How to Capitalise on Black Friday - A Guide for Salons

Its official, the Christmas countdown has begun. So you know what that means???

Black Friday.

What do those two words conjure up for you?

Scrabbling masses in the shops? Queues for miles waiting for the stores to open?

For me they scream: Salon marketing opportunity.

This is because in recent years it has become a growing phenomenon in the UK, when businesses realised they could cash in on this marketing ploy. Historically it comes after Thanksgiving in the US but it has crossed the pond and we are able to share in this American tradition and grow our businesses anywhere.

How will this help grow my salon?

If you have never participated in any Black Friday events for your salon, I understand your skepticism.

‘I haven’t used Black Friday for marketing before, why start now?’

Well stick with me, as I hope to convince you of the benefit to your salon business in my post.

You only have to switch on the television at this time of year or scroll through your social media feed to see how Black Friday has catapulted to the forefront for marketing in November.

Traditionally, November can be a bit of a slow month for salons. As clients hold out for that all important Christmas appointment, but with a little forward thinking and planning ahead, there is no reason November can’t be as successful as December with Black Friday on the horizon.

Here are my top tips on how to make the most of Black Friday for your salon business

Extend your opening hours

This is a nice and easy one to start off with. It doesn’t require much effort, just some willing staff and you are good to go!

Again, extended opening hours are common place on the lead up to the festive season. Retailers are trying to squeeze every last penny out of consumers before the big day and opening earlier and or later than your standard times, is often more convenient for customers.

If you are unsure, try it for just Black Friday itself, extend your day by an hour to start. That way, if the bookings are not ample, you can finish at your regular time.

Be sure to promote this though as you can’t expect people to be mind readers. If they are aware of a change in schedule, they are far more likely to comply.

Which leads me nicely to my next point…

Get promoting on social media

Get the word out there and let people know about your Black Friday deals, whatever they may be.

You want to create as much hype as possible, so be sure to promote before the big event, as well as on Black Friday itself. This way you can capture more interest and generate more sales in advance, rather than waiting for the day of the event.

Think about Christmas in this way, we don’t wait until Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day to begin thinking about Christmas.

Take this approach when promoting on your social and whip up a frenzy, to get people excited to visit your salon and benefit from the bargains.

Get rid of surplus stock

Have you checked your old stock recently?

We are all guilty of harboring old stock in the back, it didn’t sell then so you hang on to it because it still came at a cost to you. Well get sorting and dust off those obsolete cans (you know the ones)!

Try putting it in a discount basket on your front desk marked ‘Black Friday deals’ and encourage your receptionist to ask clients to have a rummage before they leave.

This is a prime time to get promoting Christmas gift ideas. People are desperately hunting for the ‘perfect gift’ and your products might be exactly what they are looking for. Bonus – you have shifted your unwanted stock and they have found the perfect present.

Price the items individually, displaying the RRP and your discount to make it easier for people to determine the savings.

Salon software applications can help you easily manage your stock inventory levels, so you can avoid having surplus stock to shift.

Get creative with campaign names

As hairdressers we work in a creative environment, so why not extend this into other areas when thinking of marketing solutions?

You could play around with the wording and call it ‘Pink Friday’ for any of your Nicki Minaj fans out there! Or ‘Blonde Friday’? By switching up the campaign title, it will pique interest and encourage clients to find out more.

Stand out from the crowd and inspire your team and clients with a punchy twist on a ‘Black Friday’ campaign.

Sell Gift Cards

Black Friday poses a great platform to start selling Christmas gift ideas…

Enter – gift cards.

Gift cards are the perfect solution to gift giving for those people who have everything (We all know them, heck we may even BE one of them!) Plus they boost the cash flow to your business in a commonly quiet month.

But we are not just selling gift cards at the face value on the card, people are looking for a deal after all.

Here are some promotional ideas:

Why not throw in 25% extra on Black Friday gift card purchases only? Or a ‘Buy one get one free’ special. Where a spend of £100 receives a £25 gift card for salon services?

Show your appreciation

How often are we told we are appreciated by businesses?

Not that often in my experience. How often are we rewarded for our loyalty?

Again, not that often. Usually it is more beneficial to switch providers as all the best offers come to newcomers.

Hairdressing is such a personal industry and we need to render this in business as salon owners.

We should treat our loyal clients to extras or freebies to show our appreciation and gratitude for their support. After all, without them we wouldn’t have a business.

For example, any regular booked in on Black Friday can receive a complimentary conditioning treatment on top of their regular service at no extra cost to them

Make use of last minute offers

We all love a last minute offer, particularly if the savings are more as a result.

Having a date which is finite also create a sense of urgency which encourages sales in your salon.

Reach out to your salon database to notify them of your last minute deals and create a call to action. Clients then have two options, miss out on the offer or go for it! This prevents dithering and boosts sales on the day.

You could also create a Black Friday countdown, to raise awareness and encourage shares on your social media for more exposure.

Host a product demo day

This is great if you have a new product line just out. You could invite clients to come along to a ‘try before you buy’ event. Then have members of your team use the products on clients to demonstrate their use, then discount if purchased on Black Friday only.

Again this creates a call to action, if clients see the results and are pleased with them, they are more likely to purchase and continue to do so. It’s a win win.

Plus with Christmas coming up, people are starting to think about gift ideas…that’s where you come in.

Create a 'Big Spender' programme

Hey big spender!

Encourage Black Friday sales by advertising when spending ‘X’ amount on products, clients will receive a complimentary service as a result.

Be mindful of what you give away, you want to spur your sales, not become bankrupt!

So a simple formula would be; you want the free service to be worth no more than 20-25% of the total bill.

For example, if a client purchases £150 worth of products, the treatment received needs to be around the £30-40 mark. You would then adjust this in accordance to the amount spent.

This is a great marketing opportunity because people are incentivised to buy, on the basis they are receiving a free service.

Use this opportunity to generate new custom

Black Friday is a time where people are searching for deals and have come to expect them somewhat in some cases.

Use this to capitalise on savvy shoppers looking for a bargain, to generate some new customers for your salon.

I know your appointment system is probably groaning at the thought of squeezing another client in before the Christmas rush. Especially a new one.

But riddle me this…if your Black Friday deal for new customers encouraged them to book in before Black Friday, then RETURN in January and they will receive ‘X’.

You are giving them a reason to return (apart from the amazing skills they witnessed on their first visit of course!) in an otherwise quiet period.

Summary

So pencil Black Friday in diary and make it a staple for years to come in your marketing calendars.

I hope this article has given you some food for thought. You don’t need to implement all these ideas at once as there is quite a bit to get through. Just pick what is most fitting for your salon and team to make the most of this marketing campaign for the best returns for your salon.