Syndicate
) March 6, 2009 -- Leading mobile marketing firm www.txtlocal.co.uk has recorded a 61% increase in the number of hair and beauty salons signing up for their online SMS text service. Salons are using text to target existing customers with special offers and promotions in a bid to increase bookings, whilst also using text reminders to reduce the number of no show appointments.
SMS marketing works well for us with a clear increase in bookings after a text campaign.
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According to Txtlocal the current economic climate is forcing small businesses such as hair & beauty salons to look closely at how they can improve efficiency and one of the key areas of attention is no show appointments and the revenue lost from these missed appointments.
Bristol based beauty salon Beautology has been using text to send automated appointments reminders with clear results. Owner Nick Hayward claims that sending out a quick reminder text has reduced no shows dramatically. “A quick reminder text prior to appointments has definitely reduced our no show’s. It’s well worth a few pence a day to have a 100% show rate.”
Txtlocal MD Darren Daws agrees that text is a great way to improve efficiency, stating that it’s false economy not to invest a few pence a day in sending out appointment reminders to customers. “By sending a confirmation text you focus the clients mind on attending. However, if they can’t attend it’s better to give them the opportunity to cancel than simply not show up. The salon is then free to fill any empty slots ensuring no revenue is lost.”
The downturn is also forcing small businesses to focus their attention on generating repeat business from existing customers. Text messaging is proving ideal for linking up with customer databases to target customers with aggressive promotions in a bid to increase bookings during quiet periods.
Paul Langton of Hush Beauty Spa in Stockport uses SMS text solely as a marketing tool. Langton claims that there has been a clear return in investment from text promotions, with response rates as high as 22%. He confirms that “SMS marketing works well for us with a clear increase in bookings after a text campaign.”
Langton goes on to comment that as a low cost marketing tactic text is better value than traditional mediums such as advertising, radio and leafleting which in comparison are expensive and harder to measure in terms of response rates. “SMS marketing is easy to measure in terms of response, we know that it’s working when people bring in their offers to redeem and figures suggest a 22% redemption rate.”
Another key feature driving the popularity of text promotions is that it’s a highly viral marketing tool, capable of reaching much further than initial recipients alone. Mobile Marketing Magazine reports that it is common for people to forward text promotions onto their friends, which results in even greater penetration for free. During the current economic climate people are keen to find bargains and receiving an attractive promotion by text could be the pulling power needed to get people through the doors.
Txtlocal MD Darren Daws believes that text is ideal for the Hair & Beauty sector. “Text is ideal for salons needing a quick fix to pull customers through the door. If a business has customer data then they should use it, whether it be for sending out appointment reminders, sales promotions or relaying salon opening times, there is no quicker, easier and direct route to customer pockets.”
For further editorial information and requests for interviews or high resolution images contact Marketing / PR Manager Kathryn Mann at Txtlocal on 0845 009 3188 or email kathryn.mann @ txtlocal.com
Notes to editors:
www.txtlocal.co.uk was launched in 2006 and is now the one of the UK’s leading business SMS text messaging companies behind many of the short messaging text numbers on television today. www.txtlocal.co.uk has clients from a wide variety of sectors including Subway, Blacks Leisure, Liverpool University, Estee Lauder and Nationwide.
They offer a range of services for a variety of organisations including pubs delivering 2 for 1 offers to local customers, bands making direct contact with fans, holiday parks promoting evening events, theatres growing an opt-in customer list to announce last minute tickets or even GP surgeries and mechanics sending appointment reminders by text.
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