Your most effective ways to advertise?

[Jen889]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking to pick your brains, what is your most effective form of advertising? I am not looking at the ways to promote thread as there's a lot of great ideas but i would like to find out your tried and true forms of advertising. The ones you know have worked.

I am starting an advertising campaign for my little spa. Facebook on this side of the pond is not a HUGE way to advertise. I have put a few google adwords ads, an ad in the local college newspaper and now i am debating on sending out postcards within a 2min radius of my spa. It's affordable and i feel since i am the ONLY place offering nail services, facials and waxing that it would be a good way of getting my name out there as not a lot of people know i'm here (despite being here for two years).

What has worked for you?

 

[Biljana]

Honestly, the most effective and cheapest form of advertising is Word of Mouth
I have FB, Twitter, Instagram, I am listed on Google search, Yelp, Foursquare, etc...
My clients fill out their profile cards and in the "how did you hear about us section" it is mostly word of mouth.
Id have to say that the statistics in my spa show at least 95% by referral. The other smaller portion is Yelp and maybe a few from the local classifieds Kijiji.ca
Patience and amazing customer service is key. If you consistently go above their expectations they WILL tell at least 10 other people and of those 10, 3-4 book an appointment. Guaranteed
I opened my place almost 2 years ago and my clientele list went from about 70 regular existing clients to 230 approx.
I work 12-14 hours a day. I am exhausted and good lord help me because I am contemplating hiring to be able to accommodate new incoming clients all from referrals.
Patience

Sent from my SGH-I337M using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Jen889]

Honestly, the most effective and cheapest form of advertising is Word of Mouth
I have FB, Twitter, Instagram, I am listed on Google search, Yelp, Foursquare, etc...
My clients fill out their profile cards and in the "how did you hear about us section" it is mostly word of mouth.
Id have to say that the statistics in my spa show at least 95% by referral. The other smaller portion is Yelp and maybe a few from the local classifieds Kijiji.ca
Patience and amazing customer service is key. If you consistently go above their expectations they WILL tell at least 10 other people and of those 10, 3-4 book an appointment. Guaranteed
I opened my place almost 2 years ago and my clientele list went from about 70 regular existing clients to 230 approx.
I work 12-14 hours a day. I am exhausted and good lord help me because I am contemplating hiring to be able to accommodate new incoming clients all from referrals.
Patience

Sent from my SGH-I337M using SalonGeek mobile app

WOW! that's amazing! i'm not sure if it's the area i picked but i've been here two years and it's slow. i have a referral plan in place and tell all my clients but in two years i've gotten only a few referrals :/ i'm trying to jump start by advertising outside the spa as inside (clients) just doesn't seem to be working :/ but i'm also in a bilingual province and don't fluently speak the french, makes it harder. i'm taking lessons but it's slow as well

 

[SalonSpy.com]

Word of mouth is the winner!

Use a safe review site to harness those great testimonials and make them visible on internet searches - linking them to your own site is essential - by this I don't mean, list testimonials, I mean have a badge or a link that shows potential customers that you're happy to be reviewed and take feedback very seriously.

Recommend a friend schemes are great too!

Good luck!