Email is a significantly more effective way to acquire customers than social media. Almost 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined, according to global management consultants McKinseys.
Just re-read that again.
Slowly.
Email marketing is 40 times more effective than social if your goal is to acquire customers
So why do so many hair and beauty salons think email marketing is old-hat and outmoded? Granted it’s been around a few years but that’s not a good reason to ignore it.
This recent study is hard proof of what I’ve been saying for years – one of your salon’s most valuable marketing assets is your email database.
#SalonBusiness Tip:
A large, accurate database of all your clients (current and lapsed) PLUS a healthy chunk of potential new clients should be one of your key salon business goals.
If you want to grow your salon business quickly you must grow your email database
I don’t advise salons to purchase email databases. They can be fraught with problems and an expensive waste of time. Always build your own.
This database will be one of the most powerful salon marketing tools you have. So invest time, effort and budget on building it.
Still need persuading? Look at how we promote our salon marketing agency. We put considerable effort into growing our database and email marketing. Lockhart Meyer Salon Marketing wouldn’t be doing that if it didn’t work. Would we? Honestly.
Here are the 4 best ways to collect email addresses for your salon:
How do you increase your salon database and importantly get potential new clients to part with their address.?
1. Don’t waste your salon Facebook competitions getting LIKES
If you just ask for a Like to enter your Facebook competition then you’re missing a crucial salon marketing trick.
Likes are just vanity. What you want is their email address. And they will give it to you if you offer a juicy prize.
We ran a contest on Facebook for a hair salon last month and collected over 300 new email addresses in a matter of days. And that gives us the opportunity to send an e-newsletter every month promoting this salon’s services and offers.
Salon marketing straight into their inbox. Which, as the McKinsey study demonstrated, is way more effective at getting new clients for your salon business than social media.
The secret is to use Facebook to collect the email data. Then use email marketing to get them through your salon door.
Facebook and e-marketing working together are a powerful salon marketing partnership. If you’d like help collecting email addresses from your Facebook contests we can help so get in touch.
2. Collect new email addresses at every opportunity
If your salon is helping out at a charitable or other event this is a great way of collecting new names.
- Hold a competition on the day.
- Ask people to fill in their email address to enter.
- Notify the winner by email.
Hey presto, lots of new email addresses. Remember to comply with Data Protection law though and include an unsubscribe facility.
3. Use your salon website to expand your email database
Always have an email newsletter sign-up on your salon website in a prominent position. Ask your website designer to put one on if you don’t currently collect emails.
And don’t just rely on visitors to your salon website. Pop a link on your Facebook page to your website subscribe form to gather more email addresses.
4. Collect data in your hair or beauty salon
If you have till software it’s an ideal salon business tool for collecting email addresses (and other customer information). If not, then set up a simple Excel spreadsheet on your computer and input your database.
Always validate existing clients email addresses every visit. People regularly change their addresses these days.
And make sure your reception team understand the importance of accurate email addresses and check them carefully before the client leaves your salon. [email protected] is incorrect and whilst it may bring a smile to your face is never going to reach the contact.
Databases and email marketing work for salons
Still not convinced? Here are 6 ways that e-marketing and a big database will help you keep loyal clients, rediscover lapsed ones and get new customers into your salon.
Remember that research. Email marketing is 40 times more effective than social if your goal is to acquire customers.
- Not everyone uses social media but most people have an email address. The McKinsey study confirmed over 90% of US consumers still use email daily.
- You are delivering a specific branded salon marketing message direct to your clients’ inbox. You’re not fighting it out to be seen in a torrent of social media messages streaming into their feed.
- Email marketing allows you to be targeted and relevant in a way social media does not. You can select all colour clients and email them a specific colour offer for example. The same for hair extensions, facials, massages – the list is endless.
- No other salon marketing channel gives you so much information about your clients’ behaviour. You know exactly who has received your email, precisely what time they opened it and what they clicked on.
- Email marketing drives traffic back to your salon website, Facebook and other salon social media pages.
- It keeps your salon and hair and beauty services at the front of potential and current customer minds. So some day when they’re looking to change salons you’ll be the first one they think of.
If you’d like help building your salon database then get in touch for a chat.