Essential Barber Marketing Skills All Barbers Should Have
If you’re looking for a new barber because you’re new in town, your current barber is out of town, or whatever the reason may be, the first thing you will likely do is to go online. You will look for barbershops in your area, look at the images provided, and read the reviews.
The first barbershop you look at may be closest to you with more affordable prices. Imagine it’s dimly lit, and the floors are cloaked with tufts of hair. As you scroll through the reviews, you start reading tales of canceled appointments, lousy customer service, and long wait times.
You move on to the next barbershop and notice the floors are so polished and clean you can eat off them, clients occupy all the chairs, the reviews are chockful of raves, and the price is right, albeit slightly more expensive than the previous barbershop. Which place would you choose to make an appointment? Most people would agree with the latter because, as customers, we’re looking for quality cuts, service, and a quality experience.
Most barbers have a common goal: to book appointments all day, every day they work, which means getting their clients in and out. There’s more money in the hustle.
Aside from having skills with shears and being personable and reliable, you’ll need some extra tools in your arsenal to attain the kind of loyal clients you’re looking for. You need to know how to market your skills and barbershop.
Six Marketing Steps Tailored to Barbers
Take immaculate photos of Your Space and Haircuts
A quality photo that’s well-lit and shows off all the angles of a good haircut, fade, style, shave, or beard design is a gigantic selling point. It’s probably the most important thing that will sell your customers in the hierarchy of tools you use to attract business.
When photographing a client’s hair, always ensure there’s enough natural light seeping through the windows. If you don’t have access to a lot of natural light, install ambient lighting that will flatter the client and properly showcase the haircut or shave. Taking videos of your process is an effective tool. Your clients can enjoy watching the process, from the warm towel you place around the neck to the clean shave. In conclusion, quality videos are equally as effective as images.
Promote Your Services in a Google Business Account
Setting up a Google Business Account is 100% essential when operating any kind of business, especially a salon or barbershop. Once you set up an account and start getting clients, the reviews will start rolling in. If you have solid relationships with your client and they are satisfied customers, you can request that they leave you a review on Google if you feel comfortable asking them.
You will inevitably have an unhappy customer, and an unsavory review should never be left unanswered. Address the unsatisfied customer in the comments with an appropriate and apologetic response. Let them know that this kind of feedback is unusual. Always be kind and professional.
Advertise Reliable Customer Service
When you are including your business description in any print or digital marketing materials or venues, include a short line of copy that tells your client that your barbershop prides itself on customer service. People want to know that they will receive excellent treatment from booking the appointment to paying at the front desk.
Create a Professional Website
A professional website is vital because it tells the clients which barber is on the team, the hours of operation, the business address and interesting details that a Google Business Account might not provide. Hire a professional to create a clean, stylized website that is intuitive to navigate and aligns with your brand.
Regularly Post to Social Media
Posting on social media will help you get exposure and grow your following. The beauty of social media is it’s an excellent tool for marketing, and the ease of the application allows you to post images immediately of your work. You can post a few days ahead of your updated hours if it’s a holiday. With Instagram or Facebook, you can curate your work and tag clients, products, and venues.
Offer Referral Discounts
A tried and true, age-old marketing technique is word-of-mouth marketing, and using a referral discount can be a convincing way to turn leads into loyal customers.
Are you interested in learning more about Evergreen Beauty College’s Barbering Program? Contact us today and talk with one of our professional and helpful staff members.