Growing your business isn’t easy. Without the right marketing strategies to fuel growth, building a profitable business can be extremely challenging. Identifying the right channels to market your business will help you to reach the market that you are targeting and do it in the most cost-effective way.
As a business owner or an aesthetician looking to grow your clientele, it is easy to become very focused on the day-to-day schedule and operations of the business. As a result, you may forget to spend time and resources understanding how to continue to build and grow your overall business. How can you shift this mindset? It is important to take time to take a step back from the everyday in order to analyze what your end goal is and what you are working towards. For example, if your desire is to grow your current clientele, you will want to understand who your target market is and how you are currently reaching out to them, and, then, develop strategies on how you can continue to target a larger audience. What are the best marketing channels to use? Below are a few suggested strategies that you may want to consider implementing.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The presence of social media has expanded across the globe and is one of the most cost effective ways to grow a business and effectively get the message across to a target audience. Navigating the world of social media takes time and research. Reading blogs, articles, and listening to experts speak on the topic will help in deciding the best practices for you. It is important to be authentic and educate your market on what you do, what waxing services you have to offer, and how you are different. Often, adding live wax demo videos and open forums where your followers can ask questions are great ways to generate more interest, while building your credibility in the industry. Don’t forget to provide links to all resources referenced and include the appropriate tags and hashtags in posts. Social media is a very powerful tool that, when used effectively, can prove to be a great way to expand your reach and grow your business.
AFFILIATE MARKETING
When you build your business, you will naturally be building your community around you – whether that is through your online presence or within your physical community. Consider what other services and businesses complement yours and try to reach out to those around you to form a community. Work with other businesses by setting up referral programs where their clients can receive a certain discount when they come to you and vice versa. On social media, collaborate with influencers that complement your brand and will help you to get your mission out. Within your community, post community events to show love and support of your local neighborhood. When considering how and who to work with, always ensure that you are aligned with what you believe in and that there are consistent values between all involved.
PAID ADVERTISING
Often, paid advertising, such as Google Ad Words, Facebook Ads, or advertisements in local papers or community newsletters, can a seem expensive and it is hard to measure their effectiveness. However, combining paid advertising with other strategies is a good way to create a well-rounded marketing effort that will reach a large target audience. Before jumping in, do research to really understand the reach you are getting, who the target is, and how long it will take to see the return on the investment. Incorporating promotions with each paid advertisement will create a way to track the campaign to be able to see the full results and analyze the overall success.
CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Often, the best tool for marketing is your current clientele. Your clients are returning to you for their wax for a reason. They believe in your business and love what you do. Build a customer loyalty program that keeps them happy and coming back for more. Loyalty points programs can be an effective way to do this. Have clients earn points for every wax service and retail product they purchase. Other programs could include establishing a VIP customer program, in which these clients receive exclusive promotions or giveaways, such as a small gift on their birthday. Additionally, set up referral programs where current clients can receive a free service or a discount if they refer a new client to you. This is an excellent way to grow your business and offer value to current clients at a small cost.
The key to knowing how to most effectively market your business is to truly understand who you are marketing it to. Know who your target market is and how to reach them. By taking time away from your day-to-day to analyze your business, you will gain valuable information that will allow you to set up a successful marketing strategy and grow your overall bottom line.
Lindsay Miller is the president of LYCON Wax North America. Having first discovered LYCON Wax in the United Kingdom 10 years ago, she has dedicated her time to growing the brand across North America, including introducing LYCON to Canada. Training and product quality are extremely important to Miller and she prides herself on building a strong team around her that can offer the best customer experience possible. LYCON continues to be a market leader in hair removal wax and is used in top spas and salons around the world.