Create Your 2022 Marketing Strategy in 60 Minutes or Less
Marketing Strategy to Win in 2022.
2021 was a comeback year for many spa professionals that felt like a whirlwind rollercoaster ride. As we embark on a new year, it will be vital to our success to have a clear marketing plan to keep our careers and businesses moving forward without uncertainty or stress. The primary reason we create a plan is so we can stay ahead of the creative process and not let the overwhelm of feeling behind set into our business. In our industry we interact with clients through intimate treatments and during this connection our stress and worry can be felt through the exterior customer service smile. Give your confidence a boost and plan your year ahead of time.
As a mentor and consultant for spa professionals, the most frequent topic of conversation with every new client is how to create a marketing strategy that generates new clients, free up time in our calendar, and ensures hitting sales goals month after month. I developed a 4 step process to create an authentic marketing strategy for any spa professional.
Step 1: Create a Product of the Month promotion
Your product of the month promotion should be available for the entire month. Using a 30-day marketing plan allows your clients the ability to learn about the featured product(s) while making adjustments to their budget to accommodate the investment in your offer.
As a licensed spa professional, it also allows you to make and achieve revenue goals with the promotion. Your promotion can be a single big-ticket investment such as a one-time buy modality or a group of products designed to target a specific concern.
What is important is that you choose an item and share valuable content all month long that empowers buyers to get excited about the investment!
PRO-TIP: Do not create promotions dependent on discounts but instead focus on increasing the value of your relationship with guests while bringing them closer to their desired results faster.
Step 2: Create a Service of the Month promotion
Service promotions should increase bookings to fill openings in your appointment schedule. Like the product of the month promotion, you want to feature a service or an enhancement that targets a primary concern for your audience to help educate the audience on why they are choosing you as their professional partner in beauty and wellness.
For example, during the month of January in my spa, I would focus on eye care products as my product of the month feature but supported that product promotion with a service enhancement using an eye protocol.
Contribution by Richard Merrill
While the eye enhancement protocol was included in all of my 90-minute treatments, my January Promotion included the treatment free of charge for all 60-minute services scheduled. This marketing promotion increased the value of the 60-minute service, enticed clients to book appointments during the post-holiday slump, and encouraged their investment in eye care products, ensuring a well-rounded session investment of both service and retail. Additionally, this made upselling their return appointment to a 90-minute session a little easier because they would learn that the eye enhancement was included in that treatment which allowed this promotion to have a long-term financial impact on my business.
Step 3: Create an Event of the Month promotion
So many times, when discussing marketing plans with spa professionals, they often get nervous when they hear the term “Event.” Our minds start to calculate the expense of hosting an open house, the time required to plan the event and then overwhelm sets in as the self-doubt creeps into our thoughts.
With the increase in digital business tools and resources, events no longer have to be grand galas for severe impact and success. A few event ideas include: Hosting a Virtual Event on Zoom, Facebook, and Instagram. Have a month-long event where guests can book a 15-minute free consultation that may be performed in-person or virtually to accommodate all scheduling needs. The list of self-hosted events is abundant, so find something that supports your Product and Service promotions and create a plan.
What if your goal this month is to increase new clients bookings? Did you know cross-promoting and attending local community events can have a HUGE impact on your career/business success?
Begin your event planning by searching for local events happening in the community around you and creating a plan to promote the event in your marketing efforts. Additionally, make a plan to attend the event to meet new community members and increase your brand awareness.
Step 4: Create a Cause of the Month promotion
Cause Marketing is the essential step in the entire planning process as far as Richard Merrill Consulting is concerned. You might be asking yourself, what is that or why is that so important?
Cause marketing is used to achieve three goals: Awareness, Fundraising, or Action (Increase Volunteering). So, when you decide your plan for your monthly promotion, the next step is to set an important goal.
Marketing has a strong need for sales conversations, but buyers want to connect on a deeper level now more than ever. Sharing a little piece of whom you are through discussing important matters allows you to draw in clients who have the same passion or personal experience as you and nurtures a much more long-term relationship over meaningful moments.
I suggest choosing no more than four topics per year and giving one of the three goals an entire month of discussion. This approach will provide you with three months of content for just one topic.
Bringing It All Together
Once you create your bulleted list of promotional topics for each month using the four steps above you, need to complete your marketing plan with creating content. You can share content that supports education on the topics you have chosen, feature client experiences as they happen, and testimonials from previous clients and content from your brand partners.
As you continue to grow your career and business, you will build a library of content to choose from but begin your journey by selecting one of the four topics per day each week.
Remember, marketing is all bout daily consistency in your brand messaging!
Now it’s your turn!
Set aside 60 minutes and put together a draft of your four topics each month. Not sure where to begin? Do you need support with your marketing planning? Mention Lipgloss + Aftershave during any 60-minute session in January, and you will receive a 60 Minute Session with Richard Merrill Consulting, LLC ABSOLUTELY FREE*!
To schedule your FREE call today, please visit: https://www.richardmerrillconsulting.com/s/appointments
*Discount will be applied during your appointment time; a card will be required to book your appointment to secure your no-show protection.