Opening up hairdressing salons: How effective marketing strengthens customer loyalty

Finally - from today (01.03.) hairdressers can reopen their salons after eleven weeks of closure! However, only if strict hygiene requirements are met. After waiting a long time, many German citizens are looking forward to wearing a fresh haircut again soon. Others are also unable to understand that a body-hugging service, such as hairdressers, is currently allowed to open. In the same breath, tattoo parlors, for example, must continue to keep their doors closed for their customers. The hairdressers are happy, some shake their heads indiscriminately. But what does everyday Corona look like for hairdressers? What are the consequences of openings for hairdressers? What is the score of citizens' fear of getting infected with the virus during a visit to a hairdresser? What marketing strategies should hairdressers pursue to retain their customers? We will answer these questions for you in this blog post.

Federal-state advice

For a better classification of events, the most important Resolutions summarized of the latest federal-state advice. On February 10, 2021, the Federal Chancellor and the Minister-Presidents of the federal states agreed on the following points, among others:

• The existing decisions remain valid. In addition, these will continue until March 7, 2021 extended.
• Die Contact restrictions staying received, as the spread of the various coronavirus mutations is rapidly accelerating. These restrictions also apply in areas with low infection rates. Further openings of retail and services must be decided in view of the spread of the coronavirus.
• There is an obligation to wear medical masks (OP or FFP2 masks) on public transport and in shops.
• A Hygiene concept must be available in all institutions. This must be adjusted in light of new findings (e.g. on virus mutations).
• Unnecessary private trips and visits are also prohibited. This regulation also applies domestically and to supra-regional day tourist trips.
• Employers must their employees Home office enable, provided that the activities permit this.
• The opening of educational institutions as well as daycare centers remains a matter for the country. The aim is to gradually open this area up first.
• In compliance with hygiene requirements, hairdressing businesses From March 1 reopen. Wearing a medical mask is mandatory. “In view of the importance of hairdressers for personal hygiene and the closure that has been going on for some time, it appears necessary to make use of them possible, as significant parts of the population, in particular older people, depend on them. “(spring)
• Next openings are only with a stable 7-day incidence of at most 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants by the federal states.

Rules in the federal states

The Federal Government and the Länder jointly decide on rules regarding the containment of the corona virus. However, the 16 federal states have the ultimate decision-making power. Accordingly, there are 16 different procedures in the Republic. In some federal states, in addition to hairdressers, other body-related services have been allowed to open since February 15 and March 1. Necessary healthcare services (e.g. physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, orthopedists, opticians) may be open constantly. In addition to hairdressing businesses, people will also be able to use medical foot care services again from March 1. In hessen Not only will hairdressing salons open soon, but also body-related services such as barber shops (beard care, if there is a registered hairdressing company), foot care studios, beauty salons (e.g. acne treatments) and nail studios (cleaning and care of foot and fingernails).

Hygiene rules for hairdressing businesses

As a result, 80,000 nationwide hairdressing businesses can welcome their customers back. This step was necessary for many companies a long time ago! Many continue to see their existence severely threatened, and saved reserves have long since been used up. The announcement that hairdressing businesses will be allowed to reopen from March 1 was therefore an exemption for many. However, a visit to a hairdressing salon is strongly influenced by the current Corona pandemic be. Blow dry your hair yourself, always get your hair washed and no coffee - all of this was standard when visiting a hairdresser last year and is nothing new for your customers. The occupational safety Your employees and customers continue to come first. We summarize the most important hygiene regulations for you and your customers.

1. A spacing from at least 1.5 meters It is necessary to maintain every workplace in all directions. This applies to all work areas (bar, washing areas, areas around hairdressing chairs), entrance and traffic areas as well as sanitary and break rooms. Every person in the salon must be within a radius of 10 square meters are located. If this cannot be met, for example because the salon size is less than 20 square meters, further protective measures must be taken. One Partition between workplaces and in the cash register area (safety protection between customers and hairdressing workers) is necessary to protect everyone. For this reason, the minimum distance must also be maintained when there is contact between employees. For more information on the requirements for the partitions, please visit here.
2. There must always be enough disinfectants be made available. Handwashing rules are to be posted. All areas in the salon and sanitary rooms must be cleaned daily and surfaces such as door handles must be cleaned regularly. The social distancing rules must be observed at all times.
3. The regular airing is also elementary. An air exchange should every 20 minutes take place. Here, too, ventilation applies in all areas, as well as in break rooms and sanitary rooms.
4. The hygiene and protective measures described above are also applicable in mobile hairdressing visits Strict compliance (e.g. home visits). Unnecessary further contacts, apart from the customer, should be avoided.
5. Customers and hairdressing workers wear the prescribed Mouth and nose coverage in accordance with the respective regulations of the federal states. In addition, customers should continue to wear a cape. Hands must be cleaned before and after every contact with the customer. Hand sanitizer may also be used. Furthermore, they must hairs thoroughly by all customers washed because a possible infection can also be transmitted via the contact surface of hair. protective gloves are about to wear.
6. Any Work utensils Such as combs, brushes, winders and the like, employees should customer-related use and after use purify. Shared work equipment (e.g. hair dryers) and surfaces that are regularly touched must also be cleaned.
7. Postponed working and break times or shift work can equalize the shared use of work areas, break rooms, etc.
8. The documentation of Customer contact details is governed by the regulations of the federal states.

