Business owners who run a nail salon, eyebrow and eyelash salon with waxing services, or a spa focusing on relaxation and rejuvenation know it requires a diverse skill set. Your days are filled with responsibilities, from overseeing a staff, maintaining good customer service, managing inventory, adhering to health and safety guidelines and dozens of other important tasks—all of which need to be tended to in order to keep your business humming along.
Staying up to date on the best way to communicate with customers is another. With SMS marketing, you can use text messages to connect with salon and spa clients and engage with new prospects quickly and easily. And you can do it all from a computer or mobile device. Check out our 5-minute demo and see for yourself.
SMS marketing for salons and spas provides value to customers and time-saving tools for businesses that rely on in-person appointments. In addition to special offers:
- Nail salons can text pictures of manicured nails with the hottest colours or designs.
- Spas can text customers about the latest treatment options for radiant skin.
- Salons that cater to the face can text customers to let them know that eyebrow shaping and lash extension experts are available for appointments.
- If your business also has an aesthetician on staff, that could be a strong selling point as full-service salons appeal to busy consumers.
Use SMS marketing to increase customer engagement for beauty salons and spas
Text marketing is an economical way to entice customers back into one of your nail salon manicure stations or Zen-like spa treatment rooms. A short text that reminds them about your salon or spa services might be just the nudge they need to schedule an appointment.
During slow periods, businesses can effectively use text coupon codes for exclusive offers that customers will find difficult to resist. A well-timed text that offers value can work wonders. It’s also a convenient way for customers to schedule appointments.
2:30 P.M. Could you use a little pampering, Jessica? Treat yourself to a 30-min foot massage with peppermint & eucalyptus oil for just $30. Reply with the word HAPPY to claim your discount code and book an appointment.
Text marketing helps spread the word about your services — from head to toe
People want to look and feel their best. For some women, getting a manicure at a local nail salon could be a treat they indulge in only a few times a year. But for others, having their nails shaped, buffed and polished is part of their weekly self-care routine. Some even opt for artistic elements—little works of art that are meticulously painted on each nail that add whimsy to a manicure and increased revenue for a salon.
But we can’t forget about the men. Today, many of them are also taking advantage of professional nail care services. And it’s not just limited to their hands—men are also scheduling pedicures. They enjoy the health and therapeutic benefits of a good foot buffing and paraffin wax treatment to soothe their soles.
When it comes to spas, there’s a lot of competition out there. Guests can choose between destination spas, day spas, medical spas, resort spas, and basically everything in between. It can be difficult to differentiate your business from the rest. One way to build a steady clientele is to use SMS marketing for spas.
Texting productivity tools help beauty salons and spas communicate more easily
Whether you’re interested in texting for spas or beauty salons, sending an SMS message to a single customer or an entire contact list is equally easy with business texting software. When you add productivity tools like keywords, automations, scheduled messages and templates, things start to get even more interesting. Let’s look at some of the benefits.
Scheduled Messages: Let go of worry and stay on top of appointment reminders by scheduling the text messages in advance. Compose a Scheduled Message from scratch or use a template, then choose a day and time for it to be sent. This stress-free feature allows businesses to enjoy peace of mind, knowing that every text will be sent right on time.
Automations: This feature provides business owners with entire pre-designed scripts or recipes of messages, redemptions, alerts, data collection and conditional responses. Automations save business owners hours of repetitive, time-consuming tasks and give the customer a deeper level of engagement through “intelligent text messaging.”
Keywords: Run promotions and answer common customer questions with SMS Keywords. Create a Keyword, e.g., “SERVICES” that triggers an automatic reply any time a customer texts in that word. Keywords provide information to your customers without needing your direct involvement.
6 SMS salon and spa marketing ideas
Text messaging for spas and salons is one of the most efficient and cost-effective marketing tools you can use to keep customers interested in your services. And since most texts are read within minutes of being sent, the likelihood of your SMS message being seen right away is much higher than with email.
Below are six effective ways salons and spas can use text marketing to increase customer engagement. The examples focus on nail salons and spas but any beauty-based business can use these ideas to increase sales. Simply customize each example to fit your specific type of business.
1. Fill an unexpected gap in your schedule
Last-minute cancellations can leave an unexpected opening in your schedule. Having a text message ready to go in your templates folder will make it easier to fill that void. Start with your waitlist since you know they’re already interested in coming in for an appointment as soon as possible.
Template:
An appointment slot for today at [insert time] just became available. Text us to reserve this spot and get [insert offer] off your complete nail services.
2. Holiday/birthday rewards
Time your offers with holidays or customer birthdays to encourage additional visits to your spa. Offering a discount, a complimentary gift or a free meal can make the experience more enjoyable and more memorable.
Template:
You deserve to be pampered this [insert holiday]. Sign up for any two of our head-to-toe services and we’ll treat you to a [insert offer].
3. Mobile text coupons
Spa and salon customers appreciate coupons anytime, but they’re especially effective for seasonal promotions. Consider using this marketing message when your beauty salon could use a boost in sales. Customize the message to fit the season or the type of service you’d like to promote.
Template:
Are your feet ready for flip-flop season? Step into summer by saving [insert offer] on one of our soothing [insert type of service].
4. Appointment reminders
Missed appointments can be greatly reduced by sending a reminder text a day or two ahead of time. If a spa customer needs to cancel for any reason, they can simply reply to the text which gives the business time to fill the slot with someone from their waiting list.
Template:
Hello! This is your friendly reminder that you have a spa appointment tomorrow at [insert time] with [insert name].
5. Text-to-win promotions
There’s just something about a giveaway that gets people excited. Salon and spa customers are eager to participate because it’s so easy for them to reply to your text. Even if they don’t win, you’ve planted a seed that might encourage them to schedule a service anyway.
Template:
Feeling lucky? You could win a free manicure and pedicure package. Reply to this text today with [insert keyword] to enter for your chance to win — a [insert $ amount] value.
6. New products or services
In addition to using your website to promote new products or services, alerting your spa customers or salon clients by text can yield wonderful results. It’s also a chance to gauge how well a service may be received by determining how many customers express an interest in it.
Template:
Introducing our newest spa service: [insert type of service]. Sign up today and feel that stress start to melt away.
Encourage your spa and salon customers to sign up for your SMS subscriber list
Before you text spa customers and beauty salon guests, be sure your salon or spa has received their opt-in consent. Texting anyone without their permission is an invasion of privacy, and it’s against the law. According to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), businesses must have consent before sending a text. Learn more about gaining opt-in consent.
Share COVID-19 safety procedures and check-in steps by text message
Letting customers know what to expect before an appointment will make the experience more pleasant. Create a text template noting your spa or salon safety procedures, such as requiring everyone to wear a mask and maintain proper social distancing. The SMS message can be used when anyone requests information about your COVID-19 precautions and after an appointment reminder text has been sent. You could also include a link to your website that describes your cleaning schedule and a reduction in guest capacity.
Want to learn how VIPTap’s text message marketing system can benefit your salon or spa with efficient, affordable text message marketing? Check out our 5-minute demo to take our platform for a test drive and see how we can help boost your bottom line today!