Millennials, or Gen Y, have overtaken Baby Boomers as the largest living generation worldwide. Growing up with technology and the web, this generation brings a new level of interaction and interest unlike any that has been experienced before.
As a salon or spa owner, you would be missing out on a large area of the market if you avoid tailoring your marketing and treatments to the thinking of this generation. But the question remains: How can you attract millennials into your business?
Get online
Social media is a great place to start. No stranger to these platforms, Fluent’s survey on social media and smartphone habits found that older millennials use Facebook everyday (48% of 30-34 over 38% of 18-24), whereas the younger ones use Snapchat daily (30% of 18-24 compared to 20% of 30-34).
They also found that YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn are more popular with millennials than they are with non-millennials.
Engaging with this audience through these platforms is key to ensure that they are seeing your messages and to inform them that you are the type of establishment that resonates with this age group.
On social media, there are a variety of techniques you could use to catch their eye. These include using millennials as models in your pictures, demonstrating your businesses good values such as supporting charities, hosting competitions, sharing your tips and wisdom while allowing them to share theirs and engaging with them.
Online booking is essential. You can embed this into your website or Facebook page using Premier Software, making it easy for clients to book treatments in seconds, any time of the day.
In salon experience
In the salon/spa, the experience should be kept as simple as possible. While millennials appreciate being able to personalise their experience, this should be kept as direct as possible post-booking.
Take time to consider how you can make your salon experience as social media-friendly as possible – cool seating areas, or Instagram friendly retail areas or snack trays scream snap me and every snap is free publicity.
Retail offerings aimed at the skin and hair concerns of this age group will reinforce the message that your salon/spa is a suitable place for them. Whether that’s products which target anti-ageing early, spot-combatting options or funky hairstyling options that are modern in the market place, these decisions should be thought through.
Millennials are reluctant to part with their cash and therefore appreciate offers or ways to save money. The answer? Bespoke loyalty tags. These not only help you keep track of their spending but also gives them money off treatments, retail or gift cards… whatever you prefer!
