Coronavirus: 3 ways to use tech to keep clients interested
By Scratch Staff | 12 April 2020 | Expert Advice, Feature
Jo Martin, marketing director at Sally Salon Services UK & Ireland, reveals how you can you use technology to engage existing clients and attract new ones…
Like many other sectors, the nail industry has been significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. At first, nail salons and freelancers took the decision to suspend in-salon treatments and services but have since had to cease operations entirely. Fortunately, many nail professionals and businesses have already invested in online operations and some of the biggest names use a direct-to-consumer business model. But will it be enough?
During a time with a lot of uncertainty in the air, it’s important that nail techs and salon owners adapt their marketing and comms strategies & get tech savvy to stay in touch with customers.
Here are some of my top tips on how to do just that:
1.Give your social channels a spring clean
Reboot your social media presence. This may have been on your to-do list for a while, so what better time to do it than now, during a quiet spell? Make sure your bios, images and contact details are up-to-date and, of course, that you’re on the right social media channels for your business. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are all great — and YouTube is a must for video content!)
2.Share, share, share
Sharing interesting, fun and educational content on your social channels is a great way to stay connected with your customers during these strange times. From tips on how to cope with the ‘new normal’ and sharing advice around caring for nails at home, to suggestions on how to recreate a salon experience in your living room — there are loads of things you can do.
YouTube tutorials or live Q&As are also fantastic options as they fully engage viewers. Share work you’ve done or post about future trends — this will let your followers and customers know that you’re looking to the future. Customers will remember the beauty professionals that were supportive during a difficult time, so continue marketing yourselves from a supportive perspective, rather than a selling one.
3.Host virtual consultations & education sessions for customers
Professionals in the nail industry know all too well that it takes a combination of several ingredients to keep customers coming back – including the quality of the treatment, the thoroughness of expert consultation, the friendliness of staff and a great range of retail products. With salons and stores closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, it’s important for nail techs and salons to look for ways to maintain this type of in-person customer engagement, with digital technology enabling them to do just this!
You could host – and charge for – virtual one-to-one consultations via Skype, Facetime or Zoom to guide customers on the products and care techniques that are best suited to their current needs.
Consider offering live online tutorials using Instagram’s IGTV to immerse clients in useful ‘how to’ content. Such technologies allow for what is currently invaluable interaction between beauty professionals and their customers — and can bring customers together in new ways.
In these tricky times, it’s important for everyone to stay connected and support each other in any way possible. After all, once this is all over, there will be a surge of customers, old and new, seeking salon treatments, and staying in people’s lives virtually throughout this period will mean they’ll be knocking on your door for treatments when it’s time!