Marketing your beauty business: The Love Island Way
By Guest Writer | 21 July 2017 | Business, Expert Advice, Feature
Tom Ferris, owner of Blackwell Ferris Marketing, reveals how to maximise your marketing success with five tips inspired by TV’s Love Island:
- Grafting
Marketing is all about selling yourself – just like the contestants ‘sell’ their own traits to whoever they’re trying to ‘crack on’ with. We can take a lot from this as marketing is all about communicating the features and benefits of what you offer. So get GRAFTING to your customers – don’t be afraid to drop into conversations some of your latest treatments and why it would be great to try them.
- On Paper
Islanders are always talking about what their type is ‘on paper’ and you should be thinking about putting your plans down on paper too. Planning and knowing when to run promotions is a key part of driving business, particularly when you get seasonal slumps, or a rise in some treatments and a drop in others. Take some time out each week to assess what’s selling and what’s not, and plan in some activity.
- 100% My type
The islanders often talk about others that are 100% their type. You should be thinking about this when looking at what you want to achieve and who you want to target with your marketing. Make a note of what your dream customer looks like: what do they do? how old are they? what do they do for a living? then do some research and find out where they get their information from and where they go in their leisure time. You will then be in a position to plan out how you can target them with an offer or an advertisement, and start to attract ‘your type’ to have treatments with you.
- Coupling
They say that you should “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” – sometimes its better to partner up with those who you usually avoid. They may be the ‘competition’ but they can actually complement your treatments and benefit your business. Try finding a salon nearby that offers more than just nail treatments and perhaps look to make friends. They might have a last minute client who is too late to book in before their holiday and could do with another salon to be able to recommend; or perhaps your Nail treatments are something that a local therapist doesn’t offer, so be their go-to partner for those treatments. You’ll soon have a bunch of referred clients and, if you can do the same for them in return, you’ll have a perfect coupling up of businesses to help benefit each other.
- Muggy Mike
Don’t get a name for yourself for being rude or blunt with your clients. Basic customer service and a smile on your face goes a long way. It’s so easy to get a bad reputation for one bad move – as Mike has found out – and then that bad rep can be stuck for a while. Let’s hope his return can give him the chance to repair his reputation as everyone seems to agree he’s a good bet. But that ‘Muggy’ name can make others weary – just like they could be with your salon if it got a bad name through one mistake.
Remember:
– put your customers at the front of your thoughts and actions, and don’t get ‘voted out’ of their beauty options.
– there’s always a chance to learn from everything around you – even on Love Island.