Marketing …are you ready for 2008? Is your marketing plan in place?
Spa Business / Spa Press Releases / Spa Marketing
Do you have a marketing plan in place? Do you have your promotions mapped out for next year? Did you keep track of the results of this year’s Ads, Public Relations and promotions efforts?
Preparation and planning are key components of success in business. Your spa business plan for 2008 should focus on the ways to build spa business.
Why should you do promotions? Seasonal promotions help you create retail and service excitement. A well developed promotion does not have to be about discounting services or products. Promotions also help stimulate your staff. Most marketing and promotional programs fail due to of lack of planning, staff support, communication and staff training; also lack of communication with your customers and lack of advanced notice to your vendors.
The Marketing plan, be creative, brain storm ideas on themes for ad copy for your advertising, brochures, website, etc. Tell a story and be consistent with the story you are telling, use the KISS principle (keep it simple and easy to follow). Include the following components:
Who are you?
Story behind your conception, creation, name.
What services do you offer? What do you do? How do you do it?
How are you different from your competition?
What can you offer that they don’t have?
Who are you targeting as your market segment?
What products do you carry and why?
What supports your Menu of Spa Services and concept?
What are the benefits to your clients
What is your Pricing Strategy? What is your competitors’ current prices?
Look back at your original business plan it should have included a Marketing Section. This is a good starting point. What did you say you were going to do to promote your business? Did you do it? Did it work? Take that information and use it to write your new strategy. You will want to update the information:
Who is your target market?Analyze who your target markets are? According to Info Salon Marketing the target market for a Day Spa client is within a 7 mile radius of your facility. What groups do you have in that 7 mile radius? Are you promoting to them? How? In your plan decide how you will advertise to them, how you will communicate your promotions to them? Radio, web spa deals, direct mail campaigns, email blasts, pay per click advertisement, Spa Newsletter, and Billboards are just a few of the ways you can get your name and your services out there. We recommend you create an Inside Promotions Program and an Outside Promotions Program. Basically the inside program communicates to your spa clients within your spa walls and the outside program gets your message out to potential new clients and the community at large.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive advantage
Do you know your target market?
Who is your secondary market?
Some ideas on how to promote from the Inside are to:
Do you have a message for when guests are on hold? This message should promote your spa services and products. Spa Audio is a very powerful tool. Make sure it is professionally recorded. Use talking cards or signage professionally done in the spa’s front desk area, retail area, waiting area, treatment areas, changing rooms and bathrooms. Use Spa TV in the waiting area with a video loop to feature spa services and the benefits of those services. This message should be current and consistent with what your current offers. Too many offers may confuse the clients. Vendors are a great resource for beautiful art work and promotional materials to assist you promote the services or products.
For Outside promotions you can use: PR work through press releases and television, Email, Spavelous “Now You Are In The Know” Weekly Spa Magazine, Direct Mail, a SEO website, Web Spa Deals billboards, flyers, paid print/radio advertising, new media advertising, mixer events and donations to nonprofit organizations that include ad space in their promotions and programs.
Talking about your website:Is your website up to date? Is your shopping cart is workingCan clients sign up to get special offers, Are your Specials Current?Can clients purchase and print Gift Certificates directly from your site? If not, are there instructions for how to order spa gift certificates?Are you listed in the Spavelous National Spa Gift Certificate Directory? It is free with all of our programs including the Basic Marketing Plan for only $75 for the year.The common error I find is that spas fail to prominently display their telephone number and address. This basic information should be visible on every page just as your website address should be visible in every marketing piece. Web links are available with your Spavelous spa marketing program in the spa directory. Use images of your spa in your website. Stock photos do not provide potential guests with the look and feel of your spa. Most Spavelous members have expressed a preference for spas that show them what they look like. Spas which include spa video tours, audio, and have professional pictures of their spa are viewed more often than spas with web links alone.
Get your staff involved. The idea of a Big Mac came from a McDonalds Franchisee not the corporation. Your staff will welcome the brainstorming and they know what their client’s are looking for. Once completed Map out your plan, start with a calendar of holidays and events. Next map out what services and promotions fit the event. If you have a gap, you may want to introduce a seasonal product. Look at your budget and determine what media you will be able to use for each promotion. Of course, sign up for Spavelous spa marketing support now and join the other successful Spavelous Spas.
Spa Business / Spa Press Releases / Spa Marketing
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