With the Brazilian beauty industry growing rapidly, it’s important for salons to stand out from the crowd. We look at seven effective marketing techniques to attract new customers.
The number of new businesses in Brazil is growing at an almost unprecedented rate. In fact, last year, the number of actively trading organisations across the country rose to 2.3 million; nearly a 3.5 per cent increase over the previous year. And while there has been growth across a wide range of industries, the beauty sector is one where significant levels of growth have been reported.
There is little doubt that the future landscape is set to be competitive, highlighting the need for salons to generate marketing techniques highly effective in reaching target audiences and building solid customer bases.
The problem, however, is that the average salon can only budget three to seven percent of annual revenue for marketing and promotion purposes; a portion that, for many, may not be enough to pursue all the advertising avenues desired.
There is an urgent and growing need for salons to ensure they are getting the most value from their campaign efforts and marketing investments through effective solutions.
Here are seven of the most effective marketing techniques to help you attract new customers in a competitive world.
1. Increase your online presence
If a salon isn’t already online, now is the time to make it happen. Likewise, if a salon is online but doesn’t have a strong digital presence, it’s essential to expand that presence to increase visibility and brand familiarity.
This data suggests that a digital presence can be an essential aspect of a strong marketing strategy, even for salons that don’t offer e-commerce services; in this case, marketing is less about directly increasing revenue and more about improving brand awareness to drive traffic.
There are many channels that salon owners can utilize to improve their online presence and get their brand in front of the right eyes: their own salon website, social media profiles, guest posts on relevant industry-associated sites.
What many salon owners don't realize is that creating a strong online presence It's not just about marketing and attracting new customers; it's also about meeting the evolving needs of existing customers.
70% of today's customers want to book beauty appointments online, so embracing digital technologies and implementing them in the workplace is a development opportunity worth exploring.
Along with booking services, there are several other online solutions that can have a positive impact on operations.
2. Offer incentives
When determining the most appropriate marketing techniques for attracting new customers, it is important to take into account the already competitive landscape, which is expected to become even more fierce in the future.
Brand loyalty is a big concern here, with the potential for customers to move between salons for a variety of reasons (and perhaps in some cases, no reason at all).
Customers value familiarity, which is certainly good news for those with a large existing client base, but it’s not so good news when viewed from an acquisition perspective. So what can make customers want to try a new salon?
Incentive. 80% of customers feel motivated to try a new business when there is a discount or offer to tempt them, so this should be something incorporated into marketing campaigns.
A good place to start is with rewards programs that not only provide incentive but also help build a long-term relationship and increase customer lifetime value (CLV).
3. Develop an SEO strategy
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy. It helps match what customers are looking for with the services salons are offering, making it easier for new customers to find a salon that’s right for them.
By incorporating relevant keywords and phrases into online content, salons can boost their rankings through search engines like Google; an essential consideration given that around three-quarters of all search engine users never scroll past the first page of results.
The best SEO strategy for small businesses is one where keywords have been thoroughly researched.
One of the best places to do keyword research is through an online tool like Google Ads, which shows you what words and phrases your target audience is searching for.
But always remember that SEO is not a one-size-fits-all thing: for best effect, keywords should be adapted using seasonal variants, especially in an industry like beauty, where times of year and calendar events can significantly affect the active audience, like wedding season and Christmas party season, for example.
These keywords should be naturally incorporated into a content creation strategy and used in regular blogging and guest posts.
4. Know your audience
Quite simply, no matter how much effort a salon owner puts into their marketing strategy, they will ultimately fail to achieve their goals if they don’t reach their target audience… who is their target audience? This is something every salon owner should know.
An existing customer base can provide useful information about who uses the services offered, but it is also important to observe industry trends.
Once salon owners know who they’re marketing to, they can start considering where they should focus their efforts. There are some pretty notable gender differences in social media usage, with platforms like Pinterest having significantly more female account holders than male account holders.
But it’s not just about who and where, it’s also about what. If a salon truly determines that its target audience is women aged 36 and older, what kind of content and what kind of services would be statistically most likely to attract them?
For example, if it is assumed that this demographic includes children, salons may consider expanding their offerings to include children’s services and even parties; it’s about being in a position to identify your target audience and give them what they are looking for.
5. Work with influencers
Given that 831% of customers say they are motivated to take action through word of mouth, influencer marketing can be an extremely effective method for salon owners looking to attract new audiences and reach new demographics.
Influencer marketing provides access to a ready-made pool of potential customers and associates the organization with a reputable and respected figure who inspires trust in their followers.
Influencer marketing can be useful in many industries, but the beauty industry is one where it has a significant impact. Why? Because success in the beauty industry relies heavily on peer reviews.
Unlike businesses selling products, there is no set standard for beauty services; the overall outcome depends on the professional, whether it be their qualifications, their experience and knowledge, or their vision, so a 'thumbs up' from a colleague can be a great motivation.
Reaching out to influencers can be challenging, but with a strong, well-researched outreach strategy, it can be much easier to identify influencers who can help your brand and audience base grow.
It’s also important to measure an influencer’s return on investment and track direct referrals and traffic from that source to ensure that your influencer marketing efforts are achieving what they set out to achieve.
6. Prioritize local marketing
The importance of keywords and SEO was covered earlier, but there is an extra layer of search engine optimization that is vital for brick-and-mortar businesses like hair salons: local SEO.
Local marketing isn’t as big a concern for e-commerce businesses that can ship nationwide or even worldwide. But for businesses like salons that rely on foot traffic, local marketing is essential because it helps target potential audiences in the region.
THE Google My Business is a fantastic tool for this, with a large proportion of discovery research.
Discovery searches are those used when a potential customer is looking for options. For example, 'nail salon Melbourne'. Direct searches are less important for attracting new customers; they are searches related to a specific business.
But what is the best approach?
To get the most out of Google My Business, salon owners should focus on long-tail keywords with geographic SEO. For example, instead of targeting ‘eyelash extensions,’ target ‘eyelash extensions in New York City’ and variations.
To determine the best long-tail and geographic keywords, salon owners should conduct a competitor analysis, taking a closer look at what keywords other salons are targeting.
Niche keywords that are not used extensively by local rivals can help give beauty salons a competitive edge.
7. Focus on visuals
Visual marketing is essential for two reasons. The first is that humans are, by nature, visual learners. It is estimated that around 651% of people retain information better when it is presented in a visual format.
The second reason is that beauty is a highly aesthetic industry that relies on the appearance of the finished design or style. Therefore, visuals should play an important role in salon marketing strategies.
Consider using image-based social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.
Virtual reality may seem like an unusual aspect of a salon marketing strategy, but it’s already being used in the beauty industry.
Beauty brand L'Oreal recently acquired augmented reality and artificial intelligence company ModiFace, while Bellacures, a salon in Beverly Hills, California, has started using VR headsets to allow clients to experience relaxing locations throughout their treatment.
Generating an effective marketing strategy
Salon marketing is definitely very different from ecommerce marketing, but there are some lessons that can be borrowed from these types of strategies.
While there are many different promotional options, it is important to choose effective methods that truly get the most value out of your available budget.
The beauty industry in Brazil is becoming increasingly competitive, so it is now essential for salons to ensure their target audience knows who they are by raising awareness, increasing online visibility and increasing brand familiarity to attract new customers and generate growth.
