Local marketing for salons and spas

Setting up a business is only 50% of the actual work involved. Once you’ve designed a lovely spa or salon in a posh area of the city, you will need to market it to customers in the area. Businesses like these need to embrace an inventive marketing strategy that allows them to grow and maintain the bottom line. By 2030, the industry will be worth at least $185 billion, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors.  

If you are the owner of a wellness spa or a salon, then you should look into “local marketing” alternatives. Local marketing or neighbourhood marketing is a holistic marketing approach where you market your business to those living in its vicinity. By creating and implementing a sound local marketing strategy, you can develop brand awareness in your business’ neighbourhood and vicinity. This doesn’t just involve distributing flyers and airing ads on local TV channels. Almost 97% of all people locate local businesses by making an online search - so you need to come up with a strategy geared towards internet channels.

Local marketing sounds very intuitive - and it is! However, it consists of a lot of moving parts and considerations. This makes it deceptively difficult to implement, especially for business owners who are new to the scene. In this article, you will learn all about the ins and outs of local marketing for salons and spas. You will also benefit from some information about the various types of local marketing that marketers use today. Lastly, you will also be able to glean inspiration from some wonderful local marketing strategies and examples. These will allow you to get a good head start.

Understanding What Local Marketing Is

In very simple terms, local marketing is done with the aim of putting your physical store on the radar of customers who live close by. A staggeringly large proportion of customers like to travel less than 20 minutes to make a purchase. Local marketing makes use of a variety of online and offline marketing strategies to increase your store’s visibility to all the local customers. If you have a spa, the right marketing strategies would recommend your store to individuals looking for spas in their vicinity. The goal is to make your business highly conspicuous.

At the same time, you will also need to develop a buyer persona for your business. If you conduct a survey of individuals living in the vicinity of your store, you will be able to glean a lot of information about them. For example, you can see simple demographic information such as their age, sex, profession, as well as lifestyle preferences. This will give you an abstract idea of the average customers in your area. Once you have a buyer persona in your hands, you can develop customized products and services for them.

One of the best ways for businesses to gain popularity locally is to provide personalized services to its local community. If you can use the data to figure out exactly what the customers in your area need, you can provide them with high-quality services. For example, if there is a demand for nail art and manicure/pedicure salons in your area, you can start broadcasting the fact that you provide those services. Once you serve a few customers and get glowing reviews, other people are going to start streaming in.

However, you need to come up with some reliable performance indicators to assess the effectiveness of your marketing strategy. The number of sales is a valuable metric, but it does not provide any additional information that can influence sales in the future. Some of the KPIs that you can adopt include number of store visits, generated leads, website traffic, social media engagement, and so on. Most people will Google your store before they visit it in-person, so you need to keep an eye on your SEO campaigns as well. Here are some of the most reliable local business marketing strategies.

Strategy #01 Curate and Optimize your Store’s Online Presence

<a href="https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics?hubs_post=blog.hubspot.com/marketing/local-marketing&hubs_post-cta=61%25%20of%20mobile%20searchers&_ga=2.118709833.1316740797.1665238954-1654553711.1660217643"> More than 60% </a> of individuals are likely to trust a business if they have a functioning website or app. A well-designed, attractive, and mobile-friendly website is the stepping stone to building a healthy online presence. In 2022, every salon and spa needs to have an attractive and aesthetic online presence that will interest your target clientele. Here are some of the many ways in which you can optimize the online presence -

Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users

Did you know that almost 90% of Google searches for local businesses result in a site visit? Since a major chunk of people use their phones to look up prospective salons, you need to optimize your website for mobile users. Google has a free-to-use Mobile Friendly Test that you can use for information about the user-friendliness of your site. You can use this platform to get detailed insights and recommendations about certain improvements that you can make. This will help to improve your overall search engine ranking.

Accept Online Bookings 

Even brick-and-mortar stores offering in-house services make use of the internet to accept bookings and schedule apartments. Just like restaurants, popular spas and salons will have a long list of customers waiting for an appointment. Online scheduling and appointment-making features can increase the popularity of your store’s online presence. For example, you can use tools like DINGG to allow customers to make appointments on their phone or laptop.  

