7 Promo Ideas to Increase your Clientele
Running promotions is one of the best ways to increase your overall sales, bring in new customers, and bring more attention (brand awareness) to your business! Here are some creative promotional ideas to help boost your beauty business:
Flash Deals
Everyone loves the opportunity to save money or feel like they are getting a great deal. Flash deals are a great way to move product or promote a last minute opening for a service! For example:
You just had a last minute cancellation and need to fill the spot fast. Post a flash deal to your social media pages stating: 3pm Appointment available, 10% off your service today only!
You have a surplus of a specific product that you want to sell: Today Only, Buy X Product and Get 1 Free!
The key is to make it a limited time offer that expires quickly! This will entice your clients to act quickly so they don’t miss out!
2. Giveaway Contests
Giveaways can be a great way to attract new clients to your business but it is important to be careful how you position the giveaway! A lot of the giveaways you see on social media where users are required to follow the page to win can result in a lot of unfollows once the contest is over. Consider running a point based client only giveaway to reward your loyal clients and possibly earn some new clients in the process, for example:
Clients who follow you on social media earn 20 points
Clients who refer a friend earn 100 points
Clients who buy a product with their service earn 50 points
The client with the highest number of points at the end of the giveaway will win the grand prize! You can also run generic giveaways to all of your social media followers if you are looking to grow your social media following more but be aware of the risk of unfollows after the contest ends.
3. Referral or Loyalty Programs
One of the best ways to grow your business is through word of mouth or referrals! After all, your existing clients are your biggest fans and are very likely to be your strongest advocates. So, which referral programs work best? Here are a few ideas to get you started in the right direction:
Try two-sided incentives: Reward your new clients and also your loyal client who provided the referral ($20 off a service for your existing client and the new client they referred).
Offer a surprise gift for every referral: Surprise gifting keeps them excited and hyped about your products and services.
4. Photo Contests
The beauty business is all about Instagram worthy photos and imagery. Consider a photo contest which will not only supply you with some great photos and content to use going forward but also increase awareness of your services as well! Here are a few creative photo contest ideas:
Have client’s post their selfies (of their hair, lashes, or whatever service you provided) and tag you in the photos. The photo with the most likes (or comments) will win the prize!
Post one of your favorite client photos and have your followers come up with a caption for photo. The best caption will win the prize!
5. Holiday Promotions
Plan your promotions around holidays when you know your clients are likely searching for a gift to buy for a loved one. Some great holidays to plan promotions around include:
Valentine’s Day
Mother’s Day
Black Friday / Christmas
Small Business Saturday
6. Recurring Promotional Events
Flash sales are great for impulse buys but some of your clients may be planners and want to know when promotional events will be happening. Some businesses prefer to run recurring promotional events for their clients that happen at the same time every year or month. Creating a recurring promotional event—like an anniversary sale, a seasonal sale, or a monthly offer on one item only—trains clients to act on a good deal when they see it.
7. Partner with another Business
There’s strength in numbers! It makes sense to network with other beauty professionals (maybe a salon suite neighbor in your building) to increase your marketing power. Team up with a few other professionals to reach more clients. For example: If you own a hair salon, you can work with the nail salon owner nearby to offer ‘10% off’ a nail service to everyone who is a referral from your salon. In return, you offer the nail salon’s clients a discount at your salon.