Bring in New Clients with Your COVID Action Toolkit
Source: Paris Parker imagery
Most salons across the country are now open for business. Some have been open for months, others for just a few weeks. Regardless of where you are in your journey, safety strategies continue to take priority.
Neill recognized this through the pandemic, and has provided regular guidance and information to salon owners since March. And now, Neill has unveiled a new tool: the COVID-19 Action Toolkit, a step-by-step guide on how to communicate the safety protocols your salon is practicing.
Source: https://neill.com/covid-19-salon-updates-new/
“From in-salon signage to social media posts, you’ll find everything you need to go forth and plan and post these messages regularly,” says Mary Katherine Leslie, senior marketing manager at Neill. “Saying it once is never enough.”
Cristen Walley, vice president of sales and education, adds, “According to a Facebook marketing survey, 65 percent of people said how well a brand responds to the pandemic is how likely they will be to use the brand.”
Source: Paris Parker Imagery
“Publish your guest reviews on social media, share them through an email marketing campaign, and share your salon statistics so guests know what’s happening in your salon with COVID,” Walley adds. “SalonBiz can help you pull those numbers.”
Communicate Your Strategy
Tim Belcher, owner of two Whole Aveda Salon Spas in Oldsmar and Largo, Florida, has seen his stylists’ schedules dwindle since the full books they experienced in June when they reopened.
He saw his experience mirrored in the salons he coaches, and began to ask himself, “How do we grow?”
His business was different post-shutdown, so Belcher created a new business plan with his current numbers, adjusting expenses and re-forecasting revenue.
“Knowing our numbers was key,” he says. “We ran a report and found we had a few hundred guests per location who haven’t returned, and it was my most senior, higher-priced hairdressers who were suffering the most.”
To get a better understanding of how to make these guests feel safe and ready to return to the salon, Belcher created a questionnaire, asking guests why or why not they returned to the salon, if they are familiar with the salon’s safety protocols and if the staff is executing them to their satisfaction.
“We received almost 200 responses,” Belcher says. “About half were from our raving fans, and the other half were from people who haven’t returned yet and simply don’t feel safe coming to the salon—no matter what.
“Then there was a final group who said they had no idea what we were doing to keep our guests safe or what our protocols were—even though we have texted, emailed and posted on social media.”
Enter the COVID-19 Action Toolkit. With the information and guidance in the kit, Belcher has been able to access all the information he needs to successfully communicate his systems for a safe salon visit.
The Covid-19 Action Toolkit has options for email campaigns to entice lapsed guests back into the salon. Source: Example from K Charles, TX
Implement the Checklist and Share Your Successes
Within the kit you’ll find a Safe Salon Checklist. This list covers all the safety protocols for salons from mask wearing to proper ventilation to temperature checks. Print it out, and post it in strategic spots in the salon and breakroom.
“We want to reassure ALL guests, including new ones,” Walley says.
The first place these new clients go to research your salon’s safety is your website.
“There should be a COVID-19 safety landing page on your salon’s site featuring updated images with guests and staff wearing PPE,” Walley says.
Email campaigns are another effective way to communicate. In the COVID-19 Action Toolkit, you’ll find options for surveys and email blasts to entice guests back into the salon.
To learn more about what is motivating guests into the salon, Neill ran a series of ads to test which were most successful.
“We tested a variety of ads, and found the top ones were photos that showed a safe experience happening in the salon,” says Andi Eaton, consultant for Neill.
Neill also found engaging local micro influencers was an effective way to spread awareness of salon safety protocols.
“These influencers documented their experience in their stories and feed, along with a promo to book an appointment,” Eaton says.
Engaging stylists—both senior and new—is also key to bringing new clients into the salon.
“Get behind your staff and celebrate every time a new client walks in the door,” she says.
Visit the COVID-19 Action Toolkit and take advantage of all the strategies to drive growth in your salon. The potential for new clients and for introducing new services to existing guests, like Botanical Repair, is huge.
“We continue to remind guests about curbside retail, too,” says Belcher. “Guests feel grateful to be part of the conversation and are ready to return to the salon.”
Safety is the new luxury. Your constant communication of this message will make the salon experience happy and healthy for every guest.
Source: https://neill.com/covid-19-salon-updates-new/ header (Paris Parker Imagery)
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