Salon success series: The ultimate guide to acing your salon email marketing
Want to nail your salon email marketing? Use our best practices, top tips, and campaign strategies to help boost bookings and increase client engagement.

Zenoti software for email marketing compiles guests’ buying patterns, visit history, and preferences to deploy automated, targeted campaigns that include the right offers for each client.
Despite the growing popularity of newer marketing techniques like social media advertising and influencer partnerships, email marketing continues to be one of the most powerful marketing tools for brands.
With studies showing that 99% of people check their inbox every day, and that emails have 10x higher visibility when compared with social media posts, it’s clear why (when executed correctly) email marketing remains so effective.
For salon owners and professionals looking to enhance their customer engagement, retain loyal clients, and increase bookings, email marketing can help you build strong relationships with your clients, keeping them informed and excited about your services.
In this post, we'll explore the best practices for salon email marketing, how to boost results with automation, and provide practical tips to create effective campaigns. The ideas in this post apply to email marketing for small businesses, as well.
Salon email marketing: Best practices
Collect the contacts
To ensure optimal results from your salon email marketing strategy, start by gathering clients' basic details and email addresses through sign-ups. By encouraging your clients to sign-up with basic details such as name, age, and contact details, you’re essentially creating a client data bank.
Simplify this process with digital forms for accuracy and efficiency. Software like Zenoti offers user-friendly sign-up forms accessible across various devices. Once the initial data is entered, filling in additional details becomes a breeze, streamlining the form completion process.
You can also encourage clients to sign up for your salon newsletter or loyalty program during their visit by offering an incentive, such as a discount on their next service.
Segmenting the contacts
Once the database is created, the second step involves segmenting the client list. Segmenting your email list allows you to send more targeted and relevant content to different groups of clients. This ensures that your messages resonate with recipients, leading to higher engagement rates.
Not sure how to segment your salon email list? With advanced salon marketing software, by setting up custom filters with just a few clicks, you can enhance your outreach to target audiences and boost your conversion rates.
Now that you’ve organized the contact details, especially the email addresses, it's time to delve into effective communication methods and deploy a successful marketing plan.
- Julie Schumacher, owner, Rumors Salon
9 best salon email marketing ideas
Here are nine email marketing ideas for hair salons – really, any type of salon providing beauty and wellness services, including nail and waxing.
1. Write a strong subject line
Crafting a strong subject line is critical to the success of your email campaigns. It serves as the first impression of your message and plays a significant role in determining whether your email gets opened.
To create an effective subject line, keep it concise and engaging, ideally under 50 characters, while clearly conveying the purpose of the email.
Using compelling language or incorporating urgency—such as "Last chance for 20% off styling products this week"—can entice clients to open your email. Additionally, personalizing the subject line with the client’s name or referencing their previous visits can make the communication feel more tailored and relevant, driving higher open rates and engagement.

2. Personalize the communication
No one likes receiving generic emails, and most of us like to be addressed by our first names. Personalization is the key to engagement – for more meaningful campaigns, segment your audience (as mentioned above) and customize your messaging. Tailor your offers based on clients’ favorite treatments, preferred appointment times, and send promotions that align with their specific needs, such as birthday discounts or seasonal packages.

- Ermanno Venere, owner, Salon Venere
3. Optimize the format
This point cannot be emphasized enough. Your email format should allow readers to easily view it on any device, especially handheld ones. Remember, readers have limited time, so grab their attention quickly. Ensure your emails are compatible with mobiles, tablets, and computers.

4. Ensure the communication is from your business
One of the biggest pitfalls of emails is that many of them are spam and, as a result, people often tend to ignore them. To avoid such a fate to your email, and have it labelled as ‘safe’, ensure that the email shows your brand logo and domain name. If possible, these emails should be linked to your website.
5. Share informative content
Now you know how to get your emails opened, make sure what’s inside is something your clients will want to read. Keep your emails engaging and position your salon as a trusted authority by sharing helpful, educational content. Send emails with haircare tips, styling advice, and product recommendations to add value and keep clients reading.

6. Build a relatable brand voice
Establishing a relatable brand voice is essential for salons seeking to connect authentically with their clients. This voice should reflect your salon's personality, values, and the unique experience it offers.
Use conversational language in your emails, and don't hesitate to inject some personality, whether that’s through humor, warmth, or a passion for all things hair.
7. Add an action button
Make sure all your emails include a call-to-action link or button. This way, your recipients can easily book services, make purchases, or join promotions and competitions. These CTAs work brilliantly and nudge your clients to reach out and schedule their next appointments.

8. Schedule a time for emails
Select a time slot and frequency to showcase your consistency. Make sure your marketing emails hit the inbox on the designated day and align with the chosen frequency. According to a survey, the top response times were 9AM-12PM and 12PM-3PM, with Tuesdays being the best for engagement.
To pinpoint your ideal timing, leverage software for email for insights on response rates, conversion ratios, and more. As a general rule, avoid early mornings, late nights, weekends, and major holidays except for special occasions like Mother's Day or Father's Day.
9. Maintain brand consistency
Lastly, ensure your emails align with your brand's identity by maintaining a consistent theme, format, design, and color palette across all platforms like your store, website, and social media posts.
Conclusion
Salon email marketing is a powerful tool for acquiring new clients and retaining existing ones. When executed well, it yields measurable results and boosts your bottom line, and with software for email marketing you can optimize the process with ease.
You might have the best software for email marketing to get the results you seek. Remember, however, that consistency, effective communication, and on-brand content are key when it comes to getting the best results from any salon advertising.
Whether you’re looking for email marketing software for small businesses or large franchises, software like Zenoti all-in-one platform can automate your efforts, with advanced analytics and tailored reports to dig deep into your email performance.
FAQs
Why is email marketing important for salons?
Email marketing allows salons to establish direct communication with clients, providing valuable information, promotions, and personalized content that keeps clients engaged and encourages repeat visits. Unlike social media posts, which can be easily lost in feeds, emails land straight in the inbox, ensuring they are seen by the recipient. Some studies have also indicated that salon email marketing has the highest rate of return for each dollar spent.
How can I grow my salon email list?
There are various ways to expand your salon email list. Encourage clients to sign up from their first visit or when they inquire about services. Also, ask current clients to refer your business. It’s crucial to approach this effort from multiple angles. One effective method is to include a share option in your salon newsletters, allowing recipients to pass on the emails. To sweeten the deal, consider offering a special discount to the referring client when the new client uses a service.
How can I design eye-catching email templates for my salon?
Design eye-catching email templates by using professional email marketing software that offers customizable templates, incorporating your salon’s branding, and including high-quality images and engaging content.
When selecting a template, carefully consider the color scheme, font size, and ensure optimal readability across various devices like computers, phones, and tablets. The content should be easy to read, informative, and effortless to engage with. The best software for email marketing should make this simple for salons.
See how all-in-one software like Zenoti makes building enticing marketing campaigns easy.
How often should I send emails to my salon clients?
Send emails to your salon clients regularly, but not too frequently. To stick to best practices for salon email marketing, aim for one to two emails per month, balancing promotional content with valuable information to keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them.
Implementing a salon newsletter can be an excellent way to maintain regular communication with your clients while providing them with valuable content. A well-crafted newsletter can include a mix of educational articles, product spotlights, client spotlights, and upcoming events.
Send your newsletter monthly or quarterly and automate the process using salon for email marketing. Don’t forget to also send personalized emails with discounts to mark special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
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