Building a client list is essential to being a successful hairstylist. But if you’re a new stylist, have recently moved to a new salon or even opened your own, it can be hard to find salon clientele fast. According to thesalonbusiness.com, building a client base can take as long as a year. Even then, it can take up to two years to have a list that primarily consists of your ideal clients.
Acquiring new clients takes time & effort. The process is ongoing and requires dedication, determination & a little bit of creativity. But with the right strategy and tools, you’ll be able to start building your client base and obtaining loyal clients in no time.
1. Show Off & Own Your Experience
Becoming a hairdresser requires a lot of training and practice. You've already put in the time & effort, so show it off! If you went through any extension courses or special training to learn different techniques, or are certified to work with particular hair textures, advertise that! Promote your specialties as much as possible, whether it’s through your social media posts or an official decal at the front of your business. Having a niche can help you get more clients who may not be able to get a specific service from other salons or hairstylists. Including all this information on your online booking platform helps potential clientele learn more about you, your experience & what you offer.
If you’re a novice stylist, share where you went to school or any apprenticeships you may have completed. Be transparent and honest about your experience. Avoid claiming to have more experience than you do. If a potential client were to find out you were dishonest, you’d break their trust. This could also lead to a negative review, which could impact whether new clients will choose to come to you. It’s not a bad thing to be starting out—everyone has to begin somewhere.
2. Be a Social (Media) Butterfly
When it comes to promoting your work, social media is your best friend. Gone are the days of physical portfolio books. Instead, potential clients will look you up on social media. Your social media accounts are a great place to share your skills. Once you start posting, interact with your followers to show you’re active and engaged.
Don’t be afraid to show off your personality! This helps build connections with your followers. When people feel like they know who you are, they’re more invested in your work and willing to trust you. This trust could even result in new clients. When you get new clients, ask them to tag you in any posts related to your work so you can repost user-generated content. Answer questions, run polls and show off what you can do! When people see evidence of your work, they're more willing to book with you.
3. Invest in Salon Marketing
When you hear the word, “marketing,” you might think of flashy TV commercials or someone standing on a street corner handing out flyers. While these are both marketing efforts, there are easier, DIY ways to promote your salon. Social media is one form of marketing—so is your storefront.
Investing time and money into a salon marketing strategy can help you conceptualize a plan to promote your business. Because you’re building a client list, it may take a few tries (and a few months) to start seeing your efforts pay off. Salon marketing is a long-term investment and requires trying something, analyzing the results and modifying plans based on data.
One of the most impactful marketing moves is to be active online. Digital marketing efforts such as social media, YouTube videos, a Google Business Profile & running a blog are likely to reach more people than printed marketing materials. As your client base grows, you’ll gather phone numbers and emails you can use to try text & email marketing. Both allow you to connect with current clients and build a relationship, so they’ll rebook & return. Marketing can also help you reach clients who may not otherwise hear about your business, especially if they don’t live close to your salon and may not otherwise see it. Having a solid text & email marketing plan is easier to achieve when you have the right software for it at your side.
4. Attend Local Events for Hairstylists
Networking is essential to success for any career. When you’re able to build connections and then later leverage those connections, you’re more likely to survive & thrive in an increasingly competitive industry. While meeting other stylists doesn’t directly lead to new clients, conversations could give you ideas for attracting new clients. Try to network with industry veterans to learn how they got started and what has helped them be successful in their field. Who knows...you may meet someone who could mentor you or provide support along the way while establishing yourself.
5. Host an Event
As you build a client base, you should engage your local community. One fun way to do this? Host an event for community members or local businesses at your salon! If you’re a salon owner, this is a great way to get locals into your new salon to show them what you’re all about. As a renting stylist, you should discuss hosting an event with your boss before making plans. If the space is unavailable, you could host an event elsewhere so long as you keep your driving purpose in mind: getting new clients & growing your business. When hosting an event at your own salon, invite other industry professionals to enhance your credibility.
6. Welcome Walk-Ins
Every stylist wants a robust client list that keeps them busy in the salon. However, when establishing yourself, you may face long periods of waiting. To combat this, be flexible with your schedule by welcoming walk-ins. It's a great way to fill gaps of time in your day. And who knows—if that walk-in is happy with your work, they may become a loyal client!
7. Focus on Customer Experience
Customer service begins at booking. While you should consistently deliver high-quality customer service to thrive as a hairstylist & business owner, you must focus on exceptional service by prioritizing the entire customer experience.
