BLOG: How to use seasonal promotions to boost business by Steven Gunnip

Steven Gunnip, director of Salon Evolution, shares his expert knowledge on making the most of seasonal events through special promotions in your salon.

Only one thing is certain in the salon industry and that is that nothing stays the same. To remain ahead in this ever-evolving business, you need to ensure that your salon is constantly expanding and evolving. Seasonal promotions are a great way to do that as they provide the perfect opportunity to change things up and offer clients something different, whether that be a change to the salon interior through eye-catching decorations, a different food and drink menu, brand new treatments and services, or an impossible-to-resist promotion that will send client satisfaction rates soaring and set the salon tills ringing.

Be creative

No matter what the time of year, look through the calendar for the following 12 months and see which seasonal events or national holidays you think would work with your salon brand, or have a meeting with your staff to brainstorm some ideas for the major holidays. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and use other events and national holidays to offer your clients something that the competition isn’t. It’s also worth seeing if your town or city has any special annual events that you can commemorate, so you can work a promotion in with this, even offering complimentary tasters, particularly if passing footfall is likely to be greater during that time, and the uptake will be higher. Or go for something completely off the cuff, whether that’s a national day celebrating anything from doughnuts to friendship (yes, both exist!) and work a way to tie the theme into your salon, whether that’s through the food and drink you offer to clients or a ‘buy one, get one free’ deal.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a great time to offer promotions that can appeal to both men and women and is an ideal opportunity to tap into the growing men’s market. If your client base is predominantly female, give them incentives to bring their boyfriend or husband along for a Valentine’s treat and show them how great your salon is. Play around with different ideas and make small changes to fit in with the Valentine’s theme. You could rename some of your most popular treatments with quirky love-related titles, or change the colour of your website to red and pink for one day only.

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is all about relaxation and giving hard-working mums a treat away from the stresses of work and family life. Use your creativity to create a fun promotion, posing quirky questions such as “How much time have you accumulated for yourself this year – one hour, half a day or a full day?” Follow this by designing bespoke treatment packages just for mums to fit each time frame. Creating a ‘call to action’ through asking a question is a great way to get clients thinking and to motivate them to visit the salon.

Christmas & New Year

We all know that Christmas is the time for parties and gift giving, so extend this sentiment to your clients too; hold a party for your loyal customers and give homemade gifts to show your appreciation for their business. Over the weeks leading up to Christmas, turn your salon into a sanctuary so that frazzled shoppers can have a bit of ‘me’ time. There’s no better occasion to offer seasonal food and drink and it’s the one time of year when clients will always be more than happy to indulge, so put mulled wine, mince pies and other festive treats on the salon menu. And for Christmas partygoers and New Year’s Eve events, why not create a seasonal hair menu, just for the festive period, with a range of up-dos or special blow-drys?

November and early December is also the ideal time to set the wheels in motion for what can potentially be one of the slower months – January. Make doubly sure to mention to clients about booking for their next appointment or think about offers and promotions you can run to ensure that, what can typically be a quiet time, actually ends up being anything but.

Plan ahead

The main thing to remember when incorporating seasonal events into your salon is to plan ahead and make sure you dedicate enough time to fully make the most of what you plan to offer, whether that’s promotions or special treatments. This will make sure everything runs smoothly and provides a greater client response, resulting in a positive experience for your team and clients alike.