A spa should be an easy business to advertise. Pampering and wellness? In this hectic day and age? It’s not too hard of a sell. But the problem isn’t going to be getting your name out, it’s going to be making a name for yourself. You’ll need to give your clients a reason to choose your spa.
It’s difficult these days for a small business to stand out in the market. Unlike the bigger corporations, you don’t have a team behind you, but with some out-of-the-box thinking, you can make your day spa a success! In this guide, we’ll share 10 innovative ways to advertise your spa!
1. Do Your Research And Define Your Niche
If you want to be a responsible business owner, you have to start thinking about marketing before you start your spa. Make sure you know your local businesses and spa industry backward and forward. You need to know who’s out there, who your competition is, and how you are going to differentiate yourself. It’s not always about having good ideas for a spa, it’s also about attracting people to your spa over everyone else’s.
For example, if there are a ton of high-end local businesses in your area you are going to have to skew your marketing towards a luxe customer base. If you live in a seasonal town you will have to target your spa marketing ideas towards the visiting tourists. If you live near hot springs, medi spas are also a lucrative option. Get to know what works in your specific area and what doesn’t.
When it comes to spa marketing, setting your spa apart is paramount. And you can’t make good decisions without good research.
2. Be Exclusive
Now that you have seen what’s out there and you have decided on the best way to make your spa unique – it’s time to project confidence. Everyone wants what they can’t have, so make sure to tantalize your audience.
In some markets, being too noisy might actually turn clients off. Instead, you might want to implement a more mysterious approach to marketing your spa.
Discreet signage and a few well-placed invitations might go a long way towards intriguing a luxe customer base. But make sure you do your research, not all markets can support this strategy. “Less is more” is not license to be lazy.
Offer Exclusives
If you are the only one who can provide a certain service, then you have a guaranteed following. A great way to stand out is to offer a unique service or product – and then market your spa as its “exclusive home.”
This is a common strategy in medi spa marketing. Medical spas tend to be at the cutting edge of procedures and aesthetics. They are always one-upping each other on who can offer a more exclusive service first. Take a leaf out of their book and create something special for your spa.
3. Plan Your Promos And Specials
When you are just starting out, Groupon and other web services like it are a great way to bring in new clients. Especially if your spa marketing skews exclusive. A special offer might also drum up some urgency as everyone loves a good deal, especially around holidays and paydays. Gift cards and coupons in select publications and re-sellers can also boost your sales with new business.
4. Set Up A Loyalty Card
Loyalty cards are not the same as gift cards. In the past, a loyalty card was just a way to keep clients coming back for more, but these days a loyalty card can do much more than that.
Marketing’s Big Secret: Big Data
If only there was a way to keep track of how many people visited your spa in a given month or a way to know which spa services were most popular. Or wouldn’t it be nice to be able to see right away what your demographics are? Welcome to the real reason that businesses have loyalty programs.
That barcode programmed on the back of every member card is unique to a customer and computers nowadays are able to track how often that customer visits, how much they spend, and if they are responsive to promos and special deals. It doesn’t get more high tech than this!
With data tracking software you can see in real-time how your spa is doing and be responsive to the market. A loyalty program can unlock tons of intel about your customer base and make it easier to cross-reference and track. This might seem like something out of the Matrix, but even a small business can afford to do this now. Spa marketing has caught up to the information age!
5. Create A Strong Brand Identity
Close your eyes and think of a Disney Movie. What does it look like? An animated musical starring royalty and featuring some sort of adventure. You know it will be a charming film for kids “of all ages.” That is what good brand identity looks like. Everyone knows what they are gonna get from the moment they hear “Disney.” Obviously, for a small spa, you aren’t trying to reach that level of consistency, but thinking along those lines can benefit your business.
Is your spa a playful Day Spa with a punny name? Invest in your online media and make how-to videos to increase brand awareness. Or if your business is a serious aesthetic spa with a science-based medical spa marketing strategy then an “above the line” execution with catalogs and posters makes more sense. A clearly defined brand will help not only with the look and feel of your spa, but it also for your media marketing.
