10 Excellent Barber Shop Marketing Ideas to Help You Get More Clients for Your Business

Marketing is an important part of a successful business. Whether you own barbershop chains across multiple locations, have one well-established shop, or have just started one, you can reach a larger audience and grow your business with the right marketing tactics.

So we’re here with some simple yet highly effective barber shop marketing ideas to give your barbershop business the boost it needs.

Let’s get right into it!

1. Get listed on Google and other online directories

Google My Business (GMB)

If you haven’t done this already, then do it right away! Having your barber shop listed on Google My Business will help you in more ways than you can think of!

For starters, when someone in your area searches for “barber shops near me” on Google, your business will show up as one of the search results. Not only that, it will also be visible on Google Maps, making it much easier for people to find your shop.

You can add your barbershop reviews, photos, link to your website, etc. to make your local business stand out. 

Once you have claimed your local listing on Google My Business, you can also start accepting bookings directly from there through Reserve with Google (RwG).

RwG is a search and book platform by Google that lets potential clients book an appointment with you via your GMB listing, Maps, and Search.  Once listed on RwG, you will get a Book button on the profile from where visitors can book an appointment quickly and easily.

Note: To get listed on RwG, you need to have an account with a barbershop appointment software that’s an official RwG scheduling partner.

Other online directories 

Once you have registered on Google My Business, don’t forget to also register on other directories. Registering on web directories can help:

1. Bring in more traffic to your website (if you have one) and ultimately increase your local presence.
2. Increase business credibility. If a potential customer sees your brand’s name on a number of quality websites, then they will automatically have a sense of trust in your services.
3. Rank higher on search engines like Google, Bing, etc.

A few good directories with high traffic are Yahoo, Yelp, and Best of the Web (BOTW).

You should also register on local barber directories like Grand Local and Beauty Seeker as they are specific to your niche and will bring you quality leads.

2. Create a website for your barber shop

Imagine this: Someone finds your barber shop on Google or another directory. Seeing such great reviews, they decide to learn more about you and find out information like the services you offer, your prices, and so on. But they don’t find this information anywhere and hence end up looking for another barbershop…

Sounds bad, doesn’t it? If you don’t have a website yet, then there is a good chance that this might be happening with you.

Nowadays (especially during the pandemic), every business needs to have an online space where people can learn more about them. Besides, all your online barber shop advertising ideas will work better if they link to your website.

Since your website is one of the first touch-points of business for potential clients, you must make it appealing and try to convey your vision through its design and content.

Depending on your requirements and the time you want to put into creating a website, these are the few ways in which you could go about setting up your website:

1. Booking portal as a website

If you do not have the bandwidth to create and maintain a website right now, your best option is to use your booking portal as a website. It is an affordable (and sometimes even free) alternative to a website.

You can create an account with an online booking system to get a booking page and use it as a mini-website. Some tools also allow you to add service descriptions, staff photos, shop pictures, and contact information on your booking page so that potential clients can have all the essential information.

Barbershop appointment software, like Appointy, lets you customize your booking page with your brand colors and logo.

This will not only help in matching the look and feel of the booking portal with your brand, but also in maintaining a consistent user experience.

2. Use a website builder

The second option is to build your website on your own using a website builder like WordPress or Wix.

WordPress is the most popular option, simply because it is free and highly customizable. WordPress websites are also very responsive and are optimized for mobile devices as well.

When you build your own website, you will have to purchase a domain name from providers like Google Domains or GoDaddy. You will also need a web hosting platform to host your website. Bluehost and SiteGround are some popular options.

PS: If you are planning to build your website using WordPress, don’t forget to add Appointy’s scheduling plugin to it!

3. Hire a professional to build your website

Lastly, you could hire a professional to build your website. This way your website will have a unique and professional look. Compared to the other options, hiring a professional would have a high upfront cost, but you would be able to completely customize your website without any restrictions.

With a professional building your website, you will also not have to worry about registering your domain name or hosting your website.

If you choose to create a website instead of using a booking portal, make sure to create different pages like home, blog, about, contact, shop, etc, based on how you plan on using your website. You should also add a booking widget to your website so that people can book appointments right away.

Appointy lets you add a booking widget to your website and landing page so that customers can easily book an appointment with you. 

If you sell or are planning to sell retail products, then you should start selling them through your website as well.

