3 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Winter can be a slower season for the beauty, health and fitness industries—but it’s easy to warm things up. Keep reading for tips on spreading the word about your business, reminding clients to book appointments, and setting up specials.

Feature your business on Lifebooker’s Marketplace

Lifebooker is a discovery marketplace specializing in beauty, health, and fitness. We provide hundreds of thousands of members with a variety of geo-targeted businesses to choose from and a platform to book desired services in real time. Attract new business by making sure your business is listed—clients will be able to find you by searching availability, location, available services, and more.

Want even more brand exposure? Get featured across the site with Lifebooker’s traditional flat-rate advertising options. Promote your brand to Lifebooker’s members with site and email banner ads featuring your logo, tagline, special offers, and more—you can even get a dedicated email sent to Lifebooker members about your brand. Email bizhelp@lifebooker.com or call 800-401-9258 (press 2) to learn more.

Set up winter promotions

Get clients out of the house in your door—promote a VIP program, hold special events or workshops,  or create special promotions like two-for-one services with a friend. And remind your current clients to keep up with their routines with personalized email reminders and by having them book at the end of their appointment for their follow-up.

Start thinking ahead for spring

Use your downtime to plan ahead for your busy season. Figure out how to achieve your goals—does it include education for yourself and your staff, or updating your website? Set deadlines, check your goals, and remind your team to keep yourself accountable.

How to Make Valentine’s Day Count for Your Business

Valentine’s Day is a great time to promote your business to new and existing customers. From date night prep to thoughtful gift ideas, keep reading to learn how to boost business during the holiday.

Set up a variety of promotions

Target different groups and add a special twist to your most popular services for the holiday. Focus on prep services like hair, waxing, nails, and makeup, or appeal to couples and friends with relaxing options like spa days—you can even include themed ingredients or add an extra treat like strawberries and champagne. Promote gift options like packages, class packs, and gift cards—and include an extra Valentine’s Day treat or special service as an add-on.

Reach out to your existing clients

Once you set up all your Valentine’s Day specials, it’s time to spread the word. Make sure your loyal client base is aware by sending a promotional email and posting on your social media pages (link to your booking page). Use the holiday boost to promote your VIP and friend referral programs.

 

Target new clients

Spread the word about your business on Lifebooker through flat-rate advertising. Lifebooker’s traditional advertising options can help build exposure for your brand. Promote your brand to Lifebooker’s members with site and email banner ads featuring your logo, tagline, special offers, and more. Email bizhelp@lifebooker.com or call 800-401-9258 (press 2) to learn more. Plus, opt to have your services listed to clients looking for beauty, health and fitness appointments. You can choose to offer online booking or allow clients to message your business to find out more.

What Does Your Online Presence Say About You?

Clients have many options when it comes to health, beauty, and fitness businesses—and they start their research online. From mobile searches to reviews, it’s important to make sure your business has a strong online presence. Keeping reading for three ways to make sure you look your best online.

Online reviews

88 percent of customers say they’ve read reviews to determine the quality of a local business. Reviews make it easy for businesses to build trust with potential clients and show off some of what they offer. They even help your SEO, so make sure you have Yelp and Google+ pages for your business. You can also collect reviews on Lifebooker—we ask only clients who have honored their appointments to leave a review, so Lifebooker reviews are from your own real customers who have visited your business.

Mobile presence

The use of mobile devices are on the rise—91 percent of U.S. adults own a mobile phone, and 61 percent of those are smartphones—so making sure your website is compatible is key. Mobile users act when they search—70 percent of mobile searches lead to online action within an hour. And mobile users that find your business online have a conversion percentage nearly three times higher than the same search done on a desktop or laptop.” Grow your mobile presence by getting featured on Lifebooker. Lifebooker’s traditional advertising plan includes your own promotion, banners across the site and dedicated emails—all accessible on our mobile site. Email bizhelp@lifebooker.com or call 800-401-9258 (press 2) to learn more.

Tell your marketing story

Know your business and figure out what stands out about your business—for example, do you use organic products? Is your workout program tailored to individuals, or do you have a beginner course? What are your specialities in your field? If you’re not sure what to highlight, take a look at the market for opportunities where you business can stand out. Feature what makes your business unique on your website, listing sites, review sites, and social media posts

3 Marketing Trends You’ll See in 2015

Happy 2015 from Lifebooker! Start it on a high note by planning how you’ll use the year’s marketing trends to grow your business.

Online Ads

Online advertising is expected to rise by 10 percent in 2015. Lifebooker’s traditional advertising options can help build exposure for your brand. Promote your brand to Lifebooker’s members with site and email banner ads featuring your logo, tagline, special offers, and more. Email bizhelp@lifebooker.com or call 800-401-9258 (press 2) to learn more.

