GETTING THE TIMING FOR YOUR SALON PROMOTION RIGHT

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Posted February 11, 2019

As we continue in our series on how to run a profitable salon promotion, we need to talk about timing. Its early enough in the year that most salon owners have enough time to plan out their promotions, bearing in mind key dates in the calendar year, and get the timing just right. Because the quickest way to undo a great idea for a promotion is to run it at the wrong time of year, or not giving the promotion enough time to take hold.

TIME OF YEAR

The appropriateness of the time in the calendar year will always be key to a successful promotion. Offering a great package for Mother’s Day is always a winner in the Hair and Beauty Industry, as is offering great discounts at Christmas. Think about what your ideal customer or target market (more on this next week!) is doing at particular times of the year – we know spring is a time of change, so offer colour or style cut packages here. We know leading into summer most people want to get into their swimmers, so it’s a great time to offer fake tans or body waxing. Consider what is happening in the calendar and different people’s behavior to determine what offers will be most relevant at different times of the year.

The other thing you have to consider is the slower times of the year – January, for instance, is a difficult month to plan promotions for. Most salon owners have the capacity to handle the demand a promotion can create, as January is often a quieter month. However, most people have already had their big services, like hair colour or special facials, in the lead up to Christmas and it is very difficult to entice them towards expensive services. A flat discount on services can work well, and specific summer-oriented promotions for haircare and skincare can be winners but be careful of trying to fill your January seats with expensive promotions – the time of year just might not be right.

TIME TO SELL

The other half of the timing question is allowing yourself and your staff enough time to sell and move your offer. There is an old adage in marketing about the Rule of 3’s – meaning people need to see something 3 times for it to make an impact on their purchase behavior. So, allow enough time for someone to see your offer on 3 different occasions to get your best results, whether they are experiencing it through social media, your email list and in salon (more on how to amplify your promotions coming soon!). Allow at least a few days before your promotion starts to train your team and tell them what is expected of them, and then at least 3 weeks to properly promote your offer – don’t try and cram it all into a week because you feel quiet in salon.

Planning out your promotions is the key to getting your timing right and getting the best uptake you can on your salon promotion. By organising your promotions at the start of the year, you give yourself enough time to consider what is going to be most appealing to whom and when; and you give your team enough time to promote it effectively. All it takes is a little organisation and you can have a very successful promotion in your salon too.