3. Leverage your top reviews to attract more customers

According to an annual survey carried out by Bright Local, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020 – up from 81% in 2019.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Whenever someone considers trying out something new, they always look up what other people have to say about it. When a third party advocates for your services, you appear more credible and authentic.

Take advantage of your positive reviews and use them in your barber shop marketing. You can do this in a few ways:

1. Request and encourage your happy customers to leave a review on your website, online directories, and social media accounts. Display a few of these reviews on each page of your website. You could also create a testimonial page once you have enough reviews.
2. Add your top reviews in your brochures, social media posts, and other marketing materials when you share information about your business with new potential customers.
3. If the back of your barbershop business card has a bit of free space, you could add a line, politely asking people to review your services online if they liked it.

4. Host events

Hosting public events is a great way to make yourself known to the general public. It could be just a simple gathering, or to support a cause that you care about.

Your aim for any get-together should be to make sure everyone enjoys their time, and gets to know about your barber shop.

A few ideas for fun get-togethers:

1. A gathering of board game enthusiasts is one of the best ways for people to come together and have a good time. There can be competitions, board games and drinks for everyone.
2. You could also do a hair-cutting drive, where you give everyone a specific haircut related to a major upcoming event, eg: the FIFA world cup is right around the corner, you can give everyone a Ronaldo-style haircut. This will also boost your word-of-mouth marketing.
3. Hosting gatherings for important matches like the Super Bowl finals will surely bring in a lot of energy, and help you gain exposure.

Apart from fun get-togethers, you can also host events related to a cause, or a fundraiser. A perfect example of this is when a barber shop hosted a head-shaving fundraiser in the fight against youth cancer.

Events or get-togethers like these are perfect for your barber shop promotions because they go so well with the setting.

5. Take advantage of referral marketing

Your customers might be very happy with their haircuts, but it is not likely that they will recommend you to their friends or family without any incentive. Having a referral plan will encourage them to refer your barber shop to anyone who might be needing a trim.

Referral marketing works because it relies on word of mouth. People trust reviews from actual customers more than fliers or posters. In fact, up to 92% of people trust recommendations from a friend above all other forms of advertisement.

Offering a discount to your existing customer as well as the new customer is a popular way to incentivize referrals. But you could also give out a retail product or offer a service for free. We, humans, love freebies, so there is a good chance that offering free products might get you more referrals.

6. Use discounts for customer acquisition

Have you seen people go crazy when a store offers a juicy discount? It is the same with barber shops! There is always some hesitation when people try out new things, especially when it comes to their hair. But that hesitation is likely to disappear if the service is offered at a lower price point.

Discounts will help you increase sales quickly. This is mainly because they:

1. Add value – having a fixed price off on any of your services shows them exactly how much they are benefitting from the deal.
2. Have an expiration date –  an expiry date on the coupon will help create a sense of urgency to grab the deal before it’s gone.
3. Help you make the most of lean hours – Offering discounts on quiet days can bring you more sales, and help you keep your staff productive.

It is also worth mentioning that while discounting can be a great marketing tactic, you also have to be careful about not letting your profitability take a hit.

7. Start video marketing for your barber shop

When it comes to video marketing, a mistake that many businesses often make is investing lots of money in it. For beginners, there is no need to buy expensive equipment and fancy lighting on the very first day, especially if you’re going to post on social media. 

Instead, a simple video shot on your smartphone will look more authentic and will cost you absolutely nothing.

Educational videos (that showcase new hairstyles, and how they are done) and product reviews (which is also a good way of promoting a product) are some of the most popular types of videos in the barber industry, so you should definitely try those out.

You could also post videos showing a typical day at the barber shop. A survey done in 2017 shows that videos that give a behind-the-scenes look at a brand, drive high engagement. They also look more authentic as there are usually no hidden promotions in them.

Another question that arises is, which platform to choose for video marketing?

According to the same survey, Facebook and YouTube are the most used platforms for video marketing. But in recent years, Instagram reels and TikTok have also picked up pace in the barbershop marketing area.

To help you get a better idea, we have listed a few examples of video marketing ideas for barber shops below:

1. Facebook – Liem Barber Shop in Singapore
2. Instagram Reels – The Made Man Barber Shop
3. YouTube – Cut & Sew and The Mailroom Barber Co

8. Use emails and SMS to reach your target audience

Marketing via emails and text messages are simple, effective, and affordable ways to reach out to new potential clients. 

