It’s easy to spend a fortune on ads that will never work, but these hair salon advertising steps will set you up for success.

At some point in your salon’s journey, you’re going to want to boost its growth by investing time and money in advertising. With so many possible methods and platforms, it’s shockingly easy to spend a small fortune on salon advertising destined to fail. Fortunately, a bit of thought beforehand will steer you towards the hair salon advertising that’s the best fit for your salon.

Brainstorm beauty salon advertising ideas

First, be clear on the difference between marketing and advertising. Marketing is about strategy; it’s your plan for getting the word out about your salon. Advertising is a component of marketing. These are the actual words and images you’ll use to attract the attention of potential customers. In other words, marketing decides where you’ll run your campaigns, and advertising is what you’ll be running. Even if you have a marketing professional handling the where, you should have a strong point of view about the what. This “what” is the voice of your brand, after all. The following steps will help you pinpoint the message you want your salon advertising to deliver right now.

1. Your salon advertisement should match your salon vibe

Visiting the salon is only partly about how you look when you’re done. It’s also about the entire experience. It’s one of the few times we carve out time in our schedules to do something purely for ourselves, and it should make us feel great inside and out. Your salon advertising needs to accurately reflect the energy your salon exudes. Do you want your clients to aspire to glamour or feel gorgeous just the way they are? Are you cheeky, minimalist, or luxe? If you’re not sure, consider the clients you currently attract. Ladies who lunch will expect a much different emotional atmosphere than the young entrepreneur or older parent. Visiting a salon can be inviting or daunting, and your salon advertisement must set the correct expectation.

2. Solve a common problem

Customers are inherently focused on getting their needs met, so use your salon advertising to speak directly to those needs.  It may be curly hair that has a mind of its own, or frizz brought on by springtime humidity. What do you do with long hair that isn’t a fussy updo or a ponytail? Roots, split ends, flat hair, dull hair, awkward hair (growing out an undercut is murder), and the endless question of “to get bangs, or not to get bangs?” You have the answers to all of these problems and more, and ads are a perfect way to let new customers know it. In the example below, Lupita Nyong’o’s stylist Vernon François shares product tips for defining wild curls.

3. Connect to a hot pop culture moment

There’s nothing quite like a perfectly polished celebrity to get your clients wanting a new look. Maybe they want an Ariana Grande high pony for an event, or perhaps they want to test out Billie Eilish’s neon green root smudge. Getting a celebrity-like look without a dedicated hair and makeup team is tricky, but that’s where your salon comes to the rescue. A “get the look” campaign can point your clients towards the cuts, colors, and styles that will make them feel like they’re walking the red carpet while they’re browsing the produce aisle. Tapping into the buzz surrounding a celeb’s hot Instagram post or Met Gala appearance keeps your salon feeling trendy and cool.

4. Master the Instagram caption

You already know that Instagram is the social network of choice for beauty and you’ve been hard at work, curating a steady stream of stunning hair content. Well done! But the images are only half the beginning. For maximum impact, you’ll want to optimize your captions as well. The photo and the words are the one-two punch that make someone stop their scroll and engage with your salon’s account. First, don’t get too hashtag-happy. Nothing screams “amateur” louder than a caption where every other word is a hashtag. Your salon name and geographic location — neighborhood or city — are usually all you’ll need. Make your caption informative and entertaining. This is a quick peek into your salon’s world, so make that Instagram scroller want to be a part of it! For the best results, include a call to action, which is a prompt for the viewer to do something like book an appointment, visit your web site, or use a code for a discount. Keep in mind that Instagram caption previews cut off after 125 characters and front-load your caption with vital details.

5. One size of salon advertisement does not fit all

Making several different versions of your salon advertising is vital to maximizing its effectiveness. Once you know where you want to run your ads, consider the style of ad you want to place there. A neighborhood flyer (yes, flyers are old-fashioned but are still remarkably effective, #lowtech) can be more specific than a Facebook ad, for example. Once you’ve determined the general voice of your ads, create versions that suit a number of viewers: someone who has enough time to read, someone who’s browsing social media, someone actually walking by your store. While all of your ads should evoke a consistent message, how that message is delivered should be tailored to the setting.

Image Source: Flickr.

6. Use your location to your advantage

Don’t forget to take advantage of your salon’s physical location when it comes to advertising. You’ve got a window, a sidewalk, and a surrounding neighborhood, all of which are prime ad spots. According to the Rule of 7, a potential buyer needs to see your message seven times before they buy from you (and some schools of thought say even more are required with the influx of information consumers are fed via social media), so appealing to the local population is a smart, low-effort method of salon advertising. A sign that catches someone’s attention or makes them chuckle as they make their way to work is all you need to plant a successful seed.

Image Source: Flickr

7. Give it time to work

Your salon advertisements are going to take time to work, regardless of the channels you choose. For example, you likely won’t see results from Facebook or contextual advertising for about two weeks, while ads on bridal networks or based on SEO may take several months to bear fruit. Monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns over time. Though it’s possible to get incredibly granular with your data (to the point of noticing what color backgrounds work better on Tuesdays) at first you just want to look at the broad strokes, such as whether one particular call to action works better than another.

Creating the right combination of salon advertisements to attract new clientele will take a bit of trial and error, not to mention patience. But don’t be afraid! The worst ad for your business is the one you never use. Use these tips to make your ads speak in the clear, unmistakable voice of your salon, and you’ll soon see results you want.

For more tips, be sure to check out The Ultimate Guide to Salon Marketing!

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