Discounts are a great way to tempt new customers, but that doesn’t have to mean slashing prices. Explore some great salon discount ideas here.
The best salon discount ideas attract bookings without cutting too deeply into profit. Loyalty offers, referral discounts, and quieter-day promotions usually work better than constant price reductions. Targeted offers and good timing help salons stay busy while protecting revenue.
One tried and tested way to tempt new customers into your salon is with the use of discounts. While some customers will be loyal to their favourite salon for as long as they keep delivering the results they want, others will be drawn to the best deals and promotions they can get their hands on.
To help tempt these deal hunters to keep coming back time and time again, you need to keep the promotions flowing. Get them signed up to your mailing list on their first visit and then keep the conversation going with promotion offers to keep them happy throughout the year.
Some salon owners are against discounts, as they fear that it devalues their services. So, instead of offering money off treatments, consider these promotion ideas. As you can see, promotions don’t have to be boring.
Those sample sizes you receive from companies that want you to stock their products can come in handy when it comes to planning promotions. Skincare, hair care and nail care products will always be popular with customers, so tempt them to book during specific times to get their hands on miniature versions of their favourite products. Brands like Olaplex and Aveda will always be popular with customers.
Help your customers go a little longer between treatments by offering at-home versions of their salon favourites. You can offer this as a discounted item when they book a full-priced, in salon treatment. This can help you to engage customers that might not be willing or able to go to the salon as much as they might like. This type of promotion is popular with new parents who might struggle to find the time to visit the salon but want to keep looking their best.
Offering a discount for referring others to your salon is the simplest way to grow your customer list. If your customers are happy with their service, they might be willing to share their experience with friends and family. If they have a large social media following, this could translate into lots of new customers. You can set up referral codes for the customers with a large social media following so they can easily direct their followers to your booking form and you can reward them with free or discounted treatments.
Another way to encourage customers to spread the word is through bring-a-friend promotions. Both bookings will get a discount on their treatment and will have the pleasure of being in the salon or spa at the same time. This is popular for couples, parent and child, and best friend bookings. You can also tie this into holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day and around prom season.
A loyalty scheme will allow customers to collect points on their bookings, which will keep them coming back time and time again. The trick to success here is to offer more points for their first booking. For example, if they need 5 stamps or points before they can unlock their first discount, offer 2 stamps for the first visit. This will help them to feel more invested in the scheme and more likely to keep returning. Discover more tips for retaining clients on our blog.
When customers sign up for your mailing list, make sure you ask for their birthday. This will help you to segment your mailing list based on age. It also offers an opportunity to send them a freebie or promotion on their birthday. Lots of people like to enjoy a bit of self care around their birthday, so why not send a personalised promotion a few weeks before their birthday to give them an opportunity to book with you rather than a competitor.
If you have cancellations or late availability in your schedule, you can fill these spots by offering flash discounts on social media. Offer a healthy discount for customers who are willing to snap up last minute appointments on the same day or following day. Share these spots on social media and take them down once they are filled.
If your salon offers different types of services, try cross promoting these services to your customers. For example, if customers book a hair treatment with you, you could offer a discount if they also book a back, neck and shoulder massage. This can turn a simple hair appointment into a self-care treat.
Another popular way to offer discounts without simply slashing the price of your treatment is to bundle them together. Examples could include a cut and colour with a free deep-conditioning treatment thrown in. Or you could offer a free massage with gel nails with nail art. This is a simple way to get customers to upgrade to paying for two treatments by tempting them with a low-cost additional treatment.
Thinking about offering new services but not sure if your customers will be receptive or not. Soft launching new services with a discount for existing customers is a great place to start. Before the service is made available to everyone, send a message to existing customers about the new service. You can offer a discount for those who book in the first few weeks. This will create a sense of urgency in the promotion and encourage them to take action quickly.
There are many ways to offer a discount on your services that don’t include slashing the price. Create the illusion of increased value by cross-promoting or upselling treatments. The actual cost to your salon will be quite low, but you can enjoy increased profits through more consistent bookings, referrals and returning customers.
Rather than getting into a routine with your promotions, try keeping things unexpected and fresh. This will create a sense of urgency when promotions are launched, ensuring that regular customers can’t just wait around for the next promotion to drop.
Want to simplify your promotions and track what really works? Book a free Salon Iris demo today and discover how our smart tools can help you manage discounts, boost revenue, and keep clients coming back for more.
