The most important aspect affecting a spa business’s profitability is its marketing strategy.
A study conducted by Statista in Nov 2022 indicated that there are more than 22,000 spa businesses in the US. This shows that unless businesses offering spa services develop a unique and powerful marketing strategy, staying afloat in the industry will be challenging.
Your business needs a holistic, creative spa marketing plan to attract more customers and generate high revenue.
In this article, we have shared 13 high-impact marketing strategies that can help your spa stand out.
Table of Contents
Spa Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Customer Base
Great marketing is essential, but a few more factors affect any spa business’s success.
These include:
- Professionalism and attitude of employees
- The ambiance in your spa and the decor
- Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
The attitude of your staff and the ambiance you create in your spa represent your brand and create a positive reputation for your business in the marketplace. This is true not only for international brands but also for local businesses.
Having a unique USP that will set your spa apart from the competition and inspire your customers to choose your business is also essential.
Now, let’s look at some powerful ways to market your spa.
1. Retargeting ads
With most people glued to the internet and smart devices nowadays, online or digital marketing has gained center stage in the marketing plan of most businesses, and spa marketing is no different. While several choices are available for online spa marketing, one of the most effective ones is remarketing or retargeting ads.
In traditional display advertising, businesses exercise no control over who sees their advertisements. Remarketing will allow businesses to display their banner advertisements to customers who have previously visited their websites. This will make people notice your ad and brand more. In fact, a study by invespcro.com has shown that retargeting advertising is noticed by 3 out of 4 individuals.
Similarly, only 4% of website visitors convert on their initial visit. Businesses can use remarketing to remind 96% of potential customers who are not ready to make a purchase more about their company and create more sales.
Retargeting ads can also be made effective by customizing them in accordance with the pages visited by the potential clients. For example, if a client has visited the manicure product or service page of your business, give them a discount on their upcoming manicure.
2. Scheduling software
Businesses, typically small ones, consider scheduling solutions as an extra cost and often avoid it. But automating their processes using such solutions can offer numerous advantages to businesses.
Businesses can use software tools to enable online booking facilities for customers. In fact, 75% of consumers prefer self-service options.
Scheduling software can also offer businesses other benefits like reducing no-shows and notifying clients who have upcoming appointments to rebook.
Read also: Small Business Automation — 6 Things You Need to Know
3. Selfie station
There is no denying that getting your target audience’s attention on social media platforms is one of the best ways to promote your brand.
People enjoy sharing their daily fun activities with others on social media. Selfie stations can leverage this as an excellent social media marketing technique for your spa marketing strategy.
Set up fun and eye-catching selfie stations and encourage customers to snap a picture to post on their social media and tag the branded hashtag of your spa.
This is a potent form of digital marketing as people will see what your spa looks like and how others enjoy it. You can also offer your customers a discount or gift in exchange for sharing the image on their socials.
👉 Boost your email marketing efforts with our beautiful email templates. Just customize and send!
4. Partner with a local non-competitive small business
The primary aim of the spa business is to promote wellness and health. This means spa businesses can collaborate with other local establishments that have a similar objective.
Connect with nearby establishments that may be open to trading promotional items. A spa can easily network with local tourist destinations, gyms, health clubs, yoga studios, hairdressers, nutritionists, chiropractors, hair salons, makeup artists, restaurants, wedding vendors, and hotels.
This referral can be highly beneficial and can generate more revenue. In fact, around 60% of marketers believe that referrals create more leads. Additionally, you can also collaborate with these firms to provide special promotions.
Read also: Spa Email Marketing Blueprint for 2024
5. Email marketing
Though email marketing can seem a bit outdated, several studies have shown that customers still prefer customized emails from businesses they love and frequent. These emails need not be a simple newsletter, but you can personalize them with products loved specifically by the customer.
You can also add infographics, GIFs, and even video content to attract the attention of the customer. Speak to the clients in a personal way and offer them updates like product discounts, product launches, or even links to social media ads. This can go a long way in promoting customer loyalty.
Read also: How To Start A Travel Agency From Scratch In 6 Steps
Enhance Your Email Marketing
Want to make your emails more impactful? Check out our beautiful, easy-to-customize HTML email templates. Designed to boost engagement, these templates from EngageBay will help your emails stand out. Just customize the images, headings, and CTAs for your brand, and hit send in a few minutes!
6. Host a contest or giveaway
Hosting contests and giveaways is a great way to revamp your spa advertising and increase spa reservations. You can also improve the following of your social media accounts using this marketing technique.
Choose appropriate gifts like a new limited edition beauty product, a free spa day, or exclusive discounts, and give out clear instructions on your spa website and your social media handles. Promote the contest or giveaway using different techniques including social media ads, newsletters, video marketing, and website promotion.
Although you have the option to conduct the giveaway offline, your chances of success are higher if you offer it online.
Proven Salon Marketing Ideas to Attract More Clients
7. Use client testimonials
Potential clients tend to believe the reviews and testimonials of existing clients before choosing to try out a business themselves. In fact, studies have shown that around 98% of individuals read reviews about a local company online before choosing its services.
