How are you going to make sure your marketing campaigns land with your clients this summer? By taking the time to create a marketing calendar with intention, you can make things easier for yourself while also attracting more clients to your business.
With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some of our top tips to accurately target and market to your client base during the summer period specifically.
First, Let Us Give You Some Context
One of the most important basic marketing principles is that when you advertise something, you must advertise it to the right people at the right time. Simply put, your marketing must resonate with the people who see it.
With this in mind, there are a few different client attributes that occur over the course of the summer. Here are some examples of the types of clients you may be marketing to:
- Busy Clients: they are going on summer holidays, looking after the kids during the school holidays, and attending summertime events. They may be too busy to put time aside to book an appointment, or may completely forget to visit the salon. With so much going on, and the tendency for clients to book last minute trips to make the most of the good weather, you’re likely dealing with some last-minute no-shows and appointment gaps to fill.
- Budget-Conscious Clients: they are tight for money after paying for summer camps, expensive holidays, or childcare. They may not be able to budget for their regular salon treatments or services, and, therefore don’t visit or visit to avail of cheaper services.
- Absent Clients: some clients, like those in college or those who work seasonally, may move back to their hometown during the summer, meaning they’re not physically able to visit the salon.
- Adventurous Clients: those clients who do regularly visit the salon, but want to change up their look for the summer. They are likely to try brand-new treatments like a lighter hair colour, a spray tan, or a more new makeup look.
The above examples are just an overview, and you will know your clients best. However, considering the thoughts, habits, budgets, and circumstances of your client base is a great place to start when planning a summer marketing strategy.
Now, let’s get onto the practical stuff…
As a business that services all types of people, you will, more than likely, experience almost all of the above groups. With this in mind, it’s worthwhile mixing your marketing efforts within a larger strategy so that all of your clients feel seen and heard. That, in its essence, is the key to successful marketing.
For The Busy Clients
In research conducted by Phorest, we unveiled that a whopping 62% of no-shows occur simply because the client has forgotten that they have an appointment. This is particularly evident in the summertime, when people are busy with other responsibilities. To avoid those dreaded no-shows or late cancellations, why not set up automated SMS or email appointment reminders? Alternatively, our Client Reconnect tool can identify clients who have forgotten to rebook an appointment in their usual timeframe and will automatically reach out inviting them to schedule their next appointment.
While this isn’t a direct marketing strategy, it is an indirect one and will help you keep your salon front of mind for those busier clients. .
For the On-A-Budget Clients
From days and nights out with friends to family holidays, summer camps, and everything in between, summer is an expensive period. As a result of this, many of your clients could be de-prioritising their visits to the salon, clinic or spa. How can you get them back in your doors, even if they’re on a budget?
By giving them value.
Clients will return back to a salon that they feel they’re receiving value from. And that doesn’t always have to mean discounts or cheaper prices!
To add value to your clients’ next visit, why not:
- Create summer-specific packages offering three services for the price of two
- Assign extra loyalty points to summer-specific services
- Offer group packages that encourage clients to book with a group of friends or family
- Discount the price of retail products when purchased alongside a service
- Send a segmented marketing email or SMS offering a discount for clients who book a service during the summer months.
Whatever way you choose to give extra value to your clients, adding an extra “something” to your salon experience offering is a great way of giving your guests extra “bang for their buck” and encouraging them to return
For The “I Need a Change” Clients
With the turn of a new season, many people decide to change up their look; whether that’s through a dramatic hair transformation or a subtle tweak to their everyday makeup. As a business in the professional hair and beauty industry, this is a massive opportunity for you!
Brainstorm, plan, and create marketing content that encourages clients to shake up their look, and share iterations of this content across email marketing messages, social media posts, and social media ads. With clever content, high-quality images, and call-to-actions that encourage clients to book online and try something new, you’re sure to get booked up to create some exciting and confidence-boosting transformations-and at the end of the day, that’s what makes the job so worth it, eh?
For The Absent Clients
Many salon, clinic, and spa owners report that reaching out to clients who haven’t visited in a long time is difficult and can even feel a little awkward. This is especially true if they’re unsure why the client hasn’t returned. Two methods of marketing can make reaching out to these clients a little less awkward:
- Personal Email Marketing: If you want to connect directly with lapsed clients, email marketing can be a fantastic way to do so. For best results, using a tool like Phorest’s Client Reconnect can be effective. Client Reconnect identifies clients who haven’t booked in their usual timeframe and allows you to send an automated email inviting them back in. You can personalise these emails so that they sound like a casual invite, or can even write an obvious “we miss you” message that shows the client you’d love them to return back. To make Reconnect messages extra special, you can also add exclusive discounts, treats, or other incentives to help encourage these lapsed clients back in.
- Paid Ads on Social Media: If you’re unsure about sending an obvious and personalised message directly to your lapsed clients’ inboxes, paid ads on social media is your next best bet. These can be created and published across Facebook and Instagram in Phorest Ads Manager, and set to only target clients who haven’t visited in a certain period of time. Strong copy, high-quality imagery, and a call to action encouraging them to book online are all features of a great social media ad, which are made easy in Phorest.
How to Create a Summer Marketing Campaign That Works
While segmented marketing campaigns like the ones we’ve described above are most effective for getting clients in, another strategy that can be weaved into this is to pre-plan marketing based on important seasonal dates or occasions.
Where appropriate, get creative and use seasonal celebrations, dates, and trends to create packages, promotions, or special offers in your salon, spa, or clinic. Some examples:
- Decorating your physical space with summer-themed or beachy decor
- Creating an all-summer-long promotional package on your most popular seasonal services or treatments
- Running summer-specific social media competitions to boost your brand and increase online engagement
- Highlighting summer-specific retail products, such as travel packs, both in the salon and across your online store
- Planning a diary of seasonal SMS and email marketing campaigns that draw on summery themes
With That in Mind… Pencil These Dates Into Your Diary
Do any of these holidays or celebrations fit with your brand? Can you highlight the holiday and creatively link it back to your brand in a way that makes your clients want to visit you? Why not get your team together for a brainstorming session?
- Mental Health Awareness Week (May 13-19th )
- Pride Month (The Month of June)
- National Leave the Office Early Day (June 2nd)
- National Cancer Survivor’s Day (first Sunday in June)
- World Environment Day (Jun 5th)
- Men’s Health Week (June 10-16th)
- Father’s Day (June 16th)
- Juneteenth (June 17th)
- Summer Solstice (June 20th)
- Compliment Your Mirror Day (July 3rd)
- International Day of Friendship (July 30th)
Here’s To Some Summer Salon Lovin’
How will you make the most of the summer season when crafting your next marketing campaign? While it can feel daunting to see appointments drop off during May, June, and July, take this time to plan ahead, strategize, and create a killer marketing calendar with your team to get those clients back in.
PS: Phorest’s Marketing Suite has a wide range of seasonal templates available to give your marketing emails and SMS that extra flair. Why not try them out this summer and help encourage your clients back into the salon, no matter what their summer plans are!
Best of luck, and happy Summer!
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