Is your marketing strategy set up to attract millennials to your salon? If not, it’s time you consider tapping into this lucrative market. 

Millennials, or Generation Y, are the cohort of individuals born between 1981 and 1996. This demographic grew up during the advent of the internet, smartphones, personal computers, and social media. Most are now working-class young adults with tremendous purchasing power. 

However, selling to millennials can be challenging, especially for service-based businesses. For one, millennials have rather peculiar spending habits and brand choices. Two, most traditional marketing methods don’t really work on them. 

Still, millennials get their hair styled, nails treated, skin tanned, and facials done. Moreover, they pay handsomely for good service and tend to stick faithfully to the brands they love. The only trick is getting millennials through your salon doors—that’s exactly what this article is about. 

Read on and learn how to attract millennials to your salon. Understand the millennial consumer psychology and discover the marketing strategies that truly work. We’ll also tell you why you want millennials to visit your salon in the first place. 

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Why Marketing to Millennials Is Important 

Does it matter if millennials come to your salon at all? 

Yes, it does. It matters a great deal. 

Millennials could easily make up the bulk of your salon’s client base and income. If you want your salon business to thrive, this is the demographic to go after. This is true for these four key reasons: 

1. The Sheer Numbers 

Millennials account for an impressive 21.7% of the US population. That makes millennials the largest age group in the country. On top of that, millennials are more culturally diverse than previous generations in the US. 

Targeting a large and diverse market segment gives you a huge advantage. You can cast a wider net and reel in a good catch when fishing in a larger lake. The same goes for marketing. A big audience means more variety and a broader marketing scope. 

2. Millennials Are Maturing into Their Prime Spending Age 

Millennials came of age with less wealth than previous generations. They bought into the American Dream of having post-secondary degrees. While higher formal education is great, it left many millennial grads in deep student debt. The cohort has also accumulated a lot of credit card debt due to the high cost of living. 

The average millennial has about $27,251 in non-mortgage debt. 

This may seem like the wrong target market segment for a salon business. But things are looking up for millennials, financially speaking. Most millennials are working their way out of student, car, and credit card debts. They are quickly reaching their prime spending years, which brings us to the next point. 

3. Millennials Are High Spenders 

Consumer spending among millennials is skyrocketing. A 2020 YPulse study puts the millennials’ spending power at $2.5 trillion. 

And even as millennials age into “boring” adulthood, the “treat yourself” mentality is still strong. As much as 36% of a millennial’s monthly expenditure goes to personal care and beauty services. That’s good news for salon owners. 

4. Millennials Make Extremely Loyal Customers 

Gen Ys are the most loyal salon customers you can have. It’s a proven fact, too. One study found that 32% of loyal customers are millennials. 

Customer loyalty is very important for service- or experience-based businesses such as salons. One, a loyal customer creates repeat business. Two, loyal customers are more likely to recommend your salon to others. That’s free word-of-mouth marketing. 

Lastly, it’s way cheaper and easier to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one. 

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Understanding the Millennial Mindset 

What sort of person or customer comes to mind when you picture millennials? 

The first step in targeted marketing is studying your audience. In this case, you must figure out what really appeals to the average millennial and understand their consumer mindset, spending habits, and preferences. 

Here’s what you need to know about millennials as your salon’s prospective customers: 

Technologically Savvy 

Gen Ys are the first digital natives; this is the cohort’s most defining characteristic. They grew up during the dawn of the digital era. Millennials are the first generation to have access to computers, the internet, and smartphones at a young age. 

Even older millennials are comfortable around commonplace technologies. Millennials are not new to social media, commercial websites, email, and mobile apps. In fact, many millennials prefer engaging with businesses through such means. 

Well Educated 

Millennials are the most educated generation in American history. Nearly 40% of millennials have a bachelor’s degree or higher education. Targeting an educated population gives you a wider range of marketing options. 

Cautious About Spending 

Millennials have faced a steep uphill financial battle since childhood. Gen Ys lived through the Great Recession of 2007–2009. They also accumulated tons of debts growing up. And unfortunately, they matured into a job market with low entry-level salaries. 

So, of course, millennials are a bit tight when it comes to spending. Many millennials won’t buy anything unless it’s necessary or worth every penny.  

They’ll perform research, compare products and services, and then weigh the pros and cons before making purchasing decisions. As a salon owner, you’ll want to keep that in mind as you pick product lines, price services, and consider promotions. 

Value Experiences Over Possessions 

Interestingly, millennials crave experience more than material things. According to research by Eventbrite, 78% of millennials would rather spend money on a desirable experience than an item. 

You can use this preference to your advantage. Market your salon services to millennials as an experience. This is a form of experiential marketing (more about it later). 

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Favor Brands Engaged in Social and Environmental Causes 

Being highly educated, culturally diverse, and exposed, millennials are a liberal generation. They’re particularly keen on social equality and environmental sustainability. They will readily support businesses with reasonable causes along those lines. 

Millennials are more likely to interact with brands showing corporate social responsibility (CSR). They’ll also boycott (and even protest) those that don’t. 

In fact, millennials and Gen Zs (those born between 1997 and 2012) are redefining the CSR landscape. They’re increasingly demanding businesses to invest in driving positive change. 