Once you have a strong brand identity it’s much easier to build your brand awareness. Your identity will help you focus your target market, your marketing ideas, and – most importantly – your social media.
6. Plan Your Social Media Strategy
All marketing boils down to raising your “brand awareness”, which is a fancy way to say that people have heard of your spa. Social Media is an essential part of getting your name out there. The problem is that while it gives the impression of being free ad space, that’s not how it works, it’s a complicated series of connections with sponsorships behind shares and different demographics across different platforms.
For example, for a luxe concept like a high-end medi spa would have planned posts that hit important holidays for older clients like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, think inspirational quotes and new-age imagery. While a spa aimed towards younger customers will rely more heavily on endorsements from influencers and celebrities. You can’t use the same strategy to reach these two different demographics.
In this day and age, a social media marketing plan is non-negotiable. The only question is how you are going to implement your approach. And social media is no longer the free marketplace it was 5 years ago. While some services like Google My Business might be free to use, if you want that coveted first spot on the Google front page, you’ll have to pay for it.
Put Aside A Budget
Online Advertising is not free. Posts that make it to the top of the news feeds are boosted by ad dollars and sponsors, websites have hosting costs and web clients that will need to be optimized and paid for. The ugly truth is that we now spend more time online than we do offline and advertisers have caught on.
Do not believe the stories out there that businesses have gone viral “by accident”, those stories are few and far between. It’s like winning the lottery. Nowadays, it’s very difficult to get that kind of response. Even posting multiple times a day and using a distracting amount of hashtags will barely get any attention.
But, you can’t spend all day on Facebook, you have a business to run. So thankfully, there are other things you can do to keep popping up on those timelines.
Crowdsource Your Posts
If you plan it correctly, you will not have to do most of the posting. Use the fact that everyone is on Facebook and Instagram these days to your advantage. If every person with a smartphone is an amateur photographer, make them do all the hard work of framing shots and posting them! Just make your spa #AestheticallyPleasing.
Instead of spending all your time making posts and scheduling them around holidays, create ways to make your clients post about your spa.
- Selfie section: Invest in good lighting and a peacock chair. Everyone looks regal in a peacock chair.
- #hashtag: A funny or a unique hashtag can help you reach new clients
- Interesting name: For example, a nail art and foot spa with a name like “Nailed it” can then use that in their social media, i.e. “Love my mani! They #NailedIt at Nailed it!”
Get On Those Digital Natives
Make no mistake, Social media is a juggernaut and you can use it to your advantage if you plan it properly. In this case, it’s important to consult the experts. That’s right, it’s time to ask “the youths” in your life what’s hip in the digital world these days?
If you are a social media maven, great! Use it. But for those of us on a learning curve, this is the time to learn how to cross-post, Tweetdeck, and Tiktok. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram might be staples, but there are other communities you might want to be a part of. If this is not your area of expertise, hire a Social Media Manager. Yes, it is a real job, and it is an important one.
It does not pay to cut corners here. Many small businesses make the mistake of neglecting their social media to their own detriment. Don’t take it for granted because it will likely be the way your clients ‘discover’ your spa. Make sure you are maximizing those shares and keeping that audience interested.
7. Host Events
Another way to show off online while also building a client base is to host events at your spa. Not only can you interact with more potential clients, events mean pictures of happy groups, proof of your loyal clientele. And glowing reviews from clients are an excellent endorsement of your spa.
Hosting A Party Is Good Press
Opening your spa with a big celebratory bash is a perfect way to get your name out there. It fosters goodwill and gives potential clients a sneak peek into your spa and what it has to offer. It also gets your foot in the door when it comes to bookings for corporate events and the creme de la creme of party packages: bridal parties.
Plan A Convenient Bridal Package
Bridal parties can become your bread and butter. Create a convenient package for a bachelorette and you’ll have your name “top-of-mind” for her big day. And if she (or he – love is love!) likes your service, her referral can be better for your business than a dozen followers on Facebook or IG when it comes to credibility. Everyone trusts someone they know over a faceless online review.
