Spa Marketing | SpaBoom

Are You Fully Harnessing The Power Of Local Search?

June 18, 2014

Developing a strong online and social media presence has become critical to competing in the modern business universe. SpaBoom was founded on the premise that not only being online, but being innovative, interactive, creative and effective out there are really the point of the online exercise.

Driving traffic into your brick and mortar via your website and social media interactions remains the goal, as does developing a strong, trusted brand that evolves constantly with your audience expectations. Again, the measure of success is nurturing relationships and enjoying the financial benefits of doing so.

One of the big challenges we all face is not just developing our websites and social media presence, but in fact garnering an audience to see how innovative and creative and interactive we are – without being found we’re like sailboats adrift in an endless, windless sea just hoping for a stiff breeze.

The local search and online recognition playing field is full now, with a litany of names coming immediately to mind – Google, Bing, Facebook, Yahoo, YouTube and FourSquare, to name a few. We’ve encouraged you to claim your identity, to always keep your business information current, and to avail yourselves of any additional features that make sense for a small business wishing to promote itself. The importance of current business information has never been greater – your audience expects to be able to find you not just with specific searches of your name, but also with categorical searches in your area which means you need to ensure your listings and keyword criteria meet those needs.

One of the most interesting recent additions to the search formula is geo-location. Smart phones are where most searches initiate, with iPads and other personal devices close behind. I was reminded of just how important considering the geo piece is when describing one’s service location when I saw yet another Google Maps car driving around the other day – how cool is it for someone to simply click on an address that provides a detailed map to your brick and mortar business? Technology has made big strides when it comes to ease of being seen, found, and for your audience to pinpoint you with broader searches.

The onus, then, remains for you to know where you’re visible online and keep that information cutting edge current 24/7. The key is constant vigilance, and remembering that you’re building relationships, not sending out a telegram of information from time to time.

Do You Market Wellness?

May 27, 2014

As trained professionals, you have become adept at observing, closely, your clients’ hair, skin, and bodies. Identifying when something just isn’t right, or isn’t as it should be, comes with the territory. Sharing that information with your clients in a non-medical advice way can deepen your relationship and add a level of credibility that you might not have felt existed.

Case in point?

Lovely tresses provide a psychological boon, and simply make us feel well kept as well as stylish. Hair also speaks of overall health. Dry, brittle hair may point to a need to supplement and add nutritional elements that a person may be lacking. Loss of hair, depending upon where the loss is, how severe the loss may be, and when it occurs, may point to deeper health concerns that require medical support to address.

Massages support overall wellness, reduce stress, faciliate lymphatic movement and support a healthy lifestyle.

Regular pedicures can not only beautify the tootsies, but can also support healthy feet. Preventing ingrown toenails, softening and reducing callouses, providing foot massage which not only feels heavenly but also reduces stress and calms the mind..these are a few of the benefits.

Professional aesthetics help in the fight with age, provide a way to identify any skin changes that may deserve an appointment with a dermatologist, and make us feel fabulous. How can a smooth, soft complexion NOT improve a person’s day?

The wellness benefits of regular hair, body and skin care are extensive. Historically the focus has been on the pampering and more superficial enjoyment that comes from good care in these areas, and really, that is great. But there’s more, and it’s deeper.

Do you market the wellness benefits of your services? If you don’t, you should. Not doing so means you’re missing out on a way to position your services as not only feel good, but beneficial on a deeper level. From a competitive standpoint, being seen as not just providing the fluffy stuff, but actually imbuing health and wellness into treatments will encourage deeper client loyalty and prevent casual straying. Positioning as an expert that gets all aspects of hair, body and skin treatments will engender trust and help foster client retention.

And retention, unless it’s water (which, interestingly enough could be reduced with lymphatic massage!), is a good thing.

Preserving Your In-House Retail Brand

May 15, 2014

In past couple of years we’ve seen some products manufacturers offering their goods online to the same consumers that visit your spa or salon. Yes, they’re offering the same products as you do, in house, but without that key piece of the retail formula – professional guidance and education.

What do you do when this occurs? Besides essentially competing for the same consumers, you’re now losing the retail revenue stream that may play a significant role in your business’ cash flow model.

There has never been a better time to know the key differentiators of your services, and most importantly, to share that information – consistently, succinctly, and in every venue possible.

Some spas and salons choose to discontinue products that are now available online in order to focus on those that remain exclusive for in-store sales. In addition, they focus their expertise during services, and help their clients choose the ideal products for their individual needs. One big drawback that consumers face buying online is choosing what’s available and ‘self-prescribing’ products which may very well be intended for entirely different hair, skin, etc.

Highlighting your expertise in skin, hair, and body care will separate you from the pack. Your clients come to you for your deep knowledge of your field; they return as they experience the benefits of professional care and products over time.

