Monday, December 9, 2013

How to create an effective Call To Action, and other tips

We all know that the winter can be a slow time for spray tanning. It’s pretty hard to compete with snow storms, bitter cold, seasonal affect disorder, less daylight, and holiday shopping. It is hard, but not impossible.

Create Calls to Action

A Call to Action (CTA) is an effective tool for getting people thinking about and being more involved with your business. Essentially what a CTA does is:

1. Promotes your business or an aspect of your business

2. Reward people for: following a link, clicking “like”, calling you, or walking into your store

3. Actively engage your target audience rather than passively sell to them

A CTA makes people feel like they are involved in the selling process, and are not just a sounding board for your marketing.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you can just have a link on your webpage that says, “Call now for a discount!” There are several things you need to do to make sure that your Call to Action is received rather than ignored.

√ --Design

When it comes to advertising for your business you have to walk the fine line between something that looks nice and something that is over the top. You want it to stand out, but you don’t want to blind someone with a neon yellow “click here” sign. Be tasteful and think about what colors represent:


√ --Value

If you just have a big, beautiful button that says “Click Here” I guarantee that not many people will click on it. They need a reason to click, to call, to walk in. Entice them with information that they might not know, or a deal of some sort. “Click here to learn the top 4 reasons your client's spray tan didn’t work” is much better than, “Click here for our webpage”. It is giving a sense of accomplishment for clicking, and rewarding them with information.

“Call today”--- Why should they go out of their way to call?

“Call today and order one of our 5 drinks for your next visit”--- Now they have a reason, a reward, and they are setting up a visit (which of course means more business for you).

√ --Be Clear

Nobody likes being made a fool of 

If you have a link that says: “Seven amazing foods that could reduce belly fat” you better be real sure that you aren’t just trying to get them to follow the link so you can sell them a Shake Weight. Very few people respond positively to being tricked into a sales pitch.

Here is an interesting fact: people are more likely to purchase something if you get them to say “Yes” rather than “No”. By responding to a CTA, a person has already said yes. They’ve accepted what you’ve asked by clicking on your link or calling you—now all you have to do is smile and make them want to come back again.

So you got them in the door with your Call to Action, but have you made sure that your business is designed in a way to keep them coming back? Look through the following segments and make sure that your business isn’t hurting itself!






Look at the salons, spas, or other mobile businesses in your area—check out their webpages, look at their Facebooks, if possible talk to their clients or stop in for a chat at their salon so you can see what they are doing.



Think this is being sneaky or underhanded? You honestly think they aren’t doing the same to you? It’s not being a snoop; it’s just conducting research as a business person: you are looking into services provided and trying to discover if there is a niche that needs to be filled.



Once you’ve discovered what other salons are doing—do something different. This should seem like a no-brainer, but I’ve talked to countless business owners that see something and instantly begin copying it. I’m not saying it’s a bad idea to adopt new things into your business, but if you are trying to get noticed then the last thing you want to do is put up a big sign that says ,“Nothing New Here!”

You want people to be excited about your business. It’s hard to achieve that if you aren’t willing to step up your game. If the salon next door is offering a BOGO sale, don’t offer a BOG2 sale—offer a free sample of one of your more expensive skincare products.

Build a Community

Want to really stand out in the crowd? Get people talking about you. Word of mouth is, hands down, one of the best referral systems in the world. Why? Compare these two:

A billboard is a giant piece of wood and metal that has wallpaper with advertising on it.

Your best friend tells you about this new place she just tried out, and she loves it and can’t wait to bring you!

See the difference? A billboard is…just a billboard. Word of mouth is so incredibly effective because it is an endorsement with a strong emotional connection. Just make sure they are saying good things!

Building a community is not just about increasing your business. It’s not having a Facebook page or helping someone choose which services they want that determines if they return to you. It’s about realizing that your customer is a human being. I know this sounds ridiculous to have to point out, but it’s something that many businesses start to overlook. 

Sometimes your client doesn’t want to be upsold. Sometimes they just want to sit down for a few moments, chat like old friends, get their manicure or facial or massage or hair styling or spray tan, and forget that they have a million things to do today.

What hurts your community more than anything in the world? Bashing other salons, spas, businesses, products. 


Be Bronze Sunless Tanning using an Aviva Labs Miami City Tan

No-brainer tips: Have staff that are well educated in all aspects of your business, that can communicate that information, and that are respectful, helpful, and passionate rather than “working for a paycheck”.

Cheaper Does Not Mean Better 

McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Popeye’s, and all fast food places all have one thing in common: they are inexpensive.

McDonald’s has a dollar menu, but is that really the “feel” that you want your business to have? Now think about a high end restaurant. Usually what they do is feature an entrĂ©e or a specialty drink: they aren’t discounting anything—they are boasting about the high quality of their food.

I work hard for my money so I know that I would rather go to a more expensive salon and try out a product that they are recommending rather than to a salon that seems to be cutting corners.

That is the important point to take away here: you are not selling retail, you are recommending products based upon your expertise.

I know that some of these may seem pretty obvious, but the important thing to remember is that no one is too successful to go back to the basics once in a while, to think about their business and make sure they are still providing the same quality service.




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