60 quick salon marketing ideas… if you only have 10 minutes

Can’t find the time to market your salon?

Too busy to find new clients and promote your hair and beauty business?

Here are 60 actionable marketing ideas for those 10 minute gaps before your client arrives, your next meeting starts or while you’re grabbing a quick bite.

Having a list of quick-fire marketing ideas to hand means you don’t have to think and can jump straight into action.

Pin this list on the wall or pop it on your phone for reference. Start at the top and work your way through or pick off the ones that appeal most – it really doesn’t matter.

Just choose an idea and do it. You’re the owner. It’s your choice.

10 minutes later marketing mission accomplished.

And that feels sooo good…

 

10 minutes to market your hair or beauty business

Upgrade your client experience

1. Add a vegan option to your drinks’ menu.
2. Pop across the road and check out your salon’s kerb appeal.
3. Discreetly follow a client’s journey around your salon – you’ll be surprised what you learn.
4. Use our free template to create your own client questionnaire.
5. Listen to your salon noise levels. Have you got a problem?
6. Buy some inexpensive umbrellas to offer clients when it’s pouring.
7. Source some new biscuits, chocs or other munchies to enchant salon clients.
8. Update your salon playlist.
9. Book yourself in for a mystery shop at a top notch salon you really admire.
10. Review your marketing procedures for dealing with online complaints. Some ideas here.

“If you don’t appreciate your customers, someone else will.”
― Jason Langella

 

Plan to succeed

11. Identify a core event for each month to focus your salon marketing around – New Year New You, Valentine’s, Christmas.
12. Look at your printed marketing materials. Umm… could they do with a refresh?
13. Subscribe to our salon marketing blog e-newsletter and never miss a post – it’s free.
14. Stay up to date – book a trip to a hair, beauty or aesthetics trade show.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

 

Give your salon social a boost

15. Ask your team to like your Business Page and share posts with their followers whenever possible.
16. List 10 #hashtags you can use on your salon social and pin the list somewhere prominent.
17. Update your Facebook Cover photo and About page. More ideas to refresh your salon Facebook here.
18. Follow 3 local business owners, who might be useful to network with, on each of your social platforms.
19. Storyboard a short step-by step “how-to” video to shoot later on your phone.
20. Analyse your Facebook Insights. How many people are you actually reaching? Want more Likes? Try this blog.
21. Take 2 eye-catching photos for social media – could be your work, the team or a new product.

“Social media is just a buzzword until you come up with a plan.”

 

Word-of-mouth marketing works

22. Ask a client to post an online review of your salon.
23. Do a 1:1 refresh with one of your team on how to ask for referrals. My guide has some ideas.
24. Ask two clients now for testimonials to use on your salon website, social and marketing materials.
25. Discover those Recommend a Friend cards lying forgotten under your reception desk and use them.

“The best advertising is done by satisfied customers.”
― Kotler, Philip

 

Attract new hair and beauty clients

26. Try this proven telephone technique on a potential new salon client.
27. Dust off your Salon Marketing Plan or download my free ‘How To Guide’ if you don’t have one.
28. Email a local journalist with an invite for a complimentary visit to your hairdressers or beauty salon.
29. Re-record your answer-phone message to include your opening and current special offers.
30. Plan an eye-catching new window.
31. Decide how you could profitably offer a simpler/cheaper/smaller version of an existing service – a blow dry bar or express facial perhaps.
32. Research a new product or service and book a meeting with their sales rep.

“Revolve your world around the customer and more customers will revolve around you.”
– Heather Williams 

 

Keep an eye on the local competition

33. Do a mini local pricing comparison survey and benchmark your hairdressing or beauty prices.
34. Set up Google Alerts on your two strongest competitors.
35. Phone a well-known salon and assess how they deal with your call. Now ring your reception and compare. Get 15 salon receptionist tips here.

 “The time your game is most vulnerable is when you’re ahead. Never let up.”
– Rod Laver 

 

Improve client retention

36. Send a handwritten thank you note to a big-spending salon client and show you care.
37. Observe your team’s body language around the salon. You’ll find some handy tips here.
38. Identify the top 10% of your clients by spend. Now decide how to reward and keep them.
39. Check how many clients redeemed their loyalty points over the last 12 months.

“Customer satisfaction is worthless. Customer loyalty is priceless.”
– Jeffrey Gitomer

 

Local hair and beauty marketing

40. Call one local business you’d like to start building a relationship with. Arrange to meet for a coffee.
41. Order some business cards for yourself as salon owner/manager. They’re still an invaluable salon marketing tool.
42. Call your local newspaper and magazines to ask who the feature editor is for hair, beauty and aesthetics.
43. Ask your product supplier for free giveaways, samples or prizes for local events and online competitions.
44. Visit 3 local businesses’ Facebook pages and like two posts on each one. Even better, take some time to comment.
45. Order some new A-board graphics and ring the changes.
46. Remind yourself about local wedding fairs, festivals and events that could be marketing opportunities to promote your hair or beauty services.

“A big business starts small.”
– Richard Branson

 

Manage your salon team (internal marketing)

47. Compose a “stylist/therapist is leaving letter” template so it’s ready to use immediately if needed. No, it’s not tempting fate.
48. Schedule in a team training session on client care and sketch out some ideas.
49. Get in touch with a local school to promote apprentice opportunities at your salon.

“Happy employees lead to happy customers, which leads to more profits.”
— Vaughn Aust

 

Make more profit

50. Calculate how much money your receptionist could be losing you.
51. Check your main salon Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to see if your salon marketing is working.
52. Work out how much no-shows and last minute cancellations are costing you. Learn how here.
53. Place a basket of small tempting products such as lipsticks or mini hair spray on reception for impulse buys.
54. Encourage salon retail sales. Set up a monthly prize for the team member selling the most.

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”
— James Cash Penney

 

Online marketing

55. Check your price guide is up to date on your salon website.
56. Refresh your marketing SMS messages some ideas here.
57. Check if your salon website is mobile friendly by looking on your phone or tablet.
58. Change your passwords on your social media, till software and online accounts. And not to PASSWORD or 1234. More advice here.
59. Remove any outdated promotions from your website – they send out the wrong message to potential clients.
60. Ensure you’re visible. Is your phone number high up your website page, on every page and easy to find?

“There are tons of different factors that go into ranking well, but the biggest is high-quality content.”
— David Sinick

 

Little and often marketing works

Get into the habit of doing one of these quick salon marketing jobs every time you have a brief gap in your schedule and you’ll soon make a difference to your bottom line.