Forward Markethink

      Surrounding yourself with forward thinkers and marketers and visionaries pulls you ahead of the game. No doubt about it, it just does. There's no denying the graviational pull. There is a saying if you want to know who you'll be in 5 years, look at who you surround yourself with. I am fortunate in that area, very fortunate. With social media, everyone can surround themsleves with top minds. Todays tip is from HubSpot marketing. HubSpot is all-in-one inbound marketing software that helps businesses generate more leads online. Much of the valuable information they provide is FREE to subscribers.
      With Cyber Monday on everyone's mind I did what I always do.. some research. According to Hubspot, The power of online marketing is growing and online shoppers are expected to grow from 137 million dollars to 175 million dollars by 2016. A whopping 52% of shoppers will do their shopping online this year. Holiday spending this year is expected to be anywhere from 92-96 billion, with a B. For the first time in 2011 Cyber Monday surpassed black Friday as the biggest shopping day of the year. Holiday sales will reach 54.5 billion, up 17% from 2011. What are you doing to capture this growing trend? Are you taking advantage of mobile and search options? 53% of smart phone users and 64% of tablet users will use these devices to research and make holiday purchases this year. If you are not mobile app ready your gift card purchases could take a big hit this year. More and more marketers are using things like search marketing and paid search campaigns this year and investing in this technology. Are you checking to see how do your emails show up on a smart phone? Is all your content just as accessible on a smart phone or tablet as a computer? Are all your share and buttons working? Can consumers access coupons and offers easily? What about gift cards? If you are not prepared for this onslaught of mobile consumers your marketing efforts will suffer. Imagine one of your clients has a relative that lives out of state and would like to purchase a gift of beauty. Where are you in the search results for your town? How easy is it to access information, special offers and deals? Online shoppers have a serious case if ADHD. If they have to spend too much time figuring out your site, they are on to the next salon with the click of the mouse or a swipe of the finger.

 

      Email campaigns show no sign of slowing down over the coming years. Over 41% of mobile users say an online email influenced their purchase. 54% of marketers said their email campaigns were extremely or very successful and 93% of them said they plan to maintain or increase the level of their email investment in 2012. Email is a powerful tool that consumers have come expect. Don't miss the opportunity to market to your clients directly with holiday offers and holiday events. Think about offering an online special with an in salon gift, combining the best of both worlds.
A huge percentage of retailers are having terrific success with social media marketing. 44% of shoppers have bought a product they've seen shared on a social media sight. I'm not convinced the statistic for salon visits can translate as high here. It's kind of the Group On fail mentality. Salon consumers don't just look on a site to determine where they will get their nails done next like picking out a place for dinner. There is a bit more to it than just a great offer. I do believe that if your work shows up constantly in different news feeds the potential for gaining new clients definitely increases. I have had this happen myself. Client reviews and testimonials go a long way in convincing potential new clients to give you a try. So the bottom line is to consistently share your best offers, and your best content and make sure it is easy to share.

Here is a checklist recommended by Hubspot.
For mobile and search. Make sure your website is mobile optimized. Check that emails are easy to read and buttons are clickable on a mobile phone. Consider creating a mobile app to support your marketing.
For email: Plan your holiday email calendar. Decide what offers you will send via email, like coupons or special deals. Make sure your emails link to an optimized, mobile-friendly page on your website. Have a plan in place to measure your emails effectiveness.
For Social: Share your best content through your social accounts. Showcase client testimonials. Utilize Pinterest for photos of your work. Make sure your content is easy to share.