Expand Your Salon: 5 Tips on How to Get Clients Through the Door Admin January 19, 2019 Lifestyle, Lifestyle How to As a hair stylist, you’re more than passionate about cutting, coloring, and styling hair. You likely find fulfillment in helping people transform and look their best. When you got into the industry, chances are you were looking plenty forward to the salon life itself. There’s something about the atmosphere of salons. There’s the chatter, the laughter, and the excitement people get when they see their new dos. But if your salon has been feeling dull as of late, you may be wondering how to get clients to liven up theambiance. Here are 5 tips to help you do just that.1. Take Advantage of Social MediaLong ago, salons made themselves known with neon signs and word-of-mouth marketing. But if you’re wondering how to build clientele as a hairstylist today, social media is the nature of the game.Before people book an appointment at a salon, they want to see what types of experiences they’re in for. To put it simply, they want to know if they’re going to like the outcome of their haircut and style.Platforms like Instagram and Facebook provide opportunities for salons to show their work. Not to mention, these platforms are free to use.Show people what you and all your stylists are capable of. Upload an array of your best work and show why people should be getting their hair done with you.People come to your salon not only to get their hair done but for the experience. Using social media is the best way to show what your brand is all about.Feature videos of your stylists introducing themselves and showing off their work. If you’re wondering how to build clientele, the key is to be yourself!2. Give Your Website a Face LiftDid you know that 50% of consumers who search for a local business will visit a store the same day? This statistic is huge for salons, in particular. Your potential customers are already searching for things like “salons near me.” If they can find you, there’s a good chance you can land a new walk-in! How do you get your salon noticed on search engine results pages?An attractive website layout is the first order of business. Potential clients will judge the quality of your hair services based on your website. If your website doesn’t look good, who’s to say your hairstyles won’t look the same?Not only should your website look top-notch. It should be top-notch with a strong SEO strategy. The stronger this is, the more you’ll appear in local salon searches. The best way to hone in on your SEO is to run a blog people will love to read and return to. You can talk about all the latest hairstyles and share hair tips and tricks. You’ll not only have a space to practice SEO but will be able to build a better relationship with clients.3. List with Online DirectoriesIf you’re wondering how to get clients from local searches, use online directories. These include Yelp, Google My Business, and even Facebook. Potential clients use these platforms to gauge what people experienced at salons. Ask your loyal clients to leave positive reviews on your pages.Of course, not all client feedback is positive 100% of the time. Anytime you come across negative feedback, respond to it. Be professional, polite, and try to rectify the situation. Make sure all the information you provide on these directories is accurate. If you change your hours, update this information online.4. Improve Your Answering ServiceNeedless to say, every salon thrives on an answering service. But nowadays, there’s much more to answering the phone and penciling in appointments. The answering service is often the first impression people get of a salon. Clients want to feel welcome before they even physically enter a salon. They also want to be able to book an appointment quickly with little hassle.You can tell a lot about how your salon is performing based on its phone call data. You may have peak hours when the telephone seems to ring off the hook. You may receive a lot of inquiries over the phone – but no actual bookings. You might be having trouble gauging how you’re performing. Or, you might be completely unaware of how your receptionist comes across over the phone.If you’re looking to improve your answering service, call analytics is worth considering. That way, you’re able to tell which areas are falling flat on helping you book appointments.5. Don’t Underestimate the Power of NetworkingYou wouldn’t believe how much putting yourself out there can help you book new clients. Hair stylists are busy people – let alone salon owners. They have to deliver their services all while putting themselves out there.With that said, encourage your stylists to network as far and wide as the eyes can see. You never know who is going to come to town and be in need of a haircut. Showcase your work at events. Bridal shows, fashion shows, and art festivals are a couple of examples.Go to other cities and network with other salons. You never know what types of referrals and partnerships you can forge in the future. Always have your business cards on deck. You never know who will stop you and ask you where you got your hair done. They’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover that you did it and that you can recreate it for them.6.Understanding How to Get Clients to Your SalonEvery salon – no matter how long they’ve been around – depends on constant marketing. Even the busiest, most popular salons need a consistent flow of new clients. The beauty industry thrives on first impressions more than any other. If you’re wondering how to get clients to see you again and again, be sure to WOW them every time without fail.Not only do you need to make them fall in love with their new dos. You need to keep them intrigued from the moment they sit in your chair until the moment they leave. For inspiration on what to talk about with your clients, stay tuned to our beauty blog for ideas!