4 Easy Autoresponder Ideas for Beauty Salons
By Rebecca Swayze December 10, 2009
A carefully planned autoresponder series builds the foundation for a solid business email marketing campaign.
To some business owners, creating this series can be a daunting task – but it doesn’t have to be! With a bit of planning, everyone can create an autoresponder series that communicates important information and offers to subscribers, no matter what industry you are in.
For example, let’s look at some easy autoresponder ideas for a specific type of business – a beauty salon. These examples are specific, but you can apply them to all kinds of campaigns.
A Welcome Email
Subject: Greetings and Thanks for Signing Up with A Cut Above!
The welcome message should thank subscribers for visiting our salon (or the salon website) and reiterate what subscribers will receive (in this case, promotions and exclusive offers). It can also give subscribers a reason to return to the site – for example, to view our full range of services.
While a welcome message should be simple and to the point, we shouldn’t forget that this is a great place to begin branding our series. Including a simple logo, or working with an HTML email template, can really give our campaign a professional edge and help subscribers recognize us.
Offer a Discount on a Variety of Products!
Subject: 15% Off All Products at A Cut Above
In this message we can include links to the product pages on our site that we are offering at a discounted price, making it easy for our subscribers to click through and eliminating the search for the products they are most interested in. Let’s say our products fall under the following categories:
- Styling Tools (brushes, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.)
- Shampoos and Conditioners
- Styling Products (gel, hairspray, pomade, etc.)
- Accessories (headbands, hair clips, etc.)
With click tracking enabled, we can see exactly which link/s each subscriber clicks. Then we can segment our list later on and send tightly focused messages only to those subscribers who clicked on “Styling Tools” or “Accessories.”
Drive Traffic With a Freebie
Subject: Complimentary Manicure for All Visits Next Week – A $30 Value!
Weekends are normally hectic for beauty salons, so our third email in the series provides incentive for clients to make appointments during the business week.
By offering a free manicure, we are more likely to book appointments with clients who are watching their wallets and would otherwise not come into the salon at all.
Send a Time Sensitive Autoresponder
Subject: Buy a Gift Certificate at A Cut Above and Get a Second at 25% Off – Tuesday Only!
To have this message go out on Tuesdays at a specific time, we can use autoresponder send windows, which enable us to automatically send this message only on a certain day of the week.
Sending our subscribers a “one day only” promotion lets them know that they have to take immediate action. Plus, the savings offered here is significant, so this will really drive Tuesday gift certificate sales.
Things All Businesses Should Consider When Creating a Campaign
- Provide real incentive for subscribers to keep coming back. Whether you send a free gift or advertise incredible sale prices, continue to send specials through email and refer to these offers when speaking with your customers.
- Pick a style and stick with it. Your subscribers will grow to learn your branding and recognize the emails that you send. Once you find your voice and choose a template, your emails will be an extension of your business – you want them to look professional.
Ideas for Other Businesses?
What types of businesses would you like to see examples for? Share your ideas below!
pete
12/10/2009 1:52 pmThanks for those useful ideas but it’s the infrequently used trades that seem the most challenging to me:
Plumbers, electricians, carpenters etc
Any thoughts?
sean breslin
12/10/2009 2:06 pmGood post, gave me some ideas for increasing offline value to an online package!
Thank You.
Dana
12/10/2009 3:47 pmI would like to see some examples of how to differentiate myself in the Health & Wellness industry.
There are so many people in this business but I want to teach "Nutrition Classes" through autoresponders.
Bob Ricca
12/10/2009 5:08 pm@Pete
A few ideas that come off the top of my head are newsletters offering discounts (e.g. mention this email to receive $50 off a sale of $500 or more), give a coupon for free in-home inspection, use broadcasts to showcase portfolio work (e.g. Check out this bathroom we just remodeled… you could have a bathroom like this too), etc.
I’ve seen a lot of companies advertising the U.S. Government energy efficiency tax rebate when it comes to installing windows and doors. Although if you aren’t from the states you’d be out of luck with that. But… maybe these ideas help you break your creative block.
@Dana
When it comes to nutrition you could set up an autoresponder series that gives a new nutrient someone should include in their daily diet each week – including what benefits it has, what sources of food you can get it from, health conscious recipes that include those ingredients, etc. You could also do what you should eat vs. what you shouldn’t eat and cost effective ways to get that nutrition.
As for Health and Wellness you could do an email newsletter on ways to reduce stress on a day to day basis, tips to increase mental health as well as physical health, etc.
Hope this helps!
Rodney Daut
12/11/2009 12:30 amThe best idea in this post for me was to use link tracking in the email so you can find out which products a person is interested in and segment your list based on that.
I’m not sure exactly how to segment my list based on which links they clicked on in an email. Can you provide a tutorial on that? Or if it’s already available show me where it is on this website?
