The beauty industry is busy, hectic, exciting and fast-moving – but making your mark in such a dynamic industry can take a lot of time and effort. The secret is in establishing a clear beauty brand from the outset, something that sets you apart from the crowd and helps potential customers immediately recognise what you do – and hopefully think of your business the next time they need a treatment. Read on for our top tips on establishing a strong and successful beauty brand – the secret to standing out in the busy beauty world.
Plan, plan and then plan some more
Are you thinking of going it alone? Good for you – but remember that the secret to success is in the preparation. Get advice from a business expert or talk to those who have succeeded in the industry. Make a business plan. Make sure your plan is viable. Then look at your brand – what do you want to achieve with your business? What is your unique selling point (your USP)? This is the key to building your brand and it’s never too early to work out exactly what your USP is – and we’ll elaborate on this in the points below.
Look at your competition
Unless you’re in the middle of nowhere, chances are that there are quite a few salons and/or mobile therapists in your area. Look at what they are doing, their specialties and the brands they are retailing. Is there someone doing what you plan to do? Is there enough room for both of you? Is there a gap in the market for your particular specialty? Whether you have a business that’s completely different in the area (eg the only nail bar in town) or you are planning on opening a salon in a busy city where there are lots of choices for the consumer, having a clear identity is very important. Look at their décor, their marketing, their design and logo and other details that give their brand an identity. What can you do differently?
Decide on your specialty
Ideally, part of your USP is something that no one else is doing, a new take on a popular treatment or being better than everyone else at a particular offering. This gives your clients a reason to visit you over the competition. Decide upon this early, and this will have an impact on your brand – eg if you are planning very serious skin treatments, a clinical brand incorporating pristine white interiors and smart scrubs might form part of your brand, or a funky nail bar might need bright colours and fashion-forward uniforms.
Look at colour & design
A key part of building your brand is how your customers perceive your business – and your colour scheme and interior design have a lot to do with this. For example, if you are specialising in natural treatments and products, sticking to organic shades such as green, brown and cream tell your potential customers exactly what you do before they even book an appointment. This can follow through to important branding details such as your staff uniforms – in the same example, our luxurious (yet hard-wearing and easy-care) Rosso and Santiago linen-look tunics can match the natural feel of your salon. Similarly, Buttercups stock colours and styles for all types of salons, from funky nail bars to elegant and stylish salons to aesthetic clinics.
Use your social media
Social media is now an integral part of your marketing efforts, but it’s also a great way to reinforce your brand. Facebook is an excellent tool for businesses and you can personalise your page to match the look and feel of your business. Instagram is great for branding as it is picture-focused. Remember that different platforms attract different groups of people – eg Facebook tends to skew older clients, while Instagram is younger. But if you really want to go for the fast and younger market, consider demonstrating treatments, products or results on TikTok and Snapchat – this is a great medium in particular for nails and makeup.
The above tips are really just a dip in the ocean when it comes to building your brand, but we can’t emphasise enough how important branding is in today’s beauty industry. If you would like advice on how to use your uniform as a vital branding tool, contact us today!