“Developing strong and recognisable salon branding is the perfect way to attract new customers, retain loyal clients, and stand out from the competition.”
Opening and running a successful salon isn’t just about being good at your job – it’s also about creating and developing your salon brand and brand identity.
Anyone starting a business will likely hear these terms thrown around fairly often, but what does it all *actually* mean? What’s the end goal, and why’s it so important?
Essentially, creating a strong brand gives you that instant recognisability. This makes you stand out from the competition, attracts new clients, and retains existing ones. These loyal clients will in turn essentially become spokespeople for your brand. Sounds good? We think so too.
Building a brand allows you to communicate your company’s values, give your brand a voice, and tell the story behind your business. Essentially, it’s a way of telling the world what you’re all about – your vibe, if you will.
So, strap in, and let’s take a look at what branding means and consider how to develop your salon brand, both online and offline.
So, what is a brand?
Let’s get down to the very basics. A brand is a culmination of all those characteristics and values that revolve around a business. It makes the business identifiable and differentiates it from its competitors. By developing a unique and memorable brand, you’re letting the world know what makes your salon *the* place to be (and ensures they remember you, too).
Branding helps to position a company in the minds of consumers. To put that into context, just think of the following examples:
- Just do it
- Gives you wings
- Think different.
If you immediately think of Nike, RedBull, and Apple – it means that the branding of these companies is working, and they’ve successfully made themselves recognisable. (And, if you didn’t think of them straight away, you can take our word for it that these guys are pretty big hitters).
It’s not just their slogans that we associate with them, either. Nike is associated with the concept of not giving up, RedBull with freedom, pushing your limits, and extreme sports, Apple with thinking outside the box. This is because they’ve all managed to create an incredibly strong brand identity.
When we talk about branding, then, we’re basically referring to everything that’s said, felt, and thought by people about a company, its products and its services. As Jeff Bezos (the founder of Amazon) put it: “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room”.
Having a strong idea of what your brand is all about is the first step. Next, though, you’ve got to get that message out into the world. Aside from taking to the streets with a megaphone – here’s how to do this.
The importance of corporate branding from a marketing perspective
A company uses its brand to let the world know exactly what it’s about. Its values and mission, its services and products, as well as its target audience.
There are a few basic questions you’ll want to ask yourself when thinking about what exactly your brand will be:
- What’s the name of the salon, and what do you want to convey with this name?
- Who are you targeting?
- What’s the history and story behind the business?
- What services do you offer?
- Which products are used?
- Who are your competitors?
- How does your salon differ from its competitors?
- What message do you want to get across?
Once the answers are clear, it’s really important that all your marketing and communication is geared towards answering these questions. From your company logo, brand colours, and business cards; to your website, social media, and even your salon team. Each of these is a great way to strengthen your brand, and make your unique point of view stand out in your customers’ minds.
In turn, all of this helps to achieve the three fundamental aims of branding and marketing:
- Attracting new customers
- Retaining existing customers
- Fostering a great (and active) relationship with those clients
How to develop the branding of a salon
We’ve seen how important branding is. It can help a business position itself in the minds of its consumers, and differentiate itself from competitors, such as other salons in the area.
But how exactly do you create and develop your own salon branding? There are loads of ways to do this, both online and offline. And, whilst there can be different strategies for each, it’s important to keep things consistent throughout.
A great way to develop a strong brand identity is to decide on (and stick to) a specific and unique visual brand image. This consists of anything that a customer can see about your salon – from your logo, social media feed, and website, to your business cards, salon interior, and shop window. Consumers often buy with their eyes, and the look of your brand can either draw them in and make them remember you, or put them off.
Your salon image can say a lot about what your salon does. When deciding on a visual – try to answer the above questions, and align it with what you want your brand to say. For example, if your brand focuses on serenity, well-being, and calmness, choosing brand colours, messaging, and imagery that reflect that will help to solidify your brand in people’s minds. Similarly, if your salon is more on the cool, edgy side – you’ll want your visuals to reflect this too. Regardless of what your brand stands for – the most important thing is to keep it consistent across all channels – offline, and online.
Online salon branding
Why’s it so important?
