2 questions about advertising...

[leonnib]

do you know any good places to advertsie nail stations etc to rent..except gumtree?

also has anyone advertised in their local paper before and if so was it effective?

i have been offered a featured article in the paper with a picture etc of salon but i need to put 6 normal adverts in first.
the featured ad would be good im sure but i dont wont to pay for 6 adverts before unless it willl beneficial too..

if i had a pound for every advertising company that has called with a 'great offer and their are the number 1 form of advertising'
id be rich already.. i think ive had about 20-25 in the month we've been opened.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Why not try an advert in a professional publication such as Guild News? Assuming that there are nail techs in the area who read the magazine that are looking for premises...

Isn't there a recruitment section on this site that you could place a post on too?
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[leonnib]

ive tried on this site before but maybe not alot of londoners here :irked:

or maybe no-one to be self employed

 

[Jolicatellas]

I don't know if its the same in the UK as in Oz, but over here small newspaper adds don't do so well. Ladies tend not to read the paper and if they do the paper lasts for a day before its thrown out and forgotten.

Having said that, the feature article will work nicely b/c it will be big and eye catching. So if the price of placing some small adds gets you a free feature article, that's pretty cool to me. I've heard that if you spend $20 on advertising you need to make $40 before the ad was worth it, so if the feature ad brings in double what the 6 ads cost its worth it

My newspaper offered me a feature article for the tide sum of (at my expense of course)... are you sitting down... $2,500!!

 

[Jolicatellas]

P.S. congrats on the baby girl :green:

 

[leonnib]

a few people have said that about the local ones just being thrown out.
i read them well i whenever im lucky enough to get mine

i suppose its worth it for the feature article but if newspapers dont do well in general i may not get a good response from that..:irked:

$2,500 .. id want something more then just the one article for that amount

p.s . thanks im happy to have a mini-me (well i say that now anyway)

 

[Marley's Ghost]

I don't know if its the same in the UK as in Oz, but over here small newspaper adds don't do so well. Ladies tend not to read the paper and if they do the paper lasts for a day before its thrown out and forgotten.

Having said that, the feature article will work nicely b/c it will be big and eye catching. So if the price of placing some small adds gets you a free feature article, that's pretty cool to me. I've heard that if you spend $20 on advertising you need to make $40 before the ad was worth it, so if the feature ad brings in double what the 6 ads cost its worth it

My newspaper offered me a feature article for the tide sum of (at my expense of course)... are you sitting down... $2,500!!

I would agree with that, local newspapers can be hit and miss, as long as you manage your expectations and don't spend a fortune it may be worth a punt though

 

[leonnib]

i think in this case not sure what to expect with newsaper tbh

its 360.0 for the 6 weeks.

at least wth leaflet drops you know the small percentage of people who will respond..

 

[Jolicatellas]

At $360 for 6 weeks = $60 per week, you will have paid for your add simply by earning $120 or more per week. That sounds easy enough doesn't it.

 

[leonnib]

its quite hard when you get so much advertising calls to see which one is worth it. at the moment im being really careful and not saying yes to everything. we've only been open a month so still slow at the moment.

yell.com have been ringing me about 5/6 times a day for the last 3 weeks but no-one seems to know that the other has already called.
so not doing adverts with them purely because of the level of calls they are making to me that was bout 600 a year i was going to do that.

but i think il give it a try and not expect too much from it.. main reason il do it is for the free feature article

 

[LADY STARDUST]

I got told that free papers dont usually generate a lot of interest but the fliers that are loosely in the papers can do, particularly as these inevitably fall out of the paper when you pick it up and then they are physically in someone's hand for them to read.
Failing that, i would concentrate on leaflet drops (although this too is hit and miss) and posting adverts in local shops and getting a good website up and running...xXx

 

[persianista]

I must admit that local paper advertising has never worked for me. I too tried the run of 6 ads in our local news shopper regarding hair extensions and never got a single client.
Also tried to rent out nail space without success. Contrary to what I read on this site, the majority don't want to be self employed or face the risk/reward. So far I have had no luck finding a nail tech so run their own business in either of my salons.
So if you discover the solutions to these problems let me in on it!

 

[leonnib]

I must admit that local paper advertising has never worked for me. I too tried the run of 6 ads in our local news shopper regarding hair extensions and never got a single client.
Also tried to rent out nail space without success. Contrary to what I read on this site, the majority don't want to be self employed or face the risk/reward. So far I have had no luck finding a nail tech so run their own business in either of my salons.
So if you discover the solutions to these problems let me in on it!

i do think its about the risk of being self employed but i would have thought that some mobile techs who are established may want to rent a nail station. i can understand hairdressers not renting as the rental cost is quite abit more for a hair station compared to a nail station im renting mine for £55 so a not that expensive.

i have about 15 emails from beauty techs asking if i have space so i wonder why beauty techs are prepared to risk renting a room. but no response from nail techs.

stilll not sure about the 6 adverts id be better off advertising in a magazine more specified for beauty. or a more well known newspaper.

