Biz Booster No. 4: Don't Quit Advertising ... Just Make Sure It's Effective

If you’ve ever seen a bunch of salon fliers lying on the sidewalk with shoe prints all over them, you might have thought, “Wow, what a waste of money.” You’re probably right. Though it’s possible those fliers reached a few people who decided to come into the tanning salon, the revenue gained probably didn’t outweigh the cost to produce and distribute them.

Unfortunately, this type of reaction illustrates why so many business owners choose to cut back on advertising in the face of a tough economy. Everyone is looking to trim expenses wherever possible, and when they think that advertising isn’t doing anything for their business, they quit doing it.

That decision, however, cuts off the No. 1 conduit between potential revenue (as in, new customers) and your business. The solution, then, is not to completely cut your advertising budget; instead, you need to focus on spending your marketing dollars wisely and efficiently. Try these tips to generate a smarter ad strategy:

Stick With What Works; Junk What Doesn’t

If you’ve been in business long enough to see a stream of revenue, then you’ve probably tracked where that revenue came from—and if it’s not coming from those fliers mentioned above, get rid of them. If you aren’t sure what is working for you, try polling customers to find out how they heard about you. If 25 percent of your new customers say they found you on the Internet, then you should maintain—or even boost—your online advertising. Also pay close attention to your return on investment from “traditional” methods of advertising, such as newspaper ads and phone book listings. As the Internet swells, more people—especially the younger crowd—tend to do their business searches online.

Target The Right Crowd

Targeted messaging yields more efficient results than advertisements aimed at no one in particular. Find out more about your core customer base. Where do they work? Where do they shop? What do they do on weekends? Find those spots in your local area and establish a presence there. You can also contact these other businesses about advertising on their Web sites, in any of their regular print products or even inside the business itself.

Highlight Your Specials In Ads

Ultimately, people want the best deal, especially these days when money may be tight. Make it clear in your ad copy just how tanners can save money by coming to you instead of to someone else. Of course your services are about more than money, but during a recession, saving cash is at the forefront of your customers’ minds.

Maximize Your Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Though loyal customers may bring their friends in to tan out of the goodness of their hearts, the most effective way to get tanners recruiting for you is to offer them something in return. Sweeten the pot for them and for you by offering discounts on lotions, tanning sessions or other services in exchange for their help in building your client base.

Soak Up Free Exposure

Regardless of where your salon is located, opportunities abound to put your brand in front of the public in a positive way just by doing something positive. Potential customers will respect you more if you sponsor a clean-up-the-park day or if you host a canned-food drive to benefit the local food bank. The fact that you helped someone out and that your potential customers take notice is a win-win. Team up with philanthropic organizations, such as the United Way or the Red Cross, which conduct publicized campaigns throughout the year. Of course you can donate money, but don’t limit yourself to that. Instead, be creative—for example, imagine a scenario in which you and your employees (wearing salon T-shirts, of course), get down and dirty while landscaping a new playground. Who knows ... you may even garner a bit of media attention.

The bottom line. Salons must advertise, but they cannot afford to waste resources while doing it. Your main objective should be to figure out one thing: Am I advertising in a way that leaves me with wasted effort and a dirty footprint on my message? If the answer is yes, it’s time to re-evaluate.