SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS DIGITAL MARKETING, & WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Many salons call us saying “I have a website and online shop, but it’s not making as many sales as we want”

The best way to describe what’s happening here is by using a real world analogy. It’s like having a salon in the middle of nowhere, and expecting people to start walking in the door to buy what you are selling. Unfortunately, in the online world, just like in the real world, it doesn’t happen quite like this.

While you may capture a few passers-by who stumble upon your shop or website, what you need to be doing is shouting from the hilltops about your salon, who you are, what it offers, how it helps people etc and then we will see some people going specifically to have a look around.

Digital Marketing is the use of the Internet, mobile devices, social media, search engines, and other online channels to shout about your salon and services to large numbers of potential clients. By putting a plan together to use some or all of these tools, you can generate awareness among a huge number of people, and if you solve the problem they have, they will visit your website.

Digital Marketing is a broad term that includes the following:

  • Social Media Marketing
  • Pay Per Click (PPC)
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
  • Email Marketing

 

Let’s have a quick look at each one individually.

 

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing is the use of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook & Twitter to promote your Salon.

There are 2 types of Social Media Marketing. Paid Ads and Posting of Organic content.

Organic Social media is the ‘free’ posting of content that many salons engage in. It is important to have a plan when posting rather than just adding content on an ad-hoc basis. We will do a separate post on this next week, but this is a great way to engage with existing followers and customers who already know about your salon.

Paid social media is another name for ‘advertising’ on social media. Paying to display adverts or sponsored messages to social network users based on their user profile e.g. demographic. A cost is incurred depending on the type of ad planned. It is a very targeted, direct way to reach new Clients with your products and services.

A recent survey showed that your potential clients spend more than 4.5 hours per day on their phones with over 1 hour specifically on social media platforms. 33% check their social accounts 2-3 times per hour and a whopping 18% check them hourly! These numbers clearly show the need for Salons to be active on all the social media platforms.

 

PPC:

PPC which stands for Pay per Click, also known to many as Google Ads, is an online advertising model where advertisers (Salons) run ads on a platform such as Google and pay a fee every time someone (a potential Client) clicks on it.  Unfortunately, it is not as simple as setting it up and forgetting about it. Campaigns need careful monitoring and adjusting to ensure you get the best return from your advertising budget.
Pay Per Click Advertising is one of the top methods for helping businesses drive new customers and sales quickly because they help people actively searching for salons like yours to find you. It provides an instant increase in website traffic and leads.

 

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” In simple terms, it means the process of improving your website’s position on Google & other search engines to increase its visibility for relevant searches. The better visibility your website has in search results, the more likely you are to attract attention from potential Clients. Search Engine Optimisation is vitally important for a successful web presence. It can be described as the process of getting traffic to your website from the “free,” “organic,” or “natural” search results on the likes of Google or Bing.

Search Engine Optimisation for salons is vital, as 60% of potential customers will not go past the first page of the Google search results with over 70% of people clicking on the top 3 listings.
SEO is considered a medium to long term strategy.

 

Email Marketing

Email Marketing is a Digital Marketing strategy that involves building a database of Client and prospective Client email addresses and sending them emails to develop relationships and ultimately encourage them to visit your salon or purchase products in your online store. It is also a very effective way to encourage one-time customers to become repeat Clients, something every Salon needs. This should be a key part of your marketing plan.

Email Marketing is still one of the most popular forms of advertising today and is one of the most cost effective

 

In today’s climate, every salon should have a digital marketing strategy in place. It does not need to cost a fortune and does not need to use all channels, but without new clients a salon will not survive. A new customer who spends €50 a month would be worth €600 a year. Even if your digital marketing efforts help generate 5 or 10 new clients per month you can easily see how a small investment in digital marketing can reap huge rewards.

Of course, referrals from clients are amazing, but with younger customers being less loyal than generations past, and their preference to refer to Google when searching for anything, it is vital your business is visible.

If you have any questions on running digital marketing campaigns for your salon, talk to us today

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We would love to hear from you to discuss your salons digital needs! To get in touch, please contact us below