Rumor has it that the traditional mad dash and spike of adrenalin common to Black Friday could be decreasing. According to experts, online sales are increasing while brick and mortar visits are down. So what? For the beauty industry Black Friday is less about a day of frantic selling and more about the beginning of the shop-til-you-drop holiday season, and those ready with a plan in place will see the most success.
- Copy the big boy retailers and launch your deals before Black Friday. All those clients coming in for a quick trim or a last-minute facial before travelling home to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family are the perfect audience ready to hear about fabulous Holidays gift ideas and special offers.
- Decide on your marketing messaging, and splash it all over the salon, online and, crucially, on social media. Scan your Shortcuts email data list and divide into groups, such as your color clients or your nail bar fans, and send them targeted messages.
- Create a sense of urgency by launching special deals on your social channels leading up to Thanksgiving – money off additional services or bundles of products can whip up interest. And consider adding a ‘buy online, pick up in-store’ option to get more clients through the door. When they come, be ready to sell-on further deals.
- A Thanksgiving weekend-only Gift Card special could get them lining up to buy, and it means money now, service later, with the potential to win the recipient over as a loyal client. Be creative – Buy a $120 gift card for just $100 or a $150 gift card and get a free manicure.
- Create a buzz around Small Business Saturday – yep, it’s a thing, created by American Express in 2010 to encourage more spending in smaller, local businesses. That’s you! So instead of only focusing on Black Friday, start pushing Small Business Saturday.
- Don’t forget to check out your software to make sure it is ready for the massive spike in traffic over and after Thanksgiving weekend. You are okay if you are a Shortcuts Software client but if not, it’s likely your software will pose a challenge of its own with a clunky system that your team hates using.
