July 25, 2018

13 Ways to Make Your Marketing More Likable


THOUGHT PROCESS
When you think about the people you most-like to be with, you are probably thinking about people who are very easy to like. The most likable people seem to naturally attract people, like moths to a light. It stands to reason that the same characteristics that attract people to people can attract people to brands and brand marketing, right?
 
ACTION STEPS
Make your Salon Suite’s marketing truly likable to increase its impact and ability to attract clients, engage on social media, motivate people to take the actions you want them to take (buy, book, like, comment, share, etc.) and to retain your clients over time.
 
TalentSmart shared a list of 13 Traits of Exceptionally Likable People; these traits attract people to other people, but wouldn’t they work just as well to attract people to your brand? 

​13 Ways to Make Your Salon Suite Marketing More Likable 

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1. Ask Questions
 
Asking questions is a great way to start conversations behind the chair and generate engagement on social media. Make sure you are asking questions about which your target audience is likely to care, to want to know the answers to themselves, and to want to share their opinion.
 
2. Be Present
 
While the original article says likable people “put away their phones,” we all know that this is about being present in the moment. Not distracted. Any time you are engaging with a client or prospect, they should feel like the most important person in the room!
 
3. Be Genuine
 
People can spot artificiality a mile away. What’s worse, once you lose someone’s trust because you were disingenuous or in-authentic, it’s nearly impossible to regain.
 
4. Be Non-Judgmental
 
Being non-judgmental is about meeting people where they are with acceptance. If your marketing feels like a lecture or you express judgment about a client’s choices – even if they are making some poor choices when it comes to their hair, skin, makeup, etc., they may look elsewhere for help because they don’t want to feel judged.
 
5. Relax
 
The most likable people aren’t desperate for attention – can you say that about your marketing? Your marketing should feel natural and relaxed, not panicked or anxious.
 
6. Be Consistent
 
If you only post on social media sporadically or email your clients a couple times a year, your marketing isn’t going to be consistent enough to make an impact or earn top-of-mind awareness for your Salon Suite’s brand. You have to show up day in and day out. Use a system that keeps your marketing moving on social media every day, on email a couple of times each month, with updates to your website at least once a week, and promotions that change on a regular basis.
 
7. Use Positive Language
 
Likable people aren’t negative! They have good attitudes. They like to join in. They are up for anything. They appreciate other people. They congratulate others on successes. They give out compliments freely. They don’t put other people down. They pitch in. They say thank you. They are there in good times and bad. They don’t complain! No matter what your marketing message or purpose is on a given campaign, always couch it in terms of the positive.
 
8. Leave a Strong First Impression
 
Likable people are memorable!
 
9. Personalize your Marketing
 
Likable people “greet people by name.” They make things personal, not generic. Likewise you can tailor and segment your marketing so that it’s tailored to each client and to each of your target audience niche’s.
 
10. Smile
 
Your marketing should be H-A-P-P-Y and welcoming!
 
11. Know When to Open Up (and When to Shut Up)
 
We all know people who share too much and people who share too little, and it’s the same with brands. Both of these traits can detract from your ability to attract people to your Salon Suite. Good marketing opens up, and is even vulnerable at times, giving reasons to feel personally connected to you and your brand.
 
12. Know Who to Touch (and Touch Them)
 
In some ways this goes back to personalization. It’s about recognizing when a client might need a few extra minutes of scalp massage at the back bar. Who prefers a handshake and who prefers a hug. On social media it’s about touching base with people and giving out encouragement and care based on what your social media followers have going on in their lives.
 
In another way, this is about defining your target audience and reaching out to “touch” them with effective marketing. It’s about knowing when a social follower is giving a “buying” signal and asking the right “closing” question (ready to book? ready to buy? etc.)
 
In all instances, it’s about your level of awareness with your audience at any given time.
 
13. Balance Passion and Fun
 
Engaging with your Salon Suite should evoke positive emotions. Fun may not even be the right word, but the word should represent a positive emotions (relaxing, tranquil, solace, inspiring, etc.) 
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