Offering a free skin or hair analysis with any service provides an immediate feedback mechanism that can direct your product and maintenance recommendations and ensure your clients are using what’s best, and will enjoy the optimal outcome in the process. And the perception of receiving a service with value goes a long way to engendering in-store product loyalty.

If you’re inclined to adding a private label line, doing so will absolutely prevent losing retail sales to online shoppers. In recent years ‘going private label’ has become much more affordable, with fewer upfront costs. Credit technology and small batch production – and enjoy creating a line of products tailored specifically to your brand, prominently featuring your brand, and supporting your marketing theme and messaging across labels and offerings.

Regardless your strategy for competing, you do have options. Again, what we find is that sticking to what you know/who you are as a business, and providing stellar customer service net big benefits while you remain true to your brand. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, should it? After all, being ‘real’ and delivering on your brand promise has always been key to success.

Time For A Fresh Approach!

April 28, 2014

We’re now fully into spring, and with the first quarter of the year behind us, now is a great time for a bit of spring cleaning. The same processes you use in your home when you’re throwing open the windows and preparing for the change of seasons can also be a good idea for your business as well.

Time to Reflect
Take some time to reflect on what worked (& what didn’t work) in the first part of the year and make changes accordingly. Take a look at your numbers for the first quarter, but also ask your staff and top clients for feedback on what they liked and didn’t like from the first part of 2014.

Out with the Old, In with the New
Now is a great time to clear out old products, promotions, and packages and bring in something new and fresh for the warmer weather. Clear out all the products left over from the holiday and Valentine’s seasons and replace them with lighter, fresher offerings geared towards sunnier days. Introduce (or bring back) some of your warmer weather services, like spring facials or a cooling massage for summer. You can also update your marketing materials, such as collateral, with warmer weather colors and graphics.

Look Ahead
This is also a great time to look ahead to the next part of the year. Start planning out what your marketing schedule will look like for the next couple of months, or even the rest of the year. Planning out your packages and promos now will allow you to take full advantage of all the upcoming seasons and year, have to offer. And you’ll be ahead of the game.

It’s a great time to make your business more streamlined, and more effective. So get out there, shake out the cobwebs, and freshen things up a bit!

Ready For The Mother’s Day Gift Blitz?

April 24, 2014

Mother’s Day preparation is underway, and the possibilities are endless for creating specials sure to entice gift buyers. The ideas we’ve run across so far this year look promising for lucky Moms around the world – spas are creating nice packages that don’t cost an arm and a leg but serve up relaxation and pampering. A wide variety of treatments are being offered up, with time considerations built in as well as respect for cost.

From chair massages for Moms on the go, to all day luxury options for head-to-toe rejuvenation, to mani/pedi combos, to glorious hair color/style treatments, the options will run the gamut, and provide Moms around the world a respite from the day-to-day while honoring the role they play in our lives.

Regardless what you’re cooking up for services, to ensure the largest possible number of gift buyers know about your well-planned, Mom-centric gift offerings you need to TELL your audience what’s available.

Create the services you wish to promote, and update your website to reflect the way you’re making it super easy to please the Moms in everyone’s life this year.

Be sure to have POP in your business that put your specials front and center, and that you offer Instant Gift Certificates that make choosing those specials a breeze.

Write a quick blog article outlining what you’ve created, and point your readers to your website, which you’ve already updated so your promotions are prominently featured.

Generate at least 2 or 3 Email campaigns and time their launch to pique interest, maximize sales, and remind your clients that a gift for Mom from your spa, salon, massage therapy or esthetics practice is absolutely perfect.

Harness the power of social media. Mother’s Day is an ideal time to get your specials out on your Facebook page. Images are encouraged, so take full advantage and include eye-catching imagery of services and/or products featured to reinforce your promotions. Tweet away, too. Let your followers know you’re all about Mom, and encourage them to choose services that pamper and rejuvenate.

Gifts that provide a personal experience continue to increase over traditional gifts of stuff, so get out front and let well-meaning gift buyers know that your business has exactly what it will take to make Mom feel pampered and nurtured this Mother’s Day!

No Pressure, but It’s Your Content vs 27,000,000 Articles – Every Single Day

March 18, 2014

Your content matters more than ever. The quality. The focus. The voice. It all helps to differentiate you from the many other voices in your space. And in this time of information glut, that can be the difference between winning and losing the attention of your audience.

There is a new and controversial theory out there, Content Shock, defined by Mark Schaefer, that goes like this:

“The emerging marketing epoch defined when exponentially increasing volumes of content intersect our limited human capacity to consume it.”

Numbers speak, and what this phenomenon is describing is the unprecedented volume of content that is being generated every single day – 27,000,000 pieces of it. To put that in perspective, at the rate we are currently producing content, depending upon which study you choose to believe, we are doubling the web-available content every 9-24 months.

