7 Salon Marketing Tips to Make Halloween Profitable (and Fun!)

Now is the time to jump in with both feet and cash in on the fun. Halloween salon ideas can be fun and lucrative if you play it right. Since people love to have fun with their makeup and nails, it’s the perfect time for you to let your creativity run free.

Heed these 7 tips to draw in new clients, promote special services and offer in-salon tricks and treats to foster community engagement this October 31st.

1. Spooktacular Decorating
Whether you go scary of glam it up, the Halloween salon idea are endless. Do your thing and get creative. Create some pretty lolly displays with old vases or apothecary jars. Try layering lollies by colour in the jar. Place them around the salon or set them up in one display.

Rather than cutting into pumpkins, paint then with all kinds of fun designs to keep them looking fresh Hang some spiders or even use t mannequin heads to have some ghoulish fun.

2. Be BOOtiful
People who are really into Halloween often celebrate the whole month long. Take advantage of this and have some fun! Whatever your salon specialty is, you can be your own best advertisement. If you are a makeup artist, then you can think of so many fun ways to do your makeup. Nail techs can have a tone of fun with all the cool new nail art trends. Show off what you can do and don’t forget to have a business card on hand.

3. Bewitching Deals
Make yourself available, extend your hours and offer some special deals for Halloween looks.

Be sure to start advertising ahead of time. What are other businesses around you doing for Halloween? Planning an event with other local businesses is a great way to get your name out there.

4. Magical Marketing
Have a contest: You can get on social media and do a photo contest for the scariest or cutest costume, most creative makeup or wildest nail art. Get creative and have fun. The prize could be a free service to accompany a regular service.

Create Posters: You can create fun Halloween posters and flyers to hang outside your salon and to hand out. You can also create fun advertisement images for social media with Canva.com. If you are doing Halloween-theme makeup, be sure to add that to your poster.

Don’t just decorate the salon. Think about decorating your website too. Change to a Halloween theme. Jump online and get some ideas or talk to your web designer about doing some temporary web theme changes.

5. Spirited Offers
Offer clients a sweet package deal. They can come and get their Halloween look from you and if they do they get a percentage off or a facial rejuvenation treatment. You can also offer a package price for a group of related services. Or any client who purchases a retail item on Halloween gets to pull a “treat” from the pumpkin. Treats can be percentages (10%, 15%, 20%) off services or sample size products.

6. Halloween Night
Whether you decide to host a business event for trick-or-treat or if you plan to just hand out candy, be sure to advertise on your posters, website and social media ahead of time. Be sure to tie your business card or coupon onto the treats with fun Halloween ribbon.

7.  Blast Out a Halloween Newsletter
Now that’s you’ve got your promos, contests, and events planned out, it’s time to let your guests know about all of the fun stuff you’re doing this month. Send out an email newsletter that shows off your Halloween spirit! 

Whatever you decide to do this Halloween remember just have some fun!

Why Aren’t Clients Recommending my Salon?

Not getting many recommendations, reviews and referrals despite doing everything right? This could be why.

Did you know that 84% of consumers say they either completely or somewhat trust recommendations from family, colleagues, and friends about products and services? Referring a business to a friend is the highest-ranking source for trustworthiness in a business, product or service, and is the number one thing you should be working towards developing!

What are you presently doing to encourage your current clientele to refer your business to friends, family and colleagues? Do you give out business cards, ‘refer a friend’ flyers, or do you rely heavily on word of mouth taking its course?

Often, salon owners can implement recommend a friend plans, and find they are getting little to no new clients in return. Why?

Firstly, do not stop your attempts after believing they are failing. It’s highly likely that they are not, but it is the execution that may be getting in the way! As the leader of your collective of therapists, make sure those referral cards are getting handed out to EVERY SINGLE CLIENT you are servicing, even the retail customers.

And simply placing them in their shopping bag isn’t enough to jog their memory later in the day to actually use the card! If you are not handing them out you are limiting your chances to marketing to new people and gain new client referrals. Push them hard, make sure you are handing it to them directly, and explaining exactly what it is so they feel encouraged to share around. Even just a simple addition to the end of your ‘goodbye’ spiel, asking them to refer you is a push in the right direction to getting recommendations.

But what if you are handing out material to encourage clients to recommend you to their friends and family, and still referrals don’t seem to be happening?

Your clients may not be telling anyone about you, but why?

