There are some people who would argue that paper hair stylist & barber shop advertisements- such as business cards, flyers, postcards, etc- are less effective and more complicated than electronic and internet based means.
Not everyone has regular access to the internet. If they do, they may not ever run across your website on their own. When someone Googles certain keywords, such as "barber shops in Atlanta", the resulting websites that show up are no accident. It costs the website owner money to hire another company to "tweak" these search engine results. This can be very pricey and this search engine optimization is an inexact science with uncertain results at best, since the big search engines like Google and Yahoo are constantly changing their criteria to keep everyone honest.
Sure, most folks have access to television, but realistically, how many independent salon owners or hair stylists can afford even a 30 second TV spot?
So, electronic advertisements are great, but they aren't very proactive, since they depend on your potential customers finding YOU. The truth is, you shouldn't do without either, but paper advertisement is absolutely essential.
Three venues are super important: phone book yellow pages ads, business cards, and if you can swing it, postcard circulars. Yellow page ads are kind of pricey and aren't exactly attractive... but that's still the most popular form of advertising so you might as well fork out for it or be left in the dust. Don't think the "internet yellow pages" is going to get it. If you don't have at least a text ad in your actual paper phone book, you're losing out. Yes, some people still let their fingers do the walking.
Business cards for your beauty shop, nail salon, barber shop or spa are another must-have. They force you to be proactive. You should consider a good quality set of business cards an investment, as important as your phone book ad. You should get the best business cards you can reasonably budget for. It's a good idea to get the UV coating on at least one side. UV coating makes your card last longer and resist fading. If you have something like a list of your services or a map on the back, you should have the back coated as well. Some salons (and especially spas) like to have an appointment reminder area on the back, just like a doctor's office. If you have that done, leave the UV coating off the back, so you can write their next appointment there. Don't let a single satisfied customer walk out of your salon without at least 2 of your business cards. Be sure to have some on the appointment desk too.
You ought to have a postcard circular at least twice a year- once around the holidays is great, but if only once, make it spring. Spring is when people start buying those new wardrobes and trying out new hairstyles and colors. Yes, postcard circulars are pricey too but having your advertisement go directly to their mailbox is worth it. You can put a list of your services and some great coupons on these circulars.
