media to promote yourself, promote the work you do, and even promote contests to drive up business. Don’t be afraid to hire a social media professional to get your sites working for you.

SEO improvements

How is your business looking on Google? It’s time to evaluate where you rank on search engines and what could be holding you back. Your website may need some changes to boost your SEO because Google is an important way to attract new clients.

Many people will click on the first results on Google when searching for a business, but it takes time and knowledge to rank high. Make sure to hire a professional in SEO to get your website design ranking at the top of Google’s results.

Referral services

One of the great ways you can give back to current clients while gaining new ones is to set up a referral program in your salon. Make sure you have referral cards handy at your front desk for current clients to tell others and then offer something generous to your clients for their effort in telling others about you.

You can promote it on your website and social media too. Be sure to keep track of how many clients come in from referrals, online, and other practices, so that you can measure which method is paying off best.

Keep in mind that people are way more likely to try a service if they were referred by a friend or family member. Your loyal clients will already be happy to tell others about you, but giving them another reason is a win/win.  Giving money towards a future visit or hair product, and a thank you card is the perfect way to give back.

Partnering with other businesses

Talk to businesses in your neighborhood that make sense to work with, such as a health club, restaurants, wedding dress shops, and others that would target the same customer audience as you. Bring them an offer to partner together that will entice them to promote your business to their customers.

Make sure to spell out why you could help one another’s marketing efforts by promoting one another so that the incentive is there. Bring them a sample of the marketing materials you would want them to use, such as promotional posters or vouchers, and then make an offer for ways you can promote their brand in return.

Host an event or workshop

Lastly, you can bring in new clients by giving them another excuse to come visit you: for a workshop or special event. Host a yoga class or artsy pop-up shop that will bring clients in for something other than salon needs. Once they see your shop, they will want to book their first appointment. Let them know on social media, email lists, and signs by your store.

Use these salon marketing ideas to ramp up clientele through promotions, special offers, and advertisements. It’s easier than you think to bring in new business!