Selling POINT

Salon Marketing

The nail industry is booming and, as a result, competition on the high street is fierce. To cement your name as a leading nail salon and get clients rebooking, you need to spend time creating a robust marketing plan.

Samantha and Samuel Sweet, co-founders and directors of Sweet Squared, which distributes brands including CND, Nimue Skin Technology and Wax:one, reveal how to make your nail business standout, covering the three pillars of a successful marketing strategy – quality of service, USP and continual education.

1. Your skill set should speak volumes

“The best marketing is you, so your work should really speak for itself. I often hear salon owners say, ‘I’m going to do leaflet drops’ or ‘I’m going to do paid-for advertising [to drive business]’, and that’s fine when you’re starting out but not for the long term, not for profile raising”, explains Samantha.

“It’s about building your brand, getting your name out there and having your work shared on social media. Honestly, when you’re cracking out gorgeous enhancements or gel-polish manicures on the regular, people will say, ‘wow, your nails are beautiful. Where did you get them done?’, and that’s the biggest endorsement for your business.”

2. Forget about the competition

“So many salon owners contact me on Facebook for advice [about marketing their nail salon] and many start the conversation by saying, ‘the woman down the road is…’. I’m like, ‘hang on a second, why are you even worrying about the woman down the road?’”, says Samantha.

“If you’re confident in what you’re doing, then you don’t even think about other salons because people are coming for your treatments as you’re great at what you do. Also, if you spend that time and energy worrying about your own business rather than the nail bar down the road then you’re going to be more successful.”

3. Invest in your speciality

“If you want to attract a certain clientele, then you’ve got to invest in your environment, the salon’s cleanliness and sanitation, and most importantly, yourself. The best investment is education”, says Samuel.

“You can’t go in and pretend the work you do is absolutely perfect without actually investing in the continuing education to develop those skills and in the systems to be able to execute those services to the best of your ability. Running a successful salon is about education, commitment and focusing on the results you want, instead of what other people are doing.” PB

Samantha and Samuel Sweet are co-founders and directors of Sweet Squared, which distributes professional brands CND, MoroccanTan, Nimue Skin Technology, Wax:one and:Yours. Watch their video on how to market your nail salon successfully at professionalbeauty.co.uk/PBTV