Salon Marketing: Distribution

This is the fourth article in a five-part series that details exactly what you need to market your salon and make it a success. Getting the word out about your salon takes more than simply printing postcards and launching a website. You have to get the right message in front of the right audience at the right time. Here are some tips for salon marketing distribution:

Direct mail

Direct mail is the best way to reach your members. A calculated direct-mail campaign represents an investment in profit and should be approached with dedication. Consult a list broker or use the mailing list building tools available at PsPrint, develop a database of your own customers and define a mailing list comprised of likely prospects. Repetition is key: Instead of a one-postcard campaign, develop a strategy that incorporates multiple direct mailers during a six-month period. This contributes to your salon branding efforts and allows you to develop long-term relationships. By the time you launch your incredible offer, you'll have established trust and credibility and will earn a higher response rate.

Here's a sample direct-mail marketing campaign for your salon:

Week One: Send a professionally printed brochure introducing your potential clientele to your salon. Offer a discount and add value by including a panel with hairstyle tips.

Week Six: Send a flyer or newsletter that highlights recent news about your salon. Include before and after photos. A "Meet the Stylists" section, complete with photos and qualifications, can lend trust and confidence.

Week 12: Send a booklet that covers all the services you offer as well as tips and tricks for specific goals. One page, for example, might cover hairstyles while another covers manicures. Yet another could detail the ins and outs of successful tanning and safety.

Week 18: Send a calendar with awesome hairstyle images. Don't forget to brand on every month!

Week 24: Send a direct-mail postcard inviting potential clients to an open house or free makeover event. Include a special time-limited discount to anyone who attends.

Week 30: Send a follow-up greeting card and include a voucher or gift coupon to express your appreciation, and offer to personally answer any questions potential customers might have.

Advertisements

You can deploy advertisements online or in the yellow pages, newspapers and magazines; as well as on the radio, television, billboards and any number of published mediums. You can also take your ads street side by placing flyers and posters on community bulletin boards, and university, office and industrial social hot spots. Word of mouth is the most powerful advertiser, so make sure friends, family and colleagues know what you do and are prepared to spread the word for you. You should consider handing out stickers and business cards to everyone you know for distribution.

Following up

Test, track and tweak - these three Ts will help you develop winning salon marketing campaigns. Always test different variations of your marketing materials on small portions of your mailing list before launching the full campaign. Sometimes a single word change can make a big difference in your return on investment. Track your response rates and record who responds so you can further define your target demographics. Tweak your subsequent marketing materials to cater to this audience. Keep a database of customers and respondents, and evaluate recognizable trends so you can customize your offers. This is just another form of knowing your customers, but from an analytical perspective it allows you to make intelligent business decisions based on honest, proven statistics.