by Kim Campbell
Marketing campaigns can be crafted to generate interest in a product, boost business, improve profits, increase brand awareness, and much more. Companies everywhere are getting more creative with their marketing strategies, and many in the hospitality industry are looking for fresh techniques that will help them stay competitive. That's where these spa marketing ideas come in.
In this blog post, we take a deep dive into a variety of wide-ranging spa marketing ideas. Whether you’re a spa owner, manager, marketer, or even a hotelier overseeing spa operations, we review marketing strategies that could help boost your business — both immediately and in the long run.
Uncover 30 spa marketing ideas, tactics, and strategies you can use to boost business Before creating exciting new marketing campaigns to attract first-timers to your spa, make sure the foundation of your business is strong. A strong business is built on a base of satisfied repeat customers, so check in with them first.
Spa marketing ideas to boost customer loyalty One of the best ways to maximize the power of your marketing dollars is to incorporate spa marketing ideas that are focused on customer retention and rewarding customer loyalty.
1. Allocate a portion of your marketing budget to rewarding customer loyalty. On average, it costs businesses 7x more to recruit a new customer than it does to retain a current customer. It pays to invest in your best guests. Give loyal customers holiday baskets, birthday gifts, or a surprise order for their favorite snack. Show your appreciation with unexpected delights. 2. Ask customers to complete a survey. One of the best ways to boost business and increase profits is to give your customers what they want. How do you find out what they want? Just ask! Inquire about your customer's willingness to take a feedback survey. Gather info regarding their satisfaction with the spa, product options, available services, and overall accommodations. Let customers know that you’re interested in creating new deals, and packages, or offering new services based on their feedback. Not only will customers appreciate your dedication to improving the spa, but they may also even trust you more knowing that you genuinely care about their satisfaction.
3. Offer an annual membership. Encourage customers to keep coming back by offering an annual spa membership. By paying a flat fee regularly, members can access a variety of treatments and services, without the need to pay for each visit separately. Additionally, the remainder of a recurring payment could encourage members to visit more frequently. Convenient for both the customer and the company, having an annual membership is one spa promotion idea that could supercharge bookings. Offer members special perks, on-site amenities, or access to exclusive VIP lounge areas around the spa.
4. Offer customers “next service” coupons. To encourage repeat business, offer future discounts for customers willing to book their next appointment before leaving the spa. Fill up your appointment slots months in advance while offering repeat customers valuable savings with the assistance of “next service” offers.
5. Interact with customers online and respond to reviews. Regularly check and respond to feedback from your customers — the good, the bag, and the ugly. Show empathy, respect, and a commitment to improvement in thoughtful responses. Analyzing customer feedback can improve business operations as well as increase customer satisfaction. 6. Give customers a branded swag bag. Include sample products, literature on different services, coupons for future treatments, and more. Have a brainstorming session with your team and encourage everyone to share their ideas. What creative swag bag ideas can you come up with?
Identify your slowest seasons and promote limited-time offers to pick up additional business. Have fun, show some creativity, and incorporate guest feedback into limited offers.
7. Drive business during slow periods with seasonal offers. Do you experience a lag in bookings during certain times of the year? Many spas, especially those located in or around popular travel destinations, experience a dip in sales during the offseason. Create a seasonality-based marketing strategy to help drive revenue when business slows. Create fall-themed promo codes in autumn, market “back to school” specials mid-summer, or other unique discounts to attract customers with seasonal savings.
8. Mix up the menu. If you’re considering adding new spa services to your menu, test the waters by creating a “next visit” offer centered around the service. It’s a good idea to measure customer interest before financially committing to an expensive new spa service. Tell customers to, “Book X treatment with you by December 15th to receive 30% off your next salon service,” for example. Pay attention to how well they respond to the promotion.
9. Run holiday-themed promotions. Create fun, festive holiday promotions for spa packages, products, and marketing materials. Incorporate seasonal scents in your services, create package names with holiday puns or run romantic services for couples around Valentine’s Day. Have fun and experiment with different ideas to boost sales for the holidays.