If your salon is not giving an exceptional service to each and every one of your clients, that makes them laud you as they walk out the door, they simply may just not be remind themselves to recommend you. As you want your clients to speak highly of you and endorse you to their loved ones, a winning customer service attitude is what you need!

Every moment you spend with your client is an opportunity to create a positive experience, and one they will remember. From the moment they step in the door, to the second they leave, your client wants an escape from the every day, so give it to them. Chances are they will talk about you then!

Saya Beaute Bar provides a tropical oasis to their clientele, from the products they stock to the atmosphere they provide, while Bella Spazio’s presence in salon and online makes their clients feel like they are part of something special and exclusive.

As we know, word of mouth is one of the best ways to win new clients. Put yourself in your client’s shoes when it comes to recommendations. How good would your service have to be for you to mention it? MAKE your salon WORTH recommending!!

Ask yourself, “Is my salon offering a remark-able experience?”. Yes? Then your clients will remark on it. To their friends.

Unmissable Product & Technique Education at Passion to Profits 3.0

After showcasing all 10 brands over 7 different stands at Beauty Expo in August, Professional Beauty Solutions returned for more unmissable product and technique education with Passion to Profits 3.0, Monday Masterclass – a day designed to help salon owners grow their business and their skills.

Held at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour in Sydney on Monday 28th August, Passion to Profits 3.0 was a jam-packed day of education, with PBS flying in industry experts from two of the most innovative skincare and mineral makeup brands in the industry! Speakers included Philip Luque, Director of Artistry Global & Domestic Senior educator for Youngblood Minerals Cosmetics and Dawn Clifford, Senior Director of Education for Image Skincare.

The day kicked off with a Youngblood ‘Look & Learn’ Mineral Masterclass from Philip Luque where he demonstrated the “The Art of Youthful Makeup for Mature Skin”. In this class, Philip highlighted the fact that mature skin has characteristics and needs that other skin does not, therefore the products you use when working with mature skin need to be adjusted to ensure skin is left glowing, without emphasising fine lines. During the second half of the class, Philip showcased another beautiful makeup trend, “Draping – The New Contouring”. Similar to contouring, draping follows the natural bone structure to define, sculpt and create a flawless cheekbone. However, cream blush is used (in two different shades) to achieve a softer, more natural look without the standard brown tones used in classic contouring. 

Guests then joined Image Skincare’s Dawn Clifford for an afternoon of skin peel demonstrations and in-depth training on the newest ingredients and delivery systems which help take Image Skincare’s products and treatments to the next level. They were also treated to a sneak peek of IMAGE MD – a NEW range that incorporates cutting edge ingredients and delivery systems and utilises the latest advancements in skincare technology. Unlike other skincare programs, this collection can be used as a daily, ongoing skincare protocol and will be launching early 2018 in Australia.

PBS prides itself on not only providing leading brands, but also giving professionals the education and marketing support they need to truly succeed. With a gift bag from both events in hand, attendees walked away with a wealth of new knowledge they learned from these two leaders in the beauty and skincare industry. 

For further information on brands distributed by Professional Beauty Solutions, please call 1800 625 387.

Video Marketing and How it Can Benefit your Salon

Video marketing is huge. Creating interesting and fun video content today is quickly becoming one of the most important strategies in your marketing plan, with Facebook’s 4 billion daily video streams having anything to say about it. Whether your forte is Facebook Live, Snapchat, Insta stories or fully fledged YouTube videos, simply said the content you need to be creating and promoting for your salon is video.

Not only are Facebook’s news feed videos gaining more daily minutes watched than any other platform (including YouTube), but video has also taken over Snapchat and Twitter.

YouTube.

Firstly, YouTube is essentially where it all began. Every day people have create careers on YouTube by filming themselves doing something that people will enjoy watching, like discussing their monthly beauty favourites and creating makeup tutorials. This is a massive avenue for salons to leap and take hold of, as therapists not only have immense amount of skill and knowledge that viewers will want, but it acts as a promotional service for your salons and what you offer. Our favourite marketing guru, Gary Vaynerchuk even says that “YouTube is a library of content, 300 hours’ worth of video content are pushed to YouTube very minute”. And it is religiously watched by some of your potential clients.

Facebook.

