Odds are, you're great at something.

Marketing, however, may not be your comfort zone. Nearly every day I speak with some of the best hair dressers and salon owners in the world, but they don’t always know how to let the rest of the world know just how good they truly are.

Don’t let marketing scare you, it ain’t rocket surgery!

If you have no marketing plan, follow these 7 simples steps to get yourself moving in the right direction. This isn’t the answer to all your problems, but it can start clearing the path.

1. Make a plan. It doesn’t have to be a fancy plan, but you can’t move forward unless you know where you’re going. Write down some basic goals and some of the basic steps to help you reach those goals.

2. Make a budget. It’s easy to spend too much, and it’s easy to spend too little. Make a budget so that you don’t lose sight of how much (or how little) you’re investing into growing your brand.

3. Make sure your social media activities sites are active, and representing your salon the way you want them to.

4. Be engaged in the community by supporting local causes that can also draw attention to your salon, look for a win-win situation.

5. Befriend the media. Local media is your friend, and they need content. Communicate with them regularly about trends in the industry and your community involvement. Offer to show the new seasonal hair-styles for the morning news.

6. Service your current clients before worrying about getting new clients. Make sure you are doing all you can for those that already love you. Reach out to them, treat them like you did the first time they walked through the door, and get them back in the door more often. These are the clients that pay the light bills and keep the salon open.

7. Plan the holidays in advance. Look at the calendar, there’s always a holiday around the corner. Plan your specials and your promotions in advance so that you can pre-promote them instead of scurrying last-minute to promote gift ideas. Also, pre-plan to extend hours for the holidays, don’t leave anyone looking for someone to make them beautiful.

Of course there are many more simple ideas, and many more complex ideas to grow your business. But if you don’t have each of these covered, be sure to focus before working on other projects. Cover the basics before reaching for more.

 

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.