marketing tanning
build on your brand
In order to offer your clients a truly customised and knowledgeable service you must know your chosen tanning brand inside out. Not only will this demonstrate your passion for the services you offer but will also help to allay any fears your client may have regarding recent press coverage and / or about the level of colour they wish to achieve. “Choose your tanning brand carefully,” advise Marie-Louise Coster, of All About Mi. “There are a lot out there, so there are plenty to choose from.
“Things to consider when choosing the brand will be:Which brand best fits your salon and image?Which brands are not on offer at any of your competitor’s establishments?Which brands are exclusively available in salons and not available to buy in department stores? This will maintain a level of client loyalty, particularly when it comes to retailing,” adds Marie- Louise.
Once you’ve found your perfect tanning partner, ensure you, and your staff, take advantage of as many training opportunities offered by them as possible – not only will this keep you up to date with the very latest techniques but you might also be made privy to any new products that are due to be launched, which could be the key to gaining a competitive advantage.
“All good tanning equipment suppliers will provide their customers with marketing support,” says Gary. “Ensure you find out exactly what’s on offer. Window decals, posters, customer information leaflets, seasonal promotions and offers, copy and images for your website, these are just a few examples.You may even get help with a marketing plan and support for your own bespoke materials.”
pick a promotion
From seasonal discounts through to creating pampering packages, there are a number of ways in which you could promote your tanning services to ensure a constant flow of beautifully bronzed customers throughout the year.
“Spray tanning is still one of the most popular treatments in the salon and it is perfect to use different marketing techniques to get clients converted.You can either use a ‘bring a friend’ special promotion or you can offer certain
times when you spray tan couples or friends together,” comments Britta Krueger from BeautyTrix.
“Alternatively you can offer discounts as cross-referrals, i.e. get a spray tan half price if you book your nail appointment. This way you can introduce clients to other treatments meaning they spend more time and money with you and become more loyal, as most clients prefer to have a therapist or salon who can offer the various treatments they are looking for,” Britta adds.
It’s also worthwhile considering whether you could include tanning as part of a pampering package, think ‘beach body ready’ and tie it in with hair removal services such as waxing / IPL services – although do bear in mind that something like this would need to be done over a course of appointments.
Alternatively, you could easily tie it into a Bridal or a Prom package, both of which are especially sought after at this time of year. For more ideas of what a bridal package might include check out our feature on bridal beauty on page 40.
getting social
Social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter have exploded in popularity thanks in large part to the accessibility of these platforms through smartphones and other mobile devices.
With more and more people accessing the web on the go it’s essential to have a web presence that’s compatible with these devices. If you already use a salon management system with online booking facilities, it is likely that your website will already be optimised for mobiles.
“App downloads are set to reach a massive 56 billion this year and over 70% of smartphone usage is through apps,” says Andrew Jones, director of Media Apps Ltd.
“People are attached to their phones 24/7 so it makes good business sense to utilise this and place your tanning salon information and loyalty scheme directly in your client’s phone. It is easy and quick for them to collect loyalty stamps, which keeps them coming back to your salon. People can be put off when bombarded with irrelevant marketing messages, by using your own App you are interacting with the people
who want to speak to you, it is targeted marketing at its best.”
For those of you who are still social media virgins, I would seriously advise you to take some time to familiarise yourself with these platforms as they offer a quick and easy way to promote your services and can help provide potential clients with the much needed tangibility aspect, often missing from services marketing, in terms of seeing and hearing about what you do and listening to your existing clients’ feedback.
If you’re still left feeling in the dark, then Aviva Labs UK has teamed up with iWEB 365 to offer mobile tanners and salon owners a simple service, called OmniWeb, that includes a 'mobile friendly' website, Google, Facebook and Twitter management all in one place.
“We see many clients who have poor quality websites that will not work on smartphones or tablets properly and provide no integration into Facebook and Twitter. Managing your image on the web and in social media is becoming extremely important for any business today. These new networks can be likened to local people chatting in their local pub – in essence, ‘word of mouth’marketing. It's vital in today’s market to build your own networks and make sure you are getting the right kind of feedback,” explains Chris Johnson fromAviva Labs UK.
In terms of feedback, make sure you know where your referrals are coming from. After all, you need to know which aspect of marketing is generating you the most leads: “Every time a new lead contacts you regardless of whether it’s by calling, emailing, Facebook or Twitter always ask, 'It would be great if you could tell me where you heard about us?' This simple measuring will prove priceless for future marketing campaigns, you will know exactly what is and isn't working for your business and, of course, invest more in what is working for your business and stop what isn't,” suggests Marie.
Whatever marketing strategy you decide to adopt for your tanning business remember that knowledge really is the key to unlocking a great future in the tanning business, so put in the man hours and read up on everything you need to know about your chosen tanning provider – after all if you’re not passionate about it why should your clients be?
GUILD NEWS 111
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