Remember to Invest in Proper SEO

Search engine optimization or SEO is one of the most important aspects of your marketing strategy. Localize your site and add specific keywords to carve out a niche for your business in the neighborhood. For example, “best salon in Hauz Khas Delhi” is a better targeted keyword than “best salon in Delhi”. Finding the perfect keywords is a trial and error process, but you can use tools like Google Trends to streamline the search. Adding location specific content to your website and social media will increase your salon/spa’s visibility.

Curate and Develop an Aesthetic Social Media Profile

A salon or a spa is a business offering a luxury product that relies on aesthetics and experiences. The best way to showcase this to prospective clients is to have an active social media profile. Small businesses doing DIY handicrafts have tremendous success because they have built up a loyal following on social media platforms. By creating an aesthetic Instagram profile, you can start to build trust among the locals. You can also add the location of your salon to social media posts - building interest in the services you’re offering. Create personalized hashtags to set yourself apart from any competing stores nearby.

Optimize Your Salon for Google

In August 2022, more than 90% of all internet queries were asked through Google. As a result, you need to leverage the special tools that Google provides to business owners. Update your store’s business profile on Google My Business as well as Google Maps. You need to ensure that your store’s location is correctly specified on Google Maps and that the directions are correct. Next, you need to include all the information about your store on Google directly. Remember to include information like opening hours, services, contact information, etc. This will improve your visibility in the neighborhood and build trust.

Don’t Forget Third-Party Websites and Directories

A great way to improve search engine rankings is to get yourself listed or linked in reliable websites. Third-party aggregators and business directories like the Yellow Pages can help to get your salon off the ground. You also need to get yourself listed in all the local directories, reviews, and store locators that you can find. Make sure to create updated and consistent profiles on aggregators such as JustDial, Yelp, Google My Business, etc. Doing so will provide you with a steady flow of web traffic, leads, and will increase your salon’s trust capital.

Don’t Turn Your Nose at Paid Advertising

Last of all, you can also invest in some paid and targeted social media ads. One great example is Facebook, which uses location data and cookies to provide users with personalized ads and recommendations. If someone in your vicinity Googles “salons near me”, they will see an advertisement for your establishment on Facebook. This will definitely result in a conversion if you do not go overboard with your ad campaigns. You can also explore alternative ad strategies such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Location-specific marketing will help you to carve out your target audience.

All in all, these are some of the most reliable methods in which you can optimize the online aspect of your business. Ensuring that all of these are perfect is the first step in your local marketing checklist. In 2022, the power of social media can be harnessed to reach a large audience and connect with a lot of people.

Strategy #02 Participate in the Local Business Community

The best way to get noticed is to become a regular participant in the activities of your local business community. Forge friendships and relationships with neighbouring businesses even if the services you provide have nothing in common. Participating in local events and community services will allow you to get involved directly with the people in your vicinity. Here are some of the most reliable ways you can participate in the local community -

Go Old-School - Take Out Print Ads, Posters, and Coupons!

Taking out print ads and printing posters can be a little pricey but it is definitely worth it! You have to remember that a salon or a spa promotes a certain image of luxury and self-care, which is why people do not readily splurge on such activities. You can push people to visit your store by enticing them with attractive discounts, coupons, etc. The most important first step is to get people in the door. Once they’re in, you can delight them by providing high quality services. Do all you can to get noticed in your area!

Sponsor Local Events

Look up clubs, schools, colleges, etc. in the area that organize competitions, sporting events, and so on. Sponsoring these bodies will allow you to gain access to a bunch of people in your target demographic. Keep an eye out for any events that are occurring and offer to take part as a sponsor. For a nominal investment, you can get involved with the local community and make a lot of valuable connections. If possible, you can also rent space in an area with lots of foot traffic to increase your brand visibility.

Reach Out to Local Celebs and Influencers

Influencer marketing is a very effective channel of local marketing if done correctly. Do some research to find out social media influencers and local celebrities who can endorse your store on social media. You can leverage their social media following and popularity to lend credibility to your image. Teaming up with a local celebrity is an effective way of reaching out to the local business community at large.

