Tactics

First things first, you should know your audience. Whether you’re a small business or a fully-fledged, multi-salon dog grooming business, you’re going to want to know your audience in and out.

What sort of things would drive them to make a purchase at your salon? Consider every aspect, especially if you’re looking to sell products and other goods to your clientele.

Something to consider is thinking what every general pet owner would need for their homes. Leashes, bowls, or poo bags. Consider all of the different things you may want to stock and sell on to your customers.

It’s easy to get lost in this though, as every dog grooming salon will be selling similar merch. Make yourselves more desirable than the competition, and think outside the box. How can you spruce up simply buying a bowl?

Think of things such as deals, promotions and offers that your clients can’t refuse and, potentially, won’t get anywhere else.

Straying away from the overarching theme of selling physical things for your clientele, it’s also important to focus on lots of little goals if you’re venturing into the world of marketing. Creating small checklists of goals will have you making your mark on the industry in no time!

Really consider what some of the best marketing needs your business might lack, and prioritise those first. It might even help to simply list these things in order and work through them. Setting up a website might take more priority than other, smaller things, for instance.

Ensure that clear performance goals are set for you and/or your team. After you make some progress, you can clearly outline when it’s time to move on to the next big thing.

Social media, naturally, is always one of the things at the height of what we suggest here at TGM. It’s 2023, and there are so many tools for you to utilise for your business. Did we mention that it’s essentially all free for the most part? Because, well, it is.

Marketability falls under the same belt as shareability in a lot of businesses these days, so why not clamp down on one of the biggest ways to get your name out there and create something so gosh darn “Instagrammable” that your clientele won’t be able to resist a visit to your business.

Who knows, you might even get some completely new clients out of it!

The simplest thing to do to kickstart this is to search for some guides on the basics. There are probably so many small factors that are a part of taking a great photo that you might not even realise, and it never hurts to check up on the latest setting trends for your iPhone to get that perfect shot that just screams “buy me” to your followers.

After you’ve laid down the groundwork and have all of your content ready to go, you can start to look into the heavier stuff that really makes your website and online content fly through the world wide web and straight onto someone’s “for you page”.

The main thing that you’re going to want to consider when we say this is search engine optimisation or SEO for short. This essentially translates to a list of criteria that determines how high up on search engines and other platforms your content will be listed. You’re going to want to look up some guides for this one, as there is a lot to cover! But trust us when we say that it’s worth it.

Once you’ve figured out some routines, strategies and other things to give your marketability the boost it deserves, double your efforts and really make the things that work for you, well, work!

Make a note of the results, fine-tune them to the best of your ability and then see what happens with the second go. You can really benefit your business by focusing on what works, rather than what doesn’t.

Next up on the agenda is to take into consideration how important your existing customers are. They are the ones who’ve been a cornerstone in developing your business to the point that it’s at now.

There isn’t anything wrong with asking them to spread the word a little if they are happy with your service. Similar to leaving a Google review, we know that word of mouth also goes an incredibly long way. Emphasise to your clients how important their verbal feedback to others can be and you’ll, hopefully, be seeing more return on investment in no time.

It might even be worth recommending certain items that you can sell to them that need to be refilled. Fragrances, for example. And, if you’re the only one who can supply these in a fifty-mile radius then you’ll be sure that those customers will be coming directly to you!

Be nice to your customers and they’ll be nice to you back.

Now, let’s talk about the nitty-gritty of a website! It will be one of your most useful assets, an online portfolio that demonstrates your value as well as hosting an array of methods where you can be contacted.

Whether you choose to create the site yourself or hire a professional to really give it some extra oomph is entirely up to you. As long as the end result is a positive one then we don’t see a problem with either!

Find a way to ensure repeat visits to your website, with promotions and deals to keep people coming back for more. Especially if your website is the only place they can find it.

Take a look at hosting services such as WordPress to see what you can do to build up your website today.

When you’re posting, it’s of the utmost importance that you keep some sort of schedule. This way, the people who follow you on social media and regularly visit your website can easily know when the best time to check out your channels will be.

If you want to base this on statistics that are already there, a lot of social media platforms and website hosts provide this service absolutely free of charge. You’ve just got to do a bit of digging deep down in the respective apps!

This information is incredibly useful, as it demonstrates to you your current demographic, their most active times and the likelihood that they may interact with your content.

There are countless ways that you can market your business to new and old clients alike, all it takes is a little extra creativity to push your business the extra mile. Network with others, do some research and see what the best options for increasing your marketability are for your business today!

Simpsons

Mastercut offer a great range of detachable blades in both standard and wide versions. Guaranteed to improve the cutting performance of your clipper, thanks to precision grinding and more cutting edges than rival brands. Mastercut blades are designed to fit all popular Andis, Heiniger and Oster clippers, enabling you to switch brands without having to question their compatibility. The ‘superwide’ blades and comb attachments have revolutionised the way salons work, speeding up clipping times and improve work efficiency. If you’ve yet to discover this award-winning brand, you can find out more information by visiting: www.mastercut.pro

Bob Martin Clear Plus Spray

Unlike many other flea sprays, Bob Martin Clear Plus not only kill fleas and larvae, but it also contains an Insect Growth regulator (IGR) to prevent flea eggs from hatching. This award-winning fast-acting spray is the best-selling brand in the UK, trusted by pet owners and groomers to eradicate flea infestations for good. Discover more about how to keep your pet, home or salon flea free, tick free and worry free at www. bobmartin.co.uk and don’t forget to follow us to flea-dom on Facebook (@BobMartinUK) and Instagram (@ bobmartinpets). RRP: £11.50

Leucillin, The Groomers Skincare Essential

HSE approved for both animal and human skin, Leucillin is tough on all pathogens, yet skin pH neutral and gentle to skin.

• Clipper Rash - Leucillin acts quickly to kill pathogens, spray liberally after groom for a happy dog and happy client!

• Tear Staining - Use as an eye cleanser to kill bacteria and yeasts, applying daily will lighten staining and coat regrows it’s natural colour.

• Great for Allergies - Leucillin works in harmony with the body, calming the autoimmune response, instantly soothing inflamed skin caused by itching and chewing

• All breeds, skin & coat types including your feline clients.

• Eco Friendlycompletely recyclable packaging, cruelty free and vegan friendly.

RRP - Leucillin Product Range, 50ml Dropper - £5, 60ml Spray - £6, 150ml Spray - £7.50, 250ml Spray - £10, 500ml Spray - £15, 5 ltr

Professionals - £42, www.leucillin.co.uk

Heiniger AG

With Opal, Heiniger AG sets new standards. The new clipper is extremely quiet. It is also impressively powerful and equipped with two speed levels. With 3100 double strokes per minute in fast mode (and 2600 in slow mode), this clipper works smoothly and quickly even through dirty and thick fur and hair. The latest lithium-ion battery technology ensures cordless clipping up to 240 minutes. It takes just one hour for a full battery recharge. Thanks to the built-in battery level indicator, it is always possible to check the remaining battery time. Visit heiniger.co

RRP: £332.88

Milly’s

Milly’s are excited to announce the launch of their new Performance Collection! Since 2017, Milly’s have been creating ethical and plant-based grooming products, which are praised by professionals around the UK and EU. Following six months of development, these four new product lines are proudly free from sulphates, parabens, and nasty chemicals. Tried and tested in some of the UK’s busiest grooming salons, schools, and franchises – these new shampoos strive to offer incredible value for money whilst providing unrivalled results. Get in touch at www.millys.co.uk and 01384 465297

RRP: £16.99 1L | £49.99 5L