How SMS Marketing Can Help Salons, Spas & Barbershops

The owner of the franchise has just called to let you know that, as the manager of the salon, you have the green light to promote a new line of conditioners by offering a generous discount to clients that walk in throughout the remainder of the weekend. With such short notice, how do you inform your clients that there is a limited amount of time to act and enjoy the savings on the new line of conditioners?

The answer is not by sending out emails, nor does it involve going on Twitter to send a tweet announcing the limited time offer. No, the answer lies in a time-tested promotional strategy called text marketing.

Overview of SMS Text Messages

Professionals working in the highly competitive hair care industry must implement a wide variety of promotional tactics to just pique the interest of potential customers. Text marketing represents to most effective and affordable way to promote not only the services offered by your salon, spa, or barbershop, but the large stock of hair care products that help increase sales.

Look out into the lobby of your business one day, and you will notice most, if not all of your clients typing away on their cell phones. They are not answering an email message or responding to a Facebook friend request. Your clients are responding to text messages in real time. Salon, spa, and barbershop operators need to leverage the power of SMS messaging to grow their customer bases and bolster sales.

What are the Benefits of a Text Marketing Campaign?

Did you know that more than 90% of mobile communication device users respond to text messages within four minutes of receiving them? The quick response time is unmatched in a digital era where there are dozens of ways to get in touch with someone. This fast response time is just one of the reasons why working with a texting platform is the right marketing approach for beauty salon owners.

Here are a few additional benefits of implementing SMS broadcasting software:

• Affordable promotional strategy
• Present popular special discounts
• Grow a regular client base
• Incredibly high response rate
• More effective than email messages for building a subscriber list

Best Practices for SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is not just for chic salons and spas. Barbershops benefit as well, but the key is to understand some of the basic principles that guide a successful texting strategy for businesses.

Short and Sweet Messages

Short message service (SMS) is most effective when you send messages that are short and to the point. Messages should clearly and quickly describe a promotion or a special event, since SMS services typically don’t allow users to send messages that are longer than 160 characters. The key is to inform your clients about a promotion or a special event in just one or two sentences.

Keywords are the Key

Keywords are the words your customers type into their mobile devices to respond to your initial message. For example, a barbershop that also offers waxing services might send subscribers a message that reads "Text HAIR4DAYS to 223090 to take advantage of our weekly waxing special." As a salon, spa, or barbershop owner, simply using the keyword HAIR will not cut it. You should use more creative keywords that your customers will remember when it comes time for responding to an SMS marketing message.

Speaking of Subscribers

Text message marketing for salons and spas will not work if you spam potential customers. As with email marketing, you want to ask permission to send information about upcoming hair care discounts and special events that attract new business to your salon, spa, or barbershop. As clients pay for your high quality hair care services, ask them if they have signed up to receive text marketing messages. You can also place small signs at the front desk and throughout your business to highlight your SMS messaging service.

Text Message Marketing Ideas for Salons, Spas, and Barbershops

Beauty salons, spas, and barbershops have several options to leverage the power of SMS marketing. Your goal is to use the right type of text message marketing campaign that matches the goals of your business.

Links to Helpful Information

What is the most effective way for a barber or a hair stylist to build trust with customers? The answer is building the level of trust that earns you a considerable amount of credibility. Most of your clients do not know much about taking care of their hair. By sending them links to helpful information online, you educate your customers and, in the process, begin to build the unbreakable bond that leads to a long-lasting professional relationship.

Remind Clients about Appointments

What is the biggest cause of lost revenue for your salon, spa, or barbershop? Is it a new salon down the road, lower prices from a competitor, or decreased foot traffic? Although many factors can cause profit losses, the fact remains that missed appointments represent the most frequent reason why hair care businesses take a revenue hit. A chair remains empty during the time reserved for a haircut or some other type of hair care procedure, costing you precious time and space. Using SMS broadcast software, you can remind your customers about upcoming appointments. SMS messages can also be used to cancel or reschedule appointments with minimal hassle.

Make Up for an Empty Chair

Let’s assume a client called first thing in the morning to cancel an appointment set for early evening, or used your handy SMS service to reschedule for another day. The chair for the time slot remains empty for several hours— that is, until you use your texting platform to offer a discount on a haircut, if someone texts back using a promotional keyword to schedule an appointment during the empty time slot. Texting is a great way to fill empty chairs. Just remember to make it worthwhile for the lucky client.

Win a Free Makeover

A holiday fast approaches, and you want to fill every chair. How about having a raffle for a free makeover for one lucky client? To enter, all your customers have to do is send a text message to a number like 884531 that includes the keyword MAKEOVER. You can add the value for the makeover in the text message to give it more SMS marketing power. For those that don’t win, you can offer other services or makeovers at a discount to help fill those chairs and increase revenue.

SMS Messaging by Dash Notify

When you shop for companies offering SMS marketing services, you want to find a company that offers a wide variety of texting services to meet every hair care promotional need. You also want to work with a company that delivers prompt and friendly customer service throughout the day. Contact our SMS marketing company today to learn more about how Dash Notify can help you fill more seats, build a loyal customer base, and increase revenue.

Other Industries

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• Automotive
• Bars & Night Clubs
• Cafes & Coffee Shops
• Churches & Ministries
• E-Commerce Websites
• Fast Food Chains
• Financial Institutions
• Golf Courses
• Gyms & Fitness Centers
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Movie Theaters
• Nonprofits & Charities
• Political Campaigns
• Radio Stations
• Real Estate
• Restaurants
• Retail Stores
• Salons, Spas & Barbershops
• Schools & Universities