Your budget for advertising should be 2% of total sales monthly. We recommend that you invest this internally with your existing clients who are loyal and support you. They will be more apt to trust your promotions because you have a relationship with them. Offer referral contests and rebook and win programs. Offering small discounts on services and products if they rebook are great incentives that cost little and go a long way. Another way you can get more bang for the buck is social media. For example, creating a Facebook fan page and getting as many fans as you can and offering specials just for them is a great strategy that costs little. Just be crystal clear in your messaging.
— Steve Gomez is professional development manager for Milady (www.milady.cengage.com).