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SEARCHRunning a successful gift card campaign can be a powerful way to bring in revenue each holiday season, time and time again. Are you ready to reap the benefits of the gift card boom this December? Jonathan Antin, celebrity stylist, ...
Running a successful gift card campaign can be a powerful way to bring in revenue each holiday season, time and time again. Are you ready to reap the benefits of the gift card boom this December? Jonathan Antin, celebrity stylist, entrepreneur and Star of LA Hair, was kind enough to share his top three tips for gift card success!
Provide a Streamlined Customer Experience: Preparation is key to ensuring a streamlined gift card campaign and a pleasant customer experience. The online purchase process should be fast and smooth - having an inventory management program in place can help tremendously. Certain salon management software programs, like Mindbody offer a variety of gift card templates that can be customized with your logo, along with easy management and tracking capabilities for gift card purchases and redemptions. Customers can purchase a card online for a friend or relative and print it out or email the gift instantaneously. Ideally, gift cards should be accessible via your website with a clear, simple call to action, such as “Buy a Gift Certificate Today.”
Get the Word Out: The marketing methods you choose can greatly impact the success of your campaign. Signage and messaging about your gift cards should appear everywhere - inside your salon, on your website, front desk, social media platforms, and in all client communications and newsletters that are going out. If you get a lot of foot traffic, consider a sign outside of your salon. This can be something as simple as “Ask about our luxury salon gift card package.” Make sure that your stylists and staff members are reminding clients about your gift card specials in person. Just one gift card in the hands of a consumer is a walking advertisement - great for your brand's visibility!
Maximize Your Campaign through Cross Promotions: To see an actual increase in sales from your campaign, you need to give customers a valuable reason to purchase a card. This is where you can get creative by cross-promoting your gift cards with other services, such as: "Purchase a deep conditioning treatment and receive a free gift card,” or “Purchase a gift card and receive a $30 voucher towards the service of your choice.” Have fun with it! Another option is to reward high spending with a gift card as part of your loyalty program. Regardless of your plan, make sure you the have the cash flow in place to handle any big spikes in redemption rates. If you’ve never offered a gift card promotion before, start small to test the waters.
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