As you know, Facebook is the leader of all things social. For reaching your clients and potential customers on a large scale, Facebook is key! But not only does Facebook Live work to get people watching and engaged, consider investing small amounts into video ads for your salon that show people what you are all about. Right now, Facebook’s infamous algorithm is focusing heavily on videos, organically improving your reach through these posts. In addition to this, you can target your videos about your latest services and promotions available specifically to; people in your area, people who love beauty salons, have a disposable income for pampering treatments, and so on. Automatically you have gained an audience you may not have reached before and they are already interested, WIN.

Instagram.

Instagram’s new video capabilities, including Insta stories, has changed the way people use the platform. How often do you now find yourself watching the stories of the Instagrammers you are following? Video on Instagram is much more social than it used to be and is great when connecting and engaging (pulling) with your followers, rather than just pushing and promoting. The ability to reply to stories with a video of your own or create an Instagram Live is personal, visual and engaging.

Time for you to kill it at video and become the ultimate marketing machine. Which video platform is your favourite to use?

What is the Digital World Doing to your Skin?

While we all love a good selfie, and can’t get enough of the joys of scrolling through Instagram, can there be such a thing as too much digital dependence?

Credit: Professional Beauty

Essentially, we are spending more time looking at our screens than we do sleeping now, what a comparison!

We champion the idea that social media, and the digital arena is fantastic for your business, as this is simply where the world is living, no doubt about it. But with the growing popularity of staring at a screen for a generous part of the day, comes with some side effects.

Studies have shown that too much exposing your skin to smartphone light and electromagnetic radiation can damage your skin cells and encourage early ageing. Some dermatologists find that the light emitting from the screen can be harmful to your skin, but don’t worry, you have to be using your phone a LOT to show significant signs of damage.

But we’re not just blaming our digital devices. Increasing environmental threats are working to speed up the ageing process, including pollution and sun damage, which can be more harmful to you and your clients’ skin.

What’s the solution? While some believe there is a gap in the market for products and services which protect the skin in this way, but there have been massive advancements in the way of skincare technology and salon machinery that can target skin damage of all types and forms.

One huge leap forward in repairing damaged skin and increased ageing, is LED light. The light emitted from phone and computer screens has a wavelength of 380-500nm, making it a short, high energy wavelength, while the light-emitting diode wavelengths that are found in Dermalux range from 415nm to 633nm and 830nm.

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The Dermalux LED phototherapy has the ability to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, inflammation, contains powerful antibacterial properties and actively rejuvenates the skin, things that smartphone light seemingly adds upon.

Time for your clients to undergo a digital detox, and go under the Dermalux.

6 Reasons To Keep Your Team Well Trained

At Professional Beauty Solutions, we know that in order for you to compete in the changing retail and service environment, while also attracting and retaining great team members, you must offer them the opportunity to learn, grow and get better at their profession.

Take a look below at 6 top benefits of ongoing staff development:

1. KEEP UP WITH INDUSTRY CHANGES.
   The beauty industry is constantly changing, making it so important for a business to progress and evolve continuously to avoid being left behind. Beauty trends and protocols change endlessly so it is also vital to make sure your business is keeping pace with the latest trends and techniques through constant monitoring of your environment, and ongoing team training.
   

2. BE IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS.
   As new technology and techniques are being developed all the time, running a one-off training session is no longer sufficient. Regular training needs to take place to ensure that staff are using all the latest technology comfortably and to its full potential. Keep tabs on the media and experts around you for hints of what is yet to come in the industry, from skincare to LED therapy.
   

3. STAY AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITORS.
   Standing still can kill your business, so by making sure your staff are constantly advancing, you will continue to move forward and remain competitive within the marketplace. When your team has excellent knowledge of ingredients and their impact on the skin, they won’t just sell more, they will instill more confidence into your clients and improve their results with their ambitious outlook.
   

4. MAINTAIN AND ADVANCE EMPLOYEE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL.
   Although one-off training may be provided to new employees, it’s important that training continues to help develop skills throughout their career. To retain knowledge, skills need to be practiced and refreshed on a regular basis so elements are not forgotten. As famous author and speaker Jim Rohn said “repetition is the mother of skill,” so, follow-up training will make a huge difference to your clients’ experience and your bottom line.
   

5. INCREASE JOB SATISFACTION LEVELS.
   Through continued investment into your team, employees will have a heightened sense of job satisfaction, improving their motivation towards their work. This reduces employee turnover and increases productivity significantly, which directly improves the profitability of your business. Clients love consistency and a high staff turnover will also impact your client retention. Keeping your team upskilled also prevents competitors from taking away your best employees.