10. Boost product sales with to-go gifts. Create gift baskets, boxes, or other pre-packaged assortments that customers can purchase to give as gifts.
11. Create unique spa packages. Use the results of your customer survey to create unique spa packages that include popular services, treatments, and products. Offer packages that include specific services, such as a "Sea Salt Skin Scrub & Sauna Sesh," or even a "Detox Day" package. Ask your customers to discuss their path to wellness with you and craft specialized packages that appeal to customers on different healing journeys.
12. Offer a discount for service and product purchases. Equip the front desk staff with products customers enjoy. Note what services are being performed during an appointment and have products available for the customer to purchase afterward.
Update your marketing campaigns and materials Are your marketing materials clear, concise, and up-to-date? Does your content showcase what makes your spa stand out from the rest? Relevant and well-designed materials are key to finding success in email, print, digital, B2B, event, and social media marketing campaigns.
13. Get to know your target audience. Consider your service expenses, product prices, and what makes your spa exclusive when getting to know your target audience. Reach your target audience with marketing materials and information that resonates with them. For example, someone who oversees spa operations at a hotel that brings in a lot of group and transient business will likely target those specific types of guests with marketing campaigns focused on unwinding from travel or escaping the hustle and bustle of meetings and conferences.
14. Hire a photographer for fresh photos. Professional-level photographs are an absolute must-have for successful modern marketing campaigns. Has your facility undergone recent renovations, expanded, rebranded, or even redecorated? Regularly update the professional photos in your marketing portfolio to help make sure your marketing materials are always up-to-date.
15. Personalize your email campaigns. Create mailing lists of different customer groups to target with a new email campaign. Target specific demographics with personalized email marketing and include valuable content in every email that you send — whether it’s skincare tips or breaking brand news. Include an attractive graphic, advertisement, or promo button if you want to get more clicks from your email marketing strategy.
16. Use SMS marketing. Give customers the opportunity to sign up for text communications. When they schedule an appointment online or sign up for email newsletters, include an “opt-in” option for SMS communications. Send appointment reminders, exclusive promotional information, and limited-time offerings. Be considerate about the frequency of messages you send customers, and ensure customers can opt out at any time.
17. Design a creative business card. Research graphic designers online and in your area. Find a few designers with styles that are compatible with the spa’s energy. Collaborate to create a fresh, unique business card for your business. Design a card that engages the senses, helps set your business apart, evokes a feeling of serenity, and includes reliable contact information. Keep cards on hand for chance encounters, and always pack a stack for trade show giveaways.
18. Advertise eco-friendly services. The growing need to “go green” can be seen across a variety of industries; spa and wellness industries especially. Many customers are actively seeking out eco-friendly and environmentally conscious brands to give their business to. Highlight the sustainable efforts your business engages in and showcase organic products.
Digital marketing ideas for spa professionals There are a variety of different channels you can use to promote your business, services, and products. If you haven’t already, experiment with adding digital spa marketing ideas into upcoming campaigns.
19. Revitalize your web presence with a branded website. Having a top-tier website is an absolute must. Focus on branding your website in a way that appeals to your target audience and ranks well in search results. All contact information, service options, pricing estimates, hours of operation, and appointment information should be current and accurate. Link social media sites, review pages, and other company pages to the spa’s primary website.
20. Offer mobile-friendly appointment bookings. Allow customers to book services, request specific professionals, reserve time slots, and provide special requests via a mobile-friendly online booking service. Give customers the opportunity to customize their appointment by pre-selecting music preferences, product preferences, and more using an online appointment scheduler. By making online appointment scheduling available for customers, you could also see an increased number of same-day spa bookings (38% of all spa or salon bookings in 2020 were for same-day appointments). Spa managers struggling to keep appointment schedules full, or drive business during slow periods, could benefit greatly from the convenience of online customer bookings.