The average American checks their phone 262 times a day! Which is why SMS marketing is a great way to reach a large audience. And when it comes to emails, it is estimated that 91% of consumers check their email at least once a day on their smartphones.

Besides the large audience, email and SMS marketing have many additional advantages, because of which they must be included in your barber shop marketing plan. To name a few:

1. You can segment your target audience and send them more personalized emails or text messages. For example, if you know their Date of Birth, you can have an automated discount message sent to them on their birthday.
2. You can build trust and loyalty over time by sending regular emails and staying in touch with your existing customers. These emails can be discount offers, updates on your business, or even simple catching-up emails
3. Email and SMS can support and integrate with other channels such as social media to drive more traffic. For example, you can remind clients to watch your latest relevant video via email.

An email should be designed to look appealing, and have a highlighted CTA to make sure that they book an appointment with you. A text message on the other hand, should be concise and should include the link to your website or booking portal.

9. Improve your reach by networking

In any business, being part of a network of like-minded people is useful. It can sharpen your skillset, keep you up to date about trends and news in the industry, and also spread your brand further. What’s more, you could discuss and come up with various new barber shop promotion ideas.

To get started, you can join online barber communities on Facebook or LinkedIn. Reddit is also a good place for discussions.

Apart from barber groups, you can also join other local business networking groups. This will allow you to get a better understanding of your community and people. You can also find new clients this way, and maybe even start a partnership with a nearby business.

Go to different barber events, competitions, and workshops whenever you get the chance, and always take your barbershop business card with you. Just by attending an event, you can meet different professionals with fresh ideas and unique styles.

10. Start co-marketing with local businesses

So, what is co-marketing exactly?

It is a type of marketing strategy used by two or more non-competing businesses to work together and benefit from their collective target audience. 

A common example of co-marketing is when two businesses start promoting each other’s products/services on their Social Media handles. This is the most simple form of co-marketing and doesn’t require any extra investments.

As a barber shop, there are many types of businesses that you can partner with, like hair salons for women, hotels, gyms, wedding vendors, cafés, etc. When choosing a business that is suitable for your needs, keep in mind that you should also have something to offer to them as well.

But the crucial part is, deciding which businesses to collaborate with. Choose your business partners wisely, as they directly affect the outcome of your business. Try to look for these qualities in businesses:

1. You are able to maintain a friendly rapport with them.
2. Your businesses are non-competing yet have a similar target audience.
3. Will you be able to help each other? Does the other business bring skills and expertise to the table that you will benefit from (and vice-versa)?

Once you have agreed to partner with a business, it is time to think of marketing ideas to attract customers, and how they will be carried out.

Your co-marketing strategy could involve offering something as simple as gift cards or combo packs of your retail products or publishing joint advertisements with proper campaigning. 

Ultimately, it is up to the two businesses to decide based on their requirements.

The last word: Happy clients are the best marketers 

In conclusion of this article, we have a final piece of advice for you – don’t lose your clients!

Neglecting existing customers in pursuit of new ones is a common mistake. While getting new customers is essential for business growth, meeting the needs of your existing customer base can be just as important.

Getting new clients is great, but what’s the point if they don’t come back? And if your current customers are not happy with your services, then you must solve that problem before looking for new customers.

Provide an unforgettable experience

For your customers to be happy, being good behind the chair isn’t enough. You must provide a smooth experience at every step of the way – right from when they enter your shop to when they pay for their services 

To ensure that, it is important to manage your operations, appointments, and staff properly – which you can do easily with the help of a barber shop software!

Using a barbershop software to manage your business can help you save time, boost productivity and provide a great user experience.  

Don’t take our word for it. Start your 14-day free trial today!

Ultimately, barbershop marketing requires perseverance to achieve results. Many barbers give up too early because the results are not obtained immediately. Have patience and stick to your ideas.

We hope these barber shop marketing ideas prove useful and effective in making your business a successful venture. 

About Appointy

We at Appointy, help business owners grow and run their businesses with our online scheduling software. This blog was a part of our ‘Manage your Business’ category, where we provide expert tips, and resources, or simply talk about the challenges that small and medium businesses face every day. 

If you have any thoughts on this blog or would like to chat about your business struggles and achievements, let us know in the comments below. 

We love a good talk!