Salon success series: The ultimate guide to acing your salon email marketing

Despite the growing popularity of newer marketing techniques like social media advertising and influencer partnerships, email marketing continues to be one of the most powerful marketing tools for brands.

With studies showing that 99% of people check their inbox every day, and that emails have 10x higher visibility when compared with social media posts, it’s clear why (when executed correctly) email marketing remains so effective.

For salon owners and professionals looking to enhance their customer engagement, retain loyal clients, and increase bookings, email marketing can help you build strong relationships with your clients, keeping them informed and excited about your services.

In this blog post, we'll explore the best practices for salon email marketing, how to boost results with automation, and provide practical tips to create effective campaigns. The ideas in this post apply to email marketing for small businesses, as well.

Salon email marketing: Best practices

Collect the contacts

To ensure optimal results from your salon email marketing strategy, start by gathering clients' basic details and email addresses through sign-ups. By encouraging your clients to sign-up with basic details such as name, age, and contact details, you’re essentially creating a client data bank.

Simplify this process with digital forms for accuracy and efficiency. Zenoti software offers user-friendly sign-up forms accessible across various devices. Once the initial data is entered, filling in additional details becomes a breeze, streamlining the form completion process.

You can also encourage clients to sign up for your salon newsletter or loyalty program during their visit by offering an incentive, such as a discount on their next service.

Segmenting the contacts

Once the database is created, the second step involves segmenting the client list. Segmenting your email list allows you to send more targeted and relevant content to different groups of clients. This ensures that your messages resonate with recipients, leading to higher engagement rates.

Not sure how to segment your salon email list? With advanced salon marketing software like Zenoti, by setting up custom filters with just a few clicks, you can enhance your outreach to target audiences and boost your conversion rates.

Now that you’ve organized the contact details, especially the email addresses, it's time to delve into effective communication methods and deploy a successful marketing plan.  

9 best salon email marketing ideas

Here are nine email marketing ideas for hair salons – really, any type of salon providing beauty and wellness services, including nail and waxing.

1. Write a strong subject line

Crafting a strong subject line is critical to the success of your email campaigns. It serves as the first impression of your message and plays a significant role in determining whether your email gets opened.

To create an effective subject line, keep it concise and engaging, ideally under 50 characters, while clearly conveying the purpose of the email.  

Using compelling language or incorporating urgency—such as "Last chance for 20% off styling products this week"—can entice clients to open your email. Additionally, personalizing the subject line with the client’s name or referencing their previous visits can make the communication feel more tailored and relevant, driving higher open rates and engagement.  

Related:
‍How to increase salon bookings with email marketing: Get 26 free seasonal email templates for salons, spas, and medspas to boost guest engagement

2. Personalize the communication

No one likes receiving generic emails, and most of us like to be addressed by our first names. Personalization is the key to engagement – for more meaningful campaigns, segment your audience (as mentioned above) and customize your messaging.  Tailor your offers based on clients’ favorite treatments, preferred appointment times, and send promotions that align with their specific needs, such as birthday discounts or seasonal packages.

Zenoti software for email marketing compiles guests’ buying patterns, visit history, and preferences to deploy automated, targeted campaigns that include the right offers for each client.  

3. Optimize the format

This point cannot be emphasized enough. Your email format should allow readers to easily view it on any device, especially handheld ones. Remember, readers have limited time, so grab their attention quickly. Ensure your emails are compatible with mobiles, tablets, and computers.

Ready to create stunning, responsive emails for your salon, spa, or medical spa? Get Free Email Templates

4. Ensure the communication is from your business

One of the biggest pitfalls of emails is that many of them are spam and, as a result, people often tend to ignore them. To avoid such a fate to your email, and have it labelled as ‘safe’, ensure that the email shows your brand logo and domain name. If possible, these emails should be linked to your website.

5. Share informative content

Now you know how to get your emails opened, make sure what’s inside is something your clients will want to read.  Keep your emails engaging and position your salon as a trusted authority by sharing helpful, educational content. Send emails with haircare tips, styling advice, and product recommendations to add value and keep clients reading.  

6. Build a relatable brand voice

Establishing a relatable brand voice is essential for salons seeking to connect authentically with their clients. This voice should reflect your salon's personality, values, and the unique experience it offers.  

Use conversational language in your emails, and don't hesitate to inject some personality, whether that’s through humor, warmth, or a passion for all things hair.  

7. Add an action button

Make sure all your emails include a call-to-action link or button. This way, your recipients can easily book services, make purchases, or join promotions and competitions. These CTAs work brilliantly and nudge your clients to reach out and schedule their next appointments.

8. Schedule a time for emails

Select a time slot and frequency to showcase your consistency. Make sure your marketing emails hit the inbox on the designated day and align with the chosen frequency. According to a survey, the top response times were 9AM-12PM and 12PM-3PM, with Tuesdays being the best for engagement.  

To pinpoint your ideal timing, leverage software for email for insights on response rates, conversion ratios, and more. As a general rule, avoid early mornings, late nights, weekends, and major holidays except for special occasions like Mother's Day or Father's Day.

9. Maintain brand consistency

Lastly, ensure your emails align with your brand's identity by maintaining a consistent theme, format, design, and color palette across all platforms like your store, website, and social media posts.

Related reading: Salon success series: 20 salon marketing ideas to help you attract more clients

Conclusion

Salon email marketing is a powerful tool for acquiring new clients and retaining existing ones. When executed well, it yields measurable results and boosts your bottom line, and with software for email marketing you can optimize the process with ease.

You might have the best software for email marketing to get the results you seek. Remember, however, that consistency, effective communication, and on-brand content are key when it comes to getting the best results from any salon advertising.

Whether you’re looking for email marketing software for small businesses or large franchises, Zenoti all-in-one platform can automate your efforts, with advanced analytics and tailored reports to dig deep into your email performance.

FAQs