12 ways to market your new salon service

Without promotion, something terrible happens… nothing!
– P. T. Barnum

Just hold that thought….

And let me explain:

Excited about a shiny new salon product or service you’re offering soon?

Spending mountains of time and effort on training your team, thinking about the right pricing, taking delivery and all the gazillions of things that need sorting before ‘it’ arrives?

But what are you doing about promoting it? Your bandwidth may be at capacity, and you’re stretched to max, but don’t leave marketing it on the back burner.

Because if you do, the chances are that when you shout ‘Ta Da 🥁🥁’ to announce your exciting news, something terrible happens… nothing.

Nada. Zilch. Zip.

 

Drive salon growth with a successful new service

So, let’s run through 12 ways to make your new launch a rip-roaring success, for both existing and potential clients, using your salon social media.

Salon Social Club members look out for September’s Planner and Club Content as I’m giving you all the post caption templates and ready-to-go Club Canva templates you need to make your launch super easy and super quick.

Let’s get started:

 

#1. Decide on your launch marketing goals.

You need something to aim for and to measure your success against.

Whether it’s a £15 retail product or high value state-of-the-art laser technology, you need to set realistic time-specific marketing goals covering for example, sales, bookings or revenue.

 

#2. Salon social content calendar

Map out your content calendar leading up to and over the first few weeks of your launch well in advance.

This ensures you have a clear marketing roadmap and are not just posting on the fly. Consistency is key in maintaining visibility in your audience’s feeds. It also takes the stress out of marketing knowing it’s done and ready to go.

So, plan a pre and post launch posting schedule, ensuring there’s the right mix of promotional posts and other engaging content. And stick to it.

 

#3. Create a (salon) marketing buzz

Create a marketing buzz with a teaser campaign in the weeks leading up to the launch to grab attention and build anticipation.

Remember, for a new high-end hair service or beauty treatment, you will need to start your marketing earlier than you would for a lower value retail product.

 

#4. High quality social content

Use professional, high quality images and videos to showcase your new product or salon service.

To create that key trust factor, which is key to convincing clients to give the new service a try, use relevant client testimonials on your salon social. Don’t forget to get their consent – your client may not want the world to know they had just had your fat reduction treatment.

 

#5. Tell a story on your salon social

Your social posts should tell a story about your new service or product wherever they can. You could explain:

• what’s unique about it
• how it was developed
• what problem it solves
• why your clients need it

 

#6. Use the right salon hashtags

Hashtags can help potential clients discover your brilliant new product or service. Use a combination of:

• popular, relevant hashtags
• local hashtags (key when launching something new)
• your own salon brand hashtag
• create a special hashtag for your launch (encourage clients to use it in their own posts).

 

#7. Advertise your new service on salon social

Get your marketing message out to a potential new local audience. Behind-the-scenes videos showcasing your shiny new product or service make very effective advertising on Instagram and Facebook.

The Salon Social Club advertising course for attracting new clients is running in September so members do hop over and check it out. It’s free to members.

 

#8. Run a launch giveaway

A social media giveaway, with the chance to win your new beauty or hair service, is a brilliant way to generate excitement and engagement with both your current and potential new clients.

It also gives you another bite of the marketing cherry when the winner comes into your salon or clinic for their prize appointment. Remember to get snapping and get a testimonial too.

But…

I wouldn’t run one for a new product launch as it encourages entrants from all over the country to enter (as the prize can be mailed to the winner). And you only want local people to enter as these are the ones most likely to convert into new clients in due course.

 

#9. Be seen locally with influencer marketing

Identify nano-influencers in your local area and reach out to them for collaboration. This can be a brilliant way to extend your reach and increase trust in your service or product – especially to a new local audience.

Offer the influencer a complimentary appointment or product just before you launch, but make sure you set out clearly beforehand what marketing activity you expect in return from them.

 

#10. Early bird salon offers

Use your social media platforms to offer exclusive offers for your new product or service.

You know me. I always try to avoid discounting and prefer to give added value where possible. This could be, for example, an extra free appointment when they book a course, an upgraded version of the new service or a travel size product when they buy the full size one.

 

#11. Engage with your salon social community

Respond to comments, direct messages and mentions promptly and professionally.

Remember you are not only promoting your new product or service but also building stronger relationships with your salon clients and potential new ones.

 

#12. Build trust in your salon and team

Once launched, remind your team to encourage clients to give testimonials, tag and mention your salon and post user-generated content – your delighted hair and beauty clients are one of your best marketing tools.

 

New clients for your new salon service

So there you have it, 12 ways to get the message out there to your existing clients and attract a bunch of new ones for your brand new hair or beauty service.

1. Decide on your launch goals
2. Map out your salon content calendar
3. Create a marketing buzz
4. Produce high quality content
5. Tell a story on your salon social
6. Use the right salon hashtags
7. Advertise your launch on social media
8. Run a launch giveaway
9. Be seen locally with influencer marketing
10. Early bird salon offers
11. Engage with your salon social community
12. Build trust in your salon and team

And remember… no matter how frazzled, stressed and time-poor you are:

Without promotion, something terrible happens… nothing!
– P. T. Barnum