InStyle-Recommended Nail Salons from Coast to Coast
InStyle shines the spotlight on nail salons in some of the largest cities in the nation, and list popular shades and manicure tips.
Week 9: There’s No Such Thing as Overexposure
As a therapist, owner, and manager who is working full-time in my spa, I wanted to share with my fellow nail professionals how we survive during this hard time by not limiting ourselves to one area of marketing. At Maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge, we don’t believe in overexposure. We expose our business in the following ways:
Week 7: Becoming the “It” Place to Party
These days, most salons offer party packages of some type or another. You may service the occasional bridal or birthday party, or maybe you market a “Girl’s Night Out” party package for clients to book with their friends, but have you fully tapped into the party market? Have you ever thought about actually throwing the party yourself?
Week 6: Seven (Truly) New Marketing Ideas
If you’re looking to build your clientele, there’s no need to discount your services, but you can run specials and use some creative marketing, says Sharon Frenz, co-owner of Fusion Hair and Nail Studio in Tomah, Wis. “I’ve gone from a so-so book to a completely full book in less than a year,” says Frenz, who shares these tips.
Week 5: Add a New Service and Create a Buzz
Sometimes it’s not that you need to get more clients (we’ve already told you that it costs more to get a new client than it does to keep an old one), but that you need to get more out of your clients. That might mean sending them home with a service-preserving retail item (we’ll get to retail in the very near future) or an incentive to entice them to try a new service.
Websites Worth Watching
Young Nails’ Nail Art Gallery
Social Networking for Nail Techs
Like many salons, East Village Spa in Des Moines, Iowa, was fully booked for Valentine’s Day, then right before the appointment cancellation charge cut-off of 48 hours, clients “suddenly” realized they wouldn’t be able to come in. Rather than lose money on empty appointments, the salon posted the new openings on Twitter. “They were immediately snatched up by people who’d waited too long to make Valentine’s Day plans. Twitter helped us stay 100% booked,” says owner Cassie Sampson.
by Sree Roy
Day Spa, Night Life
Under owner Misha Parham’s direction, My Sassy Nail Spa in Washington, D.C., has come to specialize in parties that include martinis, pole dancing, and tattoos.
by Thi Dao
Save a Tree
Making a conscious effort to be green is important not only from an environmental point of view but also from a marketing and public relations point of view.
Five Ways to Market Your Green Salon
You offer services using natural products, and you and your staff make earth-friendly choices for your salon whenever you can. How do you let your clients know about your commitment to going green? Below are five ways to spread your message
Living the Dream
From getting initial experience and photos to selling yourself at an appointment with an agent, this is a handy how-to guide for finding an agent for freelance manicuring work.
by Sree Roy
On My Mind: Become a Color Expert
Become a color expert for your clients.
by Hannah Lee
Ask The Manicurist (Sept. 2009)
The manicurist-aka Rebecca Seals has returned! Sit back for a chuckle while she reprimands clients who use and abuse their techs.
Week 4: Empty Slots in Your Book? Just Tweet It.
Last-minute openings in your appointment book are inevitable, but these days filling them can mean the difference between being able to pay all of your bills and, well, not being able to. Thankfully, up-to-the-minute social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are starting to hit their stride, just in time for you to take advantage of the marketing capabilities they have to offer.
Week 3: Creating a VIP Club Creates Cachet and Cash
It’s a strategy supermarkets have been employing successfully for years. “Club cards” — or store “memberships” — build loyalty, provide perceived value, and can even raise cash.
Week 2: Guerilla Marketing: Thinking Outside Your Salon
Everyone needs to promote more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend more. Think about guerilla marketing. Guerilla marketing means thinking outside the traditional ways of marketing.
Ode to the Golden Girls
Philadelphia nail tech Lisa Bautista-Sellers penned this touching letter to honor her first salon -— with its wonderful clients and caring coworkers.