Groupon is the new trend for customers who are hunting down the best deals. Are you thinking of using Groupon on your medspa’s next marketing campaign? Good call, because according to a Rice University study done on the popular group-buying site, salons and medspas reaped the most benefits with Groupon deals (versus restaurants who fared the worst). However, there is still a chance that your grand scheme will end up a bust if you’re not careful with your planning. A great Groupon marketing campaign, like all marketing campaigns, should result in acquiring repeat customers. Don’t let it become a simple freebie-party.
Here are a few tips your medspa should do before you unleash your Groupon plan:
Prepare Your Staff
Groupon is all about groups of people converging to take advantage of deals, which means groups of people will be converging into your medspa. Ask yourself: Is my staff ready to handle the surge of clients? If the answer is yes, great! However, the next question should be “can my staff maintain an excellent quality of service handling a larger number of clients?” The answer should also be a resounding “yes!” Your medspa should maintain an excellent quality of service despite being deluded by clients. While this surge is temporary, the staff should not let their guard down and offer sub-par service. Doing so will turn these potential repeat customers into one-time advantage takers. Make this Groupon campaign a long love-affair with your clients, not a “one-visit” stand.
The Bigger Picture
As effective as Groupon can be with your medspa’s marketing, don’t make it the only trick up your marketing sleeve. As with any business, a healthy marketing plan utilizes a number of strategies. Promotional tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google AdWords should all play a part in your overall marketing scheme. Relying on just one avenue, even if it’s very effective, will soon prove to be the wrong path taken.
And if you didn’t know already, it’s very easy to share posts in social media. So after you create your Groupon deal, post it in one of your social media accounts, and just “share” it with your other social media accounts! Posts on Instagram, for example, can be easily shared on Facebook, twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare, and Flickr.
Money Talks
Your Groupon promotion should highlight your medspa, not just a particular service. Many medspas make the mistake of featuring a service, like a massage, and end up watching people come in for the massage and leave. Instead, focus on a dollar amount. Utpal Dholakia, professor and author of the Rice University study, suggests using Groupon deals “for building relationships instead of creating one-time transactions.” Doing something like “$100 worth spa services for just $50” will entice your client to try other things in your medspa, giving you a better chance of creating a relationship with them and, hopefully, turning a Groupon client into a first-name-basis regular.
When you follow these simple tips, your medspa should reap even more benefits from your next Groupon promotion. Keep Calm And Groupon!