When we’re talking about online communication, we’re basically referring to how you use the web to get across your brand values to the world.
These days, using the internet to get your name out there is one of the most important tactics when it comes to branding and marketing.
And, with buying habits changing thanks to the spread of technology and social media, it’s more important than ever to make the most of this (hands up if you’ve ever been influenced to buy something you’ve seen on your Insta feed?)
An online presence not only makes it easy to find your company online, and contributes to that oh-so-important branding – it also helps to create what’s known as social proof.
Many customers will take to the internet or social media before deciding to commit to a certain service, company, or product. They want to know that it’s real, reliable, and to know exactly what to expect. Without an online presence, a potential customer is likely to go with someone with proven credibility online.
So, how do you develop your online branding?
There are plenty of channels you can use to create and develop an online brand. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, are great places to engage with clients. And for online visibility, Google My Business (a free service from Google that helps businesses to be found on Google more easily) is a great resource too.
An online storefront can also be a crucial tool to help acquire new clients, and improve the customer experience for both existing and potential clients. Through this, customers can easily find your salon’s opening hours, price list, address, and contact details.
If you’ve ever tried to create a website from scratch, (or hired someone to do it for you), you’ll know that it can be a *kind of* difficult process – and an expensive one, at that. Not to worry though, this is where we come in. With Treatwell, your salon will be showcased on our marketplace, both on the web, and via our app, with your own personalised and curated shop front. Here, clients can browse your services, opening hours, your work, and your live availability – boosting your online visibility to a whole host of potential new clients. It’s the perfect way to strengthen your digital presence and reputation, really.
Finally, it’s important to remember that your branding and marketing is not only vital for attracting potential clients – it’s also key when it comes to developing brand loyalty, relationships, and great experiences for your existing clients. Keeping in touch and staying in the minds of these clients is key to building their support.
Emails, SMS, or Whatsapp messages – sending a cute birthday message or letting them know the latest discounts and deals – are all great ways of doing this. Even something as simple as an email confirmation or SMS reminder of their booking ensures you stay at the forefront of your clients’ minds. With Treatwell Pro, appointment reminders via SMS, email, and push notifications are free, unlimited, and automatic – meaning you can keep in touch with your clients without lifting a finger.
Offline salon branding
We’ve looked at online branding, but what’s done offline can be just as important. Maintaining the same image, communication, and values within the salon that is presented online keeps your brand identity consistent.
From your business cards and logo to your decor and your team – your brand and message should be felt throughout. But how do you develop and strengthen an offline brand?
The key word here is: differentiate.
In other words: why should a client choose your salon rather than any of the others in the area? And why should existing clients continue to return?
When we talk about branding, we’re not just talking about marketing, social media, or visuals. Yep, the actual experiences that clients have in your salon are just as important
So, how can you stand out from the competition? Here are a few ideas:
- A warm welcome and a friendly greeting
- Free and personalised advice
- Offer your clients something to eat or drink (a cup of tea is never a bad thing)
- Give your clients a small gift, such as a sample product
- Offer a small complimentary service as a bonus (a shoulder massage during a facial, for example)
- Have magazines or reading materials available for clients to read whilst they wait or during their treatment
- Put effort into your space – create an environment where customers feel welcome and relaxed
Developing salon branding, both online and offline, is crucial to getting your business out there. It lets you position yourself in the minds of clients, both potential and existing, and differentiates you from the competition. All in all, it’s a great way to boost your salon’s success.
How Treatwell can help your salon with branding (and much, much more)
Treatwell Pro is more than just a management software – it can help your salon as you strengthen and develop your brand. From search engine positioning and a personalised website, to email and SMS marketing and the creation of promotions – you’ve got the tools you need to succeed.
Treatwell stands by more than 40,000 salons across Europe, and helps them with these tasks every day, from business management, to data tracking, to marketing plans.
Treatwell Pro’s management system is designed to make life easier for salon owners, and help with every aspect of salon life (we’ll leave the treatments up to you, though). Keep track and manage your business, without giving up time, so that you can focus on creating amazing experiences for your clients. Choosing Treatwell means becoming part of a community of visionary hair and beauty stylists – are you ready to join us? Book a free demo here.