What can I do as a customer?

Before a visit to the hairdresser

• Make an appointment by phone or online
• Provision of contact details to be informed of a possible infection
• Show up alone on the agreed date
• Stay at home if you have symptoms of illness

In the salon

• Arrive on time for the appointment
• Disinfect hands after entering the salon
• Follow cough/sneeze etiquette
• The customer's hair is washed to reduce the risk of infection
• Maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 meters
• Wearing a mouth and nose cover

Concerns before visiting a hairdresser

The fear of infection with the corona virus is particularly high in closed rooms. In April 2020, a survey was commissioned by the German Press Agency (dpa). 2,034 people were interviewed between April 27 and 29, shortly before the end of the first lockdown on May 4, 2020. scores This survey states:

• 25 percent have “minor concerns” and want to visit a hairdressing salon.
• 13 percent have “gross/very big concerns,” but still want to visit a hairdressing salon.
• 11 percent are strictly against a visit to a hairdressing salon.
• In the first lockdown, every seventh citizen cut their own hair (14 percent).
• 69 percent of respondents let their hair grow during the first lockdown.
• A further 11 percent sought external help for a haircut.

These results clearly show that even if there is great fear of being infected with corona in a hairdressing salon, the interviewees would take advantage of the opportunity to have a professional haircut. For hairdressing businesses, this data also shows that it is important to actively maintain customer loyalty at all times.Another study from February 2021, which was developed by the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) together with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Berlin Charité, shows that people do not expose themselves to high risks when they are in a hairdressing salon. It is important to always comply with current hygiene, distance and ventilation rules. This graph shows that the R-value is 0.6 when visiting a hairdresser wearing a mask. Scientists at TU Berlin have therefore proven that a visit to the hairdresser is associated with a lower risk than working in an office or during lessons in schools. But what does the R-value stand for? This value represents the reproduction figure in Germany. This means how many people are directly infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus by an infected person in a specific unit of time. If this value is less than 1, there are fewer new infections.

Your customers can continue to visit your hairdressing salon with a clear conscience. It is always important to comply with hygiene and social distancing rules in order to keep the risk as low as possible and to create a safe atmosphere for your employees and customers. In addition, ventilation expert Martin Kriegel, head of the Hermann Reitschel Institute at TU Berlin, underlines that the length of stay, the airflow and the type of activities in the room are relevant. As already mentioned, the risk is very low during a two-hour visit to the hairdresser.

The corona working day for hairdressers

For you and your employees, opening the hairdressing salon means finally getting back to work. However, there are certain hurdles in your way, which you must overcome together. These are not only the strict hygiene and social distancing rules, but also the ongoing and constant relationship with your customers. The old-fashioned method of word of mouth advertising was dropped and it was necessary to establish and strengthen the relationship with your customers in new ways. In our last section of the blog post, we will give you a few simple tips and tricks on how to actively engage with customers in a fun and easy way. And we will provide you with various marketing tools from Socialwave GmbHwhich prove to be to your advantage.

Five tips & tricks for active customer loyalty

First of all: It is always advisable to get feedback from your customers directly in your salon.

‍1. Social media channels

‍A very important measure for successful marketing is the online presence of your salon on various social media channels. There, you can easily get in touch with your customers, create more attention for your service and create brand loyalty among customers. A few points that are important before creating your social media channels: The Target group Identify your salon

• Where can you find your potential customers who are suitable for your service? What do they expect?
• Important: Create suitable social media channels for your target group so that you have the chance to reach them directly.