Give Back to the Community

Philanthropy is an effective way of relating positively to your local area. During festivals and other events, you can organize donation drives to support a variety of social causes. If your neighborhood has a lot of stray animals, you can organize a stray animal feeding or neutering drive. You can also start a food donation drive or conduct a raffle to raise money for a cause. Non-profit activities allow you to reach out to your community in a tangible way and also provide brand exposure.

These have been some of the ways in which you can reach out and connect to the local business community. Lastly, you should also try to invest in some Word-of-Mouth marketing if you want to grow your business. If your spa or salon is located in a tight-knit community, then proper WOM can provide you with a lot of customers. If one customer shows up and loves the service, they will definitely recommend your business to their friends and family.

Strategy #03 Invest in an Active Content Marketing Effort

Collect email addresses and phone numbers from prospective clients and send them links to discounts, offers, etc. You can also take out a regular “newsletter” that will contain small pieces about the various services that your spa or salon has to offer. You can also use email marketing to inform your audience about any events or discounts that you’re offering. For SEO purposes, it is also a good idea to maintain a blog. The Penguin update of the Google search algorithm tends to give higher rankings to websites that contain relevant and well-written content with a lot of images and media. Last of all, try to maintain a database of your clients, prospective clients, etc. to make communication streamlined and easy.

Strategy #04 Follow Up with your Customers and Clients

Online reviews on Google, JustDial, etc. can be massively helpful for businesses that are just starting out. A good review can be the impetus that drives more business and sales towards your spa. Encourage your customers and clients to leave a short but sweet review on your social media profiles, Google, aggregators, etc. Provide them with some small incentive, such as a small discount off their next purchase or a freebie.

Another essential aspect of following up involves communicating with your customers. Take the time out to respond to the reviews that have been posted and address any concerns that might have been raised. If any customer leaves a glowing review, you should thank them for patronizing your store and request them to visit you again. If you get a negative review by chance, apologize for the unsatisfactory experience, show contrition, and request them to visit again for a second chance.

Customizing and personalizing each response will provide your business with a human face and voice. Humanizing your business will allow you to relate more effectively to the target demographic of customers in your area. The most important step of local marketing is to build a genuine connection with the people and businesses in your vicinity. That cannot be possible unless you develop a unique humanized voice for your spa or salon. A little bit of effort goes a long way.

For client facing businesses, customer retention and customer loyalty are extremely important. You will need to come up with a marketing strategy that rewards loyal customers for frequenting your store. Countless research has shown that it will cost you 7 times more money to onboard a new customer than to invite back an existing one. In terms of simple dollars and cents, you need to design a system that rewards your customers for returning to the store. Show your appreciation for them through gift baskets, discounts, and complimentary services.

Lastly, you should also take out the time to respond to customer queries via email, phone, or social media. Monitor the messages of your Instagram and Facebook profiles regularly so that you can address any doubts that come your way. Most importantly, ensure that the messages and replies you send are personalized and don’t seem automated. For client-facing businesses like spas and salons, a good client experience is paramount. Following up with customers after the service is just as important.

Strategy #05 Invest in High Quality Signs and Logos

A physical store will necessitate you to stand apart from the rest of the competition. A great way to accomplish this is to invest in high-quality signage. The signage of your store should be aesthetically pleasing and consistent with the overall image that you’ve created. It should also be attractive and catchy enough to get people interested and in the door. Work with a designer to communicate the exclusive and glamorous image that usually accompanies businesses like salons and spas. Salons also act as safe spaces for women to spend time with each other and gossip, trade advice, etc. Invest in signage to emphasize this point and attract lots of customers.

When you print and distribute flyers, coupons, etc. make sure that they are consistent in design with the overall aesthetic of your store. Try to make sure that the signage you use is consistent with the posts that go on your social media. For example, ensure that the fonts, colors, graphics, etc. are as consistent as they can possibly be. This can seem like a very minor thing to be concerned about, but all of this has the same objective. You need to create a unique brand image that attracts customers towards the services that you will have on offer.

Remember to design material that highlights the uniqueness and attractiveness of the services you offer. For example, if your spa offers exotic massages like mud baths, saunas, etc. then you should specify that in your marketing material and signage. The key is to discover what sets you apart from the rest of the competition and then capitalize on it. Engage with your audience online and the real world if you want to see tangible results.

