In our digital era, offering gift cards online can be a major win for salons and spas. Here’s why: Apart from boosting revenue, gift cards bring new guests into your business – people who could end up becoming customers for life. Did you know that one in four people who use a gift card at salons and spas are new customers? That makes gift cards the golden ticket to expanding your client base.

How salons and spas benefit from selling gift cards online

To help you gauge what online gift cards can do for your salon or spa, we gathered recent data for businesses selling gift cards with Zenoti:

Gift cards – Monthly new guest acquisition and revenue impact

Business type New customers* Revenue boost*
Spas 39 $5,700
Medspas 7 $2,100
Salons 5 $488

*Per center per month. Sept. 2023 – Aug. 2024

How to interpret the table?
Let’s take the top row. At Zenoti-powered spas, online gift cards brought 39 new customers and $5,700 in revenue per center per month, on average. Multiplied by 12, that’s a sizable $68,400 in added revenue per year.  

The yearly totals for medspas and salons are nothing to sneeze at either: $25,200 (medspas) and $5,856 (salons). That's per center. So if your brand operates across a chain of locations, the revenue boost from gift cards can really add up.

Here’s even more data showing the top-line impact of gift cards:  

  • As a percentage of overall collections, revenue from gift card sales went up from 3% (2022) to 6% (2023) at Zenoti-powered salons.
  • 31% of gift card sales for Zenoti-powered salons, spas, and medical spas comes from online sources.

Now that we’ve looked at the revenue potential, we’ll cover the reasons to use social media to sell gift cards, and then some fun, effective strategies to get them flying off the virtual shelves.  

After that, we’ll highlight Zenoti features that make gift card program creation and management easy. We’ll wrap up with a look at the gift card webstores of three Zenoti customers.

Why use social media to sell gift cards?

With 68% of Americans using Facebook and 47% on Instagram, social media is the perfect tool to ramp up your gift card sales. Think of it as your megaphone on the internet.

  1. Expand your reach: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have millions of users. When you promote gift cards on social media, they get a lot more exposure than selling to existing clients alone.
  1. Chat it up with customers: Social media is where you can have real conversations with your clients. Whether it’s through comments or DMs, building that personal touch is super important.
  1. Highlight what you do well: Use Instagram and Pinterest for storytelling. Great for visual content, both platforms help you show off and promote your gift cards.
  1. Save those dollars: Compared to traditional ads, social media offers a cost-effective way to target your ideal customers. New businesses can aim for organic reach to start, adding paid social media ads as they go.

By hopping on the social media train, you’re boosting sales and shining a light on your brand like never before.

How to sell gift cards online: 5 social media tips

Now that you’ve got the scoop on why social media is your go-to, here’s how to make the most of it:

Tip #1. Get visual and creative

For gift card marketing, create eye-catching graphics and videos that make your promotions irresistible. Use beautiful images and chatty captions to describe all the perks.  

See how Dermapure used a 12-second Instagram reel for a holiday gift card promotion.  

A screen shot of a social media postDescription automatically generated

The wording in the Dermapure promotion: “Still on the hunt for the perfect gift for that special someone? 👀 Give the gift of choice with a Dermapure gift card, offering a diverse range of treatments and skincare options for a personalized journey to self-care and revitalization!”

The ad also points out the physical and digital options for gift cards with “Available in clinics and online! DERMAPURE.COM”

View the Dermapure reel on Instagram.  

Here’s one more example of an Instagram reel promoting gift cards. This promotion is holiday-themed: Neroli Salon & Spa.

How long should your Instagram reels be?
Keep reels under 90 seconds – you’ll improve the chance of Instagram recommending the reel to people who don’t already follow you. The sweet spot for reel length is 30-90 seconds.

Other tips

  • Reels under 10 seconds don’t perform as well.
  • Keep the reel long enough to get your point across.
  • Make the first 3 seconds as engaging as possible.
  • Source: The official scoop from Instagram, per Seth O’Brien.

    Tip #2. Partner with influencers

    Find influencers who vibe with your brand and have them share your gift cards with their followers. A thumbs-up from them can do wonders for your sales, bringing in new customers. Imagine a popular beauty blogger raving about a facial at your spa, gifted via your card. The reach and authenticity they bring can help boost online gift card sales for your business.