21. Maximize your search engine marketing. Businesses that focus on optimizing their search engine results tend to have a better chance of reaching an audience that includes potential customers than those that don’t. Research popular keywords and phrases associated with the spa industry and incorporate high-ranking keywords into your marketing copy. Include a mix of both long and short-form keywords in your content. Other vital SEO tips include adding visual media to your marketing, using meta-tags, and including a variety of internal and external hyperlinks on website content.
22. Create a “My Business” account with Google. A digital marketing best practice, and one of many SEO basics: Make sure you have a business listing on Google. Creating a business account with Google will help ensure that your business appears in search results for spa services in your area. If you’re located in Phoenix, for example, creating a business account with Google will help your page rank higher in the search results for user searches like, “Spas in Phoenix.”
“Spa”ctacular social media marketing ideas The modern marketing professional’s battleground — don’t leave the social media sphere off of your spa marketing to-do list.
23. Advertise your business on social media. Quickly run advertising campaigns across both Facebook and Instagram through Facebook Ad Manager. Design attractive campaigns quickly, select the duration of the campaign, and even specify your campaign budget down to the penny. In just a few clicks, you could be running a social media campaign across two popular platforms while expanding your audience reach.
24. Cross-promote with other businesses in the area. Reach out to brands that promote self-care, wellness, or homeopathic services. Offer to advertise their products or services on consignment, or for a small hosting fee. Showcase paintings, poems, or other works from local artists that are available for purchase. Share their contact, company, and social media information with your clientele, and ask that they return the favor.
25. Incorporate video marketing into your spa’s digital campaign. Video marketing, when done well, can positively impact your business in a variety of ways. From reaching a wider audience, appealing to event planners, introducing new consumers to their business, and more, spa professionals can use video content to increase marketing success, leading to higher profits.
26. Host an online contest. Engage with your online audience by running a social media contest. Promote virtual engagement by requiring that individuals post content, share content, or complete another qualifying activity for the chance to win a valuable prize — such as a free massage, $50 of specialized skincare products, or a similarly desirable option.
Host events Get to know the event planners in and around your area. Event planners are looking for unique locations to host events, meetings, and retreats. Invite them to tour your facility and start building a professional network that’s full of successful event planners.
27. Host an open house. Are you the proud owner of the new spa in town? Have you recently moved locations or renovated? Host an open house and invite the community to check what your spa has to offer. Offer mini-services, sample products, and demonstrations. Promote your event for free on social media and in local high-traffic areas. Consider enticing prospective attendees with a valuable prize, such as a gift basket of high-quality products for the 50th person to arrive.
28. Host community or small business events. Check in with your local Chamber of Commerce. Are they looking for space to host a business lunch or networking event? Hosting events for local businesses and networking groups can help introduce community members to your business and give them a chance to see your spa facilities up close.
29. Host a “spa market” once a month. You’ve heard of farmers’ markets, right? Well, try putting your own spa spin on the traditional neighborhood market. Once a month, turn your parking lot, lobby, or garden into holistic heaven for shoppers interested in artisanal goods. Highlight local businesses that make wellness products, offer spa-adjacent services, or produce locally-sourced organic foods.
30. Host a retreat. Market your spa as the go-to location for all-inclusive wellness retreats. Look to the Samadhi Spa and Wellness Retreat for inspiration. Located in the “wellness capital” of Australia, Samadhi Spa created its entire image around being both a spa and a wellness retreat. To get started, reach out to companies and businesses in your area that place a strong emphasis on employee health — both mental and physical. Offer private spa access, discounted service rates, and a variety of retreat packages for event planners to choose from.
Start putting these spa marketing ideas to use today!
Kim Campbell Kim is a full-time copy and content writer with many years of experience in the hospitality industry. She entered the hotel world in 2013 as a housekeeping team member and worked her way through various departments before being appointed to Director of Sales. Kim has championed numerous successful sales efforts, revenue strategies, and marketing campaigns — all of which landed her a spot on Hotel Management Magazine’s “Thirty Under 30” list. Don’t be fooled though; she’s not all business! An avid forest forager, post-apocalyptic fiction fan, and free-sample-fiend, Kim prides herself on being well-rounded.
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