A wise man once said – no matter how good you are you always need a plan.
A good plan.
In today’s digital age you also need a good marketing plan, no matter what type of business you have.
For today’s salon owners, setting up an efficient salon marketing plan is essential for attracting and converting potential customers into loyal ones. Wondering how to write the perfect marketing plan? Read on…
Let’s start by specifying what a good marketing plan actually is. A marketing plan is a strategy which incorporates various assets such as specifying your salon’s target audience, measurable and specific marketing objectives, defined budgets and time scope to achieve them, market analysis to help you see the bigger picture and so on. The key to an efficient marketing plan structure hides in creating a fully integrated marketing plan which includes all aspects of digital and offline marketing – from social media and content marketing to SEO strategies and offline activities.
And just like most things… a good marketing plan needs structure!
Marketing Plan Structure
Before you dive in the perfect salon marketing plan, you first need to learn how to structure it. Here’s some tips where to start:
1. Make a List of Your Goals
It is often hard to start your marketing plan without having a clear vision about your salon marketing goals. Preparing a clear list of specific and measurable goals is a good way to start.2. Specify Niche Markets and Target Audiences
Now that you have a clear vision of your salon marketing goals, your next step should be to specify potential niche markets and target audiences. Consider the variety of people you want to target – for example, are you targeting only women aged 30+ or do you also want to attract youngsters? Is your salon branding segmented into a specific consumer market or is it more broad? Knowing your audiences is vital when it comes to brand identity and the way you marketing plan is shaped.
3. Do Your Research
Doing your research lays the foundation of any good salon marketing plan. Which is why it is a step that you should never skip when it comes to your marketing plan structure. Make sure that you conduct:
- Competitive analysis – knowing your competition and what works for them or doesn’t can naturally help you acquire an edge over your competitors
- Buyer persona understanding – Once you have specified your target audience, now you can get into details about their buyer persona. Demographics, interests, etc.
- SWOT Analysis – This type of research focuses on your salon’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
4. Create Salon Marketing Strategies
The secret to an effective salon marketing plan is in understanding consumers needs, desires and the type of marketing strategies they respond to. Depending on your salon marketing needs, different strategies might prove efficient, while others might flop. When it comes to developing your strategies don’t be afraid to experiment and mix them up. As long as you keep a clear vision of your buyer persona’s needs and desires, your marketing strategy should be able to appeal to them.
Here are a couple more things to consider:
- Specifying your Salon Unique Selling Proposition
- Crafting a Detailed SEO strategy
- Define KPIs and Measurement methods
- Specify Distribution Channels
Define KPIs and Measurement Methods
After you have laid all your strategy and your marketing plan is almost completed, now it’s time to do some measuring. Consider strategies that you’ve tried in the past and why they didn’t work. Specify KPIs and measurement methods – how often should you measure your results and why? Will you be doing them on a weekly basis or every other month?
And finally…
Keep in mind that your marketing objectives might change in the long run and so should your tactics.
