Running any business post pandemic shut down is an uphill battle, but running a business that provides services deemed “non-essential” feels like even steeper of a climb.
As salon owners, you’ve had to think outside of the box and get creative both to bring in new guests and retain loyal ones. You’ve likely had to brainstorm different marketing and promotional ideas just to get your stylists and guests comfortable with “the new normal” in the salon. More importance has been placed on retail during times when personal care services were not an option.
Now more than ever, implementing programs that will retain existing guests and increase average ticket sales, are not only important, but imperative. In this blog, we are going to tell you about how a customized salon loyalty app will change your business.
Many salon owners were forced to shut their doors when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020. Some were closed for a few months while others faced multiple shut downs. Many service providers were left with a feeling of uncertainty as to whether the guests they had worked so hard to retain would return post shut down. Many had to start from scratch rebuilding while others were blessed with "ride or die" loyal guests who stuck it out and supported them through thick and thin.
A loyalty program is a simple way to show clients who support your business that you are grateful for them and, in addition, extends offers to reward them with either retail or service redemptions. It is super simple for them to join, they simply scan a QR code, sign up through text or email and track everything on their smart phone!
It works on any device and you can eliminate the fuss of having loyalty cards (that always seem to get lost or go missing) and there are no unnecessary bells and whistles- just a simple, user friendly app. They’ll love that they can score rewards on social media when they share promotions on their social platforms and that they’re right in the loop with current specials in salon!
Pssst- if you already have a loyalty app by Salon S.O.S, here are some great ways to utilize your app in Covid times!
WHY YOUR CLIENTS DESERVE A LOYALTY APP
Here’s the thing, our industry is LOADED with talented professionals who are amazing at what they do and provide a great salon service. What makes YOUR salon different, what makes YOU different?! Loyalty programs are used in virtually every industry nowadays and customers have come to expect it. The stats don’t lie, people are incredibly receptive to businesses that offer a loyalty program with 48% of people saying they expect specialized treatment for being a loyal customer!
Think of how you feel every time you score a free coffee or redeem a freebie using Airmiles or Optimum points- your clients DESERVE that same feeling for being a customer of your salon! Treat ‘em like royalty and they’ll reward you with loyalty.
WHY YOUR BUSINESS DESERVES A LOYALTY APP
Owning a salon is hard. Like, really hard… and I know each of you reading this has worked your tails off to take care of your guests and help your team grow. Well, a loyalty app is the system that you and your business deserve because it will help YOU grow, the added perk is that is also benefits your salon customers and your service providers! It is so much more than just a loyalty rewards program, let’s break down the other advantages!
Retail incentives and increase. Our loyalty program rewards clients with “stamps” for every $x amount spent (that's for you to decide, and we can help you strategize on this!)
For example, if every $25 spent gets your client 1 stamp and their bill total is short of receiving an extra stamp, it is a great segue into offering retail or service add ons to help them score that extra stamp! Because their rewards are laid out clearly in front of them in the app on their phone, they can easily see how many stamps are needed for each reward and knowing they may miss out on an extra stamp over mere dollars can help to encourage a retail purchase! It also helps to create an opportunity for your front desk, stylist, or whoever is completely the transaction, to start the conversation about retail without feeling pushy or salesy!
Deals and promotion awareness. There is a tab in our Salon S.O.S loyalty apps that lists all current promotions for your clients to check out right there on their phone! It is laid out in a clear concise way and allows your customers to download digital coupons to use in salon. Social media is great for promoting new deals in the salon but the reality is that not all of your clients are on social media or seeing each new post as it comes. This is a perfect way for your guests to stay in loop and not miss out on any promotions they want to take advantage of.
Data collection. Not only is a loyalty app a great way to collect emails and phone numbers for marketing purposes, it also allows you to customize your marketing tactics to better suit each recipient. You can see which digital coupons each customer is drawn to, which rewards they redeem, and frequency of their visits which allows you then to market to them specifically on what will benefit them. Your clients will love the personalized marketing messages and won’t feel overwhelmed or spammed receiving emails or texted about things they have no interest in.
Check out this link for even more reasons Why You Should Launch A Salon or Spa Loyalty Program!
LOYALTY S.O.S
The tech experts at Salon S.O.S can custom create a user friendly, branded loyalty app to help your salon company stand out! Here’s the scoop on what a loyalty app could look like for you:
-Your own unique app platform custom fit with your brand’s logos, colours and imagery.
-Faster checkouts by ditching the stamps and providing a quick QR code to scan.
-Loyalty triggers that automatically send promos based on the consumers sale history.
-Unlimited marketing campaigns so you can reach out via text or email with promos and offers
-Dedicated technical support that’s always got your back!
A loyalty app by Salon S.O.S will benefit your business in so many ways- it rewards not only your guests, but your team, your business, and YOU! It is the perfect way to tell your loyal customers thank you for their continued support following a year and a half of absolute uncertainty. These loyal guests have helped us all feel essential, even after being deemed non essential, and rewarding this support will help return the warm fuzzy feelings they provided us during tough times.
We challenge you to do a deeper dive on the statistics behind loyalty programs and reflect on the benefits of implementing this system into your salon business. If you’re interested in learning more, do not hesitate to reach out to us to request a loyalty app demo!
Follow along with us on social @salon.s.o.s for all of the digital marketing tips, tricks, and info you didn’t know you needed!
‘Til next time,
Your Team at Salon S.O.S