Let’s have a little heart-to-heart about the BEAUTY of email marketing. Only a small number of salons are profiting from this potentially powerful marketing tool. Why? Because very few understand HOW to do it. The typical salon owner assumes it’s going take too much time and money for a salon promotion to be profitable. Yet, when a salon implements an email marketing “system” a salon promotion can be blasted out to your client list in minutes. So how do you start email marketing and get results for your salon or spa business?
Follow these steps:
1. Build your Dream Database
A healthy email database isn’t about masses of contacts, but the level of engagement you derive from the list. An engaged audience is one that will open, interact and show interest in the communications from your salon. Sound like a dream? It’s not – build your dream database by creating periodic reasons to subscribe, interact, and continue the “conversation” with your salon such as a sweepstakes and special offers to email guests only. Make sure you are collecting emails every single time someone steps foot into your salon and continue re-marketing to them down the line. Continue nurturing your salon email database and creating email offers and specials your clients are looking for. Remember, these emails are for them, not you.
2. Create Compelling Subject Lines
When writing your email subject lines remember to use persuasive language to get that interest or ultimately that “open” from them. Remember that your recipients care about themselves, so write subject lines that reflect what’s “in it for them”.
3. Maximize Exposure
Turn your offer into a campaign. A great campaign requires more than one contact to maximize exposure and profits. Each promotion should be re-delivered to inboxes, you can’t assume that there is only one time, on one day that all your potential clients should see your email. Instead put a strategy in place to get maximum results. Reschedule the same offer to pose as a reminder to book or “lead up” to a holiday offers and special events.
Note: If you send a lot of promotional emails, caution sending a monthly newsletter. Consider instead a quarterly newsletter so the volume stays at an acceptable level.
4. Make an Offer that Sells
Email marketing is all about limited-time offers. Make a great offer, with great savings, and it will sell. Encourage guests to purchase with “buy it now” bookings. Increase gift card sales by combining 3 or 4 services into a Beauty Day specially priced at 25% off. Create packages at several price points; offer high priced items like “A Year of Hair Color” or “A Massage of the Month”. Remember that – when the gift is right – gift givers can be very generous with their money. Online packages and gift certificates help you work smarter, not harder and can add thousands of dollars to your bottom line.
5. Include Multiple Levels of Engagement
Make sure every single email you send out to includes a link to your online booking system (so they can act on any offer immediately), links to gift card buy it now options, and links to all of your salon social media channels. Other ideas for engagement: a link to a cool beauty or fashion video, a how-to hair demonstration, or various articles on beauty and hair trends.
The beauty of salon email marketing is that its the easiest way to stay in touch with your guests and potential guests – everyone has an inbox they check every single day, multiple times a day. The question is why AREN’T you using email…?