Gift cards are great, and selling them in your salon can work wonders. They can build loyalty, encourage more bookings, and bring you new clients – all of which are key when it comes to maximising your salon’s turnover. Moreover – they’re pretty easy to utilise and can be a great asset to your salon’s marketing plan (especially when it comes to Christmas). So, want to know the tricks of the gift card trade? We’ve got all the tips you need.
The benefits of selling gift cards in your salon
So, as we mentioned – there are plenty of upsides to offering gift cards to your clients. Here are just a few:
Build client loyalty and encourage more bookings
Encouraging your clients to buy a gift card means that they’re (pretty much) guaranteed to return for another appointment, as they’ve already paid in advance. In fact, it’s also good for encouraging clients to explore new treatments too. For example, maybe they get their eyebrows waxed religiously, but having a little extra prepaid credit may encourage them to treat themselves to a tint too, or even venture to a totally new category. Either way, it’s a great way to encourage repeat bookings and client loyalty in your salon.
Attract new clients
Your clients are often your greatest spokespeople. Encourage them to buy their friends and family gift cards to your salon, and you’ve automatically got a new client (who can then become a loyal client, and who may not have visited you otherwise).
Offering a gift card can also set you apart from the competition. Perhaps a potential customer is looking for the perfect gift for the hair and beauty lover in their life? If you can offer them this with your salon’s gift card, you’ve already put yourself ahead of your competitors who don’t offer this option.
Fill quiet times in the salon
Gift cards can be more versatile than you might think. For example, they can be used to encourage bookings during off-peak quieter times and slow seasons. With Treatwell Pro, you can create virtual gift cards, and customise them completely to meet specific needs. So, want to offer a discounted seasonal gift card that can only be used in January and Feb? Or one which can only be used on Mondays and Tuesdays? We can help you do that (and so much more). To find out more, book a demo with one of our experts.
Our top tips for selling gift cards in your salon
We’ve talked about how gift cards can be a great asset to your salon. But, how exactly should you go about offering them? Here are our top tips to really make the most of your salon gift cards.
1. Take advantage of key dates in the year to promote the gift card in hair or beauty salon
Valentine’s Day, Black Friday, Christmas, and Mother’s Day are perfect dates to increase the sales of your salon’s gift card, and encourage your clients to buy them as the perfect gift for their loved ones (and themselves). During these periods, you can also add discounts to boost gift card sales even more. For example, offer a gift card worth £150 for just £85 if your customers buy them within a certain period of time. This is a great way of creating demand.
Another option? Offer the following: “Buy a gift card worth £150, and we’ll give you another one valued at £25”. The key to this promo is that, whilst the first gift card has a standard validity, the additional gift card is only valid until the end of January. Again, this is a good way to ensure a good start to the year.
2. Make sure that the gift card is visible in your salon (all year long)
Place your gift cards (or a sign or display showcasing them) throughout your hair or beauty salon. Whether that’s at reception, in the window or as part of your interior decoration. the more often that your clients see your gift cards, the more likely they are to remember them when thinking of their next Christmas or birthday present.
3. Offer physical and virtual gift cards for your beauty salon
There are two types of gift cards that your salon can offer: physical and virtual. A physical gift card in your salon can add value to the purchase – people love having the physical item, especially as a gift. What’s more, it is another chance to strengthen your branding (more on that soon).
The downsides of a physical gift card, though, are that they are much more difficult to keep track of. That’s where a virtual gift card comes in (and where we come in, too). Treatwell Pro’s prepaid credit (i.e virtual gift card) feature means you’ll have a clear overview of everything – keep track of expiry, the amount that has been spent, who bought it and when, as well as factoring it into your salon business analytics and processing the payment through your salon software. Plus, easily use it as your client’s payment method when checking out their booking. Now that’s smart gift card-ing.
Whilst both of these options have their merits, we’d suggest combining them to make the most out of salon gift cards. Offer a physical gift card to those who want it – but make sure to also enter this through your salon software, such as Treatwell Pro, so that you’ll have all the information you need.
4. Make your gift card as attractive as your salon is
Why? Because we all like pretty things (including your clients). So, if you do offer a physical gift card, invest in a creative design that matches and enhances your professional brand. It’ll be yet another great way of making sure your clients remember your salon.
5. Use marketing communications to promote your salon’s gift card
As we might have mentioned already, a gift card is an important part of your marketing plan. So, we recommend that you give a special shoutout to your gift card when sending e-mails and SMS marketing. With Treatwell Pro, you can build a customer database and connect with them easily, to keep them coming back again and again. Create gift cards, flash discounts, and other business-boosting promos, and let your clients know about them quickly and easily. Track your progress, manage payments, and organise bookings. Do all of this and so much more with Treatwell Pro.
