How to grow your salon clientele and revenue in 2023
Alrighty my friend, it’s the new year, so I’ve got an important question for you:
What are your financial goals for 2023?
I know you got ‘em. You’re a smart, driven beauty biz owner with your eye on the prize…but have you actually SET your financial goals for the coming year, yet?
If not, this is very important to do. Don’t skip this.
Financial goals give you something to set your sights on. Something to work towards. They drive you and keep you moving when you feel discouraged. And they’re a reeeeally good way to measure success and trajectory.
Go ahead…take a minute to think of a $$ dollar amount $$ that you want to make in 2023.
Got a number in mind? Perfect!
I’ve rounded up 5 places where you should be focusing your marketing efforts this year to build your clientele and your revenue (aka reach your financial goals!)
Let’s go!
Maximize the impact you have on new clients to keep them coming back
The first thing you need to be focusing on in marketing is maximizing the potential of each and every client who walks through your doors…especially the new ones!
That means giving them the best salon experience, helping them fall in love with your retail products, and pre-booking their next experience before they even leave the salon (check out these links for past videos/blog posts on doing this stuff!)
Of course, you want to give them the perfect guest experience, the type they’ll rave about to all their friends - but how can you leave that sweet sentiment lingering when they leave?
There are lots of little ways you can keep yourself top of mind for new clients.
Here’s one cute way to do it: Sweeten your guest experience with a swag bag of take-home goodies and gifts!
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I like to keep things simple and sweet. I am a huge believer in the power of small gestures to make a lasting impression, and this gift bag idea is one of those.
First of all, it does not have to cost you a lot. I’m talking, as simple and nostalgic as a “brown paper package tied up with strings” (or even a brown paper bag would do!)
Be sure to put something on the outside of the package or bag that has your beauty biz logo and name on it, of course…wouldn’t want your client forgetting where they got your sweet treats from!
It’s easy to make clients smile and want to come see you again..as easy as a $20 gift card for their next visit! Pop something like this into your gift bag to help encourage a return visit.
You can also add mini-care products (testers or demo versions of your full-size retail products to get them hooked!), instructions for taking care of their new hairdo, nail set, eyelashes, tan, etc to foster a great relationship with them and make them feel all warm and gooey inside that you care so much about them!
Finally, a handwritten note from you can go a loooong way towards connecting authentically with your new client. Thank them for coming in, give them a rebooking link, tell them you appreciate their business.
This kind of gift bag is just one way you can make a lasting impression on newbies when they leave your chair.
Here’s another way to do it: collect email addresses from all your clients to stay in touch ASAP!
In my experience, salons often kind of “wash their hands” of clients after they’ve left the chair…which is like, literally the opposite of what you’re trying to do to build your revenue, right??
Whether you rent a chair and booth, work for a salon as a contractor, are an independent hairstylist, waxer, nail artist, or spray tanner, or own your own salon, you need to be taking advantage of email marketing. Like, yesterday! (More on this in a minute!)
Here’s how you do it: the first time a new client visits, get their email address on file before you leave.
As soon as possible, send them an email to thank them for visiting and give them a link to rebook. Ask them to reply with questions they have about their service/follow-up appointments etc, and most importantly: ask all your clients to leave a review!
Having reviews on Google is crucial for building your beauty business revenue. It builds your searchability and increases your SEO footprint on the internet, and increases your credibility and popularity. So make sure to get those reviews coming in!
But here’s the thing: you can’t just end it there. You didn’t collect an email address to send ONE email.
You need to stay in touch monthly, at the very least. (Weekly is the best, but if you can’t swing it time or resource-wise right now, at least set up a monthly email blast to your list!)
Between gift bags and sending frequent emails to your new clients, you’re sure to keep your beauty business top of mind for all in 2023!
Engage your audience with video marketing
Okay, okay, I know…getting on video is terrifying and you cringe every time you think about it…and even more, thinking about watching it back!
Trust me, I was there too.
I only got better and more comfortable at filming videos for YouTube because I practiced, a lot and often.
So if you blank out and stare with dead eyes into the screen every time you hit record, or can’t STAND the way your face looks or your voice sounds, just take my word for it: everybody feels the same way, and everybody gets better at it over time.
Be patient with yourself and conquer your fear, because video marketing is here to stay!
Video marketing works so well because it drives a human connection behind your message. Your audience can see you and get a read on who you are and what you’re all about.
Authentic, real, and cute as a heckin’ button…that’s what people want to see now! Big brands that hide behind logos and fancy branding just don’t connect with people anymore. Your audience wants to see YOU.
Here are some things I want you to think about before you jump into video marketing:
How often do you want to share videos? Once a week, once a month, once a day?
Will you pre-record for YouTube, or do live weekly Zoom calls or classes?
