2013 Looking Into the Marketing Crystal Ball

 

      Combining art and science. We do it every day in the salon but how many of us practice this combination for marketing? We need to look at the art of marketing, the creativity, the content, the pretty pictures on Instagram with the science of market research. I research marketing all the time. I read and Google and download multiple reports, webinars and podcasts to find information that will be valuable to our listeners. Marketing trends and predictions for 2013 are getting posted this time of year. While many do not relate to our business one trend has peaked my interest. With the new world of online marketing where your clients are in control of educating themselves on your products and services your marketing job has shifted from how to find new business to helping new business find you.

          Inbound marketing is a growing trend that reaches out to these clients. Inbound marketing is about creating informative, interesting and even entertaining content to clients that may not even realize they need your products and services. Once you draw them in, they just might take the leap and go from a reader to a client. When potential clients are just passively cruising the internet to be entertained or educated they let their marketing guard down and you can begin to build an actual relationship. Unlike interruption/ outbound marketing like email blasts, Inbound marketing can make its mark with problem solving. Different types of content can be integrated into your content packed Inbound marketing.

      Types of content can include Articles, Blog posts, Books or eBooks, case studies, demos, live streamed events, videos, press releases, and images. Let's not forget if your content is found valuable enough your readers will be compelled to share it as well. Remember your content developed for inbound marketing should always focus on clients challenges and concerns over your product or service especially in the early dating stages. They're still trying to get to know you after all. A few more predictions worth noting? Social and content will impact SEO even more. There is now an overlap between search, social and content. Static social media campaigns will fade and real time marketing will give marketers the advantage of real time communications to grow business. Pop up events have clients engaging real time with spur of the moment salon parties and promotions. Engage your clients when it's convenient for them, not you. Social media is integrating all platforms from Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and client data from these interactions will better drive individualized marketing messages. Determining which messages resonate with which clients will lead to better conversion of targeted offers.

      Be mobile or fall behind, again this message is at the top of the pile. in 2012 more people bought a smart phone than a PC, it is clearly where you need to be. Marketing on every level. Your receptionist should share the same marketing language as the stylist, as the owner. There is no separate marketing department anymore. In order to build long term relationships you've got to deliver a unified, consistent, human voice. Email will still a large piece of the marketing pizza, however it will have a more personalized look and feel. No more big blasts, more selective, relevant and targeted. Google trends see Inbound marketing taking over marketing automation. Unless you have a constant feed of new viewers your automated updates become annoying and put in the spam pile. Update your mix of Inbound real time and automated messages. Look for more content curation companies or "content marketplaces" that can provide a good mix of interesting posts in a saturated content world. Content crowdsourcing will also grow. Why not use your current clients to help share your message and generate new clients from their followers and fans. Last but not least Pictures will still be worth a thousand views. With all the buzz about content, visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram will continue to grow as audiences want to digest content faster than ever. Take a look at your marketing hits and misses from the last year and take time in the coming year to make effective changes.
Research courtesy Hubspot

Proper Care and Feeding of Clients

 

     Today’s tip is the proper care and feeding of a clientele. If you are just building or almost fully booked proper care and maintenance of your clientele is essential for your long-term success. The average technician loses an average of 5 percent of their clientele per year through no fault of their own. Clients move, they unfortunately move on to the big spa in the heavens, their economic condition changes dramatically. Whatever the circumstance we need to be constantly monitoring our current clientele.
      Thanks you’s are essential. I know I’ve talked about his before, a nice handwritten note especially after the first service but how about just because. Maybe you know they got a promotion at work, maybe they had a few difficult weeks or months or year for that matter. If you haven’t seen a client in a few months, chances are something’s up. Don’t ignore the warning signs and take the passive route. Take action with a phone call or a quick email, or yes that hand written note.

     Something like I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen your smiling face lately and just wanted to check in to make sure everything is alright with you. You may want to offer an incentive to return, It’s up to you to decide how you manage your offers. If you haven’t seen clients in more than a few months try a “Miss you” promotion. Same theme, maybe offering new items or services since they have come in. I sent out an email to my entire list when I started offering Shellac and it brought clients out of the woodwork. If you are consistent with your efforts chances are eventually something is going to strike their interest.

      Do you send your guests home with an instruction sheet to ensure they successfully maintain at home the professional service you gave them at the salon? I am including a link in my blog this week from Beauty Tech that has many useful ideas to use in composing your own client letter. Nail Care Check list
     Things like, treat your nails as jewels not tools, check your grip when lifting heavy objects to make sure you don’t break a nail, wear gloves when you do housework and gardening. You know all the things you think they know but don’t. I know a tech that makes her clients sign off that they have read her “10 commandments of nails” before she will guarantee her work.
      Do you recommend the right retail for them to be successful? Are you educating them about their nails or just providing a one time service stand? Are you building relationships or counting cattle? Do you follow up a new client service with a phone call to see how they liked their visit?

     Find out if they have any questions or challenges with their new full set or treatment products. If they are not happy, catching problems early and fixing them will score you big points toward the future of the relationship. I worked with a girl that had one of the first mobile nail salon service businesses in the country. While she was building she was truly a one woman band. She would work all day and at night, in her best British accent, call her clients back to see how they liked their visit. Needless to say she built her business with a strong foundation of loyal clients. So in these challenging times it is more important than ever to keep in touch so you don’t loose touch with your clients.