Personalized Marketing

Companies offering personalized content increased their number of sales, lowered costs of operation, prompted users to spend more time on their websites, and promoted customer satisfaction. Target your customers on a more personal level, tailoring your promotions:

• Loyal customers: Make sure your loyal customers feel taken care of. Offer a discount for friend referrals or a VIP program.
• New customers: Consider offering packages or specials to turn new customers into repeat customers.
• Less active customers: Remind clients about yours business. Send them select promotions

Build your own content

Show customers that you’re an expert in your field by creating content to promote your brand. Reach your audience through photos and videos on blog posts and social media—short video content will be big this year. With Facebook changing how the News Feed works, place your focus more on stories and less on promotional content. Create content that your audience will find valuable so they’ll share and engage with it.

Planning Ahead for 2015: How to Market Your Business in the New Year

With 2015 just around the corner, it’s time to look back at the past year and plan ahead for the new year. Take some time to look at your books—evaluate how your 2014 plan compared to the year. Check in on what clients had to say by going through your reviews on Lifebooker and Yelp from the past year.

Then, put together your plan for 2015—and don’t rely on making decisions on the fly. Instead, create a goal for the new year and plan out how you’re going to market your business across different channels in order to support that goal.

Here are three channels to consider:

Social media
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are a great way to reach clients. Create a posting schedule for your social media accounts as well as a plan for the kind of content you’ll post. Need ideas? Click here for tips on using social media to engage with your clients.

Your website
Keep your site simple and easy to navigate—your important info (address, phone number, services, photos of your space, etc) should be clearly stated and easy to find. Make sure your website works on mobile so clients can find you on the go.

Advertising
Spreading your brand name across the web is a great way to have clients find you. Use your marketing dollars wisely to get clients in the door—then wow them with your services to create repeat business. Lifebooker’s traditional advertising options can help build exposure for your brand. Promote your brand to Lifebooker’s members with site and email banner ads featuring your logo, tagline, special offers, and more. Email bizhelp@lifebooker.com or call 800-401-9258 (press 2) to learn more.

Hit Your 2014 Business Goals!

December is a great time to make sure you’re hitting your goals for the year and to set yourself up for success in the new year. Start checking in on your 2014 business goals daily or weekly, and keep reading for three easy ways to finish the year on a strong note.

Advertise on Lifebooker
With nearly 42 percent of shoppers’ budgets spent online this holiday season, Lifebooker’s traditional advertising options can help build exposure for your brand. Promote your brand to Lifebooker’s members with site and email banner ads featuring your logo, tagline, special offers, and more. Consider advertising services that clients can either gift or redeem with a friend.

To learn more about Lifebooker’s advertising options, contact us at bizhelp@lifebooker.com or 800-401-9258 (press 2).

Offer holiday packages and gift cards
January can be a slower month, so make sure you stay busy and build a loyal customer base by offering holiday specials. Gift cards and certificates are a great way to give clients flexibility—62 percent of shoppers said they would like to receive a gift card, making them the most requested gift item eight years in a row. Offer the option to purchase a value or a service as a gift. Have options at different price points, and make the special easy to find on your website, social media profiles, emails, and at your location.

Send emails to clients
Over a third of consumers say they utilize retailers’ emails to keep track of deals, and over a quarter search online for specials. Make sure your business isn’t missing out, and stay front and center with our email marketing tips.

3 Ways to Boost Business During the Holidays

The holiday season is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning ahead! Last year, Black Friday online sales were up by more than 18 percent from 2012. Keep reading for three ways to target holiday shoppers.

Offer Seasonal Specials

Highlight services that clients either purchase as a gift or as holiday prep—blowouts, coloring, manis, teeth whitening, juice cleanses, and more. Packaged deals (like blowouts, massages, mani-pedis, or food delivery services) are a great option for clients shopping for holiday gifts.

Make House Calls

The holiday season is the perfect time to offer your services as house calls. Clients will love the convenience of getting ready for parties and events at their homes or offices. Consider offering services like blowouts, mani-pedis, tanning, and lash extensions as a “party” package so clients can get ready with their friends—it’s a great way to introduce potential clients to your business!

Boost Your Advertising

Lifebooker’s advertising options can help you reach a broader audience. You can:

• Run a Lifebooker Loot to reach new clients and encourage regulars to try something new. Clients can purchase for themselves or as a gift for a friend.
• Send an exclusive email featuring your Loot to Lifebooker members.
• Promote your Loot deal on banners across the Lifebooker site.
• Promote your Loot deal on Lifebooker’s social media accounts and blog.

To learn more about Lifebooker’s advertising options starting at just $150, contact us at bizhelp@lifebooker.com or 800-401-9258 (press 2).