The spa industry is booming. Even when the economy hits a problem, women will spend money to make themselves feel better about themselves by going to a spa or salon. The industry is only growing. It grew about 5%, which took it from $15.5 to $16.3 billion from 2014 to 2015. There is even better news than that for people in the industry. Millennials like to go to spa. Last year, at least 56% of them went for some services, according to the International Spa Association. Whether they are looking for sun care or skin care, people are going to different spas for services. If you own or manage a spa, you may be looking for ways to grow your business. Here are some ways to get more customers through your door.
- Network as much as you can. That may sound like a given but many business owners, not just people running spas, will do nothing more than put out a shingle and take out a newspaper ad. Getting more people to want to get their sun care at your spa takes more than that. You need to get out and connect with other business owners in you community. You can work with similar businesses to spread the word about the services that you offer. People will not make appointments for the services you offer if they do not know that you are around.
- Use your social media channels to spread the word. Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter (among others) are your friends. You can use these sites to grow support for your business. Use search engine optimization marketing to get the word out about your website, blog and social media channels. You should use these sites often but strategically. You need to put up new content but spread it out. There are a lot of free ways to do this but you also need to interact with the people who communicate with you. Offer incentives to people who “follow” or “like” your content. When people people interact with you a lot, give them a discount or special.
- Get reviews and testimonials. Talk to some local people who are key influencers for your city or town. Give them something for free in return for an endorsement. If you have family members or who are influencers in your area, talk to them. Get photos, video and a written comment. Make sure you get their permission before you use these in any of your materials. They can be posted to your social media channels, used in printed materials or used with the media. Having these people rave about your anti aging treatments or sun care can go a long way to make others want to have those same experiences.
- Get out into the neighborhood. Get booths at farmers’ or flea markets. Go to events that other companies have. Bring with you information and samples that are helpful to people. Brochures with titles such as “The Best Way to Develop the Right Beauty Routine for You” will be picked up. Include coupons and special offers. Collect people’s contact and social media information. When you get back to your business, have all of that entered into your system. Send everyone who connected with you a message with a special offer.
- Host an event. This is the time of year when people are looking to bare more skin and sun care is on everyone’s minds. Have an open house where people can come in, have some refreshments and find out what your spa is all about. This is a great way to get people through your door and get you some more visibility and more clients. These do not have to be complicated or overly ornate events.
They are just a way for people in your community to get to know you and your staff. It is also a way for you to show off what you so and how well you do it.
Running a spa can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience but it does take a lot of work to get people through the door. Once you have your regular customers, you can work on growing your business.
