StudioTracker
Well-Known Member
Marketing concerns your product, price, distribution and promotion. Marketing is involves tailoring your product or service to your target market and making sure they know about you. Many business owners see marketing as a chore, devoting a little time as possible to understanding their customer and developing their marketing. However, most salon owners would agree that they got into business because they wanted to reap the full rewards of their training and enjoy the achievement of watching something they created grow and flourish but without the right marketing your business will never fulfil its potential. In this article Ive outlined the 7 most common marketing sins made by small businesses and how you can take action to make sure you avoid the pitfalls.
Sin 1: Believing your presence is enough
The main reasons cited for small business failure are poor planning, poor financial management, and poor marketing (SCORE, 2007). In a recent survey of failed start-ups, found that those who failed at marketing hadnt placed enough importance on promoting their business.
How can you can over this hurdle?
When you first start researching your advertising options you will find that there are many alternatives to choose from. Firstly, it is essential to measure the outcome of every marketing initiative you engage in. That way, you will know what works and how much to spend.
Sin 2: Taking an Ad Hoc approach
Marketing needs to be central to your business plan. Thinking its quiet, maybe we should think about advertising is a bad approach. By that time its too late. Maybe you start drafting a newsletter and then decide its too time consuming.
How can you get people to recognise you?
You need to think about what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. Similarly, you need to think about what you want to say. Commit to your decision. You may not see the results straight away but that isnt a reason to quit.
The advertising you do needs to communicate the right message about your business. Most importantly, you need to communicate a consistent message in a consistent format.
Sin 3: Saying the same thing
When devising your marketing messages whats the first thing you do? Look at what the competition says about themselves? Thats great if youre looking for what differentiates you from your competition, its not so great if youre just looking to copy what the competition does. If you are only ever saying the same thing as the competition how can you claim to be better in any way?
How can you differentiate yourself from the competition?
You need to determine your unique selling point. Look around at the competition and assess what makes you better. Maybe you have more experience? Maybe you open longer? If you are in direct competition with someone, unless you give people a reason to visit you, rather than them, they wont.
Sin 4: Failing to understand your customers
You might think looking groomed is vital to a customer but have you ever taken the time to ask them whats important? Similarly, you might think that youre prices are very competitive but if the majority of customers are looking for service over price, then its irrelevant.
How can you appeal to potential customers more?
Luckily this obstacle is easy to overcome, all you have to do is ask clients what they see as the most valuable aspects of your service. Mintel market research has reported that the desire to remain youthful looking, and the opportunity to relax are the primary drivers of the beauty industry. Why dont you find out if your customers say the same thing?
Sin 5: People buy benefits, not features
Following on from the previous point, customers are looking to fulfil their own needs; such as the need to feel attractive, or the need to feel good, so you need to focus your all aspects of your service on fulfilling these needs.
How do I identify benefits?
List the benefit of each treatment. Now, ask yourself whether you are articulating these to customers?
Sin 6: Know your target market
Take car insurance for example. These days we have car insurance for older drivers, car insurance for couples, car insurance for women drivers .and so on. If a generic car insurer entered the market they would find it difficult to compete as they wouldnt appeal to a specific market. By isolating your target audience you know what to say and where to place your message.
How do you decide who to target?
This will depend on your location, the surrounding area and your proximity to other salons. Once you have determined who you are able to attract you need to try and communicate with these people. Make sure you are geared up to appeal to this group, with your treatment lists and pricing devised accordingly.
Sin 7: Identifying what works, and what doesnt
If youd marketing is going the way youd hoped you need to be prepared to change. Maybe one of the elements of your marketing mix just isnt working. You need to be prepared to accept this and adapt.
How do I know whats working?
Measure, measure, measure! Whether its an advertising initiative or a special promotion you need to measure the response to decide whether the return was good enough for you to repeat it. For example, include a promotional code with an offer so that you can track the response.
Sin 1: Believing your presence is enough
The main reasons cited for small business failure are poor planning, poor financial management, and poor marketing (SCORE, 2007). In a recent survey of failed start-ups, found that those who failed at marketing hadnt placed enough importance on promoting their business.
How can you can over this hurdle?
When you first start researching your advertising options you will find that there are many alternatives to choose from. Firstly, it is essential to measure the outcome of every marketing initiative you engage in. That way, you will know what works and how much to spend.
Sin 2: Taking an Ad Hoc approach
Marketing needs to be central to your business plan. Thinking its quiet, maybe we should think about advertising is a bad approach. By that time its too late. Maybe you start drafting a newsletter and then decide its too time consuming.
How can you get people to recognise you?
You need to think about what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. Similarly, you need to think about what you want to say. Commit to your decision. You may not see the results straight away but that isnt a reason to quit.
The advertising you do needs to communicate the right message about your business. Most importantly, you need to communicate a consistent message in a consistent format.
Sin 3: Saying the same thing
When devising your marketing messages whats the first thing you do? Look at what the competition says about themselves? Thats great if youre looking for what differentiates you from your competition, its not so great if youre just looking to copy what the competition does. If you are only ever saying the same thing as the competition how can you claim to be better in any way?
How can you differentiate yourself from the competition?
You need to determine your unique selling point. Look around at the competition and assess what makes you better. Maybe you have more experience? Maybe you open longer? If you are in direct competition with someone, unless you give people a reason to visit you, rather than them, they wont.
Sin 4: Failing to understand your customers
You might think looking groomed is vital to a customer but have you ever taken the time to ask them whats important? Similarly, you might think that youre prices are very competitive but if the majority of customers are looking for service over price, then its irrelevant.
How can you appeal to potential customers more?
Luckily this obstacle is easy to overcome, all you have to do is ask clients what they see as the most valuable aspects of your service. Mintel market research has reported that the desire to remain youthful looking, and the opportunity to relax are the primary drivers of the beauty industry. Why dont you find out if your customers say the same thing?
Sin 5: People buy benefits, not features
Following on from the previous point, customers are looking to fulfil their own needs; such as the need to feel attractive, or the need to feel good, so you need to focus your all aspects of your service on fulfilling these needs.
How do I identify benefits?
List the benefit of each treatment. Now, ask yourself whether you are articulating these to customers?
Sin 6: Know your target market
Take car insurance for example. These days we have car insurance for older drivers, car insurance for couples, car insurance for women drivers .and so on. If a generic car insurer entered the market they would find it difficult to compete as they wouldnt appeal to a specific market. By isolating your target audience you know what to say and where to place your message.
How do you decide who to target?
This will depend on your location, the surrounding area and your proximity to other salons. Once you have determined who you are able to attract you need to try and communicate with these people. Make sure you are geared up to appeal to this group, with your treatment lists and pricing devised accordingly.
Sin 7: Identifying what works, and what doesnt
If youd marketing is going the way youd hoped you need to be prepared to change. Maybe one of the elements of your marketing mix just isnt working. You need to be prepared to accept this and adapt.
How do I know whats working?
Measure, measure, measure! Whether its an advertising initiative or a special promotion you need to measure the response to decide whether the return was good enough for you to repeat it. For example, include a promotional code with an offer so that you can track the response.
