timeless tans

I'm buying an existing salon and hope to close by Feb 1, 2008. Anybody out there who has ideas about successfull advertising campaigns? What works....coupons, clipper magazine, penny save, newspaper ads etc??? When do you start your campaigns?

What kind of specials do you offer? 20% off, buy 1 get one free, free mystic, double dips, free leg tanners?

Any fresh ideas?

unity

Our new clients get 5 for $5 in our beds. HUGE hit with that.

As for the way you advertise, that very much depends on you demographics. Around here radio is a complete waste. Not just for me, but A LOT of small business owners complain - price is too high for what you get back. TV is a LOT cheaper.

Then we have this thing called Val-Pak. Its a blue envelope that get sent to a great many house. Its used to do well, but a lot of the big boys pulled out and the mailer got weak with specials. As a result people just threw them away without opening them.

Our best bet was a new mailer in out area called Money Saver. It was more of a coupon magazine. It gets mailed out and put in stores. The rates are reasonable and we have had HUGE success. We continue to use them.

Talk to other small business owners to gauge success of method. Then decide how you want to approach the specials since the size of the ad from each could vary.

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engfant

5 for $5? I'd rather sit in silence.

BUT, I'd say the ONLY advertising that seems to get ANY response is this monthly mailer I do that sends everyone that moves into the area a "welcome pack" that contains some coupons to my place.

Real cheap too. Like $10-30/month depending on how many actually get sent out.

unity

Wait, you will do $10 for a month, but you question my 5 for $5? :P ;)

We had HUGE success with it, like I said its for new clients only. Our retention rate was 60%, that is 60% went on to purchase additional packages. 40% were the typical "go to every salon in the city looking for "new" customer deals and ONLY do that."

From the same period a year ago we had doubled our new client sign-ups.

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eileen

lol i don't think he meant $10 month. i think he means the cost for the advertising was between 10 and 30 dollars.

engfant doesn't really believe in giving away something you should pay for :)

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"under exposure to UV rays is as dangerous as overexposure....this is D life" eileen

unity

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... I get ;)

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engfant

Nah, I'd rather take IOUs than lower my prices.

eileen

lol how's that IOU going?

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"under exposure to UV rays is as dangerous as overexposure....this is D life" eileen

engfant

It's best to be realistic about reality.

$1tan = broke
$10 tan IOU = broke with the possibility of collecting. If they don't pay, they don't get tan. If they pay $1 and get tan, I'm still broke with no chance of getting my money.

EVERYBODY owes this guy and that's fine with me. If the entire TOWN has to vacate to avoid paying the MAN then that's worth it to me.

unity

True that a $1 is below cost but if those clients come in and spend $89 for a month then I am ahead, even if they come on EVERY day thats $2.68 a tan, which is above cost. The vast majority dont come in every day and most also bought lotion.

If people want to give me money, I take it! So if $5 brings then in the door and they spend more, how exactly am I behind? Im not!

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