Promotion advice please

[ejboyle]

I've rented a room out town for over a year. I've now signed a contract to rent a room in the town I live in.

The room I have rented for a year had small client base as I took over from someone else. But I'm starting from scratch with promotion with my new room. I don't start using the room till September. I thought it was a good idea to help me advertise and do promotion?

Ive started making leaflet, so I can do leaflet drops in the area but wont do this till the month before. I've also got a Facebook page where I already promote my current room so I will do the same.

What more do you think I should or could do?

Discounts for first month?
Loyalty cards?
Competitions to win treatment?

Thanks

 

[TheDuchess]

I'd give a discount voucher with the leaflet. Competitions are tricky, if it's an inexpensive prize you'll get lots of entries, if it seems too big a prize no-one will participate.

Make sure you bring your existing client base on board by giving them a discount or upgrade on their first treatment in the new location and offer a refer a friend deal. Give a discount for both friend and existing client for every referral that they bring you.

Get your existing clients to review your business on Facebook and make an effort to post photos on social media. When we moved location we got lots of interest when we posted pictures of us decorating.

 

[ejboyle]

I'd give a discount voucher with the leaflet. Competitions are tricky, if it's an inexpensive prize you'll get lots of entries, if it seems too cheap no-one will participate.

Make sure you bring your existing client base on board by giving them a discount or upgrade on their first treatment in the new location and offer a refer a friend deal. Give a discount for both friend and existing client for every referral that they bring you.

Get your existing clients to review your business on Facebook and make an effort to post photos on social media. When we moved location we got lots of interest when we posted pictures of us decorating.

I was thinking of also offering a continual discount for NHS staff as I work within. Would you say do a month of general discount and then introduce NHS discount or do all at same time

 

[TheDuchess]

Discounting by client sector (students, OAP's, NHS etc) works for some businesses but it isn't a guaranteed way to build your business. I've tried doing various staff offers to businesses that I want to connect to and I never feel that it brings me any new business. What does work is recommendations. I've had loads of referral work - but a discount doesn't seem to be a hook. You also have to be careful not to annoy your full price clients.

I'd focus on getting people to review you on Facebook. That way you're plugged into the network of your clients. You shouldn't bribe people, but you can ask for help from satisfied clients. People like being asked for help. Say you want to promote your new location, or a treatment that hasn't had a review.

And say thank you to clients that bring you a customer. That's polite. Offer an upgrade on a treatment that doesn't cost much in time or products - say a brow tint on a shape or invite them to try a treatment they've never had with you. Your referral clients are VIP's so make them feel special.

 

[BrianWax]

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[AcidPerm]

I recommend Facebook Ads....very cheap to run, very targeted (e.g., only show my ad to 20 - 50 y.o., who live in 10 miles of my salon, and are female). My partner and I paid $5 - $10 to get one new client! That's cheap if you think 50% of those people are going to be clients for years to come.

You seem to recommend Facebook Ads on every single post you’ve made. Why is this?

 

[BrianWax]

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[BannerPenguin]

Because it's a very low cost, low time, low risk way experiment with bringing in clients.

In the UK it can be cheap but the clients tend to be low value and not very good quality.

 

[naomiiamy]

Because it's a very low cost, low time, low risk way experiment with bringing in clients.

It all depends where you are. I gave it a go to see if it would make a difference. I got some more likes on my page but I wouldn't say it got me more clients.

Word of mouth and leaflet dropping worked well for me when I set up, I also gave all my clients a business card with their name on and said if someone else booked in and brought their card with them they'd both get £5 off.

I've just introduced loyalty cards, the girls all love them, and I've timed it to coincide with a price increase so everyone's happy!

 

[BrianWax]

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It all depends where you are. I gave it a go to see if it would make a difference. I got some more likes on my page but I wouldn't say it got me more clients.

Word of mouth and leaflet dropping worked well for me when I set up, I also gave all my clients a business card with their name on and said if someone else booked in and brought their card with them they'd both get £5 off.

I've just introduced loyalty cards, the girls all love them, and I've timed it to coincide with a price increase so everyone's happy!

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[BrianWax]

In the UK it can be cheap but the clients tend to be low value and not very good quality.

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[BannerPenguin]

Any guesses why they tend to be low quality?

There are many filters on there...for example only show to people who make over 60,000 / year. Many things to experiment with.

Maybe just a UK thing?

Just the majority of people on Facebook tend to be lower spenders. It's not where one would look for a premium service.
The filters are iffy at best from my experience. I don't think the targeting is anywhere as good as something like Google AdWords but then for the price difference, I wouldn't expect it to be.

 

[BrianWax]

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[Sasha Malone]

I believe Facebook and instagram ads work. We have gained many loyal and high earner clients from these leads. For us we narrow down the target specifically to the location and interests our model clients like. We have had footballers, footballers wives, Olympic world champions, ufc fighters, music artists, lawyers and accountants to name a few. You will be surprised in who uses social media.

