If You Want to Spend Your TIME, Not Your DIME – Become “Searchable on the Web”
Thought Process: If you salon chair is not as full as you’d like, don’t wait and hope – spend your time rather than your dime to attract more clients.
You can knock on doors in a neighborhood near your salon. You can meet new people when you’re out and about. AND – you can learn how to promote yourself on the Web by investing your time.
What are the 4 best ways use the Internet to attract more clients without breaking the bank?
1. Be Searchable on the Web
2. Build Your Reputation
3. Use Mobile Marketing
4. Leverage Your Reputation
Why will being searchable help you grow your client base?
Think of your own habits nowadays for finding a service you need. What do you do?
Without their phone number already saved in your phone, if you’re like most customers today, you let your fingers do the walking… on the web!
And if you don’t know the name of the company or provider, you would search by the service you want.
Your new prospective customers – and even your current clients – are doing the same. That’s why it’s SOOO important today to be findable on the web.
But what simple and easy steps should you take right away?
Step 1: The first thing to make this work for you is to know what words your prospects are typing in their search bar to find services like yours. These are called KEYWORDS.
Knowing your keywords is pretty easy – here are some likely choices:
• hair salon
• beauty salon
• hair stylist or hairstylist
• hair cut
• hair color
• natural hair care
To be extra sure you’re getting all the best keywords, use the Google Keyword Tool.
Step 2: The next thing to do to get found is to register with the popular directories in your area.
So do this right now –
Go to Google’s search bar. Type in the keywords you choose in Step 1. Include the city and state for best results – such as, Hairstylist in Glen Burnie MD. Look at the directories that come up. Common ones are Google Places (the map on the right that shows up), Yahoo, Angie’s List, Yellowpages…
Try different keywords and see if any new ones keep coming up.
Register in each of these directories and make sure your information is current. Double check your phone number! Start with the free directories and add paid directories when new clients start finding you there.
Then you’ll know this works!
Tip: Fill out every field they provide. Don’t leave any box empty, including photos and videos if you have them. You’ll get better results.
Tip: Use the keywords you know your prospects who have never heard of you would use to find services like yours. Put these keywords in the description at the beginning of the sentence, such as – “Hair stylist in New Orleans, LA provides cut, color and…” whatever else you do that your customers are searching for most.
Tip: Put your preferred contact phone number in the description. … “To look your very best, call right away to make an appointment. Call (YOUR NAME) at Area Code + Number.”
Now make it even easier to get found in more places.
Step 3: After the most popular directories are fully filled out with your contact info and lots of keywords in the text, what else can you to become searchable on the web?
YouTube – If you have a way to capture a video, start taking lots and upload them to YouTube. Of course, ask your clients first! Many of them will like being in the limelight.
You can make “before and after” videos. You can show how you make them look and feel great. Best of all, they can give you video testimonials of why they love coming to see you time after time – WHY they wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Tip: When you upload to YouTube, follow my recommendations for the directories. Be sure to include your contact info and your keywords. YouTube gives you a lot a space to describe what you do best.
Facebook – Do you have a Facebook page? By carefully naming your page, you can come up in the searches. Your Salon Name plus a keyword works well.
Photos, stories, videos… they all improve your chances of coming up in the searches.
Pinterest – This is perfect for beauty services – your finished results are so visual!
Blogging – This option takes more work, but if you like to write, this can work for you.
Congratulations!
Now that you are coming up in the search as you should, what can you do to build your REPUTATION? Find out in our next blog post!