Can you believe it’s already time to start planning for the holidays?!? As we’re quickly approaching this busy time of the year, it’s a good idea to get your marketing organized now so you can focus on making your clients beautiful for their holiday festivities. If you’re not sure where to get started, we have a few tips to get you going on the right track.
1. Prepare Your Email Campaigns
Think about your objectives for the holiday season - do you want to remind everyone to book their appointments now? Is it your plan to sell all of your retail gift sets before the new year? With these goals in mind, start creating your email templates and filters now so all you have to do is hit SEND when you’re ready to reach your clients.
Simple Suggestion:
- 12 days of Christmas Email Blast – Prepare 12 emails, each one promoting a different gift or sale from your business. Send 1 or 2 emails per week leading up to the holidays. This is an easy way to highlight one gift idea at a time, and stay on the top of the gift-givers’ minds. Make your final email your holiday greeting to your clients to show them your appreciation for their business.
2. Start Promoting Gift Certificate Sales
Gift Certificates are such an easy gift to give, and a great one to receive! Remind your customers that you can help them with their holiday shopping while they’re sitting in your chair. The simpler, the better!
As it gets closer to gift-giving time, online gift certificates are the easiest way for those last minute shoppers to purchase an instant gift! Place signage around the business reminding clients of your online gift certificate options, include a link to your online gift card page on all of your holiday emails, and place a visible link on your website.
Simple Suggestion:
- Create service packages of different price values and recommend who could receive these gifts. All your clients have to do is purchase a gift certificate for the value of the “For your Mother-in-Law” or “For your Best Friend” package, and their shopping is done. Plus, you gain new clients when the gift certificates are redeemed!
3. Plan for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Work your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals into your holiday email campaigns. Make these days your highest retail sales days by preparing special promotions only available during the sale. Don’t forget to check your inventory levels to ensure you have enough product to cover your sales!
If you intend to be closed the Friday and/or Monday after Thanksgiving, you can still promote your online gift cards. What’s better than having bringing in revenue while your business is closed!
4. Cross-Promote with Your Neighboring Businesses
Add something special and different to your gift sets by working with other businesses in your area. Is there a cute coffee shop or boutique nearby? Trade gift cards with other local business to include in your gift packages and they can do the same with yours. This is a great way to reach potential new clients and offer a unique gift idea that is only available from your salon.
5. Create a Drive-Thru Opportunity
Ok, so an actual “drive-thru” may be difficult for a business without a drive-thru window, but you can still make it simple for gift buyers to run in and purchase a gift. During your peak retailing times, have a dedicated Point-of-Sale area to be used for retail and gift certificate purchases only. Shoppers can run in to purchase the perfect gift and not have to wait in line behind service clients who are purchasing retail, services, and trying to book their next appointment (which could be done at the chair, but that’s another topic).
Make this holiday season the most successful one yet with just a little planning and preparation!
Just for fun, get into the holiday spirit by changing your Envision theme to the Pumpkin theme for Halloween, then the Xmas theme for the rest of the year. (Available for Envision Installed Software)
