Susan Lauder of Lauder Beauty, Goodna, Queensland, reveals how group buying has been the affordable marketing solution she’s needed to give her business a competitive edge.
It’s the new financial year, signalling no better time than the present to give your small business a long overdue marketing health check. I’ve been running my beauty salon, Lauder Beauty, in Goodna for the past nine years and have learnt over time it’s not just getting customers through the door that’s important; it’s what you do when they’re right in front of you that counts.
I started my business having witnessed the way the beauty industry is changing. I didn’t like how things were becoming so commercial. The friendly and fun experience I used to experience working in the industry seemed to be disappearing fast. It was time to make a change and, along with my family, I decided it was the right time to open Lauder Beauty.
I wanted to use marketing techniques that would stay true to my family business values and would give me a competitive marketing edge in the local community. Over the years I’ve dabbled in different practices to engage customers and, along the way, learned the value and power of word-of-mouth and good old fashioned customer service.
More recently, both these elements showed their value once more as I incorporated group buying in my marketing mix. I needed to get people through the door, drive traffic to my website and provide an experience that would blow customer’s minds. Group buying helped me achieve all three.
I offered locals the chance to purchase pamper packages at half price through LivingSocial and it was extremely well-received. The deal itself created attention and increased my Google ranking, while visitors to the salon left raving about their treatment and positive experience with staff.
Before I ran the deal I knew I would need to have all my resources in place such as having enough staff to cater for the influx of customers and make sure I wouldn’t run out of product. In line with this plan I also had to think long-term. Group buying is a brilliant way of creating a return customer base and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.
I briefed my staff on the deal I was planning to run and made sure each knew the highest level of service had to be provided to the customer regardless of whether they were paying full price or had a voucher.
At Lauder Beauty we actually have an existing plan to engage customer retention and I ensured this was carried through to my voucher customers. I offer a referral program whereby customers who refer a friend receive a 50 per cent discount. This is accompanied by a re-book rewards program where if they re-book their treatment, they receive a free treatment such as a 45 minute facial every time. If they enjoy this free treatment, we can offer this to them at a discounted price for the next three times they visit us. As a result, our customer retention rate is very high.
I’ve also just opened a fully service hair salon as part of the business at Lauder Beauty and with a bit of luck and hard work we’ll have the same success!
If you’re a small local business seeking to create a competitive edge but can’t afford the mass marketing the major commercial businesses are pushing, take time to consider what quirky programs you can offer to lock in customers or consider a way to spread word-of-mouth through affordable marketing platforms like group buying. Most importantly, stay true to your values. Good customer service can go a long way. Treat your customers with respect and they’ll be sure to come back to you.
Visit www.lauderbeauty.com.au to find out more.