Do you need a marketing plan for your salon business which is clear, fast and straight to the point? Then a lean marketing plan is precisely what you might be looking for. The majority of salon owners understand the importance of marketing, yet they lack the time, budget or knowledge to design a marketing plan to fit their busy schedules.
If these obstacles sound familiar, then lean digital marketing is the right path to follow. This handy guide will teach you how to write a marketing plan while incorporating a lean marketing strategy that actually works with the turbulent and unpredictable nature that salon businesses entail.
So… What is Lean Marketing?
Lean marketing is all about moving fast – it is a methodology built around short project/marketing cycles which allow salon owners to adapt quickly to any industry changes. For example, your direct competitors next door might be launching a new beauty service or product – lean marketing helps you adapt to changes and you can quickly adjust your projects to come up with a stronger promotional campaign or better service.
In short - being lean means you can change the course of your business quickly and jump on new trends as they're happening. Implementing lean digital marketing as part of your salon business strategy can help you balance shifting priorities, adapt to new ideas and work faster and better. So if you want to achieve that, keep on reading as we will teach you all the tricks of the perfect lean marketing plan.
1.Learn How to Prioritize
Prioritization the right projects can give you the right results. Vice versa, investing time and money in every marketing channel or tactic will get you nowhere. Consider your long-term goal whenever you're adding a ‘to-do’ in your list and remember to reflect whether your efforts and resources could be better spent on other opportunities. Spend your time and resources wisely.
PDF Topic: "One-page Lean Marketing Plan Example "
2. Sometimes Less is More
Instead of placing focus on big wins or huge returns, consider trying low-cost and low-effort tests to see if a particular channel or tactic work for your salon business. Let’s say that you want to introduce a new beauty service, before setting off to invest a vast amount of resources and time in the idea, why not ask your clients what they think of it? Are they interested in such type of service; will they use it? Such tactic costs you nothing but saves you a lot.
3. Drop What Doesn’t Work
Do not be afraid to drop projects or tactics which are a dead-end. I know it might be tempting to continue investing time and energy because you are worried about wasting the resources you’ve already invested. Yet, if lean marketing can teach you anything it is that you need to be quick and flexible and drop anything which doesn’t work. Let’s say, If no one has ever heard about your salon from the radio advert, is it worth investing any further in radio advertising just because you’ve been doing it for 6 months? Chances are you might be wasting resources on strategies which do not work, instead of trying new ones which might actually pay off.
4. Keep Your Lean Marketing Plan Concise with Clear Objectives
Your salon lean marketing plan should implement action and real-world testing rather than fit any specific business guidelines. As the nature of salon businesses is ever-expanding, it is best if you keep your lean marketing plan on a single page and simply adapt it over time as you test your results.
A Couple of Things to Include in Your Plan:
- Your Target Customer - describe your target audience in detail –consider their demographics, location and interests. The more you know them, the easier it will be to choose your marketing strategies to appeal to them.
- Your Customers’ Needs and Wants – to help you come up with a strong brand message, try to understand what is it that your customer needs and wants. The key to a strong brand message and a good lean marketing strategy is in meeting your customer’s needs and wants.
- Focused Marketing Channels – instead of spending resources and time on lots of media or offline channels it is better to choose one or two which are the most relevant to your salon business goals and your target audience. Social media might work well with millennial customers, but what about the older generation? Tailor your approach accordingly.
- Strategy- Set specific, measurable objectives, a deadline, and the method you'll use for achieving them. Costs – don’t forget to include how much money your strategy will cost, if any.
PDF Topic: "One-page Lean Marketing Plan Example"
