Business

How Do You Market Services to Teen Clients?

August 1, 1999

I airbrush and that alone draws teens in. I don’t like doing artificial nails on girls younger than 16; however, I will for prom and special dances. I think that one of the reasons I draw a younger clientele is because I stay up-to-date with all of the latest trends. I always have all of the new colors in several lines of polish, and my polish color choices always have a lot of fun, bright colors and glitter. That’s what teens really like right now. -- Cindy Davis, Visible Changes Salon (Ridgecrest, Calif.)

I am usually very direct in my marketing attempts no matter what the age of the targeted group. Find out who’s who in the local teen hierarchy and make an effort to meet them. Usually a mother will send one in for a service for a special occasion. That’s a great opportunity to do a little research. Keep a few teen oriented fashion magazines around. If they just “happen” to be opened to a picture or article featuring bare, well-groomed toes, there’s your opening to get them acquainted with the idea of pedicures. If prom or graduation is around the corner, talk to the girls and get the guys involved too. I took a gamble and invested in some medium price-ranged nail charms this spring that featured a lion’s face (school’s mascot) and the number 99. Even some of the guys had sculpted nails put on one finger so they could wear their new charms. I suggested that they could always be converted into charms for neck chains later. I think communicating with any group that you want to attract is the key.--Audrey Lulow, Nails By Audrey Lulow (Woodbury, Tenn.)

At our salon, we contact the area high schools and get an ad in their school newspapers, fliers at football games, or programs at plays and other school activities. This works well – especially at prom time. We get great feedback from it.--Anna Hamlet, Salon Duvall (Richmond, Va.)

To attract teen clients, I put our fliers at the local high schools offering a discount with their student activity card. I also place fliers on the local grocery store’s “ad boards” offering specials for upcoming dances.--Jeanna Nentwich, Jeanna’s Nail Studio (Salt Lake City, Utah)

We advertise to teens by targeting the dance and prom season. Makeup, skincare, and especially nails are advertised from proms at a lower price than our regular prices. This really draws them in. Once they are in the door, the staff tells them what we have to offer and we also ask them to tell a friend. Now our prom and dance season is booked well in advance. The secret for us is we work as a team in giving the teens the best “in style” looks possible.--Sharlene Stewart, Merle Norman (West Chester, Pa.)

Topics:marketing/promotions teens

More FAQ

As an independent contractor, do I have to stay in the salon for five to six hours when there are no walk-ins or appointments?

As an independent contractor getting a 1099, do I have to stay in the salon for five to six hours when there are no walk-ins or appointments and I’m not getting a salary? I work on a 50/50 commission split.... read more

C’mon Get Happy: Do you have any tips or techniques you use to turn around a client’s mood?

The sun may be shining outside, but sometimes a client’s mood is decidedly gloomy — and it has nothing to do with you or your services. We asked readers: Do you have any tips or techniques you use to turn around a client’s mood if she is really negative or in a bad mood?... read more

How do you track your sales and other records throughout the year?

Nail techs are a fastidious bunch — at least when it comes to nail care. But does this extend to your record-keeping duties? And how much do you let the latest technologies lend you a hand? We asked readers to share how they track their sales and other records throughout the year.... read more

Should I lower my prices to meet other people’s standards or am I right to charge more because I give better service?

I am a booth renter in a small town. There are several other salons here that do nails. I am fresh out of school and am being told that I don’t have enough experience or good enough equipment to charge $30 for a pedicure. There is a new nail salon here that charges $20, but I’ve been told it is unsanitary and doesn’t do anything but basic nail care and polish. I give a 10-minute massage and a sugar scrub as well as basic nail care and polish. I don’t think it’s right for me to be told I can’t charge that much just because I can’t afford an expensive pedicure chair yet. But I need to build clientele while making my rent and buying supplies. All of the well-established salons in my area charge $30 to $35 for pedicures and some of them use the same type of equipment I use. Should I really lower my prices to meet other people’s standards or am I right to charge more because I give better service?... read more

Is there a business-related New Year’s resolution you find yourself making every year?

This time of year we often get to thinking about those things we’d like to be doing that we’re not doing. We asked our readers: Is there a business-related New Year’s resolution you find yourself making every year?... read more

Reader to Reader: What solutions do you have for handling extremely obese clients respectfully?

What solutions do you have for handling extremely obese clients respectfully (for instance, making sure they are comfortable in your salon’s chairs)?... read more

What do I do when a husband and wife want to switch appointments?

I have clients who are husband and wife. He has a standing appointment every other week and she e-mails to schedule hers randomly. I am often already booked when she wants to come in and quite often her husband gives her his appointment. This happened again today. The problem is his treatments run $25 more than hers. Do I charge her an additional $25 or should I just let it go? They are good clients and have become friends, but I turned away two others who would have booked at the higher rate.... read more

How do I get started servicing senior communities?

There are many senior communities in my area. What do I need to do to get started servicing them as a mobile nail tech?... read more

Should I include testimonial pages on my website?

I am putting together a website for my salon. I’ve seen some sites that have client testimonial pages. Is it a good idea to include one on my site or is it kind of old-fashioned? Don’t people go to review websites like Yelp anyway?... read more

Reader to Reader: Do you give preference to stocking your salon's retail boutique with items that are made in the U.S.A.?

Do you give preference to stocking your salon’s retail boutique with items that are made in the U.S.A. (or in your native country, if you aren’t in the U.S.)?... read more

I was thinking about converting from booth rental to commission. What do I need to know?

I have owned a booth rental salon for four years. I need to increase how much money I’m bringing in and was thinking about converting to a commission situation. Is this really going to be more profitable? What else do I need to consider?... read more

Reader to Reader: If you could go back in time five years and speak to your former self, what piece of business advice would you give her?

If you could go back in time five years and speak to your former self, what piece of business advice would you give her?... read more

Prev Next