With the holiday season coming to a close, a new year is almost upon us. You’ve spent the last few months readying your spa for the holiday rush but don’t let New Year’s opportunities pass you by. With a few adjustments to your treatment menu and your marketing plan, you can ring in the new year right.
Taking the time to explore rising wellness trends and reviewing your year-end reports will set you up for a strong showing in the first quarter. Here are 9 ways to take your spa to the next level in 2022.
Renew your spa décor.
As wonderful as twinkle lights and boughs of fresh pine may be, holiday decorations should be stored away by the end of the year. The new year is the perfect time for renewal. Rather than simply going back to your pre-holiday décor, however, consider making a few upgrades.
With all the gift cards and spa packages you sold during the holidays, you’re expecting an influx of new clients and you’ll want to give them a proper greeting with a fresh, clean space and a welcoming ambiance. Try rebalancing the waiting room aesthetic as well as updating the furniture and furnishings, if needed. It may even be helpful to incorporate some ideas from Chinese feng shui, the ancient art of arranging the pieces in living spaces in order to create balance with the natural world.
Promote your spa on social media.
Though some people like to take a break from spending after the holidays, many find themselves in need of a spa day to recover from all the hustle and bustle. The new year is the perfect time to renew your spa’s presence on social media and to invest in social media marketing to bring in new clients. Create a monthly or quarterly content plan and pre-schedule your posts to keep things consistent. Make sure to engage with your followers as well through giveaways, educational content, and appreciation posts.
Make some upgrades to your spa menu.
It’s always a good idea to tweak your spa menu on a seasonal basis, especially after the holidays have passed. The new year is the perfect time to focus on skin repair and rejuvenation (especially when the weather gets cold and dry). Highlight deep cleanses, intensive treatments, and rising trends.
It’s also a good time to start promoting your product line to set yourself up for a strong year of retail sales. Design new treatments around popular products and make sure your staff is prepared to educate and upsell clients products that complement their skin and the treatment they received.
Go through your inventory.
Before placing orders for the new year, go through your inventory to see what you might have forgotten about in a back corner of the storeroom. That hidden case of toner or body scrub might be the perfect pick for a new promotion. If you don’t have enough to include the product in treatments, offer it as a giveaway with purchases over a certain price point or as a thank-you for new clients booking a second treatment.
Start planning now for your next event.
Though the major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas may be behind us, there are plenty more on the horizon. Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are major holidays for the spa industry when it comes to gifting, so it’s best to plan for them early. Start thinking about the promotions and special treatments you’ll be offering so you can order the inventory and get your marketing scheduled accordingly.
Resolve to engage with loyal clients more regularly.
The majority of any spa’s business comes from a select number of loyal clients who keep coming back month after month. The new year is a great opportunity to get in the habit of engaging with your repeat clients on a regular basis. A little bit of appreciation goes a long way, so consider sending out a thank-you email with a promo code or coupon for a free product. If you don’t already have a rewards program or loyalty program in place, the new year is the ideal time to roll it out. Show your top clients they are valued and you’ll build a cherished, long lasting relationship with them that also adds to your bottom line.
Mix up your marketing game.
Most of your clients already have an inbox full of junk mail, so you don’t want to be one more company that gets sent straight to spam. Rather than sending out bland marketing emails, consider switching to a newsletter model. A newsletter is the best place to announce exciting new year changes and it gives you an opportunity to connect with your clients. Highlight new spa services, provide educational tips, or promote upcoming events. You could even include a fun element like a staff spotlight or share testimonials from satisfied clients.
Put some time into the repairs you’ve put off.
Little repairs like replacing a light fixture or fixing the soap dispenser in the bathroom easily fall to the wayside but they can add up quickly. The new year is a good time to check those little repairs of your to-do list. You might even go so far as to bring in professional technicians to make sure everything in your spa is up to snuff. This can include checking things in your spa that are likely to wear out over time (HVAC system, appliances, electrical, etc). The weeks following the holiday season can be slow for some spas, but that just makes it a better time to make repairs so you’re fully prepared when the rush picks back up again.
Introduce new product lines.
The new year means a fresh start not only for your clients but for your spa. In addition to making changes to your spa menu, you might want to consider updating your product lines as well. Take the opportunity to test some brands you’ve been wanting to try or talk to your current product line representative about up-and-coming product releases. You don’t have to completely revamp your retail operations but consider injecting a little new life into it to get the new year going.
Every new year brings with it new opportunities for growth. As you look forward to 2022, take the time to review your year-end reports in detail. Reviewing retail sales and treatment bookings can help you get a feel for what your clients love and where they might welcome a change. Be bold in the upcoming year and your spa may just see its most lucrative year yet!