Businesses can ask clients to submit positive testimonials about companies on their social media accounts or mention the business when talking to their friends.
With over 65% of clients willing to put in reviews after a request from a business, spa establishments can leverage this as an excellent marketing tool.
Read also: 9 Top Picks In Spa Appointment Software
8. Refer-a-friend initiatives
One of the primary goals of a spa’s marketing strategy is to increase referrals.
Referred clients are often more profitable and loyal compared to an average client. You will earn valuable word-of-mouth marketing by offering superior services and encouraging customers to suggest your spa to their families and friends.
However, occasionally, you must persuade your clients to talk about your spa online and offline. You can provide referral incentives to your clients, like loyalty cards, discounts, or complementary spa treatments. A loyalty program like offering treats on their birthdays can also make your customers feel special, and they might refer your business to others.
Just ensure that you have accurately assessed the scenario and know your clients well enough. Asking for referrals can irritate VIP clients and wreak havoc on your online reputation management department, especially if your spa provides high-end luxury services.
Read also: Five-Star Reviews: What Does It Take to Get High Marks from Your Audience?
👉 Looking for email magic? EngageBay has you covered with free, beautiful HTML email templates. Customize and send in minutes. Try it out today!
9. Get more positive reviews online
Online presence is a vital element in determining the success of a spa marketing program or initiative. The first step in this process is to create a profile in online directories like Google My Business and list your business. This will enable potential customers to see your establishment when they search for spas near them.
This feature will allow you to customize how your spa business appears on a Google search or Google Maps. Once the business gets listed, you should work towards constantly generating positive reviews.
These Google reviews will serve as a social validation for your business and improve brand awareness and sales.
Read also: 11 Dental Marketing Strategies To Implement In 2024
10. Work on your spa website
A professional, attractive website (that loads fast) for your spa can also help strengthen your online presence. Many clients nowadays search for a business website before trying their services.
Work on your site’s UI and UX, and make sure that your website homepage includes all key details of your spa, accepts bookings seamlessly, and has the most beautiful images to promote your spa’s appearance and vibe.
Remember to make the website user-friendly and optimize the content for search engines.
Read also: Glamorous Marketing Strategies For Cosmetics Companies
11. Sell and market spa gift certificates or cards
This marketing strategy does not require businesses to invest many resources or time. Businesses can attract new customers and increase service sales by selling spa gift certificates or gift cards.
These cards need not be pricey, and since numerous templates are available online, businesses just have to copy a template and spend some money to print it out.
Businesses that want to incorporate creativity into these cards can also customize them and use them to spread brand awareness.
Read also: Coach Marketing Strategy: Crafting the Game Plan for Success
12. Use video marketing
Videos are one of the best content marketing techniques in today’s digitally driven marketplace.
Around 95% of marketers believe that video marketing enhances brand awareness. Videos are also helpful in delivering a great deal of information to customers quickly.
Do your best to shoot awesome videos of your spa in action — groom your stylists to become great video marketers. The better they get at shooting and sharing videos of the team at work, the more visibility your spa will get.
Just make sure you have the explicit permission of your spa’s clients before you shoot or share videos.
12 Creative Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work
13. Text message or SMS marketing
Many businesses often overlook this marketing technique and focus more on email marketing. But this is one of the best spa marketing ideas for big and small businesses.
SMS marketing can quickly become successful because almost everybody reads texts they receive on their mobile phone.
Businesses can text their customers about special deals and discounts and also send them reminders about approaching appointments. This will lower the no-show percentage at the spa and enable you to save money.
14. Local SEO
Prospective customers looking for a quality spa will do a lot of research on the internet before deciding on an establishment to visit. This is especially true for clients who have never visited such a business before.
It is important to ensure that your company appears in the initial few listings in the search results of nearby spas. Claim the local business listing using Yahoo Localworks, Google Places, and Bing Places.
Set up your profile and personalize it with routinely updated details and images. This will make it easier for nearby customers to locate your spa right away.
You can also improve local SEO by keeping a blog emphasizing your niche, services, and specific community. This will enable your spa business to connect personally with potential consumers. The content on your blog can also be altered to suit the needs and ideals of your community.
15. Good old superior service
Most people visit a spa to solve some issue that is vexing them. Offering exceptional remedies to customer issues will help you build a name for your company and plays an important role in reputation management.
Clients will consider your spa a top-notch and inviting business worth recommending to their friends. When satisfied, your clientele will spread the word about your business quickly on social media and in person.
Similarly, offering incentives to current customers for referrals and discounts to freshly referred customers can further encourage them.
Here’s What Micromarketing Means, and How It Can Help Your Business
Conclusion
Running and growing a successful business is no cakewalk, it requires tremendous effort and time. But with appropriate marketing and proactive decision-making, you can increase your revenue and expand your business easily.
Spa businesses can use tools like EngageBay to fulfill all their marketing needs, including email and SMS marketing. Contact EngageBay today and schedule your demo.