Rebecca Swayze
12/11/2009 11:24 amRodney,
To segment your list based on the links that your subscribers clicked, go to the Search Subscribers page. In the first drop down menu labeled "Select Field" choose "Link Clicked." Leave the second dropdown menu set to "is." In the third field, choose the message type and the subject line of the message that you included the link in, then click the actual link. This search will give you a list of all subscribers that clicked on the link, which you can then save as a segment directly above the search results.
For more segmenting info, check out: https://www.aweber.com/faq/questions/81
I hope this helps!
Barron
12/11/2009 11:27 amWould like to see for hair salon and jewelery.thank you
David
12/12/2009 5:13 amGreat post! Thanks for that. I would be interested in hearing some ideas for a campaigne for a Training Centre.
We provide Barista Training for students looking to work behind the coffee machine as well as staff training for hotels and resorts.
each target group has its own website. I would like to hear what you think we could offer each target group for signing up and during the campaign.
Look forward to hearing from you
Ev Land
12/14/2009 5:29 pmIt is true that for service professionals like plumbers, electricians, roofers,cleaners, etc. Twitter does seem to be an odd fit and not as useful as other marketing ploys. People do search Twitter though and if you have tweets posted for your services in your area it may be picked up. But those tweets only rank for about 3 hours! Twitter can help your cleaning business website with ranking in search engines over time.
links for 2009-12-14
12/14/2009 6:07 pm[…] 4 Easy Autoresponder Ideas for Beauty Salons […]
Mike
12/17/2009 10:08 amI use aweber for my HVAC business at fayettevillehvac.com
and it has worked great.
I give a dicount on service calls for list members to get them to sign up.
I send out reminders of annual systems service and even run discounts on services when the season is slow. I usually broadcast a good money saving tip in each email and have a short promotion at the end of it.
My annual service contract customers have increased with this tactic.
Teena Hughes
12/17/2009 7:09 pmHi there, great article!
I’m constantly suggesting to my clients and friends with websites that they use Autoresponders – they’re fabulous little tools!
I have a travel website, and the most popular mailing list is for ‘love phrases’! One email a week with several new phrases and words of endearments.
For the Barista question from David, as a coffee fanatic (er … evangelist) I’d love to get emails showing me how to create the designs on the top of coffees/lattes, and a series on making the different types of coffees – latte, capuccino,, mocha, what’s ristretto, espresso, etc. Tips on the care of espresso machines would also be great, as many cafes don’t know they need to keep the pipes clean or coffee tastes burnt.
This has inspired my next Newsletter – coming up with tips for autoresponders for different types of businesses – thanks!
I’m just putting the finishing touches on a new autoresponder series myself – 37 Top Website Tips. Next week I’m creating a series about Website Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Suggestions for autorespoonder series:
Plumbers, electricians, roofers, cleaners
— Top 10 Tips to Prevent Plumbing Problems
— Top 7 Tips to Avoid Electrocuting Yourself 🙂
— Top 10 Reasons You Need a Professional Roofer
— Top 15 Tips To Save time When Cleaning
Jewellery: 15 Ways To Care For/Protect Your Jewellery
Hair Salon: 20 Ways to Look After Your Hair Care Items
PS – I love your blog and the interaction with other Aweber users!
Ciao ciao
Corey Lewis
12/18/2009 1:24 amwe use aweber and the autoresponder function at my girlfriend’s Salon: The Effervescent salon, in Salem, OR (shameless plug: http://effervescentsalon.com/) <grin>
she has struggled with "re-booking" her clients…so we sent an email out saying "hey come in and and get a discount on your service…then if you book your next appointment before you leave you get a discount on your next service" so basically the clients are comming in expecting to re-book.
thanks for the awesome post on hair salon marketing.
i’ll have to show this to her and use some of these ideas.
Betty
12/23/2009 3:00 pmI would like to see some examples of how to differentiate myself in the Interior Design industry.
Rebecca Swayze
12/23/2009 3:53 pmMike, Teena and Corey,
Those are all awesome uses of your autoresponder series! It’s so interesting to hear how people use the same tools to create such different emails.
Betty,
Having worked for some time in the interior design industry myself, the first place I would go for inspiration is your portfolio. If you have images of projects that you have worked on, include before and after shots in your emails. You could create a whole campaign around previous projects that you’ve worked on.
Since everyone on your list might not be up for a total decor overhaul, you could also include "Small Changes with Big Impacts" that everyone can implement just by changing out lamps or toss pillows.
I hope this helps!
Mike
1/1/2010 4:09 pmIdeas for electricians plumbers and HVAC…
One of the biggest problems with our industry is customers only hire us when there is a problem.
Auto responders help us sell products when customers usually would only call for service or repairs. I send offers about humidifiers, high end thermostats, Air Purification systems etc…
I usually send an HVAC related money saving tip with picture ad’s of products. For example I am getting ready to send an email explaining how upgrading to a programmable thermostat can save money. I will couple that with an offer to install a new thermostat with no labor if they buy the thermostat from me. These kinds of emails have really helped my business through seasonal times when service calls are down.
