Every business in this world has been directly impacted by the pandemic. Salon business is one such industry which has taken a huge toll as close proximity and one on one interaction is important. Now that all the businesses are getting opened slowly, we need to recognize the need for salon marketing strategies that can help boost the business transactions after the pandemic. 

Salons need to focus on their online strategies but working on blogs, social media, and overall online presence to make sure that they can bring their business to life. There are no tried and tested or full proof strategies that can work, everyone is facing the post-pandemic challenges. In order to succeed, we need to alter every aspect of our lives.

To save you from jumping blind-eyed in this cut-throat testing time, we have curated a list of Do’s and don’t that can help you understand the pros and cons of all the strategies. Let’s start with things you need to avoid at all cost in order to Re-Strategize Your Salon Business:

Avoid These 6 Pitfalls

1. The Mistake of Resuming Business As Usual

Your salon doors may have reopened, but we can not forget the term “new normal” because it’s anything but business as usual. The need to follow a strict and stringent cleaning process following the proper guidelines is mandatory. In order to abide by the social distancing rules, people might have to wait in the cars or book an online appointment for a hair salon to avoid the waiting time. You might even have to ask your staff to join in shifts because only 30% of staff will be allowed( depending on the salon space). You need to take care of proper sanitization, and in other words, COVID-19 changes are necessary. 

2. Not Telling Customers About New Process

In post-pandemic times, prior communication is vital. You need to make sure that your customers are aware of any or all work-hour changes/shifts etc. before their bookings. Apart from that, you need to make sure that they know about all the procedures your salon is following to ensure everyone’s safety. These changes may include but might not be limited to cashless payments, salon applications, pickups, PPE kits, cleaning protocols, etc. All these things will ensure customer satisfaction, trust, and improve your brand image. This has become a vital part to include these in order to Re-Strategize Your Salon Business.

3. De-Prioritizing Special Treatment for Loyal Customers

We understand that in these uncertain times you might have a lot of things that need your attention but make sure that you keep a tab on your loyal customers. As a small business, you need to increase your recurring customers to increase your transactions. Make sure to convey your appreciation to your loyal customers, and you can give them priority slots, recurring bookings, early access to shops, etc. You need to walk the extra mile to appreciate your loyal customers. It will help build trust and retain individuals who have the potential to bring in more customers/business. You should opt for a salon marketing software that can help you segregate your users according to their past transactions, services availed and booking timings, etc. We are stressing it again, prioritize your loyal customers over one-time users but be professional at all times. 

A Must-Read For all Salon Owners: How to Attract Clients Before Reopening Your Salon

4. Do Not Overdo Discounts

The business was down for so long, and you can not afford to lose any more revenue. Small salons are in desperate need to lure customers to survive. Naturally, people think discounts will work in enticing customers. But you need to keep in mind that people need salons as much as salons need transactions. People have been giving themselves a haircut for so long that they are ready to spend some extra bucks to look and feel good. There is no need to offer discounts. You need to generate the most revenue yo can to cover up additional costs due to cleaning supplies and recoup lost income 

5. Overlooking Employee Health

Small salons offer longer working hours so it’s natural that they need to work on new procedures, manage customer demands, and maintain cleaning guidelines. All this means that employees will be working more than ever. There is a high chance that will end up exhausting themselves. Working 9+ hours, seven days a week is just too much. If they are going out of their way to make sure that all the appointments are being completed, appreciate them. Een a small amount as a stipend or bonus can go along way to boat their enthusiasm. It will make your reopening as smooth as possible. However, it doesn’t mean that you can look over their mental or physical health. You need to screen your staff before you call them back to work. You can afford to expose your staff to become a hotspot of COVID-19 resurgence. It might hamper your business so much that you might not be able to recover. 

5 Ideas to Help you Re-Strategize your Salon Business

1. Offer Recurring Memberships or Discounted Packages

To make sure that your recurring income is steady, you should work on strategies that offer value-add memberships or packages to loyal customers. E.g. customers with a minimum transaction of 5k per month can become a part of a premier club or get gift cards that can be availed on their next transaction, and you can even offer priority slots with packages for 6 services minimum to entice them more. 

2. Start a Social Media Campaign

Social media is such a powerful tool that can make your business the start of your city within no time. You need to yield it thoughtfully to generate revenue and Re-Strategize Your Salon Business build brand image. Encourage your staff and costumes to post pictures by running a campaign or tag you in their posts. You need to work on social media campaigns that will ensure that your clients are speaking for you and create a bond that is stronger online and offline. My Digi salon can help you in strategizing and scheduling campaigns with ease. 

3. Create a Referral Program

Salons are usually small businesses that compete locally. Now that the lockdown restrictions are lifting people are going to avail services and talk about it with their friends and family. How your salon handles them will determine people’s attitude towards your work. You need to incentivize your loyal customers as well as one-timers to ensure that you attract potential clients. You can give these incentives in terms of discounts for the next services/ products or run a campaign to give a bigger prize like 10k services free to the most number of referrals achieved. 

4. Try Video Chat Consultations

Your staff will be busy once you reopen. From one on one appointments to following the cleaning protocols, your team will be spending a lot more time on one appointment than before. To make sure the consultation time in the salon, you can opt for video consultations. Keep a dedicated person who can consult people prior to their appointments. It will not only reduce chair time but is also more hygienic and safe rather than walk-in appointments. Encourage online bookings for salons on our social media pages as a COVID-19 safety measure to minimize unwanted/unnecessary exposure. 

5. Add a “COVID-19 fee” to every ticket

As mentioned above, businesses were closed and a lot of revenue has been lost. Instead of offering unnecessary discounts, you need to make sure that you are covering all the costs and replenishing your bank accounts.  Apart from the regular fees, you will now also spend additional cost on cleaning procedures and safety guidelines, so make sure that you add a COVID-19 surcharge as a line item. You can pass it to your customers with full transparency as this will be the new normal for now. Make sure you assure your customers that this surcharge will be removed once things go back to pre-pandemic times. 

Conclusion:

In addition to the practices mentioned above to re-strategize your salon business, you need to make sure that you optimize your operations by keeping a  tab on your staff, finances, transitions, and communication with your customers as well.

My Digi Salon can help you streamline everything from just one place. From managing your team schedule to making sure that your appointments are being fulfilled on time and your digital image is maintained online and offline, we can help you with everything and anything with just one salon app.