Take a second to digest what that implies.

Consumers, on the other hand, are quickly reaching a threshold of content saturation due to a finite amount of personal bandwidth, ie available waking moments in every day. They simply don’t have much more available processing space for new information.

For the first time in web history the supply of good (I know, relative term, but whether it’s good or bad content takes up space/bandwidth) content is greater than consumer demand. And from an economics standpoint, we all know that when supply exceeds demand, prices fall and other market forces kick in to adjust and re-balance the environment.

What can you do about this? Follow the guidelines we have shared since we began talking about content and the importance of generating solid, relevant, interesting and compelling reading for your audience. Given that you probably don’t want to read back through every article we have ever written on the subject, a summary follows:

Be your bad self. Now is the time to identify what makes you special as a business and groom that concept. Put it out there in your blog articles and social media posts. Find your very special voice, one that differentiates you from your competition and develop that until you become the local authority on what you care about.
Make influential friends. No we don’t mean you have do a House of Cards manipulation thing, that would be icky. But identifying a few players in your space that have a voice that resonates for a sizable group, then making friends with those players and asking them to contribute to your blog and offering up helpful expert tips and tricks that they may choose to incorporate in their work will go a long way to keeping your head above water in a choppy sea.
Create content that your audience will want to share. It’s no secret that when we read something of value, we tend to share it with others. I do it all the time because a good piece of content discussing a topic that matters to me and mine is worth sharing.
Don’t reinvent the wheel every time you need a piece of content. SpaBoom created our content system to intelligently leverage each and every piece of hard work you do. Write an article and you automatically generate two social media posts. Easily generate an email linking back to a blog article that you’ve written (that also contains a link to your instant gift certificates page – a transactional opportunity). Every time you sit down to create a piece of content, know that it can be sliced and diced and artfully applied in more than one place. One piece, many products.

You are in a unique position to really decide what you want your business to represent. Once you have nailed that let the message that works for that idea flow through every single piece of content you generate, from your website content to your service menu descriptions to your blog articles to your social media posts to your email marketing campaigns.

Competing in a noisy market isn’t for the feint of heart, but with some thought and careful planning you’ll be ahead of the competition if you take a deep breath, stay calm, and find your voice.

Marketing Lists – What They Are and Why You Should Use Them

March 13, 2014

Your email list is the most important tool in your marketing toolkit. There is no better way to connect with your clients, wherever they are and on their own time, than through email communications. But if you are only using one giant email list, then your email communications have to be one size fits all. And we all know that your clients are not all the same, so why send them all the same marketing?

Marketing lists allow you to break down your overall email list into subgroups, based on your clients’ different personas. You can then use these lists to send emails targeted specifically to their individual needs & wants rather than having just one blanket email that covers everyone.

So clients who are your top VIP clients can get emails geared to them, and so can those clients who only come in for specific services or have specific needs. Being able to target your email marketing to each of these groups will bring better results and make your clients more interested in reading your communications.

SpaBoom has the ability to create marketing lists built into our system, so you can create marketing lists and start targeting your client subgroups today.

Here’s how:

Go to the Marketing Tab:

Click on “Lists” in the left hand column to go to the Marketing Lists page
You will see all your current marketing lists
To add a new marketing list, click on “Add Marketing List” in the lower left column

From here, you can create a new marketing list:

Give your list a name
Choose a Type – this indicates when someone can be added to this list. They can either add themselves during the email signup process, or you can choose to keep the list internal, which means you control who gets added to a list
Choose a Parent – this is optional and refers to making this list a subgroup of another list
Click save and your list is ready to go
Now you just need to assign some clients to it

To assign clients to a list:

Go to the Clients tab
Pull up their client record
Check the marketing lists you want to add this client to (this is towards the bottom of the page)
Click save

Don’t forget that your client has to already be signed up for email marketing and have confirmed their signup in order for them to receive email communications. If the “send email marketing” box is not checked, their email signup is not complete and they will not receive email from you.

And that’s it! You are all set to start effectively targeting subgroups of your client list. Targeted marketing is proven to be more effective and lead to more interest, so why not start using it today?

Need help figuring out how to segment your overall email list into marketing lists? Or just a little bit of help setting things up? Give our team a call. We’re ready to help you utilize our effective marketing tools.

Surprise Treats Net Big Loyalty

February 19, 2014

Making people look and feel terrific is an art form that you have perfected. Our hats go off to everyone who chooses to spend their energies making the world feel better and simply shine with gorgeousness!

Engendering loyalty in your clients takes effort, as you well know. It means you not only meet, but exceed their expectations every time they come in for a service. It means your staff is professional and adept at what they do, that your facilities are inviting and nurturing, and that the services themselves meet the promise that you’ve made in your marketing and promotion.

