Does your business suffer from a summer slowdown?
Our poll data indicates that the pace of salons and fitness centers slows down during the summer. Which, in turn, gives us an opportunity to show you how to leverage some of Vagaro’s marketing features to help you ride the wave of summertime.
Tips for Salons
Step 1: Create a Promo Code (Or Several!)
Word of mouth is the best advertising! Try creating a promo code for a referral program, rewarding established clients for bringing in their friends and family. A great deal is hard to pass up, and promo codes are a great way to entice both new and established customers to schedule an appointment.
Pro Tip: Use promo codes as part of Vagaro Daily Deals or targeted emails.
Step 2: Tempt Clients With a Daily Deal
Discounts and service bundles are a sure-fire way to get regular clients back in the shop. Give customers the option to purchase online to keep your summer revenues steady. They’re also powerful tools to build your client base. After all, today’s new Daily Deal customer might become tomorrow’s new regular!
If you’ve linked your social media channels to your Vagaro account, you can also leverage the power of social media. Cross-promote to your Facebook page with just one click! But the best part of creating a Daily Deal is this: unlike other marketplaces that offer packages and deals, we don’t take a cut of your deal. Simply put, you create the Daily Deal—you keep all the profits.
Pro Tip: You can also link your Daily Deal in targeted emails and on your other social media channels to make one promotion work double, triple, quadruple time!
Step 3: Become a Vagaro Featured Business
Your salon will be prioritized on the first page of area listings on the Vagaro Fitness and Beauty Marketplace. This makes it easier to court new customers and is especially helpful when coupled with a Daily Deal.
Step 4: Create Memberships & Packages Clients Want
Vagaro’s Support forum has more detailed information on memberships and packages, and how to make them work for your salon. In general, the difference between a membership and a package is the amount of time over which the payments are spread out. A package is usually a one-time expense, whereas service memberships are scheduled as recurring purchases.
Bright Ideas
- Wedding Packages. These could include services provided for the bride (hair, nails, makeup, etc.) or service packages that include the wedding party (hair for the bride & bridesmaids.) Create summer wedding season packages so everyone can look and feel their best for the big day and watch business pick up!
- Service Memberships. Suggested services might include highlights, men's haircuts, women's short styles, or any other service that requires regular upkeep. Memberships can be structured as a reduced price-point per visit, making them attractive to the clients. For the stylist, however, the benefit of offering a reduced fee is that you’ll be guaranteed to see these clients throughout the summer. Statistically, if people pay for a membership, they’re more likely to want to make the most of it.
Pro Tip: If you’re targeting a specific client, you can always use a filter when creating your email marketing campaign.
Step 5: Host an Event
Who doesn’t love a summer party? Try having an open house, a summer mixer, or coordinate with other area businesses to hold a block party. Schedule the event outside of your normal business hours so there’s no pressure on attendees (or staff.) Food, drinks, and giveaways have a way of bringing in people who might not have ever heard of you.
Bright Idea
- Collaborate with other related businesses in your area! For example, if you’re in a salon and there’s a nearby nail salon, host an open house where each of you can provide discounts to on e another’s clientele, effectively driving revenue for you both. Remember, a rising tide lifts all boats!
Pro Tip: Use email marketing to promote your event & give attendees a promo code, coupon, or gift bag to reward them for coming in.
Step 6: Don’t Forget About Email Marketing!
You get 1,000 emails per month included with your basic Vagaro subscription. It’s easy to check and see how many you’ve used. And if your email campaigns are really taking off, you can always upgrade your plan. We offer upgrades for as little as $10 per month, with plans to fit any size business.
Bright Ideas
- Set a filter for clients you haven't seen in a while and send a "Summer Is Coming!" email with an associated promo code or discount, e.g. SUMMER2019
- Set a filter for clients with highlights and send targeted email, "Blondes Have More Fun in the Summertime” with an associated promo code, e.g. HILITES
- Set a filter for clients who’ve received services like body waxing or other related grooming services, with an associated promo code, e.g. SMOOTH
- Send out a targeted email promoting manicures and pedicures (good for all gender clients!) in spas or salons with nail techs
- Use some of your slower times to craft a newsletter which you can send out at the pace that's good for you: monthly, seasonally/quarterly, etc. This is a great way to introduce new staff, acknowledge staff who’ve left, and talk up new programs, new classes, or other new features your business has to offer.
Step 7: Let Social Media Do the Marketing & Booking
With Vagaro’s social media integrations, your clients can book directly from Instagram, Yelp, or Facebook. So, take advantage of the benefits of social media, and let the pictures tell a thousand words for you!
Pro Tip: You might want to use social media to offer discounts or giveaways to clients who use their platforms to promote your salon or spa. Consider running a contest on social media to bring in new clients while keeping established clients engaged. Contests are a fun, low-cost way for you to get a new audience involved and reward your long-standing customers. Plus, you’ll be able to draw inspiration from the responses!
Bright Ideas
Everyone loves a contest! Here are a few ideas to spark engagement for your salon:
- Let clients vote on a service or product to put on sale. Create a poll and let customers decide what service or product gets discounted. To get more engagement, select a winner to receive a prize from participants, then host a flash sale on the product or service.
- Host a “Caption This Photo” contest. Choose the silliest picture you can find and invite social media followers to caption it. You can pick the funniest one, select a winner at random, or create a poll to let other participants decide who wins!
- Play “Tag a Friend” or “Like to Win.” Create a giveaway and have followers like and tag a friend with a comment to enter, then select a winner at random.
We hope that you’ll be able to use these tips to get inspired and leverage your Vagaro salon marketing software to help make this summer your best, busiest one ever!
Do you have a hot tip to help increase sales during the summer slowdown? We’d love to hear about it! Tell us how your salon, spa or barbershop stays busy in summertime!