Salon Advertising Marketing - How to advertise in a Recession

With our beauty-conscious culture, your salon should at least be able to stay afloat (if not do just fine)even during times of economic strain. If it's not, well... the economy may be a factor, but your advertising may be just as much to blame. During a recession, our first instinct as a business owner is to tighten up those purse strings and cut as many expenses as possible.

While cutting a few corners is a great idea, there are 2 things you don't want to skimp on: Quality supplies and good, consistent advertising.

Don't start using sub-par products- your customers can tell the difference. Chippy nail polish, less fragrant spa products, cheapo hair gel, and worse, streaky tan solution... Using those is a sure way to tick off your clients. Most folks are willing to pay a few bucks extra when they know they can expect a certain level of quality. (I KNOW I do.)

You may think that you're selling hair cuts and spray tans, but lets go a little deeper to examine what you're really selling.

Recently I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant, in a foul mood. As we sat down at our usual table and I ordered my usual fajitas, I immediately began to feel my spirits lighten.... UNTIL the food came. Instead of the usual balance of meat, onion, red and green peppers, there was less chicken, and almost all onions. Plus, NO cilantro in the salsa. I found myself disappointed almost to the point of tears over what I'd normally have blown off, had it been any other restaurant. How childish is that? I was even surprised at myself.

This is relevant to our subject, since the same psychology applies. How? Because I'm not just paying for some grub: What I'm really paying for is the way the food makes me FEEL. More specifically, i'm paying for how I EXPECT the food to make me feel. Subconsiously, I was actually counting on that food to pull me out of my bad mood, which is why I had suggested to my hubby that we go there in the first place.

The same concept can be applied to any product our customers are accustomed to. If you're in the business of personal appearance or relaxation, your customer depends on you for that great feeling they get after they leave your salon or spa. What a hair stylist, nail technician, or spa really sells is the expectation of increased self-esteem or peace they are accustomed to feeling after a visit. They will pay more for what they expect- period.

Advertising for your salon is another area to NOT skimp on. With advertising for your hair salon, You need 3 things: Consistency, Quality, and Style.

You must be consistent in your efforts to get your hair or nail salon and spa advertising media out to your target audience. Don't hang up a poster and pin up a hair stylist business card and expect it to still be there, clean and visible, 6 months later. They will get obscured by your competition's advertising junk. Only you know who your target audience is and where they hang out. Whoever they may be, you need to make regular visits to those places to refresh your posters, hand out business cards, and make your presence known. Make sure you look great while doing it- you're a walking billboard in this business, you know.

Quality is super important when advertising your hair salon, barber shop, or nail salon. Even when you're not exactly a high-roller from your salon profits, you don't want the public to think you can't afford quality advertising. Why? Because You want to give the impression that you do a lot of business. Why do you want that? Because if you do a lot of business, then it logically follows that you must be doing a great job, which is why you are able to afford better quality advertising than your competitor who is using cheap business cards and posters.

Style is the next most important element when it comes to your advertising materials. That's really a no brainer. Show good judgement, good taste, and style in your ads and business cards, and your customers will know that you're a person who has the know-how to make them look stylish.

Marketing Your Salon or Barber Shop with Hair Stylist Business Cards

As a hair stylist or barber, you know how difficult it can be to market your beauty salon, nail salon, day spa or barber shop with all that competition out there. Luckily, there are many cheap and easy ways to get the word out that your shop is THE place to be.

The best and least expensive way to get started is to first develop your image. Don't hire an image consultant! Just sit down and think... What makes your salon or barber shop unique?

Is it the people who work there, and their special skills? If so, they can be the cornerstone of your advertising campaign- especially with your business cards, which are the best for of word of mouth ads. One online shop, BusinessCardsThatWork, has a great feature where you can upload any saved photo onto one of their hot salon business card templates. Why not take a great group picture of all your stylists, and integrate it into your business cards? This lets the world know that you're super proud of your peeps and their mad hair styling skills. Alternately, you can order a smaller set for each of your employees that has their own profile and picture.

Is your location a factor in what makes your salon or barbershop special? An example of this would be if your business was located in a historic part of town, a popular shopping mall, or near some well-known landmark. You can use this to your advantage when it comes to designing your business card online. For instance, write "Located in historic Downtown Boston!" and have a picture of the area in the extreme background. Or how about, "Right across from City Park"? Being able to say you are at or near some exclusive real estate will give you some extra cred.

Is it the type of customer you cater to that makes your shop special? Take stock of your clients: Are they soccer moms or an edgy younger crowd? Do you excel in specialized procedures like weaves, extensions, etc? Whatever your clientele, play it up with colors and pictures that reflect their interests. Darker colors like purple, black and brown for the younger set, neutrals for the over 25 suburban types, etc. For specialized procedures, you'd want to have them listed clearly- be sure to use a simple but prominent font, and bullet form, here's an example:

Professionally Rendered

* Hair Extensions
* Weaves
* Colors and Highlights
* Eyebrow Waxing

After you figure out the basis for your image, the next step is to get some great business cards to promote that image. The best way is to find business cards that are extremely customizable with your very own graphics, photos, logos, colors, etc. Choose a basic salon, barbershop, or spa template that you think would be good to start with- then, open it up in an easy design editor. From there you can add your business info as well as upload any pictures, logos, etc. That will make your business cards uniquely you.

Luckily there are plenty of quantities to choose from- none of this being forced to order a kajillion cards at a time. You may order 250, or 10,000 if you like. Different finishes are avaiable as well- from matte to glossy, and rounded or square corners.

