Marketing a Salon, Spa or Esthetician Business
Beauty businesses run on trust and repeat visits. Most of what helps online is small and can be done between clients. This guide gives you five habits, each with steps. Set aside about two hours to start, then a few minutes a week.
You need: your Google login, your booking page, and a phone.
Habit 1. Pick the right Google categories and list your services
Open business.google.com, select Edit profile, and look at your primary category next to Business category. Pick the one that most accurately describes what you do. Google's own example is to choose "Nail salon" over "Salon." If other categories truly describe separate services you offer, add them, but keep the list short.
Then select Edit services and add each service you offer, with a short description. Add a price only if it is current and you will honor it.
Why it matters: your categories tell Google what kind of business you are, and Google says they affect which searches you can appear in. Be honest and specific, and do not add categories that do not fit. See How to Choose Your Google Categories, Services and Service Area.
Habit 2. Show the work, with permission
Your best marketing is the work itself. A finished look shows people what to expect.
One rule: ask the client first, and respect the answer.
- Ask before you take the photo: "May I share a photo of this look on our page?"
- Some clients prefer no face in the picture. A photo of hair from behind, a close up of the finished look or a tidy treatment room can show your skill without showing the person.
- Write down in your client notes who said yes.
- Do not promise results beyond what you can honestly deliver. Describe the service, not a medical outcome.
For photo basics, see Which Photos to Put on Your Google Listing.
Habit 3. Ask clients to rebook
Before your client leaves the chair, offer the next appointment. Pull up the calendar and ask, "Want to book your next visit while you're here?" It is easier to say yes when the calendar is right in front of them.
Write down how many people you asked this week and how many booked. After a month, you will know if the habit is working.
Habit 4. Fill the slow days
Look at your slow days. If a Tuesday has open spots, post them that morning on Facebook and Instagram. Copy this and fill in the blanks:
We have openings today at [time] and [time]. Book at [link] or call [number].
Use only openings you actually have. Delete the post once the spots fill.
Habit 5. Keep your details matching
Clients check Google, Facebook, Instagram and your booking page before they book. If your hours say one thing on Google and another on your booking page, someone shows up at a locked door. When you change your hours or take a day off, change them everywhere the same day. See Make Your Name, Address and Phone Number Match Everywhere.
Check your work
- One primary category, and services listed with descriptions.
- You have permission for every photo you share.
- You asked at least three clients to rebook this week.
- Your hours match on Google, Facebook, Instagram and your booking page.
If you would rather hand this off
When you are busy with clients, marketing is the first thing to slip. We keep your website, Google profile, social accounts and listings matching, reply to reviews and comments in your voice, and write and publish your posts on schedule, starting from what you tell us. See our marketing service for estheticians, or get started.