Marketing / Ad. - Ideas

[VirginiaTan]

Just wanted to dedicate a Marketing/Advertising thread to the most effective and impactful strategies outside of online. presence

To put this marketing/ad plan in perspective - it's taken place during the beginning
life cycle of my business. I've only been open for 2 months. All critisms are welcome -
and I hope we can share good suggestions for improvement or new ideas all
together. They are needed - I'm FAR from where I need to be right now.

So far:

1. 6,000 one week free unlimited promo cards - first 1,500 sent to predecessor POS client database. Next 4,500 (1,500 out per week), will go to a lifestyle targeted demo. mailing list within 3 miles of the location.

**I know I'll get yelled at by someone for the free week - let me explain - My thought is the free week gets them in the door - a free tan, I assume, has a lower "hit" ratio, so you get less customer facing opportunities and exposure. And a free week, really equates to on average 2-3 free tans, as opposed to just one - so maybe still a worth while effort/expense? The point is to get the local demo of potential tanners in - and if you have the service to keep them there, retain as many as possible and of course do it by out shining the comp.

***total cost to print, address and mail all 6,000 (front and back glossy, 4.25X6") = $1,940


2. Table Vendor at a 5k and wellness fair tomorrow - anticipated only about 750 to
show because of the weather, but setting up the chair massage, as well as doing a
raffle for a bundle of lotion/tanning products, and one month unlimited "gold" level tanning.
Low to nill table cost - hoping to help with branding.

***similar vendor/table invite at a local gym as well.

3. H road signs, placed saying "tanning now open" with phone number, logo and arrow
in the direction of the salon (can only put up on the weekends, or the city repo's em)

4. NOW OPEN sign centered on front window - 2'X4'

5. Free week promo cards placed at neighbor nail salon, as well as passed out
with free week business cards etc

6. Sponsored ad ($234) to be front in center, with our promo for the local high
schools football large season calendar. Similarly, sponsored a marching band event,
for ($60) to reinforce the name at the school.

Aside from the online strategies in play, here are some other
Ideas pending:

*Valupak or similar mailer advertising

*Email / text message marketing - if this is effective, what are the best tools
and strategies to execute?

*Mayor/Ribbon Cutting -with newspaper write up.

*Have manager an active member in the chamber, and get involved with events.

*Joint grand opening with neighbor sports bar right before high season
(early March) - advertised with maybe another newspaper article/post card mailing.

*Co-promote with local businesses, gyms, restaurants, nail/hair salons (any other ideas)
- and put their promo cards into each welcome bag that all my members recieve (with lotion
packets, upgraded goggles, etc).

The list could go on - but I'd rather shut up and learn what makes the biggest impact. Please be hard on these ideas, I love to see the flaws in anything I'm trying to implement and I'm sure we could all benefit from the input. Thank you!

Roger

[northtanman]

i'd say add in a website to advertise...drawing interest into your site and attracting "new" clients that way as well.
offer some terrific inhouse specials during their "one week free"
simple things also like a free water to every client as they enter...free packette of lotion on their first visit...% off first purchase maybe...bogo on packages really works! (one time only)
hey in these trying times, thinking outside the box or any promo is worth trying. sitting back and waiting for it to happen, does'nt work nowadays.
i just printed up business sized cards...with our name and website on them...and HALF OFF our monthly unlimited with tanning lotion purchase. was $49 now $24.50...tagged with "tan in moderation, never burn and always use a salon quality tanning lotion" nothing ventured, nothing gained i assume. i think what you're doing is awesome. great attack plan!!

[northtanman]

everyone likes a free goodie bag...maybe you could come up with some sort of freebie bag full of goodies...to give out to each client that enters...one time only. heck, i best do this! for all "new clients" or "free goodie bag" with any purchase?

[perfect_tan69]

Just put a sign out front saying "HOTTEST BEDS-BEST TAN GUARANTEED or your money back." Quit wasting time and money trying to think of ways to give S%^* away for FREE.