Make your business cards work for you. After you recieve the cards, give a few to everyone you know and put a stack on the front counter of your salon.. and don't skimp on the business card holder- you put a lot of thought into this...

How to Get the Best-Looking Business Cards for Your Salon

There are so many great salon, spa and hairstylist business card designs available, but how do you make those designs properly reflect your business spirit and style? There are many options to personalize your cards, and you're only limited by your imagination.

The first thing to consider when designing your salon or barber shop business card is the image you want to portray to your audience. Here's an example- let's say you own a barber shop, and you'd like to come across as sporty and masculine. You might choose a template that is non- girly and not too colorful. Then you'd look through the available fonts and choose the most appropriate one.

For instance, the barber shop business card template below is very plain in it's design. It features some thinning shears- but what really makes this a masculine looking business card is the choice of font. The font used is called "bullpen 3d" and is done in a coordinating dark blue, bold with drop shadow. The font looks like it could belong on a baseball field.



Alternatively, if you run a unisex hair styling salon, you might choose a design that will be attractive to both your male and female clients. The following card is a perfect example of such. The brown and black color scheme is sophisticated, but not too feminine. The hair stylist's chair in the foreground is pretty universal and looks comfy. The Arial font used is plain but the colors make it "pop".



But let's say your salon is a more family oriented place where moms, dads, and kids can come in for a relaxed atmosphere. This green template has a little monster who needs a haircut. The font used is called "Comic Sans" and looks very playful. The font is bold and shadowed, and red was chosen to make it stand out from the cooler colors of the palette.



Now if your main clientele is teenage girls coming in for prom updos and trendy highlights, you can really make use of fonts and colors. This business card template is so cute. The font used is called "Fashion Victim" with drop shadow and coordinating aqua. The phone number is rotated to give a quirky, youthful effect.



Stay tuned for more ideas on personalizing your salon business cards!

Beautiful, African-American Business Cards

It's crazy - how hard it is to find beautiful, high quality business cards that will properly promote salons, spas, and barber shops that cater to African-American skin and hair care needs. Luckily, there are some designs out there that are perfect for these places- not very many, but the beauty and style of the few available is amazing.

This design is so pretty, with it's bold colors and a gorgeous model to boot. Its perfect for any salon or cosmetologist who specializes in skin care or makeup for dark skin tones:



Now here we have a very unique design with lipstick and gloss highlighted. Plum tones are used to max effect. The diaginal text works very well, but can be changed if needed:



Here is the same design, but with a more artistic effect using greyscale photography and bronze and yellow hues:



And this lady is all smiles because she just had a fantastic time at your salon or spa. (Also makes a great business card for dentists and plastic surgeons):



This is easily one of the most beautiful business cards featuring an African-American model on the market... Just look at the luster on those lashes and the perfection of the brows... simply smashing. This design is perfect for any salon, spa, makeup artist, etc.



All of these designs can be personalized with your own logo, you can change the font, and the font placement. Superb!

Spicy, Sassy Business Cards

Bow-chicka-wow-wow! Want to portray a more glamorous, sexy image for your salon? Well here's your chance. We've found the hottest business cards on the planet. If your salon specializes in making your customers look like a hawt movie star, this is the best way to get your message across. Check it:

Hot pink- THE most glamorous color on the planet. Let it be known that your makeup skills are the bomb.


Or how about this sexy silhouette, rendered in 2 glam shades and available in both vertical and horizontal formats...






This is a gorgeous card with a more earthy, yet glamorous look:


Take advantage of the hot salon business card styles available.

Pedicure Business Cards

As an esthetician, you know that these days your customers are just as concerned over the appearance of their feet as their hands. Today's strappy sandals and fancy flip flops really demand a level of foot maintenance that was not necessary in the past.

If you own a salon, you can't afford to miss out on this important aspect of the market- make sure at least one of your staff gives great "mani-pedis". If you are freelance, then you really need to have this skill on your resume. Either way, you're going to need to advertise these services, so here's a few very attractive business cards that are really worth considering.

Wow- this is a gorgeous manicure / pedicure salon business card. The lime field and bamboo mat give it a tropical flair. The torn edge effect is very unique. Your customers are sure to keep this one around.



Now you know how much time and money women spend to keep their heels smooth. This business card design makes the most of that concern with a beautiful laquered manicure and flawless heel.



This next design features the ultra-feminine lavender and pink color combo that all the girly-girls love. It also has a manicure / pedicure theme that makes it very desirable and likely for your customers to keep. It also features the same bamboo mat shown in the first sample.



Well there it is- 3 smashing designs that will give you an advantage in the competitive and relatively new field of pedicures.

Makeup Business Cards

It's homecoming and holiday time! Time to use those cosmetology skills you picked up in style school. There are a lot of simply gorgeous business cards out there that are designed to highlight your mad makeup skillz. Whether you specialize in the more edgy makeup styles, or the more subtle ones, you will like one of these ultra-customizable business cards.

For instance, this card is great for prom and homecoming season- it has a pretty palette of colors and a frosted glass effect. The makeup featured is light and natural, yet elegant.



For a more sexy look that gets everyone's attention, this hot lipstick card is just the ticket. Could it BE more ultra-glossy and glam???



For the more theatrical types, there's this super colorful business card template that features a hot fushia backdrop and whimsical eyeshadow, mascara, and liner:



And finally, if you cater to the more daring types, here's a super edgy makeup business card that will make a serious impact on anyone you hand it to. It's so unusual, people will be asking YOU for extras.



Take advantage of these great designs, people!