Key Takeaways: Successful barbershops rely on cost-effective marketing strategies for small businesses to attract new clients, retain loyal customers, and expand into new markets. Choosing the right marketing approach is essential to maximizing the return on your investment.
Building your barbering business and career takes time and an investment in yourself, your skills, and your dream. In addition to your education, hard work, and perseverance, allocating part of your budget to cost-effective marketing strategies for small businesses is among the most impactful things you can do to grow your barbershop.
The question most barbers have is not whether or not they should invest in marketing; it’s what types of marketing they should allocate their resources to for the greatest return. Thankfully, there are several marketing strategies that barbers can use to grow their business without breaking the bank.
How to Effectively Market Your Barber Business
A great marketing strategy can take your barber business to the next level, no matter how well it’s doing now. From giving a new barbershop the publicity it needs to build a solid foundation of loyal clients to helping an established business enter a new market, marketing is the key that unlocks the door of opportunity.
While marketing strategies are limited primarily by only your creativity and budget, you can employ a handful of proven tactics that will pay dividends without placing too much pressure on your finances.
Email Marketing
While it often gets lost in the shuffle of trendy marketing tactics, email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies for small businesses. This is the case for a number of reasons, and if you aren’t embracing email marketing, it’s safe to say that you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
"Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies for small businesses...if you aren't embracing email marketing, it's safe to say you're missing out on a huge opportunity."
Not only is email marketing proven to be effective while remaining affordable, but it also has an advantage that many other marketing strategies do not: your audience is already there! People on your email list signed up because they are interested in your work, your business, and the products and services you offer. Connecting with them is easier than starting from scratch.
SMS Marketing
Similar to email marketing, SMS marketing, which uses text messages to connect with clients, enjoys the benefit of your audience being built in before you begin a campaign. From promoting in-shop specials to encouraging current clients to book their next appointment, SMS marketing can be an effective tool for increasing your business.
You can also use SMS marketing for your barbershop by integrating it into your loyalty program, personalizing the text messages, and otherwise making the marketing centered around each individual client.
Social Media Marketing
Few things leveled the playing field like social media marketing. Suddenly, small businesses could reach their dream clientele directly and without spending the big bucks like their larger competitors. The result? Small businesses that understood social media marketing and used it effectively saw tremendous growth.
This opportunity is available to barbershops today. Your target audience is waiting for you; all you have to do is connect with them. From giving a behind-the-scenes look at your brand and personality to encouraging audience participation and user-generated content, social media marketing has the potential to be organic and effective.
While we do not recommend putting all your marketing eggs in one basket, practically every barbershop should use social media to grow its audience, promote its business, and form meaningful relationships with its current and potential clients.
Local SEO
While some barbershops have thriving online stores, most barbers’ bread and butter is still the services offered at their physical shops. This means that the visibility provided by something like social media marketing is important, but only if it gets people to your brick-and-mortar store.
That’s where local search engine optimization shines. Local SEO boosts your visibility on location-based platforms, such as Google Maps, providing valuable visibility that directs people to your physical location. Not only does this help interested parties find your shop when they’re looking for it, but it also can give you a competitive edge when your local audience enters a general search term like “barbers near me.”
Best of all, local SEO is budget-friendly. You can get started by doing local keyword research, leveraging SEO tools, and optimizing your Google profile and website. To take your local SEO to the next level, you can even work with an SEO expert to get a competitive edge.
Local Partnerships
Speaking of keeping things local, finding ways to increase your visibility and get involved in the community is a must as a barber. Thankfully, doing so is relatively easy and can be a lot of fun.
Consider sponsoring a local event, partnering with a fellow small business for a giveaway, contributing to local charitable efforts, and otherwise making an effort to get connected with the people that pass by your barbershop every day. Doing so is not only an effective marketing technique but a truly rewarding experience.
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