Can you see yourself making one Instagram Reel a day for your audience?
On which platform will you get the most engagement?
Set a few video goals for yourself before you start recording…and then stick to them!
Be funny, silly, warm, and friendly…and don’t overthink it!
As for getting comfortable on film, here are a few tips.
Start small by replying to text messages from your friends and family with video messages, instead! It might sound awkward, but it serves a purpose: you’ll get more comfortable with how you look and sound on video.
Take more photos of yourself. This will get you more comfortable with seeing your own face.
Record an Instagram Reel or Story of yourself. Publish it for a small group of people you trust. Do it again. Do it again!
Practice makes perfect. Believe me, over time you will get more comfortable with seeing yourself on video.
Start practicing today!
Increase (or start!) your email marketing to clients
I mentioned it earlier, but it’s worth doubling down on: email marketing is NOT something you should be missing out on.
Word is from the people that know, for every $1 you spend on email marketing, your ROI is $40.
I have an email list of about 20,000 people, and I email them weekly. Whether or not I have something to sell, I stay in touch because it’s worth it.
As I said earlier, be sure to collect email addresses of all of your clients when they book with you, whether before or after their appointment. If clients are hesitant to provide you with an email address, you can offer a 10% discount for them, or tell them they get a special discount on their birthday.
When it comes to what to write in your emails, here are a few tips:
Make it personal - think “love letter” instead of “sales pitch”
In general, follow up with an email after every appointment
Share news about your business, new offers, new staff, new protocols, prices, or equipment
ADD VALUE: share hair care, nail care, skincare tips…whatever your niche is, educate, inform, and inspire your email list, and they’ll keep opening your emails
Link to your online store/booking page/website etc so that readers know exactly where to go to connect with you and buy stuff
Don’t leave money on the table in 2023 - grow your email list and take advantage of it!
Social media advertising 101
One simple truth about Facebook and Instagram ads: it’s truly worth the money spent to invest in social media advertising in 2023.
Social media ads are my biggest expense because they work so well.
I created my best-selling course solely focused on Facebook and Instagram ads for beauty business owners because learning how to advertise on social media for just a few hundred bucks a month (and turned into thousands in revenue) can be really, really profitable when done right.
Every time I teach the course, my students are surprised to learn how little they can spend on ads to have such a great ROI. Hearing about how some of my past students have turned $70 a week in ads into hundreds or thousands of dollars in services, products and classes gives me goosebumps every time! I looooove teaching it, and I adore hearing about the crazy good results.
Here are a few tips on what you should include in your ads:
Videos are highly engaging, but text and photo ads work really well too if done right
Keep your ads fun, light, entertaining…no one wants to read or watch a super-serious ad with no entertainment value to it
Introduce yourself, your business, show off your gear or your space, tell your audience what you offer and why you love what you do
Promotional ads should be limited-time or limited-quantity or both (urgency + scarcity = $$$$)
Always keep an eye on how much you’re spending on ads vs. your ROI…it’s easy to do with the Facebook Ads Manager!
If you want to know more about the course I teach all about running profitable social media ads, follow this link.
Set up and prioritize your Google My Business profile
I’m always surprised when I find out that someone who follows me or is a student of mine doesn’t have a Google My Business account.
I put it to them like this:
“If you knew that thousands of people were searching for your business every week, but couldn’t find you, wouldn’t you want to fix that problem?”
The answer is obviously, “YES! IMMEDIATELY!”
Well…then you need to set up your Google My Business account, my friend.
So, how do you use a GMB account to get found on the web?
You get REVIEWS from your CLIENTS!
I mentioned it earlier, and here I am saying it again because it’s that important!
A bunch of 5-star reviews is the perfect way to boost your chances of ending up on the first page of Google results when locals are looking for “lash extensions LA” or “nail artist near me”.
You can increase the chances of getting those rave reviews from your adoring clients by doing things like:
Asking for reviews when you send out newsletters
Explain to each client how valuable and appreciated reviews are for your business
Running a contest for a free service or a gift card for one or two lucky reviewers
Link to current reviews in emails…sometimes reading reviews makes people want to leave one!
Ask for reviews in posts on social media
Reviews are as valuable as gold to all businesses. Make it a goal to get as many as you can in 2023! And take a minute to check up on your Google My Business account today. Stop missing out on thousands of locals who need YOUR services!
Wrapping up
I promise you that if you put your marketing focus on even one of these things this year, you’ll see an increase in clients and watch your revenue grow. So imagine what you can do if you try your hand at all five! Give it a shot…I believe in you!
From my heart to yours, I want to wish you a fantastic, successful, profitable 2023. You have overcome so much in the last two years, and I hope your business continues to grow and reach new heights this year!
Xo,
Stephanie