Summer salon marketing: How to make packages work for your beauty business

Beauty business expert & founder of Beauty Boss HQ, Layla Tourh, serves up advice for reaping rewards from treatment packages during quieter summer months.

It’s that time of year when the temperature is rising, daylight is lasting longer and clients are talking about where they are going for their summer holidays. Despite being pleased for them, their absence can result in your salon diary being quieter.

Let’s think about some clients you serve in the summer:

• Those that want to look great before a holiday.
• Clients that need a ‘maintenance check’ after a holiday.
• Those seeking your services but looking to save money for a holiday.
• Clientele that have spent a lot of money on a holiday.
• Those that have travelled to your location for a holiday.
• Clients that won’t be travelling – possibly due to financial reasons.

How can you cater to these clients? One of the most successful ways is to offer packages, so let’s look at some types…

Limited edition packages

Products or services that are limited edition automatically have value to clients, offering exclusivity that gets them rushing to book. When creating a limited edition promotion, think about who you want to cater to. An easy way to determine your ideal client is to take a walk where your business is based. Get a feel for the area and do some market research – what would the locals enjoy or appreciate?

Then, thinking about who you are catering to, figure out the purpose of your package. Do you want clients to spend more money on the package itself for luxury purposes, or do you want to help them save money?

Limited edition packages for those that are happy to spend more:

• Two treatments with drinks and nibbles available.
• Themed services, such as a ‘holiday pampering’ package, with fitting treatments and the addition of one or two products that make the package exclusive, for example gold foil.
• Free treatment when clients buy £100+ worth of services.

Limited edition packages for those that want to save money:

• Combine three services and offer the entire package at a discount, such as with 25% off. This should only be sold for one to two months.
• Free goodie bag when purchasing a service, for example clients buying a Dermalogica facial could receive free Dermalogica samples/minis.

Trending packages

Unlike limited edition packages, trending packages should be available for a long time. They make your salon unique (and potentially even viral on social media!) and offer your ‘signature’ services that people line up to try. Here are some examples:

• Adding gold foil to a treatment is exciting and luxurious for clients.
• Many people are becoming more spiritual and want to try a treatment that involves crystals, such as crystal healing therapy.
• While this isn’t necessarily unique, more people are learning about the benefits of cryotherapy (cold therapy) and taking cold baths/showers. Having a similar treatment advertised makes a great addition for the summer.
• Makeup artists and nail techs, you could use crystals and gems, such as from Swarovski, to create a luxury service.

But you don’t necessarily need these to build a signature package. What you do need is at least one talented beauty technician who’s amazing at one service. Chat to them about how to make their specialised service more luxurious, then teach this to the rest of your staff. Remember that the more creative and luxurious a treatment looks or sounds, the easier it is to sell on Instagram.

For example, your team might include a nail tech who’s skilled with creative acrylic designs. You could make this service more luxurious by adding a hand massage using rich, moisturising products. You have then created a signature treatment!