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54 Replies Last post: Jan 30, 2010 11:25 PM by PremiereMedia

Jan 13, 2008 11:07 PM

Hair One 12 posts since
Jan 13, 2008

I've been a barber for 15 years and managed several salons and barber shops. This is my first 100% owned and operated business. I have plans to pass out flyers and a small direct mail campaign. Any suggestions on low cost advertising to attract new clients? Help me out here vets!

Tags: low, cost, advertising Report as inappropriate

CollectiveInk 2 posts since
Jan 13, 2008

1. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 13, 2008 11:28 PM

Hair One. First off, congrats on being 100% O&O!

Advertising can be very expensive, and can end up yielding a very low return on your investment. However, done right, it doesn't have to be expensive or lack results.

Have you determined your target audience (clients)? Have you figured out how far of a radius you'll need to reach those targeted clients? These answers will greatly influence the method of advertising.

The type of client you're serving will determine the look and feel of your ad pieces. Are you a family style shop? Then you can get away with fun and off beat ads. Are you an upscale salon? Then you'll want a more polished and professional look. If you are artistic you might be able to design the pieces yourself. However, a lot of your time and effort can be best used hiring a professional designer / design firm. In addition to providing an appropriate design for your target audience, they can help get the most "bang" for your advertising dollars. Kind of like a good accountant can end up saving you money in the long run.

With the above items taken care of, you can look to some free and low cost advertising venues.
1. Being in the hair industry, sponsoring a "Locks of love" hair-a-thon for your community would generate some excellent press. You can send out a PSA (public service announcement) a week to two in advance to all your local newspapers, tv stations, radio stations.
2. Coupons provide a way to generate new clients, and provide trackable results (very important), especially a "bring a friend - buy one get one xx% off". There are many online printers who do good work, offer short print runs, and don't charge a lot. Be prepared to do some leg work getting the coupons out, or enlist friends or employees. Near by merchants may be willing to pass out some or put them in employee break rooms.
3. Again, depending on the type of service you offer, and your location. Placing a (nice) rack card in some of your higher end hotels, offering a discount to travelers staying at the hotel is good.

There are a few ideas to get you started. Hope they help!

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Lighthouse24 2,402 posts since
Oct 10, 2007

2. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 12:38 AM

Good ideas in the previous post. If you can tell us a little more about your location (downtown, suburban, mall?) and your primary market or clientele (families, business people, trendy, upscale?), additional suggestions will probably come to mind. Congratulations on your enterprise!

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CorpCons08 1,127 posts since
Nov 14, 2007

3. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 1:42 AM

Great ideas already posted.

Another suggestion might be to join local chambers and networking groups like BNI.
I don't know about your local chambers fees but most networking groups are relatively fair pricing.
I have a few groups I am a member of and we meet every other week on Thursday mornings for breakfast and networking.
It is a great opportunity to pass your name along. BRING LOTS OF BUSINESS CARDS!

Warmest regards,

CC08

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Hair One 12 posts since
Jan 13, 2008

4. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 10:58 AM

in response to: CollectiveInk

I have identified my target audence and the radius. Those ideas are great, I didn't think about the PSA, awesome! Wish I could praise you more for help but gotta run... Thank you so much!

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Hair One 12 posts since
Jan 13, 2008

5. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 11:01 AM

in response to: Lighthouse24

My location is in a strip mall in a bedroom community with an average household income of $83,000. The area is called Baldwin Hills.

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DomainDiva 1,763 posts since
Oct 10, 2007

6. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 11:26 AM

Our dog groomer passed out pink postcards left on doors. Since you are obviously experienced...where is your customer list?

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amynwesley 91 posts since
Dec 27, 2007

7. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 3:49 PM

Hello, Hair One. My name is Amy Wesley, owner and CEO of Nickels and Dimes Advertising. Nickels and Dimes Advertising designs, creates and prints original brochures, flyers, newsletters and business cards for business and personal use. We cater to the small business owner by keeping our prices low.
If you need fliers, business cards or brochures I would be glad to help you out. Visit our website, www.nickelsanddimes.biz for more information.
I looked at your profile and saw Brea in the location box. Are you in California or somewhere else?

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amynwesley 91 posts since
Dec 27, 2007

8. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 4:06 PM

in response to: DomainDiva

DomainDiva, was the question for me?

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Lighthouse24 2,402 posts since
Oct 10, 2007

9. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 4:18 PM

in response to: Hair One

HairOne, I'm wondering if there is a commuter train station or a sports complex where organized kids' teams compete (soccer, baseball, football, etc.) nearby. If so, those are two locations in a typical bedroom community where you can catch a lot of people in one place, greet them and tell them you've just opened, and then hand out a card, flyer, or discount coupon.

Also be aware that for a bedroom community demographic, time is usually a precious commodity and anything you can market and offer that helps your customer deal with their time constraints will increase your business (for example, emphasizing the hours you are open, the number of stylists you have at peak times, the fact that your years of experience help you keep things running on schedule, etc.). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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LUCKIEST 8,136 posts since
Aug 6, 2007

10. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 14, 2008 4:24 PM

Hair, Good luck,
The daunting question is how do you go about seeking out your first
sale. Recognize that since you don't have a big ad budget to be seen by
everyone, you need to target a niche and get connected in your market
community, be it local, regional or national. You need other people
selling for you-not employees-goodwill referrals. Get out and talk to
as many people as you can. Join organizations that would have clients
for your product or service. Become a visible part of your market, and
then ask for the sale. You begin the sales process with people that you
know. Yes, it's okay to start with friends and family as your first
customers, and then broaden from there.

The basic tenant of creating a company is that you own the company. You
are not just creating a job for yourself. It's less risk and less
investment to get a job. Building a business is creating a company that
is more than the job itself. Think about the future. How large do you
want the company to be in terms of sales, net profit and employees?
Your answer to each of these questions will influence how you grow.
There are varying costs and profits associated with growth. It's
important to make a deliberate choice early about how you want to grow
your company.
LUCKIEST

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Hair One 12 posts since
Jan 13, 2008

11. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 15, 2008 12:21 AM

in response to: Lighthouse24

Awsome! Thank you! Your knowledge is very valuable to me. Greatly appriciated.

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Hair One 12 posts since
Jan 13, 2008

12. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 15, 2008 1:08 AM

in response to: LUCKIEST

All great ideas and advise!

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puzzleman 297 posts since
Oct 11, 2007

13. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 15, 2008 11:48 AM

Hair One, If you are in a strip mall it is probably hard for the people whizzing by in their cars to identify your store. Why not do what the tax people do in my area? They have someone standing on the side of the street in a Uncle Sam getup. It makes people notice.

What you might do is to have a person with a sandwich board sign made from foam board with a bunch of balloons. Have the sign offering your services, offering a discount or say that you have no waiting right now.
This would be a cheap way of getting attention to you. Sometimes the more outrageous the idea, the more attention.

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Hair One 12 posts since
Jan 13, 2008

14. Re: Just Opened New Hair Salon, Need Advertising Ideas... Jan 15, 2008 12:01 PM

in response to: puzzleman

Nice! Thank you.

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