According to Dean Mandos, president of Chronos Marketing, there are four components of a successful advertising campaign. They are:
Branding. The reason you recognize a national company's advertisements is because that company is focused on branding. Whether through a slogan, a jingle, a logo or the repetitive themes used in your ads (or all of the above), branding is what makes people remember your name and your company. Make sure that all of your marketing followa a similar format so that your salon is recognized easily and immediately.
An offer. Sending out a flyer just to say, "Hi, we're here—come check us out," will not get a big response. Offering some kind of special deal, on the other hand, will catch people’s attention and will encourage them act on your advertisement.
Referrals. Word-of-mouth is the strongest and most effective form of advertising, so why not let your clients work for you? They are already sold on your establishment, and the products and services you provide. Of course, this works best if you give your clients an incentive to refer someone. For example, if you send out holiday offers or birthday specials to current customers, include a specific deal they can take advantage of if they bring a friend.
Budget. The most important question you can ask yourself in regard to advertising is: Am I doing enough? If you want to grow your business and continue to be successful, you should be spending a minimum of 10 percent of your annual gross revenue on advertising each year. Many small-business owners make the mistake of skimping on their marketing initiatives, but, the truth is, you need to put your effort into getting the word out about your business. That’s what will get people to come through your doors. Let’s be honest: The "If you build it, they will come" mentality only works on baseball fields in movies. Now, the "It takes money to make money" saying, on the other hand, was made for business and is absolutely correct. If you don't put your name out there, no one will know your business exists. (Note: The minimum10-percent budget is not just for one specific form of advertising. This should include multiple forms of advertising because, while there is no such thing as bad advertising, there is such a thing as advertising that doesn’t work for you.)
