Add On Marketing
Elizabeth Brown | 12monthsofmarketing.net
Be InPulse Branding, Marketing and Design

I live near Seattle, and here in the northwest teachers take lots of breaks, so school doesn’t get out until late June, which makes it almost painful to write an article focused on ‘Back to School' on July 3rd, but there it is!  As salon and spa professionals, we live in a world that runs two to three months ahead – if we do it right. 

As you create student and teacher-focused promotions, you may be working to create new products and services to add to your menu; after all, this has been a slow year and it is time to get creative and begin to carve out new sources of revenues and profits in order to start building business again. 

Just as you create add-on menus in the salon and spa, you can create an “Add-On Marketing Strategy” to help you discover new clients, pool resources with other business owners, build business, and increase profitability.

Reach out to other businesses and share contacts and cross-referrals. 

Find at least 5 other businesses who would be willing to display your cards or menus at the register or waiting rooms.  Doctors, dentists and orthodontists share your desired demographics to some extent, as do fitness centers, exercise and dance studios. To build male clientele, get into the waiting rooms of your local car repair, oil and tire change businesses.  As you watch new coffee, wine, gift and other stores opening nearby, be among the first to walk through the door to offer to do cross-marketing.  New business owners are full of energy, have lots of ideas about marketing and events, and would love to build business with you. 

Add On Marketing is more than sharing counter space. 

It is reaching out and bringing in new clients – bringing us back to ‘Back to School.’  Target local schools, PTAs, and school districts with offers for teachers, administrative and other staff. 

Catering to teachers makes sense.  They appreciate value and convenience and they appreciate having style that is easy to maintain and replicate. I asked my sister-in-law, who is a federal reading program coordinator and teacher, whether catering to teachers with special offers would generate business and loyalty and she told me, "Oh yes! If a teacher thinks they are even saving a dollar they are thrilled! Haven't you seen Borders on special teacher's days - they are packed!"

Teacher's time is at a premium; days start early and end late, so you might create special hours set aside for teacher’s appointments, or even set up a weekly teacher’s happy hour.

Ask your local school, district, and PTA to place flyers with your contact information and a menu or offers in their break rooms.  Contact local schools to ask about advertising special offers for teachers, students and parents in school newsletters.  Support local athletic, music, art, theater, and other programs.  Attend school events, get involved in auctions and fund raisers.  If the school will allow you to, provide them with copies of flyer that can be inserted into student folders. 

Public schools may have policies that prohibit or restrict this, but don’t miss out on the private school market -- while they represent smaller student bodies; their parents are likely to be part of your salon’s prime demographic target in terms of home ownership, income, professional work status etc.

The Back-to-School Season presents a time and opportunity-concentrated market.  Most kids get their hair cut just before the beginning of the school year.  Even kids who wear their hair long get everything freshly ‘mussed’ before they head back to class to face their peers. 

Chances are you have clients who come to you for their hairstyling but take their kids to what they perceive is a less expensive walk-in salon.  They are not saving time and may not be saving money doing this, but their perception is that they are.  While your client is in the chair this summer, ask them about their kids.

Then, when your client is checking out, book their next appointment and offer them  the opportunity to book their children’s appointments at the same time at a “family rate” discount.  A great cut is especially important teen students - peer pressure is tough.  Having a custom cut and style from you, someone personally interested in them will ensure that their hair, at least, is something they don’t have to worry about.  This is a great opportunity to create some type of BOGO where the client pays full price for their cut and color and style, but save half on their child’s haircut. 

The bottom line is that teachers and parents talk to one another in the parking lot, the classroom, at meetings, sporting events, the coffee shop, and in grocery store aisles. They share referrals.  If it’s good, they ask each other, “who does your hair?”  It’s a market worth courting and extending special offers and events to. 

Add a feel-good element this fall, give clients a discount when they bring in school supplies that you will donate to needy families or local schools for kids in need.