Strategy #06 Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Customers What They Want

Clear communication is one of the best ways in which you can glean insights from your clients. Ask your customers to fill out feedback forms and surveys so that you know what they think of your business. Let them know that you want to create new packages, deals, services, etc. and that their feedback is extremely valuable to you. Analyzing the responses of the customers will let you understand which areas you need to improve and work on. If customers realize that you genuinely care about their well-being and satisfaction, they are more likely to come back and recommend you to their friends/relatives.

Bonus Strategy - Don’t be Afraid to Get Creative

Marketing has one defining characteristic - you won’t get very far if you’re not willing to be creative and take some risks. One example is Dove, which launched a celebrated ad campaign denouncing the toxic beauty standards prevalent in modern society. It was a little risky, but the weight of the message and the creativity of the campaign made it a huge success. This article has a lot of awesome information that you can use, but it doesn’t have everything! You should try to be as creative as you can and come up with innovative ways to connect with your target audience. Remember that you will not be able to get very far if you’re not prepared to get out there and take some risks along the way!

Some Prerequisites for Local Marketing

Here are some of the prerequisites that you will mandatorily need in order to get started with a local marketing strategy.

First of all, you will need a well-made business website that’s optimized for mobile users. Get in touch with a web development agency ASAP if you don’t have a website already. If you have one, remember to fine tune it.

These are the only technical prerequisites that you need to satisfy before you can design and launch a marketing campaign. Remember that each neighborhood is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this kind of marketing strategy. Take your time to learn about the people near you and use that information to create services that matter to the people.   

Examples of Successful Local Marketing Campaigns

Now that you have all of the facts about local marketing, you should go through some real-life successful marketing campaigns. Here are a number of examples that involve creative and effective local marketing campaigns carried out by international brands. Take a page out of their book in order to make your salon/spa stand out among its competition.

#01 Nothing Beats a Londoner - Nike

Created by advertising giants Weiden+Kennedy for Nike, “Nothing Beats a Londoner” is one of the most evocative local marketing campaigns in the world. The target audience of this campaign was the young populace of London, who are very passionate about sports and fitness. To reach them all, Nike curated a series of video and print ads featuring sports celebs like Harry Kane, Dina Asher-Smith, and so on. It featured a lot of young sportsmen going about their day in Nike equipment, and was one of the most successful campaigns ever launched by them. Here are some of the tangible ROI from this campaign -

Wieden+Kennedy reported that online searches for Nike products in London increased by a whopping 93% following the launch of the ad.

By creating a campaign that directly spoke to Londoners and young aspiring sportsmen, Nike managed to make its way into the heart of the UK.

#02 Wordplay to Attract Malaysian Customers - IKEA

The Swedish furniture giant made use of clever wordplay and attractive design to launch its new flagship store in Malaysia. Prior to its launch in the city of Penang, Ikea took advantage of the fact that its name sounds very familiar to many words in the Hokkien dialect of Malaysian. Most notably, a lot of Hokkien words and phrases end in “-kia”, which sounds eerily similar to the company’s name. Hokkien is spoken almost exclusively in the city of Penang, and Ikea’s stroke of genius allowed it to reach out directly to locals.

One poster has the picture of an anchovy and a kitchen whisk. The caption on the poster says “We are not kang hu kia, we are Ikea”. Anchovies are called “kang hu kia” in Hokkien and this piece of wordplay is just one of the many flyers Ikea Penang designed to market the products they have on offer. This is one of the best examples of local marketing. Ikea, despite being a foreign brand, found a novel and creative way to build a rapport with all the citizens of Penang.

Developed by BBH Singapore, this was one of the most successful campaigns ever run by an Asian wing of the company. The popularity of the campaign led to the Ikea store becoming extremely popular. By celebrating the Hokkien heritage of Penang, Ikea managed to reach a wide base of customers. By combining this campaign with the boilerplate aspects of email, SEO, social media, etc. they managed to do very well.

#03 Localized Menu Items - McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the largest and most recognizable food chain in the world. With more than 40,000 outlets in 100 countries, it is one of the largest F&B conglomerates in the world. It is also one of the largest private employers in the world with an employee roster of 1.7 million employees. McDonald’s worldwide has come up with a list of special menu items for local clientele. Here are some of the examples -

Chicken Maharaja Mac: The Big Mac is one of the most iconic burgers that you can find at McDonald’s. However, in India, it is remarketed and sold as the “Chicken Maharaja Mac”. This allows the global chain to have a chicken burger instead of the usual beef burger and also references India’s rich royal history.

