We here at Buy-Rite Beauty have been working with beauty professionals for decades. In that time, we’ve found that our clients are passionate about providing the highest-quality salon experiences. Making sure that customers look and feel their best is why they got into the business in the first place – and they’re experts at it.
But even for seasoned professionals, it can be challenging to figure out how to promote your spa and keep your business growing. That’s why we put together some ideas and strategies for marketing your spa.
Keep your website up-to-date
We know, we know: having a website is a well-known first step for setting up your business. But given that your website is most likely your customer’s first impression of your spa, it should be an important part of your promotion strategy.
First things first: design is key. If potential clients navigate to a website that looks like a relic of the early Internet – they might be inclined to take their business elsewhere. Luckily, web-design tools like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace provide templates and other resources to help you easily create a sleek online profile.
As you’re building your site, make sure it’s got all the relevant information about your business: pricing, contact and social media details, and a gallery of your work. You should also include a booking feature so that clients can seamlessly schedule an appointment for services.
Start blogging!
If you can afford the time and resources, try hosting a blog on your website. That way, you can keep customers in the loop about your business and the people who make it run, and encourage visitors to come back to the site.
Don’t be afraid to get creative! You can write about more than the goings-on at your spa: as a professional, you can provide insight that the average person might not know about, like ideas for post-workout stretch routines or tips and tricks for dealing with ‘maskne’.
Connect with customers on social media
The average person opens up Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook at least once a day… if not several more times, cough cough… so those platforms are a great place to share news about your spa, let users know about promotions, and even direct them to your site to check out new blog posts.
Already have social accounts and want to up your game? A selfie wall could be a game-changer for upping awareness. Encourage your clients to snap a picture and tag you when they upload. Our friends at Theory Collective have done a great job with this:
Research shows that this sort of ‘user-generated content’ (aka UGC) is hugely influential in convincing new customers to check you out. Not only are these sorts of posts a powerful way for you to connect with your clients in another forum – their followers, who might not otherwise know about your business, get to see firsthand how great an experience this person had at your spa.
Promote a new product
Need more ideas for features on your blog, website, and socials? Feature your new toys! Highlighting new equipment could help draw in new clients – and convince existing ones to come back. Try sharing why you’re excited about it and what new services customers could take advantage of next time they visit – you could even give a preview of the equipment on your social media.
A few ideas: how about a brand new hot towel warmer, which will help you create a luxurious experience for your clients? Or a new massage bed, where customers can unwind while your therapist gets their trickiest knots out?
Always a winner: a pedicure chair with a luxurious water jet functionality can be a real winner – especially if you go for one like our Pibbs Px20 Nexgen Pipeless Pedicure Spa W/ Glass Bowl. Just be sure to play up the added Shiatsu massage functionality! 😉
Psst: There are tons of new products out there. Want help figuring out what’s right for you? Our knowledgeable, experienced product specialists are always a quick phone call away.
Make sure you’re listed in online directories
A good rule of thumb for connecting with customers is to meet them where they already are. Many people look to Google and other online directories to find a spa in their area. If your business isn’t there, they might not ever know that it’s an option.
Since Google handles the vast majority of all search engine traffic, start there. Make sure you’ve set up a free Google Business account. That way, if someone searches for your company, they’ll see booking information, phone numbers, and photos (among other details!) for your spa that you’ve verified.
Then, think through the other platforms that people use to search for businesses in your area, and make sure your business has a presence there: Yelp is a big one across industries, as well spa-specific directories like SpaFinder and SpaIndexMedia.
Next step: ask your happiest customers to leave a review
Many of the platforms listed above offer users the ability to rate and review their experiences at the businesses listed. The platforms give more preference to better-rated establishment. Plus potential customers depend on online reviews to make decisions about whether to try your spa over the next one. So it’s critical to make sure you ask your happiest customers to let others know by taking a few minutes to write a review.
And speaking of your happiest customers…
Institute a referral program
Obviously, the first goal for your business is providing excellent service… service so good that people can’t help but tell their friends and family about it. Who will, in turn, tell THEIR friends and family about your business. You can help incentivize these sorts of word-of-mouth recommendations by instituting a refer-a-friend program, where both the refer-er and the refer-ee get some sort of reward, like a discounted service or a free session for each person they help convert.
And it’s not just the clients who benefit: research from major players like Wharton School of Business and Harvard Business Review has shown that referred customers are more loyal and more profitable in the long run. So you get a little something, too.
Offer seasonal and other holiday-specific promotions
While we’re talking about discounts, try thinking about the moments over the course of a year that people are most likely to either want a spa service – or want to give it as a gift. Then, build packages or special discounts around those moments. For instance, you might introduce a special rate for couples massages around Valentine’s Day. Other options could include Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, prom and wedding season, the winter holidays… Maybe there are some unique to your hometown, too!
Team up with other businesses in your community
You can also create your own opportunities to promote your spa. It can be helpful to start by looking around your community: are there related businesses nearby that might be willing to team up? Maybe the yoga studio next door might be willing to bundle services, so customers can treat themselves to a massage after class. Or the bridal party can head to the neighboring wine bar for a glass after manicures at your salon. You could even reach out to a local magazine and offer complimentary services to their team in exchange for ad space or a review in their publication.
Collaborating with other local businesses can help increase your bookings and promote your business – and networking with your neighbors could lead to even more partnerships in the future. But it takes a little creativity and maybe some negotiation to figure out how you can work together.
Whatever promotional strategy you choose, Buy-Rite is here to help you achieve your goals for your business. You can access our unmatched service here, and you can shop Buy-Rite equipment here.
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