Recently I posted a video transformation of my clients hair onto instagram, I tagged a famous current music producer. In turn his account saw my post and liked it! Like wise with a few other rap artists, from here in the UK, as well as in the US who are huge in the game. They have inboxed myself and from there they have referred me to their associates who need my services.
Do not get me wrong we have had our fair share of clients who are 'Bargin hunters' set on cheapening our services. However they either pay the full going rate or move on.


Its all about effective marketing for your niche.

 

[BrianWax]

I believe Facebook and instagram ads work. We have gained many loyal and high earner clients from these leads. For us we narrow down the target specifically to the location and interests our model clients like. We have had footballers, footballers wives, Olympic world champions, ufc fighters, music artists, lawyers and accountants to name a few. You will be surprised in who uses social media.

Recently I posted a video transformation of my clients hair onto instagram, I tagged a famous current music producer. In turn his account saw my post and liked it! Like wise with a few other rap artists, from here in the UK, as well as in the US who are huge in the game. They have inboxed myself and from there they have referred me to their associates who need my services.
Do not get me wrong we have had our fair share of clients who are 'Bargin hunters' set on cheapening our services. However they either pay the full going rate or move on.


Its all about effective marketing for your niche.

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[Sasha Malone]

Hi Sasha,

Can I ask how big of city what country you live in?

It makes sense in a very small town referrals and flyers might be effective more so than Facebook. Also, dependent on local culture. For my partner and I, Facebook did the trick: Population size 40,000 people.

I live in Greater Manchester, England so a polulation over 2 million.
I tried when I first started posting leaflets through doors in more affluent streets and the shopping villages. It didn't work very well, despite revisiting the area over a course of a period.
I've also tried google AdWords, it wasn't as effective as Facebook and instagram ads. What did help was being at the very top of google for my niche market. I do my seo all by myself, unfortunately I deleted several pages to condense info. (I thought I would do what others in my niche did, who were also high up on google) That had a negative knock on effect, and I am no longer high on Google.
I am slowly building myself back up, Facebook, Instagram and Gumtree help. The content I put up is engaging, which google is liking!
Gumtree can be troublesome in the sense, several people try and barter with our prices. However Google loves Gumtree and is high up on the search results. I just make sure my ad appeals to my target audience, and information provided deters the 'bargin hunters'. I do find that some of 'bargin hunters' do end up booking in weeks/months down the line. After they realise you get what you pay for. Most are long standing clients, who have nothing in the fridge, but would never be seen dead with noticable hair issues or looking a 'hot mess'. Alot of my clients who do not suffer from major hairloss, try and live the 'celebrity lifestyle' then I have clients who are either celebrities themselves or associate themselves with them, so the image is a must for them. I also have clients who cannot 'function' without their hair image, as they suffer from severe hairloss or have confidence/anxiety issues. Then there are the rest, who occasionally get their hair done by us, as we understand their hair needs I.e natural hair and non tight fitting braids.

 

[ejboyle]

It all depends where you are. I gave it a go to see if it would make a difference. I got some more likes on my page but I wouldn't say it got me more clients.

Word of mouth and leaflet dropping worked well for me when I set up, I also gave all my clients a business card with their name on and said if someone else booked in and brought their card with them they'd both get £5 off.

I've just introduced loyalty cards, the girls all love them, and I've timed it to coincide with a price increase so everyone's happy!

I like the idea of the business card with the name of client on. Like refer a friend and get money off.

How do you do you loyalty card? Is it like every £5 or £10 you spend you sign card or after every treatment or re booking within two weeks?

Thanks again for advise

 

[naomiiamy]

My loyalty cards are 1 stamp per treatment, after 5 stamps they get 20% off their next treatment. It's not a huge discount, but it's enough to make them stick with me instead of going somewhere else that's the same price. Everyone loves to feel like they're getting something for nothing!

I used the cards for refer a friend as it meant that they'd be handing the card to a friend who would then remember me and come in, rather than just dropping my name into a conversation and forgetting it an hour later!

Competitions work well for getting me more clients, I will put up a post on my facebook page offering a set of lash extensions for just £10 or a free brow wax and tint, say I'm drawing it a month later, then just keep sharing it over the month. I tell girls they have to like the page, and that to get an entry in the draw they either have to tag a friend on the post comments (1 entry per friend tagged) and/or share the post (2 entries per share). The competition winner often returns at a later date, and I usually gain a 3/4 more clients whilst it's running. I do stress that they have to like the page for a chance of winning, this way they will see future posts and always remember me! It also works giving people a choice of tagging or sharing - a lot of people only like to do one or the other so more people get involved this way rather than competitions where they have to do both!

I've just had some gift certificates printed which I've done a post about on the page, a lot of girls have shown interest and I've already sold a couple to regulars who have giving them to their colleagues etc. I put an expiry date on them, if they come in then fab, I have a new client who may return. If not, I've made money just from giving out the certificate!