By tweaking existing menu items or creating innovative new ones, McDonald’s has managed to make its way into the hearts of millions of people all over the world. One can expect nothing less from a brand as consistent as McDonald’s.

#04 Share a Coke - Coca-Cola

In Australia, the Coca-Cola company started its most iconic and ambitious marketing campaign till date, the “Share a Coke” campaign. It was a risky idea that involved a debranding and deconstruction of the existing Coca-Cola logo to include the name of a person. Each country involved Coke bottles with 250 generic and common names and urged customers to find a bottle with their name on it. Then, they were urged to share it with their friends and their loved ones.

After launching in Australia in 2011, the campaign was rolled over into more than 80 countries all over the world. According to Ogilvy, this was one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever done. Over the course of the next 5 years, Coca-Cola managed to wrest 4% of its market share back from its major competitors. At the Cannes festival, the company won multiple awards. In the United States, the Share a Coke campaign led to a 2% increase in sales - reversing the decline that had occurred over the past decade.

In 2015, the Coca-Cola Company amped up the marketing by increasing the number of names to 1000. Generic nicknames and phrases specific to a particular country were also included in an effort to make the campaign as inclusive as possible. This was a very well thought out marketing campaign that connected with people on an emotional level. The simple act of including people’s names and nicknames on a bottle of Coke led to a definite resurgence in the popularity of the drink and brand.

#05 Kit-Kat Edible Postcard - Japan

The Kit-Kat is one of the most popular candies in Japan. In fact, Japan is home to more than 300 special flavors that are not available anywhere else - including cherry blossom (sakura) and green tea (matcha). One of the main reasons behind this is the fact that the name of the candy sounds eerily similar to the Japanese phrase for “Good luck!” In 2009, Nestle Japan launched the edible postcard campaign and managed to overtake Meiji Chocolates as the top-selling chocolate in the entire country.

In 2009, the company collaborated with Japan Post and launched a campaign that allowed people to send edible postcards to their loved ones along with a Kit-Kat bar. They could use the Japanese postal service to do so, and it was wildly popular. All over Japan, kids, teenagers, and adults took the opportunity to buy a Kit-Kat candy and send it to their friends and family along with the edible postcard. This campaign was so popular that all of the postcards were sold out within a month of its release.

In Japan, the candy bar has actually become synonymous with a good luck charm. It is presented to kids before they take exams, to adults before job interviews, and so on. Nestle capitalized on the linguistic coincidence and turned it into an advantage for them. This is one of the most inspired and effective examples of localized marketing that you can find. As you can see, one of the main reasons why these campaigns were so effective were because of their creativity and innate simplicity.

Local ideas for Marketing for Salons and Spas

Here are some fun marketing ideas for salons and spas that may provide you with a little inspiration!

Start a membership programme for clients who frequent your salon or spa. Ask for a recurring monthly or semi-annual payment that entitles them to a certain set of services. You can customize this plan to include multiple tiers. The recurring payment factor prevents your customers from forgetting about your business.

Some Final Words

This has been a comprehensive and extensive look at local marketing and how it can do wonders for your spa or salon business. First, we took a look at what local marketing or neighborhood marketing is. Then, we examined the various online and offline channels through which you can implement an effective strategy. Next, we took a look at some of the prerequisites that businesses need to have a marketing strategy in place. We also took a look at some of the most effective local marketing campaigns that have been carried out by well-known brands like Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Ikea. Last of all, we explored a bunch of ideas for Marketing for Salons and Spas that you can take advantage of. 

With the help of the information in this guide, you will now be able to start planning a strategy for your own spa or salon brand. If you want to stay relevant and stand out among the competition, then you can take a look at Salon Software providers such as DINGG. This is a business management software that was created exclusively for salons, spas, and other lifestyle businesses. It will let you glean data-based insights and forge lasting relationships with your customer base.

The Ultimate Guide for Marketing of your Salon, Spa & Nail Studio