MENU
SEARCHAdvice from Valorie Reavis of Linkup Marketing about digital loyalty schemes that salons can use.
Salons stuck in the dark ages of card-based loyalty programs are missing out on opportunities to drive up sales and repeat visits, according to salon marketing specialist Valorie Reavis of Linkup Marketing. Instead they should be looking to digital systems.
"In an increasingly competitive landscape, offering a stamp on a card just isn’t enough," says Reavis. "Salons need to embrace more dynamic means of not only rewarding clients, but of monitoring their buying behavior. Companies that track loyalty are up to 60 percent more profitable than those that don’t, and we know once a guest is loyal, she’ll visit, on average, twice as often and spend four times as much money."
Reavis pointed to the new wave of affordable digital loyalty schemes that do far more than a stamp-collecting card can do. Being digital, they are easier to manage, but, more crucially, they can track clients’ buying behavior.
"Using social and mobile technology will build a radically improved loyalty program," she explained. "Not only will it herald the end of easy-to-lose stamp cards, it will make use of new communication methods such as smart phones and social media. And tracking and rewarding buying patterns will also be so much easier. You can reward referrals, drive engagement of social media platforms and so boost marketing."
Most digital loyalty schemes allow salons to create a tiered program of rewards that is easy to manage, including deals with partner companies or exclusive events. They can also be designed to reward initial behaviour to encourage interest and loyalty, moving on to offering sweeteners for additional purchases, to creating specific rewards for the most loyal, VIP clients.
But Reavis had one final piece of advice. There are many programs now available but salons should avoid choosing one based on cost alone, she warned. The delivery system must reflect whatever platform each salon’s clients prefer, be it social networks or texting, and it must complement its overall marketing strategy.
AI, relentless change, employee burnout, economic insecurity. Individually, each presents a challenge, but together, they create what global leadership strategies Thom Dennis calls "the perfect storm." His new book, Rewilding the Corporate Mind, offers business leaders a radically different approach to leading people through today's uncertainty and division.
Timed to kick off New York Fashion Week, the intimate, artist-led event focuses on technique, storytelling, and the creative process.
JVN Hair's Summer Protection Duo is clinically proven to provide UV protection and deliver conditioning and texture to keep hair looking great all season long.
The Professional Beauty Association and Pivot Point team up to develop an ongoing study that measures the confidence of salon owners, stylists, school owners, and students.
This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.
In Dubai, a salon visit isn’t an appointment. It’s a weekly routine, and clients can spend $800 to $1,400 a month on it, according to Gaurav Tripathi of MADI International. On October 6-8, 2026, the market behind those numbers opens its doors as Beautyworld Dubai marks its 30th edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together distributors, brands, stylists and salon owners from all over the world.
Sponsored by BeautyWorld Dubai
In October, volunteers plan to walk and take the plunge during at the annual event, HairToStay Does the Bay. Find out how you can participate and support the organization that grants subsidies to cancer patients so they can receive cold cap treatments to save their hair during chemotherapy.
At Premiere Orlando 2026, SALON TODAY catches up with Easihair Pro's Angela Gilmore, who talks about why stylists lose clients who are suffering from thinning hair and hair loss, and how their new Hairlosophy line can help.
Illuminated Paths is a boxed set of 52 cards, a guidebook, and an Oracolor Wheel, a visual framework that helps readers reconnect with the qualities they want to bring into everyday life.
In this rare essay, the president of a haircare brand takes us behind-the-scenes into a world we never see when we pick up a product off the shelves--the arduous, thought-probing, second-guessing journey of rebranding a legacy product line. Not only is her reflection fascinating, but it is also incredibly useful for any salon owner or manufacturer contemplating their own brand.
