How to market your salon and attract new clients
Effective salon marketing combines a strong online presence (Google Business Profile, social media, online booking), word-of-mouth from happy clients, and consistent visibility in your local community. Focus on what you can sustain rather than one-off campaigns.
Start with the basics
Before fancy marketing, get the fundamentals right:
- Google Business Profile: Complete, accurate, with photos and hours
- Online booking: Let people book when they find you
- Consistent contact details across all platforms
- A way to collect and display reviews
Most potential clients search online before visiting. If they can't find you or can't book easily, they'll go elsewhere.
Google Business Profile
Your Google listing is often the first impression:
- Claim and verify your listing
- Add accurate hours, address, and phone number
- Upload quality photos of your work and space
- Add your services with descriptions
- Respond to reviews (positive and negative)
- Post updates occasionally to show you're active
Encourage happy clients to leave Google reviews. More recent, positive reviews improve your visibility in local searches.
Social media
Choose platforms where your clients actually are:
Visual platform perfect for showcasing your work. Post before/after photos, transformations, and behind-the-scenes content. Use relevant local hashtags. Link to your booking page in your bio.
Good for reaching local community, especially older demographics. Share updates, photos, and engage with local groups. Enable messaging for enquiries.
Consistency matters more than frequency. Posting twice a week reliably is better than daily for two weeks then nothing.
Word of mouth
Happy clients are your best marketing:
- Deliver excellent service worth talking about
- Make it easy for clients to share (booking link, social handles)
- Thank clients who refer others
- Consider a referral program (but focus on service first)
Word of mouth is slow but compounds over time. One happy client tells friends, who become clients, who tell more friends.
Local visibility
- Partner with nearby businesses (gyms, boutiques, cafes)
- Attend or sponsor local events
- Join local business groups or chambers of commerce
- Ensure your signage is visible and professional
- List in local directories (online and print)
Content that works
What to actually post and share:
- Before and after transformations (with client permission)
- Team introductions and behind-the-scenes
- Tips and advice your clients would find useful
- New services or products
- Client testimonials and reviews
Always get permission before posting client photos. Some people don't want their hair journey shared publicly.
What to avoid
- Constant discounting (trains clients to wait for sales)
- Buying followers or fake reviews
- Being on every platform poorly rather than one platform well
- Marketing that doesn't match your actual service
- Ignoring existing clients while chasing new ones
Measuring what works
- Ask new clients how they found you
- Track which channels bring actual bookings
- Monitor review counts and ratings
- Check if social engagement converts to appointments
Double down on what works, reduce effort on what doesn't. Every salon's effective channels are different.
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