Writers sometimes experience ‘white page syndrome’, that dreaded condition where you know you need to produce relevant content for an article, and, for some reason, the muse refuses to produce worthwhile fodder for your effort.

Muses are fickle, and have their own agendas, so any experienced writer knows that having a more concrete approach to writing pays off. Your blog falls directly into this arena, doesn’t it? Do you find yourself wishing you had something to say? Do you become intensely self-critical, and edit yourself into nonperformance? Do you procrastinate until you finally release yourself from the obligation to write ‘until another day’, where you most likely will repeat the avoidance?

Guess what? You’re not alone! Very few people really enjoy writing. Seriously, most of the world prefers to have other people handle their content work, and trust me, there is no shame in that, none at all. But you can break through the content wall, the key is a simple plan and consistent follow through.

Set a schedule. If you create a real schedule around producing your blog posts you’ll feel an obligation to produce, and when you’re focusing elsewhere, like on providing client services, you brain can also be working on possible future topics, or be developing one you’ve already slated for creation. Start simple, maybe by opting for two articles a month at first. In time, increase that to one a week. Your clients will gradually build an expectation around your blog posts, and you’ll garner interest in the form of readers and comments, both of which help direct your future topic efforts.

Mix it up.  Once you’ve set a theme of sorts for your articles, think variety. People love to feel like they have the inside track on information, so if you’ve introduced a new service to your menu, be sure to share your rationale on why you chose that, describe it in detail, and request feedback in your article. Are you active in your community? Be sure to mention events and share your passion for charitable efforts or various causes. Sharing your enthusiasm will engender more interest for a given endeavor as well as enlighten your clients about your breadth. When they begin to see you for more than a great salon or spa, their sense of loyalty and support will grow as well. Did you just bring in a new product line? Talk about it on your blog! Why did you choose it? What is special about it? Is there a relevant back-story to share? Over time you’ll find yourself viewing daily activities in your spa, salon or massage practice as potential topics for blog posts, and you’ll probably want to adjust your schedule to accommodate more articles.

Writing is a skill, one that simply needs practice to become adept at. Simple, clean, direct writing on topics that you truly care about will go a long way to filling your blog space and engaging your clients.

Let’s talk about an important practice that you should be doing in your business: redeeming gift certificates in SpaBoom. Keeping track of what gift certificates have been redeemed and what, if any, remaining balance is left is key to helping your business run smoothly. It also means that you won’t end up in a situation where a client uses a gift certificate twice, hurting your bottom line.

Okay, so most of us are already very good at redeeming gift certificates and tracking them in SpaBoom or another POS. But what about promotional and reward gift certificates? You know, the ones that your clients receive for signing up for email marketing, as part of a Daily Deal, or those reward certificates your clients get from your loyalty program. It is just as important to redeem and track those gift certificates in SpaBoom.

Tracking your promo & reward gift certificates can offer valuable information and feedback on which promotional programs and offers are working and which ones aren’t. But if you are just ringing up the discount or giving clients the promotional offer without redeeming those gift certificates in SpaBoom you are missing out on the chance to analyze those programs. And redeeming a promotional gift certificate is just as easy as redeeming a regular one.

How to Redeem a Gift Certificate in SpaBoom

• Go to the GC tab in your Spaboom account
• Search for the Gift Certificate by number, client, recipient, or date purchased (you can also narrow search by gc type)
• Click on the ID number to pull up the gift certificate and its information
• From here, you can view the gift certificate, including balance remaining
• Click on Redeem in the left hand column
• You can then note how much was redeemed and any notes about this transaction
• Hit save
• That’s it! You’ve redeemed the gift certificate

Making sure you redeem and track all the gift certificates you issue (regular, promo, and reward) means that you will have all the information and tools necessary to really analyze your offerings. And there is no better way to improve your business.

Have questions or need help redeeming a gift certificate? Give us a call! We’re always happy to help.

We answer a lot of questions about websites – building effective, attractive, affordable sites is a core part of our business, and we take them seriously. Hearing from someone who has experienced what it’s like to build, then enjoy the power of a SpaBoom website is often the best way to learn. Case in point, Amy Stenger-Sullivan, who has three websites with us – Amy Sullivan Seminars, Baby’s First Massage, and Cincinnati Massage Connection. Her newest websites with us are Amy Sullivan Seminars and Baby’s First Massage.

The feedback below is in regard to the website build for Amy Sullivan Seminars:

I could not be happier with my new website! It was so easy to work with SpaBoom. I had a pretty clear picture of what I wanted in a website, and they worked with me to accomplish my goal. The site is clear, easy to navigate and functional in every way I need it to be. Tiffany was consistently responsive to every piece we needed to add or change. I would do another website with Spaboom in a heartbeat!

Best,
Amy Stenger-Sullivan, LMT, BBA, CNMI
Owner, Baby’s First Massage, Amy Sullivan Seminars and Cincinnati Massage Connection

Creating a website that showcases your business while it drives traffic in your door shouldn’t be a chore. Give us a call to learn more!