We know that the holiday season is the busiest time of year for your business. That’s why it’s so important to plan your marketing, social media, and events in advance. To help you get ready for the rush, we’ve compiled our December and January Marketing Toolkits so that you can get everything ready to have the most profitable festive season in 2023.
We’ve got everything you need to engage your clients, create a buzz around your business, and make this season special (and profitable!). This Marketing Toolkit includes pre and post-Christmas SMS and email Marketing Ideas, a social media calendar planner, top tips for making the most out of Phorest, as well as some fun activities.
To get started… download your personal Marketing Calendar
Phorest’s Marketing Calendar is created especially for industry professionals like you. Just answer a few simple questions about the kind of business you run, whether it’s a salon, spa, nail salon, or medi-aesthetic clinic, and the calendar will automatically give you the most important dates and action items for your holiday season. Click here to download!
Targeted marketing campaigns for big wins in December
Interested in upping your social media game this holiday season? We have the perfect guide for you. Reap the financial benefits by reading into our tried-and-tested strategies in the Salon Owner’s Guide to Social Media Strategy. This guide will teach you how to create a masterful social media presence, just in time for the busiest season of the year!
Want some ‘quick wins’ before the holiday period? Continue reading to see how Phorest Ads Manager and Client Filters can help you make a big impact with your marketing campaigns.
Ads Manager to keep you top-of-mind this season
Salons see an average of 42 bookings worth an average of €2,372.51 per campaign with Phorest Ads Manager. Just think of the revenue potential that you could gain during the holiday season, when clients are more likely to spend more of their discretionary income!
Phorest Ads Manager lets you target existing clients, lost clients, or brand-new clients with its sophisticated algorithm, Meaning you’re empowered to target the right cohort for your business.
Having Facebook and Instagram paid ads integrated with our practice management software has been a game changer! We were previously having an agency manage our paid Facebook and Instagram ads. Now we are paying less, can make swift changes on our own and we are getting much better marketing results.
Emily Duncan, Owner of Elle Skin & Beauty Co.
Client Filters allow sophisticated targeting with greater rewards
If you are a Phorest client, you’ll be happy to know that you can easily target clients when sending out SMS and email campaigns. Your filters are accessible from the second tab when you create your SMS or email. See the screenshot below.
Say you wanted to promote ‘15% off when you pick up in-store’ in your salon; and only want to target top-spending customers who have an appointment in the coming month. Setting up targeting that covers this both encourages clients who have an appointment to make a retail purchase, and conveniently allows them to pick it up while they’re at their appointment.
To create a targeted campaign like this, simply select Client Group, then add ‘Spend’ (set the threshold for your ‘top spenders’) and add ‘Upcoming Visits’ (set the time frame to one month from today). This means top spenders (who are more likely to avail of this offer) will be the first to know about this special offer.
How can I avoid the New Year slump?
Reconnect SMS is your new best friend in January
Have you tried the Client Reconnect feature on your system yet? If not, now is the perfect time to get familiar with it. Come January, you’ll see that this tool will fill in your appointment schedule in no time and with very little effort needed on your part.
This industry-first feature is specifically designed to track when your clients are due for their regular appointments and lets you know when they’re at risk of not coming back, making it easier to target these customers with SMS and email campaigns that invite them back to the salon.
Click here to learn more about Client Reconnect.
Encourage clients to treat themselves in 2024
Although clients might be reluctant to spend in January after an expensive holiday season, a change in perspective can make a big difference. Consider messaging like ‘Treat yourself this year’, ‘Start off the New Year right’, or ‘Celebrate Self-Care This New Year’ in your SMS, email, and social media marketing efforts. This is a great way to encourage clients who might be less inclined to spend money in the new year to splash out for that extra bit of self-care they really want.
A great extra push you could add to this promotion is holding a New Year Online Store discount, or an extra 10% on Gift Cards. That extra incentive can make a huge difference to your profits in January. Similarly, adding special promotions such as “XYZ” can take the sting out of spending money, allowing clients to feel that they’re getting more bang for their buck and encouraging them back into the salon in the New Year.
Extra Holiday Occasions Ideas
National Cocoa Day – December 13th 2023
December 13th is National Cocoa Day, which makes it the perfect excuse to offer clients a complimentary hot drink of their choice upon arrival in the salon. This is a great bonus to promote either by sending a holiday SMS or email promotion about the day—a fantastic way to entice clients to come in during the holidays.
Pssst: Don’t forget to take plenty of pictures and videos and post them on your social media, creating hype and enticing more clients into the salon to avail of a sweet treat!
Ugly Christmas Jumper Day – December 15th 2023 (Third Friday in December)
This is a fun excuse to put on your silliest, tackiest Christmas jumper and to get your clients involved, too. This fun holiday was launched a few years ago with the added intention of raising funds for charity. Why not do the same?
You could get every salon/spa employee to wear their best old Christmas jumper on the day. You could even offer an ‘ugly jumper discount’ for all clients who participate. As for the donation, we recommend picking a local charity and encouraging clients to donate.
Shine Bright this Holiday Season
We hope that this December Marketing toolkit gives you everything you need for a super successful holiday season. Try some of these tips to make the most of the Christmas hype, and don’t forget to check out some of our other content, such as our Christmas Salon Marketing Ideas or our Social Media Strategy Guide below. Wishing you and your team a great season and a successful 2024!