[WANNATAN]

What would you put in the "goodie Bags"? I have been giving a free packet of moisturizer to new clients when they come out from tanning, I like to talk to them afterwards to see how they did. Since I have already discussed tanning lotion before they go in I hit them with the moisturizer afterwards. I have had pretty good results with this, they usually by a moisturizer on their second or third visit. I also send a thank you note to all new custumers with a $5.00 gift card (this gift card is just printed on business size card stock).

[krisz]

I have pens and nail filers, along with my brochure, a pair of wink ease and a lotion packet. These all go into my goodie bags.

[beautyonthebeach]

goodie bag equals

a packet of lotion
a pair of winkease
3- referal cards for their friends
a card with our hours
an ink pen with our name/phone number
and a dinner mint

most of the packets are free samples that my dist. sends me and i give the bag to the new client when they are finished their first session.

[perfect_tan69]

Need to be open BLACK FRIDAY, and offer your best deal for next year. It is the best shopping day of the year. I'm opening @ 10pm the night before w/ spotlights and banners. The mall opens @ 10pm, and it's gonna be cold so people will want to warm up after they shop. Should be a good night.

[Tan Goddess]

See if there are any business networking groups in your areas. This will give you an oppurtunity to get to know other business owners in the area and they will be able to refer people to you and vice versus.

We have referral cards in each of our rooms that customers can put there name on to hand on to friends and family. The customer gets a free session and the new customer receives 10% off first package.

[Sun Sations]

Originally Posted by perfect_tan69

Need to be open BLACK FRIDAY, and offer your best deal for next year. It is the best shopping day of the year. I'm opening @ 10pm the night before w/ spotlights and banners. The mall opens @ 10pm, and it's gonna be cold so people will want to warm up after they shop. Should be a good night.

Near or in a mall this is great, but if your closest neighbor is a sports bar you may have a lot of staff doing nothing. Anyone else find that black friday is a slow day or is it just me, kinda on the edge of town... lotsa residential near me...

[Sun Sations]

Oh and my best marketing thing i ever did was this:
first if you have radio's in your rooms pay attention to the station your current tanners are tuning to. I found that 75% of my customers listened to one particular station. I had a free tan weekend with a great special, free tanning lotion with month unlimited purchase. ( i paid about $5 a bottle promoted $40 value) I got 50 new customer in one weekend and had my best day ever.

hindsight 20/20 use an 8 oz lotion not a 13oz, that way the have to buy another lotion sooner.

[Din]

Originally Posted by Sun Sations

Oh and my best marketing thing i ever did was this:
first if you have radio's in your rooms pay attention to the station your current tanners are tuning to. I found that 75% of my customers listened to one particular station. I had a free tan weekend with a great special, free tanning lotion with month unlimited purchase. ( i paid about $5 a bottle promoted $40 value) I got 50 new customer in one weekend and had my best day ever.

hindsight 20/20 use an 8 oz lotion not a 13oz, that way the have to buy another lotion sooner.

How does paying attention to what radio station they listen to, make you money? Unless you mean you did a radio ad on that station, because you didn't mention if you did. All you said was you paid attention to what station they tuned into. I'm a little confused.

[Sun Sations]

sorry I got sidtracked and skipped over that part. Yup! I only spent $400 on an add the week before the free tan weekend and got 50 new customers. pretty good ROI.

[Din]

Unfortunately, radio stations in bigger cities like where i am, $400 would get me about 2 x 30second spots at 1am on a tuesday.

if i was to do radio spots a week before leading up to the event, it would cost me around $5,000 - $10,000

not worth it as it covers areas of over 6 million people. Just not feasible for 1 location salon. Maybe in small towns, but not large metropolitan cities.

[Sun Sations]

I pay about $30 - $45 a commercial, town of 200,000. I believe I actually got them at a HUGE discount b/c they are running short on advertisers. The company is owned by a conglomerate that also owns newspapers and is hurting badly. They were pretty desperate to take my money, i had to pay upfront but it was worth it.

[gary@THEBEACH]

myspace and facebook ads work...check them out