Electricians can send informational emails about how better light fixtures can improve the look and feel of the interior of their home. Or mention how bright outdoor floodlights can deter burglars. If you are their electrician naturally they will call you to install.
Plumbers could offer tankless water heaters to save on the electric bill etc…
Lexi Davis
1/8/2010 8:19 amWhat I think the best idea in this post for me was to use link tracking in the email so you can find out which products a potential client is interested in and sent put them on the appropriate e-mail campaigne based on that.
Zee Mathews
4/28/2010 11:48 amGreat article. Thanks for taking the time to write it.
Tammy Madge
5/23/2010 11:50 amAny suggestions for a wedding venue business? Most of our clients will only use us once, so very difficult to maintain a relationship after the big day. Any tips/suggestions?
SP
9/28/2010 4:00 pmPersonally I had never thought about using a product tracker, but its a great idea. We may be adding this feature to our website
EM
10/5/2010 6:39 amThis is a great post and there are many businesses already implementing this type of email series. It’s good but my guess is that some subscribers tire of these. It’s good but nothing outstanding.
My point is that this is a great strategy but with minimal effectiveness if used alone.
It’s kind of salesy and makes the ‘inbox’ less personal, kind of like an invasion of personal space (guess I am quite influenced by Nick Usborne).
Maybe such an email series can be improved upon. It is a little generic (though not in the traditional sense). Maybe it can be more personable.
Aacardi
10/20/2010 8:41 amI think one of the hardest parts of a hair salon is trying to market against the competition. You have some real good tips for driving traffic to a hair salon.
Tom Atkinson
3/24/2011 3:40 pmYou say this:
With click tracking enabled, we can see exactly which link/s each subscriber clicks. Then we can segment our list later on and send tightly focused messages only to those subscribers who clicked on ?Styling Tools? or ?Accessories.?
This is quite vague, does the “segment our list later on and send messages” happen manually or can it be made to occur automatically?
Amanda Gagnon
3/25/2011 9:11 amTammy ~ It might be nice to put together a follow up series leading up to the big day that gets clients comfortable with the space, tells them what to expect, etc. This can increase referrals from them later on.
Or, you could ask for email addresses from site visitors who may be interested in renting the space and send them photos of previous weddings at your venue, along with your best selling points.
Mike ~ That’s a fantastic use of autoresponders!
Tom ~ You can create the segment with a few clicks and then just choose that segment to send to any time in the future. Here’s how: https://www.aweber.com/faq/questions/81/
Teena Hughes
3/25/2011 7:18 pmAmanda, I love getting the Updates to these threads, reminds me what I had said I was going to do 🙂
It’s also wonderful to see other folks’ ideas and maybe even be able to answer a question or two.
As an Update to the post I wrote on this topic a while back, I actually did finish creating the “33 Top Website Tips” autoresponder, and it has been quite successful so far. Lots of feedback from subscribers as each Tip & Video were sent out.
Just in case you’d like to see what I did, here is the link:
http://buildawebsitetonight.com/33-top-website-tips.html
………………
FOR TAMMY
………………
I just read Tammy’s question, and it gave me some food for thought – even though people might only book for their own wedding once, they’ll have lots of friends and relatives who could use your service.
Tip #1
When you create your autoresponder series, perhaps you could put a comment at the beginning and end of each one with something like this: “Do you know someone who might need to hire a wedding reception venue? Please do pass this email on – and if they hire our venue, tell them to mention your name, and we’ll give you … (could be a voucher for something, or a pdf of 10 Top Tips For Newlyweds To Keep The Romance Alive” or something similar, or tips about choosing Venues, about Wedding Organisers – What They Need to Know etc).
Tip #2
Because hiring the Venue is a date-based service, sending off a Wedding Anniversary card a week or two before each anniversary (of prior clients) will also keep you in their minds, even if they opt-out of your email series.
Best of luck Tammy! Keep us posted, I’d love to hear!
Jaime
5/17/2011 9:00 pmwow! great tips! thanks you guys, very helpful.
Monica P. Booth
4/4/2012 7:39 amSo, the tips are quite good!
Obviously, that’s not easy to attract attention to a new business. It will take time and efforts. I know that form my own experience: I own a small beauty salon, nothing special, but I remember the way I started my business. Oh that was so hard. No this salon works almost without me; )
George Frahncis
4/18/2012 5:50 pmI agree that providing incentives to subscribers is the key to making a successful, responsive list. I’ve found that providing with quality information and content as well as free tips, how-to guides and special offers is the key to have them continually open and read your e-mails.
A personal tone goes a long way as well, even for businesses.
H B
5/29/2012 10:33 amI am working as a hypnotist and i would like to get some good suggestions how a hypnotist can use your service. In my profession a discount is not that i would like to use to get ciustomers. Because i have notived that the price is helpful for people if i do change work.
Rebekah Henson
5/29/2012 1:43 pmH B-
Thanks for your comment! You might find some helpful advice in our Getting Started guide, available for download here: https://www.aweber.com/faq/questions/512/How+To+Get+Started