Making Online Marketing Work for Your Salon

Although the hair and beauty sector, like many industries, is in a period of post-Covid recovery, before the pandemic business was booming and there's a strong sense of optimism this will return. According to the National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF), in 2020, there were almost 45,000 hair and beauty businesses in the UK, over 1,000 more than the previous year, and there's been a growth of 54% in hairdressing, barbering and beauty businesses over the last five years.¹

This sector is vibrant, dynamic and fast-paced, with an annual turnover of £8 billion for the UK economy.¹ There are excellent opportunities for your salon to grow in this ever-changing industry, particularly online. So we've produced a guide to marketing your salon business online, which aims to help you grab a bigger slice of this growing market.

You don't need to find significant marketing budgets when adopting salon marketing tools. By building a powerful online presence, you can engage customers searching for hair and beauty services without breaking the bank.

We've put together some salon promotion ideas to help you get started, offering tips on salon internet marketing, social media presence and Google ranking (SEO visibility) to help you build and manage your business online.

When it comes to salon internet marketing, there are three essential areas to consider:

Website search optimisation ‒ ensuring your website is up-to-date and Google-friendly.

Ratings and reviews ‒ valuable insights from clients who have experienced great service from you.

Social media content ‒ regularly sharing interesting and engaging content.

Each of these forms the basis for your online salon marketing strategy. When used correctly they can help make your business stand out from your competitors in a saturated market.

Salon Internet Marketing: Why Does my Salon Need an Online Presence?

Online presence allows you to engage with existing clients while being found by new ones. The industry is constantly evolving, so showing your clients you are up-to-date with the latest trends is critical for a successful salon business. A well-constructed website and regular social media presence are the best tools to showcase your styles, share expertise and knowledge of the latest fashion trends and techniques. Plus, you can demonstrate and even sell products you use in your salon.

A website is also a tool to promote your latest offers and promotions and create a buzz around a new product or package in the pipeline.

When building your website, ensure it's mobile-friendly, as many customers are likely to view your site from their devices. It's also worth incorporating an online booking system to make the booking process easier for your customers, even when the salon is closed.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Marketing for Salons

A visually stunning website will fail to meet your salon marketing objectives if it's not well-optimised, but what do we mean by SEO?

SEO is the way your business is found within search engine result listings. When potential clients type in a particular request into Google (for example), the results will be related to their search phrases, keywords and even their location if they're searching for salons in a specific geographical area. Google finds the best results based on how closely the content on your website matches the client's search phrase.

By optimising your site with the right content, you maximise the opportunity to appear as high up in the search listings as possible. While there are professional SEO agencies that dedicate time to cracking Google's algorithm codes, there are effective approaches you can adopt:

Website design ‒ make sure it's easy to navigate, think about the three-click rule ‒your visitors should find what they're looking for within three clicks.

Website content ‒ keep it fresh, relevant and visually appealing.

Keywords ‒ ensure those keywords and phrases your potential clients may use to find you are featured on your website.

Social media ‒ a powerful salon marketing tool which can help you gain new clients with minimal effort.

Social media is a way to communicate with your customers, from promoting a product or special offers, to reflecting your salon's personality to your followers. Ensure you post regular updates but try to keep a balance—make sure your content is professional, relevant and encourages engagement. If you're not already using social media for your salon, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are good starting points that also offer live broadcast options you can use to share styling tips.

Blogging and Vlogging

Blogging and, most recently, vlogging have become increasingly popular.

They can be light-hearted and fun. Create some posts to share top tips, health and safety advice when carrying out hair and beauty treatments at home, and latest trends etc. These posts show customers that you are keeping on top of industry insights and know about the up-and-coming products or treatments that other salons may not have.

Blogs don't always need to relate directly to your business; however, as long as you can pop some keywords in there and make it enjoyable to read, you could be on to a winner.

Ratings and Reviews

The internet gives you a chance to communicate with your clients and prospective new customers; it can also be used as a forum by those with experience of your business to review and rate your service.

You must be aware of the feedback that you, as a business, are receiving and take steps to rectify any complaints or suggestions that have been made. Remember to take any criticism as constructive and remain positive and professional in your response.

E-marketing

Email marketing is a cost-effective and straightforward way to build loyalty and trust with your clients. By integrating e-marketing with your social media activity, this channel can be used to promote special offers, products and sharing blogs or vlogs. Use your social media channels and website to encourage people to sign up for future newsletters. However, make sure you are familiar with GDPR regulations and you obtain explicit marketing consent from clients and prospects before you email them.

So there you have it; a brief overview of our salon marketing tips. Hopefully, these suggestions have inspired you to work on your salon marketing strategy and put your ideas into action.

Don't forget to protect your salon business from the risks it faces. Smei offers a range of professional beauty insurance products designed to meet the particular needs of hair and beauty salons.

 

^{1 https://www.nhbf.co.uk/about-the-nhbf/what-we-do/industry-research/}