 

[persianista]

I also had more response when I advertised a room to rent. Funny thing is tho, Not one therapist was really clued up as to the reality of room rent! Always employ my staff now, much safer. I dont know why nail techs shy off from setting up thier own nail bars. I asked for 80 quid a week in a salon with approx 150 clients a week coming in. I would have thought it was a one way bet, but they all wanted me to guarantee them a wage!!!!
As for the advertising question, I have never found a satisfactory way of advertising a salon that translates into bums on seats. So far I have tried;
local paper
local paper magazine
backs of menus for local restaurants
on the screens in the sports centre
school fete flyers
sponsoring local sports events
direct mailshots
text marketing
e shots
hair group paticipation (moderate success with this one)
tlt group
donating to charity fundraisers (this also fairly successful)

I find that most of my new clients are sent to us by existing clients. we send a little bunch of flowers to say thanks.

 

[leonnib]

whats hair group particpation?

i dont understand the nail tech and beauty tech thing either. even though it was advertises as self employed vacancy they all sent cv's to be employed.

i tried charity fundraising but wasnt at all great. but there was a carnival the same day and dozy me didnt realize until the floats were going past
i did do a cake day in my first week which went better then the charity event.

 

[number1kitty]

its quite hard when you get so much advertising calls to see which one is worth it. at the moment im being really careful and not saying yes to everything. we've only been open a month so still slow at the moment.

yell.com have been ringing me about 5/6 times a day for the last 3 weeks but no-one seems to know that the other has already called.
so not doing adverts with them purely because of the level of calls they are making to me that was bout 600 a year i was going to do that.

but i think il give it a try and not expect too much from it.. main reason il do it is for the free feature article

I never ever advertise in the papers! The money is better spent elsewhere. However I would spend money on an advertorial once every three months. These cost much less, look more professional and more like a write up on the salon than an advert. Because its in the main body of the paper and looks like news ~ often with a headline people read them. You can add to this a special offer such as a free back massage with every treatment to monitor response.

I used to do this all the time in my salon and despite it having ADVERTISING FEAUTURE across the top loads of people would comment on 'a super write up' in the paper, that of course I wrote myself.

If your shop based and near a busy street get ballons made up with your shop on, and hand them out to kids, and a voucher to mum! offer a freebie treatment for the slimmer of the week at your local slimming clubs to expose your name.

Theres hundreds of other ways too, all cost little than an advert in the local rag!

Kate

 

[leonnib]

I never ever advertise in the papers! The money is better spent elsewhere. However I would spend money on an advertorial once every three months. These cost much less, look more professional and more like a write up on the salon than an advert. Because its in the main body of the paper and looks like news ~ often with a headline people read them. You can add to this a special offer such as a free back massage with every treatment to monitor response.

I used to do this all the time in my salon and despite it having ADVERTISING FEAUTURE across the top loads of people would comment on 'a super write up' in the paper, that of course I wrote myself.

If your shop based and near a busy street get ballons made up with your shop on, and hand them out to kids, and a voucher to mum! offer a freebie treatment for the slimmer of the week at your local slimming clubs to expose your name.

Theres hundreds of other ways too, all cost little than an advert in the local rag!

Kate

i love the slimmer of the week idea.. im going to have a search now. :green:
that is a great idea i used to a slimming club after i had my son and would have loved something like that to keep me going

yes its on the high street it is busy but abit of rain and its like empty ville.

 

[number1kitty]

Pay a couple of sexy men to hand out leaflets on a hot day! If its raining get some brollies made up fairly cheaply and hand them to clients with your company name all over too!

On quiet days ask local clothes boutiques if you can do mini free treatments in their shop to expose your salon.

Give local business £10 vouchers to use as a promotion to get their customers to spend more and promote you too.

Run a fashion show in your local mall and ask other companies to join in ~ and of course you will do tans and make up etc.

I have run colouring comps for local schools & competitions in local high society mags, for mother & daughter make overs, and all runners up got 2-4-1!!!

possibilities are absolutly endless.

Your goal is to be the salon name on everyones lips!

 

[StudioTracker]

Here are a few more ideas that might get you the newspaper coverage you want without paying the large fees:

http://www.salongeek.com/blogs/studiotracker/11825-how-raise-your-business-profile.html

 

[Ruth Mills]

Pay a couple of sexy men to hand out leaflets on a hot day!

I like that idea! Better still, make sure they get a full body wax and a spray tan first, and, if really adventurous, get them to pose in just their pants and shoes, with the salon logo painted/airbrushed on their chests and backs!
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