In today’s world, we are constantly distracted by hundreds of different messages. Whether it’s checking work emails or scrolling through your Facebook news feed, every spare moment is filled with stimulation. As a result, our attention spans becoming shorter, and we are becoming harder to connect with.
To cut through the clutter and market your business successfully, you will need to create an element of suprise. If you can achieve this – while also maintaining a personal approach – you will captivate your audience for long enough that they will pay attention.
This is, of course, easier said than done. Shock tactics are a thing of the past – suggestive images and swearing are so everyday that they are almost ignored. But there are a few tactics you can take to capture attention for those few vital moments it takes to generate a sale or attract a new customer.
Leveraging content from other sources is a great way to generate buzz about your salon and the services you have on offer. For example, at The Paddington Beauty Room, our Platinum treatment was recently featured in Harper’s Bazaar. I knew this presented the perfect opportunity to encourage more people through our doors.
I decided to reach out to everyone on my database to let them know what Harper’s had said about us, and to encourage them to experience the truly exceptional Platinum treatment for themselves. By showcasing the Harper’s article, and offering a heavily discounted price, I was able to ensure people really stood up and took notice.
This particular campaign was a roaring success – raising a grand total of $7212 as a direct result of clients taking up the offer. It all came down to the fact that I was able to create a positive disruption – people thought the offer was too good to be true!
There were also substantial flow-on effects for the business. This particular offer boosted sales as a whole, as clients were incredibly open to a gentle upsell. Many upgraded by adding on additional services, or visited a few more times to continue take advantage of this fantastic offer. It also provided a huge opportunity to sell retail.
The Platinum treatment is now an ongoing favourite among our clients. Having experienced this two-hour, technology-meets-luxury treatment – and seen the results for themselves – they are now completely hooked. Many clients have decided that the Platinum treatment is the ideal way to treat themselves in the future.
Of course there some risks involved in running promotions that are centred around providing a fantastic one-off discount. Over-discounting, or discounting too regularly, de-values your offering and can affect people’s perceptions of the value of what you offer every day.
Sending out promotions too regularly can also frustrate your clients, and is likely to make them delete your emails without reading them, or unsubscribe altogether. I try to take a varied approach, running promotions regularly but also offering very personal, newsy pieces, such as snippets about my travels, or life observations.
It’s important to remember that marketing isn’t all about direct financial returns. Email is also a perfect tool for building rapport on a personal level. This will eventually result in ROI, but it is not something that is always measurable. I’m a firm believer that not everything has to be measurable.
By combining promotional campaigns that create a disruption to drive sales with personalised and personable messages that will resonate with your clients’ life experiences and beliefs, you will be able to create a sure-fire recipe for marketing success.
