The Key to Beauty Supply Ads: Stick To The Plan
Beauty supplies carry so many different items, so they need to make an effort to grab customers’ attention. Hence, many beauty supply retail business owners pay special attention to the main signage, flyers at the entrance, and so on. One of the big beauty supplies in the East even uses a PA system to grab customers’ eyes and ears. How and what retail stores are doing with advertisements? Are they doing it effectively? We researched the common practices and strategies.
In the U.S. alone, more than 30,000 beauty supplies are running. And lately, many stores, especially those big ones, are becoming franchised. In Florida, a beauty supply chain operates more than 40 store locations. While most retail stores run run-of-the-mill advertisements, some dare to differ in an attempt to grab people’s attention. Some of the common practices are as follows.
Out of home advertising (OOH ads)
Various types of OOH implemented by beauty supply stores
By far the most common type of OOH is a billboard. Lately, you would more likely find one in a sophisticated design. Some of them are 3D, LED-illuminated, and so on. Today, in addition to the traditional billboard, many have adopted digital signs, unitary signs, or large balloons for the OOH advertisement. A retail business owner who runs five locations in Texas says, “we design a unique OOH made-to-order per every new opening of a store because when installed on the roadside, they do lure customers who are driving by.” The OOH ads are to some extent proven to provide good results for the money invested.
As OOH means you would install them outdoors, creativity to maximize the promotional effect is important in making the signage. Also, you should consider whether the signage will blend in with the surroundings. On the other hand, there are safety concerns due to the fact that it is installed outside. A rusty, badly maintained billboard may fall on the road or sidewalk to create a safety hazard, and thus you need a regular safety checkup and constant maintenance for all OOH ads.
Different states have different laws and regulations for the OOH, but many simply abide by the standard set by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (“OAAA”). Lately, digital billboards are increasing in number along with traditional ones. Digital OOH advertisements can be edited in real-time for updated messages, and they can be highly visible to consumers. As a result, digital billboards are increasing in number in America. According to Statista, there were 9,600 digital billboards in America as of 2020. In comparison, there were only 6,400 of them in 2016.
The statistics on number of digital billboards from 2016 to 2020 ©Statista.com
Traditional storefront signage vs Most new signage have protruding letters
Flyers, coupons, and business cards
Placing a poster on the entrance to promote an event can encourage customers to buy more while conveying information. It is typically used for clearance of overstocked items. Business owner H who runs three retail stores in Philadelphia says, “we run 1+1 and Buy One Get 50% Off regularly, and these can clear out the old inventory while having general promotional effect as well.”
Coupons that are typically used at businesses like coffee shops can be a great way to promote your business. You can offer a discount when a customer makes a certain number of purchases. This manipulates the lock-in effect, which is designed to lock in customers to a specific product or service by making them stick to a business or brand. A retail store in Texas uses the back of its business card as a coupon, so customers can receive a stamp for each purchase and keep coming for the reward.
An actual example of coupon-advertising using the back of beauty supply business card
Advertisement strategies in and out of a retail store
Website, online ads, and social media
Many retail businesses run online shopping malls in addition to their brick-and-mortar stores, so the website can be a medium to run advertisements, promotional events, and news. Social media is also a great tool. However, you should remember that online ads require consistent maintenance.
Local newspaper
You can find a local newspaper at the locale of your store. It is always better to run on a local newspaper than a national one. When it comes to newspapers, you can have a better output when you run it on both online and offline. Local newspapers tend to have comparatively low advertisement cost.
In-store TV ads
When you have a sizable store, you can run commercials on TV. You can source contents from hair and chemical wholesale companies. Some companies even install TVs for advertisement purposes at their cost if you place a large quantity order for a grand opening. You should consult sales associates of those companies if you are planning to open a new store.
Store-wide Events
An event at a store, regardless of the size, is very effective. If you have a small store, you can entertain customers with dart games, prize wheels, and so on. You can offer prizes in addition to discount coupons to the participants for an increased customer satisfaction as well as boosting sales revenue.
Although there are varying methods of advertising for beauty supplies, the important thing is sustaining the effort. Manager P of a beauty supply in the West says, “We currently run five locations. Each has its own best sellers, so we run events and sales promotion independently. We update events monthly and run them all year. Our customers are always interested in sales items and keep coming for the events.” Placing discounted items in a corner of the store can be an effective strategy when business is slow. Improving store image can be absolutely done by the effort and will of owners and managers. Having an image of “a store carrying low priced, quality products with good service” is a desire for everyone. You should check the inventory today and think of a way to sell them. That can offer a great exit for the current economic downturn.