6 Tips for Marketing Your Hair Salon to Millennials 

“How do I market my hair salon to millennials?” That’s the big question. 

It can be challenging to market any service or product to millennials. But not impossible. And if you get it right, serving Gen Ys can take your salon to great new heights. 

Here’s what you can do to make your salon more appealing to millennials: 

1. Work on Your Messaging 

Millennials can smell blatant advertiser content from a mile away. And frankly, it stinks. 

The traditional, overly selly marketing messaging simply won’t work on millennials. Forget straight-up advertising. Instead, focus on connecting with your audience via relevant communication. 

Millennials respond best to simple content and messaging that creates an emotional connection. For example, don’t sell your audience the “buy now” narrative. Instead, share your brand story and invite them to be part of the journey. 

Go for subtle, subliminal, informative messaging. Try not to frustrate or annoy your millennial audience with bold advertising. 

2. Sell the Salon Experience 

It’s true that millennials will buy more into an experience than a product or service. But experience itself can be commoditized. From a marketing perspective, any offering can be sold as an experience. Luckily for you, it’s quite easy to turn any salon service into an experience. 

Convince your audience that you’re not just selling beauty services (hairstyles, facials, manicures, etc.). They can get those from any salon. Focus instead on the experience you deliver. 

How does a client feel during and after a visit to your salon? Do they feel calm, relaxed, happy, welcomed, heard, proud, or confident? Salon services are mostly hands-on. So, you can find an experience angle for every service. 

Experiential marketing is highly effective because it works on the emotional level. Selling salon experiences can quickly boost sales and customer loyalty. 

3. Invest in a Strong Online Presence 

Millennials and Gen Zs dominate online traffic. Nearly all millennials own at least one internet-enabled device and go online daily. They use the internet to socialize, entertain themselves, and shop. 

Online is where you want to be for millennials to notice your business. Even for brick-and-mortar salons, a strong online presence is a must. 

Start by launching a commercial website showcasing your beauty services. The website should give potential customers the following information: 

• What you do 
• Your location 
• Your working hours 
• What makes your salon special 
• How to contact the business 
• How to book an appointment 

A website is also a great avenue to engage and educate your audience. 

Then, pair your website with a Google Business Profile. Google Business is a free online listing for local businesses. Once you’ve filled out your profile, you stand to appear in Google’s Local Pack. This is a listing for search results matching salon-related queries in your area. 

Online presence is not complete without getting on social media. The average millennial spends over two hours daily on social media platforms. This is an incredible opportunity to reach millions of millennials. Sign your business up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Nextdoor. 

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4. Use Influencers 

Many millennials follow influencers on social media. Influencers are basically internet celebrities. But more than that, they are strong brand ambassadors. Research shows that a majority of millennials trust online influencers more than brands. 

Find a strategic influencer willing to endorse your beauty services online. It could be through sponsored social media posts or videos. Just make sure they give an honest and relatable review of the customer experience. 

Using an influencer helps you build trust with potential millennial customers. It’ll also make your brand feel more credible and relatable to its target audience. 

5. Cultivate Customer Engagement 

Millennials like to interact with the brands they buy from. So, ensure you have proper avenues to facilitate customer engagement. 

The best way to foster engagement is through user-generated content. Encourage your audience to share their thoughts, suggestions, and experiences with your salon. This can come in various forms, such as: 

• Customer reviews and testimonials 
• User reviews on your Google Business Profile 
• Feedback posted on third-party review platforms 
• Comments on blog posts, social media posts, or messaging forums 
• Customer feedback surveys 
• Live or online beauty contests 

6. Stand Behind a Worthy Cause 

Gen Ys are always on the lookout for brands demonstrating corporate social responsibility. Make your salon more appealing to millennials by supporting a worthy cause. 

Do so by contributing to a local or national charity. Or find another way to give back to the community or drive positive change. For instance, you could get behind hair donation charities such as Hair We Share and Locks of Love. 

The cause doesn’t even have to be hair- or beauty-related. For instance, you could show support for women, gender, or racial equality. 

Going green is yet another route. You could switch to eco-friendly hair, beauty, or cleaning products. Switching to sustainable practices, such as running on renewable electricity, also works. 

Supporting a worthy cause wins your salon favor with millennials. It also does a lot of good for the community. 

Start Your Millennial Marketing with SalonBiz 

Millennials are poised to lead consumer spending worldwide. This tightfisted generation is starting to let loose and spend more on lux. Now is the best time for salon owners to reel in new millennial customers. 

But there’s a method to attracting millennials to your salon. Most traditional advertising strategies won’t work with this cohort. Marketing to millennials requires four things: 

• Relevant content 
• Subliminal messaging 
• Digital prowess 
• Some level of compassion 

Marketing can be tough, regardless of the target audience. But with the right digital tools, marketing becomes a breeze. Imagine a platform that helps you to start, organize, run, and track all your campaigns. That’s exactly what SalonBiz does. 

SalonBiz is an all-in-one salon and spa management software. It features powerful marketing and communications tools, connecting you with valuable customers. On top of that, SalonBiz ensures smooth, efficient, and profitable salon operations. 

Book a demo today and try SalonBiz yourself.