Donation Creates Marketing Sensation

      As beauty professionals we tend to be givers, sometimes to a fault. But giving back is good for business and definitely good for marketing. Giving back increases the good will of your business in the eyes of your community and raises your visibility. It forces you outside your circle and into a larger pool of influential leaders in your market. Consider different ways to engage the give back spirit to boost salon moral and team unity.
Tune in to clients lives and causes they support. Fundraising is all around us every day with each client we touch. Supporting what is important to clients creates a loyalty that is tough to match just through beauty services. Choose a budget and donation marketing plan to prevent over commitment and donor burn out. Take a few hours to sit down and create your vision for the year. Opportunities can be both obvious and subtle. Involve members of your salon to brainstorm about what causes are near and dear to your hearts. Once you create your donor vision map out an action plan and stick to it. The hardest things is to say no to someone else's needs but with a proper plan in place you can clearly focus on your commitments.

 

      Giving back can be to individual causes or larger community outreach. There are so many times over the course of the year that individuals come to us as salon professionals to donate a service or gift card to fund raisers for a friend or family member that has suffered a debilitating illness or tragic accident. While you can be overwhelmed by these types of requests I recommend offering whatever you can to support these community events. Your donation will be seen by possibly hundreds of new potential clients who will be encouraged to support your business due to your generosity. Many get write ups in the local papers and some even get local TV coverage. When I first opened my salon there was a freak tornado that ripped through the city in November. I received a letter asking for a donation and quickly offered t o hold a cut-a-thon at their event donating all proceeds to the victims. The event was covered by the local media, both print and TV and we got huge exposure, critical to my start up. I could not have afforded to pay for that kind of advertising. Many clients I have to this day were a result of my generosity supporting the event that touched the community. Don't forget to send out press releases and post your activities on your social media pages, creating events for your clients to come and support your efforts.

      Local Cancer fundraisers are always a good place to find opportunities to give back. I like to try and find the ones that involve many other area businesses to network with. One client of mine organized a wellness tent for Relay for life. I participated in this for several years and each year I offered a different service. She also holds fundraising events throughout the year that I donated my time offering mini manicures. This resulted in many new clients over the years as well as business connections I would have not otherwise made. With spring around the corner look to set up a few give back events. Plan out your Give back calendar and get giving. For more ideas, check out my blog. Adventures of a Pro beauty girl. Give Back=Get Back