    Tip #3. Make it interactive

    Engage your audience with polls, quizzes, and contests. How about a gift card giveaway where people tag friends and share your post? It’s a way to get folks talking about your gift cards. You could ask questions like “What’s your favorite spa treatment?” or “Shout out your go-to nail colors” to keep the conversation lively and engaging.

    Tip #4. Share the love with testimonials

    Everyone loves a good story. Share testimonials from happy customers who’ve used your gift cards. Consider creating a series titled “Gift Card Stories” where you highlight unique experiences customers have had at your spa or salon. It’s a great way to add a personal touch and make potential buyers feel the love.

    Tip #5. Create a buzz with exclusive deals

    Who can resist a good bargain? When you sell gift cards online, offer limited-time discounts or special deals to create a sense of urgency. This strategy is perfect during holidays or themed events when people are hunting for gifts.

    See how Neroli Salon & Spa cleverly used Facebook to launch gift card marketing for Father’s Day:

    Neroli Salon & Spa promoting gift cards on Facebook

    The promotion includes a quirky photo and this offer: “Treat your father figure this Father’s Day with something special! Buy a $150 gift card and get a $20 bonus card for yourself. Offer ends 6/16, so don’t miss out on this amazing deal.”

    Check out the Neroli Salon & Spa Facebook page for more inspiration.

    Drive gift card sales with Facebook
    Get ideas to expand beyond existing customers to sell gift cards. Read the post.

    While Facebook and Instagram are popular with salons and spas, Pinterest is an option too. See how Central Wellness used Pinterest to sell spa gift cards for the holidays. Here’s a look at the page:

    Central Wellness promoting gift cards on Pinterest

    With five social media tips for gift cards now in your pocket, you need software to go digital.

    Why use Zenoti for gift card sales at salons and spas

    We rounded up four reasons why the Zenoti platform is a top choice for beauty and wellness gift card programs:

    1. Easy-peasy management: Whip up, sell, and manage gift cards without breaking a sweat. It’s all about making your life easier so you can focus on pampering your clients.

    2. Automated magic: Send out personalized gift card offers that get people clicking and buying. It’s like having a personal assistant who never sleeps.

    3. Smart insights: Learn what’s working with your customers so you can tweak your gift card strategies as you go.

    4. A VIP guest experience: Offer mobile payments and online booking to make buying and using gift cards a breeze for your customers.

    A look at gift card webstores

    To help you visualize your own gift card webstore, here’s a peek at how three Zenoti customers sell gift cards online.

    The Ohio-based Sky Salon went with a readymade Zenoti template in silver, black and white. Here’s a snapshot:

    A screenshot of a computerDescription automatically generated
    Sky Salon’s webstore, with Zenoti’s readymade gift card template

    Some businesses, like Mane & Mani, use their own branded gift card templates. Here’s a look at the Mane & Mani webstore:

    A screenshot of a computerDescription automatically generated
    Mane & Mani webstore, with branded gift card template

    The W Nail Bar webstore offers five different templates, including themed options like “Happy Birthday” and “To My Bestie.” Here’s a peek:

    A screenshot of a computerDescription automatically generated
    The W Nail Bar webstore, with branded gift card templates

    On top of selling gift cards through your website, you can offer them via your salon or spa’s mobile app too.

    How to grow medspa revenue with gift cards, memberships, and packages
    Medspa leaders Julie Acarregui, Dr. Kate Dee, and Donna Simonds offer their best ideas. Read the post.

    Gift cards for business transformation

    Salons and spas can tap into an easy revenue channel with online gift cards – these little wonders can really shake things up by bringing in new customers and boosting your business.

    Think online gift cards are complicated? The opposite is true – selling digital gift cards is easy and efficient when you have the right technology tools and social media strategies. By teaming up with influencers, crafting engaging content, and using Zenoti’s handy features, you’ll be on your way to boosting your online presence and your gift card sales.

    See more benefits of online gift cards for salons and spas, then book a free Zenoti demo.

    Note: The salon and spa brands linked in this post are Zenoti customers as of this writing.

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    Gita Mani
    Senior Content Specialist
    Gita Mani
    Senior Content Specialist

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