Client loyalty is an interesting phenomenon, and one that requires continual attention to ensure. Sometimes going one step further is just the ticket for taking a client relationship from solid to ‘wow’ worthy.

Case in point, adding something special to your services. You don’t advertise these special somethings, in fact they don’t appear in writing anywhere- they just happen, and enrich the experience for your clients in the process.

My personal story along these lines is pretty simple, but honestly, I wouldn’t even consider leaving the relationship that my stylist and I enjoyed for many years as a result of their inclusion of an a.mazing neck massage, with aromatic oil, before every style. Cut, color, highlight, didn’t matter, they included it and for some reason I never thought about it until I was in the chair, often right after a hectic day at the office, and I felt myself relax into the soothing massage before I enjoyed a great style experience.

Every time I went in I felt the same way – that the five minutes they spent relaxing me transformed me from stressed out and anxious to relaxed, mellowed and ready for some pampering in the form of a great hair treatment.

How much did that cost my stylist? Very little. How much did that additional effort on that part gain them? Tons. I told everyone I knew about how amazing that simple treat felt, and in return my stylist enjoyed not only my deep loyalty but a considerable number of new clients as well.

What can you do to surprise your clients? What little thing can you provide that will reinforce the wonderfulness of what you do and permanently place you in the ‘irreplaceable’ category in your clients’ minds?

A little creativity and consistent follow through are all it takes to enjoy the benefits of happy, happy customers.

So, what’s your plan?

Service Menu Descriptions that Reach Out and Grab Attention

February 4, 2014

One great way to deliver more punch with your service menu is to craft your descriptions to garner attention. And by attention, we mean your website visitors, of course, but we also mean search engines. All of the content on your website matters, and can help you be seen online.

For example, if you offer up a signature 90 minute massage using indigenous essential oils, and the techniques employed are a blend of Swedish and Deep Tissue, and a complementary de-puffing eye mask provides the finishing touch to an hour and a half of pure bliss, then you need to share at least some of that in your description.

So your service could be: Elementals Spa Signature 90 Minute Bliss Massage.

The description could be: Abandon yourself to our famous blended modality massage using indignenous essential oils. Our talented therapists banish tension, invigorate your spirit, and transform you into your better self! Special relaxing and de-puffing eye mask tops the treatment and leaves you refreshed and relaxed!

Including rich description that also contains key information about your services will pique the interest of your clients and broaden your appeal from a search engine standpoint. Not only will search engines like that you have interesting, relevant descriptions in place, they’ll give you credit for updating your website content.

Review your service menu, then ask yourself why each item is special, because they all are for one cool reason or another, then take a moment to rework the descriptions. Performing this exercise will rejuvenate your perspective on the amazing services you offer which will also translate to more enthusiasm as you describe to phone or walk-in clients the various offerings you’ve worked so hard to create.

Go ahead, get focused and enjoy the process as well as the benefits!

Promotions that Generate Last-Minute Gift Sales

January 30, 2014

It may come as no surprise to learn that the majority of your gift sales around holidays happen within 24 hours of the event. This fact means you need to get in front of your gift buyers and stay there as they’re making their purchases. Fun fact – this behavior is why SpaBoom came into being, actually. Turns out one of our own procrastinated a bit before buying a special gift for a loved one. Faced with an inability to purchase, online, a very special gift of spa, he knew there was a real business opportunity to be had. He knew that he couldn’t be the only one who’d ever been caught up in life and then found himself faced with a big event requiring a special gift, and he was right.

Yes, some people plan. We know them, and appreciate their foresightedness when it comes to sharing. Those people will need to hear from you and see you well before a gift giving event. Weeks before. They’re the ones you create packages for and promote all over your website and on social media and with in house promotional imagery like POP.

Most people, however, wait until the last minute and then find themselves in a panic. For your procrasinators, you need to promote as well, but waiting a little longer to get that BOGO offering up a $20 gift certificate with a $100 purchase will catch their eye and generate significant last-minutes sales.

Promoting these great offers is pretty straightforward. Last-minute promos mean you need to use venues we like for transactional reach – emails, social media, and in house imagery (POP). Try sending an email a week before, then one just 48 or 24 hours before Valentine’s Day and see what happens. And know that social media is your friend when it comes to last-minute promotions. The visual piece – the POP – will help you not only capture the interest of clients already visiting, they’ll help you trigger and reinforce the promotional messages you’ve already sent.

As Valentine’s Day barrels down, be sure to come up with one or two fun promos that will help your gift buyers make the right purchase, then enjoy capturing the sales opportunity. It’s about meeting your gift buyers, where, and when, they’re making their decisions.

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