Cultivate brides and bridesmaids, take out space ad space in bridal magazines, brides are willing to dish out good money for quality pampering and brides listen to other brides. They’re all so overwhelmed that if you make it easy for them, you’ll win them over for life.
8. Stay Top-Of-Mind
Remember that recall is currency when it comes to marketing. You want to be the go-to spa for your locale. You want to be the spa that people refer their friends to and make it to the lists of best spas and to do that you’ll have to be more creative than just posting online or hoping clients will say nice things about you.
Cultivate Your Online Following
Read all your comments and email and reply to your online reviews. Dissatisfied clients are much more likely to leave reviews and your interactions will be public – so do not respond lightly. Always be careful of what you publish because impressions last! If you are gracious and well-spoken online it can go a long way to creating loyalty amongst your customer base.
Never Delete Online Reviews
It might seem like a good idea for your business to remove bad publicity, but remember that every time you do delete a review, you open yourself up to a ton of hate. Unless a review needs to be deleted for genuine reasons (like hate speech), do not sweep it under the rug.
Remember that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar and a heartfelt apology and a gift card might turn an unsatisfied customer into a repeat client.
Honestly, it’s just good business sense to keep on top of those complaints and show you care about improvement. Sometimes a humble approach and a willingness to take critique can actually boost your profile.
9. Get Creative: “IRL” Spa Advertising Ideas That Really Work
Not all ideas for spa marketing have to be online based. Sometimes old fashioned, real-life ideas can make your spa a sensation! Every so often an idea that seems “out there” can go viral. Here are some ideas to try.
Invest In Signature Amenities
Luxury hotel spas already partner with Jo Malone or other big names to create signature scents and specialized products. You can do something like this with your own spa!
Buy towels in a funky color, or find bunny slippers for your massage rooms. Gimmicks like this might seem superficial, but one bakery in Singapore made a whole business out of it. After Singapore’s chewing gum law went viral they created a special bubblegum soap. It was so popular it allowed the small bakery to franchise and expand, so it might just pay to be “the spa with the leopard print robes.”
Partner With A Local Juice Bar
The wellness industry is exploding. A great way to get newcomers in the door would be to offer more than just spa services, so find a local juice bar or tea room that can set up a kiosk at your establishment. It would be a great way to lure new customers for both of you.
Creating a signature tea only available at your location could also be a draw. Something like could mean the difference between your spa and another similar spot.
Have Business Cards On Hand
This might seem terribly old fashioned, but as we said sometimes old fashioned works! Little details like keeping your Google profile updated in online directories and carrying around business cards can make a huge difference.
Business cards especially are great in short social situations like a check out counter or a random meeting. It might be forward to take out your phone and ask for their contact details, but a business card can be tucked away and rediscovered later.
Many “low tech” solutions can catapult your spa business into the stratosphere, so don’t plan your entire marketing plan around social media.
10. Take A Class
Get help from an expert. Why try and create a strategy from thin air when you can learn from someone with experience. Someone like Nancy Reagan.
Nancy has tons of experience in the spa industry but most importantly, she runs her very own day spa. It’s called the Bella Reina Spa in West Palm Beach and it’s one of the best day spas in the USA.
Nancy has also served as Chairman of the Board Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce and was awarded Delray Beach Business Person of the Year. She’s packaged her expertise into easy to absorb modules to help aspiring business owners start their own spas. And there is a whole module dedicated to marketing your spa business!
Nancy is also a licensed aesthetician and has certifications from the Institute of Management Consultants USA which means she can also help you with any specializations you might have. From med spa marketing to destination spa planning, her advice has been invaluable to hundreds of satisfied clients. Check out what’s on offer right here.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to succeed in the spa industry, but every single one of them involves getting your message out. Marketing can make or break your business so make sure that you give it a lot of thought and proper investment. In this day and age, you can no longer just put out a good product and hope that clients will show up.
Thankfully, there are a lot of tools out there that can help you as you navigate the early challenges of your spa business. Keeping your small business afloat is hard enough, don’t do it alone! Go out there and take advantage of all the material you can find, you never know if your idea might be the next thing that goes viral!