Customer experience encompasses your marketing, booking process, the experience in your chair and how you interact with clients after they leave your salon. To ensure that a client has a stellar experience, consider the following:
- Make your salon marketing materials engaging & appealing. Include clear call-to-actions (CTAs) to direct clients to book with you.
- Use an intuitive, easy-to-use booking system. Clients don’t want to jump through hoops or play phone tag to book an appointment—nor should they have to. Streamline the process with salon software, like Vagaro, to make booking as easy as possible.
- Go above and beyond to deliver exceptional service during a client’s appointment. Aside from performing an amazing service, ask a client how you can make them more comfortable. Consider offering refreshments or the Wi-Fi password. You may also send a pre-appointment form to get to know your client beforehand so you can be prepared and hit the ground running when they arrive for their appointment.
- Invite every client back. Before they leave your salon, make sure to invite your clients back. Then, follow up using email & text marketing. If you don’t reach out, you run the risk of losing a client. A simple text reminder to rebook could be the difference between a loyal patron and a lost client.
8. Host Virtual Classes
Educators are adept in what they do and can break down a process or topic that might be confusing to the average person in order to simplify it so anyone can understand it. If you’re comfortable in front of an audience and feel confident enough in your abilities, you may consider putting on your teacher’s hat.
When you’re establishing yourself as a stylist, you’ll have to overcome client hesitation. Some clients may be resistant to booking with a novice. One way to overcome these reservations and make some extra money is to host virtual classes or tutorials. You can promote these classes on your social media accounts. You might also consider signing up for a Vagaro account and using the Live Stream feature to teach. You’ll be able to reach people both far & near. Need some ideas to get the live streaming portion of your business going? We’ve got you covered.
9. Run Limited-Time Promotions
Promotions are a great way to get new clients into your chair. While you typically want to avoid giving out discounts, small promotions are effective at attracting new clients. First, you need to decide on the promotion you’d like to run. Will you take a percentage off a specific service? Will a client get a free product sample with a certain service? Once you decide on your promotion, you need to get the word out. Of course, you’ll promote your promo through your salon marketing materials. If you use Vagaro, you can run a Daily Deal, which showcases your promotion to clients in your local area and has proved to quadruple a business’s bookings.
10. Ask for Reviews
Your clients can be some of your most effective marketing tools. When searching for a new hairstylist, curious clients will likely research whether you’re the right stylist for them. With the entire world at their fingertips, they’ll be able to find information about you and your services, so long as you're online. But one of the most effective ways to generate new business is to get high-quality client reviews.
After a client leaves your salon, send a follow-up thanking them for their time & business. Then, kindly ask them to leave a review. You may choose to incentivize leaving a review by offering a small discount or a free product sample in return. When potential clients see positive reviews, they’re more likely to book with you. And if they see a gracious & professional response to any negative reviews, they’re more likely to trust you, your experience & expertise.
11. Have a Referral Program
A referral program is one of the most cost-efficient & valuable ways to acquire a new client. Referrals are so effective because you can overcome consumer resistance without spending a ton on marketing and will see results more immediately. According to the Journal of Marketing, published by the American Marketing Association, the lifetime value of a client obtained through a referral is twice the value of a client obtained through traditional marketing methods. Referred clients already have a positive view of your business because they got your information from a trusted source. If you give them a good experience, the likelihood they’ll return is much higher. Referrals also increase the amount of user-generated content you can repost to your social media accounts. This helps celebrate clients and grow your social following!
Depending on your salon’s structure, you may already have a referral program in place. If so, take advantage of it to the fullest.
If you don’t have a referral program in place, starting one is simple! Invite your current clients to bring their friends to your salon, offer them an incentive (like $10 off per qualified referral) and watch the money roll in! To make sure their referral sticks with your salon and ensure an increase in client retention, offer a reward or small discount for trying you out, like 15% off their next service with you.
Use Vagaro to Get New Clients
At Vagaro, we’re in the business of making your business dreams come true. We know that starting out can be difficult and at times—discouraging, even. But with hard work, time & patience, you’ll start building your client base in no time. And we’re here to help! With Vagaro, it’s easy to create Daily Deals, get reviews, host virtual classes and get found with our free Marketplace. And now, with Vagaro Pay Later, you can get even more business.
If you’re a stylist who does extensions, for example, you may be struggling to find clients for such an expensive service. Don’t lower your prices and undermine your worth. Instead, try Pay Later. With Pay Later, you’ll get paid upfront while your client can spread out their payments over six weeks, making big-ticket services more accessible, attainable & affordable. You can even use Pay Later with retail products to bump up sales!
Explore everything Vagaro can do for you when you sign up for a 30-day FREE trial. Start building your client base today!