The appearance and contents

• Which contributions suit your salon and should be published?
• Important: Create attractive contributions that reflect the atmosphere of your salon and are highly recognizable.

new customers win and regular customers retaining

• What is important to consider?
• Important: Continuously optimizing your channels and ensuring their visibility and reach.

facebook

‍This platform is ideal for showcasing and sharing your service. You can post photos of your new haircuts, introduce your team and salon. Write posts such as “The right hairstyle for the first warm days” and invite your followers to express their opinion. Your pictures should show the image of your salon and work. When customers come across your Facebook page, they should be able to find all the information they're looking for. Use various Facebook tabs to view your salon locations, services, photos, and reviews. You can also use Facebook ads to target people who are close to your salon.

instagram

‍Using appropriate hashtags under your pictures, which link to your standword, for example, is a popular application. This allows future customers looking for a salon nearby to come across your photos and salon. You can post before and after pictures of your clients' hairstyles, various tutorials on how to wear and style hairstyles, or upload short videos where you present your team and salon. Take a closer look at this subject matter and simply start posting. In your description, write the most important details about your salon, such as opening hours and contact details. It is important to show customers that you feel comfortable in your salon and that their hair is being treated perfectly there.

‍2. Creating a website The homepage for your salon has a certain groundwork Dar. If a potential customer searches online for a hairdresser in your city and your salon doesn't have a website, that customer won't find you. Accordingly, no appointment will be booked with you. Therefore, a website is extremely important. This should be visually appealing and contain current and relevant information (e.g. presentation of your team). A few additional tips for you:

• Your website should also be mobile-friendly so that your (potential) customers can also access it on their smartphones.
• Make the design attractive and simple to ensure an overview of your website.
• List a price list, contact details and opening times.
• Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Connect your website to your social media channels.
• Offer online bookings

3rd logo

‍The first impression of your hair salon is decisive. With the help of your logo, you can optimize your public image and at the same time convey your salon philosophy. A professionally created logo is crucial and an important marketing tool. The logo design has the power to attract the attention of your (potential) customers. Here, these aspects must be considered:

• What should your logo convey?
• Choose the typography that reflects what your salon stands for. This typography should be in harmony with the graphics and the icon.
• Choose a suitable color scheme that sets you apart from your competition.
• Your logo is your business card, it is recommended that you hire a professional for it.

4. Guerrilla marketing

‍If you want to promote your salon in a creative and unique way, guerrilla marketing campaigns are the right approach for you. Everything to attract customer attention. A few examples for you:

• mural
• Smart signs
• Happy Hours
• Advertising slogans on benches
• Mobile hairdresser

5. Vouchers, birthday promotions, discounts, seasonal promotions

‍The best advertising that you can offer in your salon is various promotions, where the customer receives discounts, for example. Selling and promoting gift cards is also a great way to get more revenue throughout the year. Die Socialwave GmbH offers you various options for this. We will inform you about this in the rest of the section. If you are interested in further online marketing measures for your hairdressing salon, read this blog post.

How Socialwave can help you reopen

What are your benefits with the WiFi marketing package by Socialwave? Our package guarantees you a true added value. Not only for your customers, but it also has a direct positive effect on your service. With us, you not only get a WLAN connection, but also decisive marketing measures, which increases the online presence of your hair salon. But how does that work? It's simple: The customer can connect to the hotspot via Facebook, Whatsapp or email. Your customers will then be directed to your website or they will be able to like your Facebook page. If the customer leaves your salon, they automatically receive a message to rate their visit to you on Google.

But how does the Socialwave GmbH your hairdressing salon and helps you achieve active and honest customer loyalty? Especially during the lockdown period, it is advisable for customers to send various email campaigns, for example on public holidays or birthdays. We create these campaigns based on your information. As soon as your hairdressing salon is open again, you can also send a reminder email to your customers here. In addition, your customers are presented with various pop-ups directly in the salon after they have connected to the hotspot, which welcome your customers, for example. This not only creates a certain basis between the customer and you, but you will also be remembered by your customers sustainably and constantly.

For your hair salon, Socialwave products mean direct and lasting communication with your customers. With the help of email campaigns, your customers are informed about news and current information (e.g. changes in opening hours). In this way, you are always in touch with your customers.

conclusion

The opening of hairdressing businesses is a ray of hope not only for operators, but also for many German citizens. Normality is returning to everyday life a bit. Regardless of this, marketing measures remain urgently needed to remind customers of your hairdressing salon and to attract new customers. Socialwave GmbH offers you specific solutions for your individual case and actively helps you stand out from the competition. With our WLAN marketing package, your customers/patients/guests advertise for you, are happy and recommend you to others.